Appropriates $500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of making grants to socially-disadvantaged farmers to provide funding for startup capital and for costs associated with farming operations and equipment. Effective July 1, 2021.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the renewable portfolio standards, specifies the goals for procurement of renewable energy credits and cost-effective renewable energy resources that shall be included in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan and makes other changes concerning these procurements and provides for the calculation of the cost of equity for the purposes of recovering all reasonable and prudently incurred costs of energy efficiency measures from retail customers. Provides that savings of fuels other than electricity achieved by measures that educate about, incentivize, encourage, or otherwise support the use of electricity to power vehicles shall count towards the applicable annual incremental goal and shall not be included in determining certain limits. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility that serves less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 customers in this State may plan for, construct, install, control, own, manage, or operate photovoltaic electricity production facilities and any energy storage facilities that are planned for, constructed, installed, controlled, owned, managed, or operated in connection with photovoltaic electricity production facilities without obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity subject to specified terms and conditions. Provides that a public utility that provided electric service to at least 1,000,000 retail customers in Illinois and gas service to at least 500,000 retail customers in Illinois may elect to recover its natural gas delivery services costs through a performance-based rate. Provides that, beginning in 2022, without obtaining any approvals from the Commission or any other agency, regardless of whether any such approval would otherwise be required, a participating utility that is a combination utility shall pay $1,000,000 per year for 10 years to the energy low-income and support program. Adds provisions authorizing certain utilities to plan for, construct, install, control, own, manage, or operate electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Amends the Prevailing Wage Act to include specified facilities financed in whole or in part with renewable energy resources in the definition of "public works". Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district operating one or more high schools, a charter school, or a private secondary school shall not make or enforce a rule subjecting a high school student to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged in outside of the campus, is protected from governmental restriction by the United States Constitution or the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a student who is enrolled in a school at the time that the school has made or enforced a rule that the student would be protected from may commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by the court. Provides that the new provisions do not apply to a private secondary school that is controlled by a religious organization to the extent that the application would not be consistent with the religious tenets of the organization. Provides that an employee shall not be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, transferred, or otherwise retaliated against solely for acting to protect a student engaged in conduct authorized under the new provisions, or refusing to infringe upon conduct that is protected.
Amends the Illinois Conservation Foundation Act. Provides term length and appointment length. Provides that if a member fails to attend 2 or more meetings in one year without being excused, then the Chair of the Board of Directors may ask the appointing officer to consider removing the member and making a new appointment.
Amends the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Provides that it shall be the goal of this State that at least 20% of all food and food products purchased by State agencies and State-owned facilities shall be local farm or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers. Provides that the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council shall support and encourage that 10% of food and food products purchased by entities funded in part or in whole by State dollars shall be local farm or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers. Provides for a preference in the awarding of State contracts to socially disadvantaged farmers. Requires the Food, Farms, and Jobs Council to assist State agencies, State-owned facilities, and other entities with the purchase of local farm or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers and with the tracking and reporting of such purchases in order to meet specified goals. Requires the Council to facilitate and bolster access to more readily available healthy food options in areas considered to be a food desert, including support and expansion of programs utilizing local farm and food products to provide increased food options in such areas. Defines terms. Makes other changes. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 30 ILCS 595/10 30 ILCS 595/15 30 ILCS 595/25 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Provides that it shall be the goal of the State that at least 10% (rather than 20%) of all food and food products purchased by State agencies shall be local farm fresh produce or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers. Removes references to State-owned facilities and the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council with respect to procurement goals under the Act. Changes the defined term "local farm or food products" to "local farm fresh produce or food products". Specifies that "socially disadvantaged farmers" for purposes of the Act means such persons located in Illinois and includes persons who have been certified as a minority-owned business by the Business Enterprise Program. Provides that a State agency purchasing fresh produce may request any information necessary to determine whether a bidder will fulfill the contract through local farm fresh produce or food products. Makes conforming and other changes.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2021, a family eligible for child care services whose income is at or below 185% of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines for the applicable family size shall pay a $1 monthly fee as a co-payment for child care services. Deletes a provision that: (i) requires the Department of Human Services to establish, by rule, a co-payment scale that provides for cost sharing by families that receive child care services, including parents whose only income is from assistance under this Code; and (ii) that require co-payments to be based on family income and family size and other factors as appropriate. Removes a provision that authorizes the Department to raise parent co-payments. Effective immediately.
Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a provision concerning the removal of a teacher or a principal.
Recognizes May 31, 2021 through June 1, 2021 as the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that an oral, written, or sign language statement of an accused made as a result of a custodial interrogation conducted at a police station or other place of detention shall be presumed to be inadmissible as evidence against the accused in any criminal proceeding (rather than criminal proceedings involving specified offenses) unless: (1) an electronic recording is made of the custodial interrogation; and (2) the recording is substantially accurate and not intentionally altered. Makes conforming changes to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as introduced with this change: Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that an oral, written, or sign language statement of an accused made as a result of a custodial interrogation conducted at a police station or other place of detention shall be presumed to be inadmissible as evidence against the accused in any felony criminal proceeding (rather than any criminal proceeding, in the bill as introduced). Makes a conforming change to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
Creates the Firearm Violence Prevention and Reduction Study Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on methods to prevent and reduce firearm violence in Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health must file a yearly report of the study's findings with the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2022 and on or before December 31 of each year thereafter through December 31, 2031. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the study is to be provided sufficient funding in the amount of $150,000 per year. Allows the Department to adopt rules necessary for the implementation and administration of the Act. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2032. Effective immediately.
