Rep. Sonya Harper

Amends the Racial Impact Note Act. Provides that by December 31, 2023, the Office of the Governor shall submit a report to the General Assembly with recommendations regarding the production of statements or notes that a member of the General Assembly may request under the Act. Requires the report to include certain recommendations on methodology, formatting, and a course of training for personnel of certain State agencies. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Office of the Governor may contract with an entity or entities that have expertise in racial impact or equity impact assessments for the production of the report. Repeals these provisions on January 1, 2025. Effective immediately.

Creates the Education Savings Account Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall develop and implement an education savings account program for eligible pupils. Provides that education savings account payments shall be made available to parents and guardians in the manner authorized for the payment of qualified educational expenses as provided in the Act. Provides that parents and guardians shall first use education savings account payments for all qualified educational expenses that are tuition and fees for which the parent or guardian is responsible for payment at the pupil's nonpublic school prior to using the education savings account for other qualified educational expenses. Sets forth provisions regarding program eligibility, application requirements, disbursement of funds, testing requirements, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2023.

Honors and thanks State Representative Frances Ann Hurley for her years of dedicated service. Wishes her the best on her future success.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, removes a provision requiring the ending date of the employment to be no later than June 30, 2024.

Amends the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Farmer Equity Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, all handgun ammunition that is manufactured, imported into the State for sale or personal use, kept for sale, offered or exposed for sale, sold, given, lent, or possessed shall be serialized. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, any person who manufactures, causes to be manufactured, imports into the State for sale or personal use, keeps for sale, offers or exposes for sale, or who gives or lends any handgun ammunition that is not serialized is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, any person who possesses in any public place any handgun ammunition that is not serialized is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Provides exceptions. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, the Illinois State Police shall maintain a centralized registry of all reports of handgun ammunition transactions reported to the Illinois State Police in a manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. Provides that information in the registry, upon proper application for that information, shall be furnished to peace officers and authorized employees of the Illinois State Police or to the person listed in the registry as the owner of the particular handgun ammunition. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall adopt rules relating to the assessment and collection of end-user fees in an amount not to exceed $0.005 per round of handgun ammunition or per bullet, in which the accumulated fee amount may not exceed the cost to pay for the infrastructure, implementation, operational, enforcement, and future development costs of these provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the corporate authorities of a county or municipality may license or regulate businesses operating as a public accommodation that permit the consumption of cannabis on the business premises and that are not regulated under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides an exemption from a provision of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Defines "public accommodation". Effective immediately.

Creates the Farmland Conservancy Program Act. Creates the Farmland Conservancy Program Fund in the State treasury. Provides that the moneys in the fund shall, upon appropriation by the General Assembly, be used for the purposes of the program, which include the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, fee title acquisition grants, land improvement and planning grants, technical assistance grants, technical assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture, technology transfer activities of the Department, and administrative costs incurred by the Department in administering the program. Provides that not less than 25% of funds shall be provided to applicants that lease or sell to socially disadvantaged farmers. Provides that moneys in the fund shall also be available for the following purposes: (1) to provide technical assistance grants to eligible assistance entities in support of socially disadvantaged farmers who are seeking financing for land acquisition or leasing; (2) to provide acquisition assistance grants to eligible assistance entities for the sole purpose of reducing barriers to land access for socially disadvantaged farmers, including, but not limited to, down payment assistance, interest rate assistance, direct costs incidental to acquisition, and infrastructure for land improvement; (3) to provide technical assistance grants to eligible assistance entities in support of socially disadvantaged farmers who are seeking financing for land acquisition or leasing; and (4) to provide acquisition assistance grants to eligible assistance entities for the sole purpose of reducing barriers to land access for socially disadvantaged farmers, including, but not limited to, down payment assistance, interest rate assistance, direct costs incidental to acquisition, and infrastructure for land improvement. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that a person required to register under the Act may change her or his name if the change is due to marriage, religious beliefs, status as a victim of trafficking or gender-related identity as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires the person to report the name change within 10 days to the law enforcement agency with whom they last registered. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides further requirements for when name changes may and may not be granted. Provides that a petition for this change shall be a statewide, standardized form approved by the Illinois Supreme Court and include a warning about when a name change may be charged as a felony. Provides when an objection to the name change may be filed. Deletes notice by publication language. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 rep. Adds reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 from Ch. 110, par. 21-103 Deletes a provision concerning objections relating to specificity, timing, filing, and form. Provides that a person who has been convicted of a felony offense in this State or any other state and whose sentence has not been terminated, completed, or discharged is not permitted to file a petition for a name change in the courts of this State unless that person is pardoned for the offense. Adds "name" to two section headings to reflect the duty to report a legal name change. Provides that certain objections shall be served upon the petitioner. Replaces a repeal of a provision concerning notice by publication with a change to the provision providing that the court may issue an order directing that the notice and publication requirement be waived for a change of name involving a person who files with the court a statement verified under oath that the person believes that publishing notice of the name change would be a hardship, including but not limited to, a negative impact on the person's health or safety. Provides that in a case where waiver of the notice and publication requirement is sought, the petition for waiver will be presumed granted and heard at the same hearing as the petition for name change. Provides that the court retains discretion to determine whether a hardship is shown and may order the petitioner to publish thereafter.