Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl

Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act to restore protections for wetlands and small streams that were formerly protected from pollution and destruction by the Clean Water Act. Includes provisions concerning: exemptions; wetlands delineation, classification, notification, permits and veto; general permits; appeal of final decisions made by the Department of Natural Resources and judicial review; investigation and enforcement; and county authority. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Advisory Committee and establishes duties and rules for the Committee. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Fund. Provides for permit review fees. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Effective immediately.

Commends Deputy John Forlenza and Police K9 Dax for their honorable service and dedication to their community, the State as a whole, and the nation.

Amends the Uniform Crime Reporting Act. Provides that a law enforcement agency shall publish monthly on its website, and submit to the Illinois State Police in a form, manner, and frequency as required by the Illinois State Police, the following information that occurred in the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction: (1) how many homicides occurred in a month based on the time of death of a victim; (2) how many of the homicides had an alleged perpetrator arrested and charged; and (3) how many homicides are considered cleared or closed for a reason other than the arrest and charging of an alleged perpetrator. Provides that information required to be published on a law enforcement agency's website must be published on the website by the end of the month following the reporting month. Effective January 1, 2025.

Creates the Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act. Provides for the review of the case file of open unresolved murders. Defines "open unresolved murder" as any criminal activity in which death occurred more than 3 years prior to the date of the application for review of the case file under the Act, for which all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and for which no likely perpetrator has been identified. Provides that the person or persons performing the review shall not have previously investigated the murder. Provides that only one case review shall be undertaken at any one time with respect to the same murder victim. Provides that each law enforcement agency shall develop a written application to be used for persons to request a case file review. Provides that the applicable agency shall conduct a full reinvestigation of the murder if the review of the case file concludes that a full reinvestigation of the murder would result in probative investigative leads. Provides for the compilation and publication of specified information and statistics regarding open unresolved murders by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Provides that each law enforcement agency shall employ or designate a minimum number of family liaison officers proportionate to the average number of homicides in the agency's jurisdiction within the previous 5 years of the date of employment with the maximum ratio of 40 homicides per each family liaison officer employed. Each agency may establish a lower ratio for hiring of family liaison officers. Establishes the duties and training for family liaison officers. Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act to make conforming changes.

Declares March 12, 2024 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education shall create a student teaching stipend program to reduce financial barriers into the teaching profession and increase the quality of the student teaching experience in order to better prepare teaching candidates for the classroom and increase teacher retention. Provides that to participate in the stipend program, an eligible student must be placed as a student teacher. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of all eligible students who qualify for the stipend program by July 1. Provides that all eligible students shall be enrolled in the stipend program. Provides that subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible student a stipend of up to $10,000 for one academic semester, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Sets forth provisions concerning funding if the amount appropriated for the program is insufficient to fund all eligible students. Provides that subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible cooperating teacher a stipend of up to $1,500 per academic semester, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Provides that a cooperating teacher may receive professional development hours for completing cooperating teacher training that counts toward the cooperating teacher's license renewal or Gateways credential. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student or an eligible teacher from participating in the program or receiving a stipend from the program. Provides that, subject to available appropriations, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the State Board of Education shall report about and evaluate the program to the Governor and General Assembly on or before June 30, 2028 and each June 30 thereafter. Provides for rulemaking.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. In a provision requiring the Department of Human Service' Division of Mental Health to implement a direct support professional credential pilot program, delays the pilot program's start date to Fiscal Year 2025 (rather than Fiscal Year 2024). Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year (rather than the 2025-2026 school year) and continuing for not less than 2 years, the State Board of Education shall make available a model program of study that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional. Provides that by July 1, 2025 (rather than by July 1, 2023) the Department of Human Service must submit recommendations to the State Board of Education for the training that would be required in order to complete the model program of study. Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that by July 1, 2026 (rather than by July 1, 2025), the Illinois Community College Board shall submit recommendations for a model program of study, for credit, that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional to the Department of Human Services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in crimes motivated by bias. Includes requirements for the training programs. Requires the training for new law enforcement officers and allows continuing education credits for current law enforcement officers who complete the training.

Amends the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. Provides that all higher education institutions shall include in the comprehensive policy concerning sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, information about how the higher education institution protects individuals who report from retaliation. Provides that the higher education institutions procedure for responding to a report shall also include protecting the survivor from retaliation, including a policy and process for early dismissal of any retaliatory claim by a respondent against a survivor, including, but not limited to, claims of defamation, harassment, bullying, and any other violation of policy claims where the actions alleged by the respondent are related to the survivor's report. Makes related changes in provisions concerning student notification of rights and options, confidential advisors, complaint resolution procedures, and campus training. Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Provides that a court shall not permit any person to pursue a defamation action to silence or retaliate against, a person reporting gender-based violence, including cases where the alleged perpetrator is publicly named. Provides that the exception to motions under this Act are when the acts are not genuinely aimed at procuring favorable government action, result, or outcome or when the plaintiff presents clear and convincing evidence that the reporting of gender-based violence constituted speaking with actual malice. Makes related changes.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning charitable exemptions granted to limited liability companies, removes a requirement that the limited liability company must be a disregarded entity for federal and Illinois income tax purposes.