Rep. Sonya Harper

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that a licensee under the Act shall not knowing carry a firearm into a campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, golf course parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course, zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois Nature Preserve, Land and Water Reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District (rather than real property under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District). Provides that a licensee under the Act shall not knowingly carry a firearm in any public park, athletic area, or athletic facility under the control of a forest preserve district or any building, real property, or parking area under the control of a botanic garden. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces language concerning the property of the Cook County Forest Preserve District with language providing that a concealed carry licensee shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any adventure course or zipline, aquatic center, campground, equestrian center, nature center grounds, picnic grove, playground, sledding hill, sledding hill grounds, and any parking area of any of the aforementioned under the control of the Cook County Forest Preserve District, and any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit by the Cook County Forest Preserve District.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that surplus tax revenues may be used to pay for costs of special education, social services, and other costs of a public school district. Provides that for municipalities with a population of over 1,000,000, redevelopment project costs include public school district qualified workers, costs of providing special educational facilities and services, school psychological services, and school social work services, and any surplus balance in the special tax allocation fund at the end of the fiscal year shall be used for these workers, facilities, and services. Removes provisions allowing anticipated redevelopment project costs to be deemed surplus funds.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Changes the repeal date for provisions authorizing natural gas surcharges to provide for recovery of costs associated with investments in qualifying infrastructure plants from December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2022.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the issuance and procedures of permits.

Amends the Pawnbroker Regulation Act. Clarifies that it shall be unlawful for any pawnbroker to charge or collect a greater benefit or percentage upon money advanced, and for the use and forbearance thereof, than permitted under the Predatory Loan Prevention Act. Amends the Predatory Loan Prevention Act. Provides that the definition of "loan" includes transactions subject to the Pawnbroker Regulation Act. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for any person or entity to solicit, broker, or otherwise engage in any other activity intended to facilitate or result in, or that in fact facilitates or results in, the origination of a loan that violates the Act. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for any person or entity to advertise or cause to be advertised a loan that violates the Act. Provides that a violation of the Act by a person or entity licensed under the Pawnbroker Regulation Act shall subject the person or entity to discipline in accordance with that Act. Makes other changes. Effective June 1, 2023.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes provision that no person serving a term of natural life imprisonment may be paroled or released except through executive clemency. Provides that a person serving a term of natural life imprisonment is eligible for parole or mandatory supervised release. Provides that a committed person who has attained the age of 60 years and served at least 20 consecutive years of imprisonment or a committed person who has served 25 consecutive years of imprisonment may submit a petition to the Prisoner Review Board seeking parole. Provides for the requirements of the petition. Provides that victims' families shall be notified in a timely manner and provided opportunity to participate at the parole hearing concerning the petitioner's application for parole under this provision in accordance with the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, the Open Parole Hearings Act, and this Code. Provides that Prisoner Review Board hearings under this provision shall be conducted by a panel of at least 8 members of the Board and a majority vote of the panel is required to grant the petition and release the petitioner on parole. Provides that if parole is denied, the petitioner shall be eligible to reapply for parole no later than 3 years after denial. Effective immediately. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Prisoner Review Board) HB 2399 (H-AM 1) will have an increased cost to the Prisoner Review Board of over $4.0 Million in first 10 years of program.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Air Quality Enforcement and Mitigation Fund. Makes a conforming change to the State Finance Act. Provides that the Agency shall expend 30% of moneys from the Fund for staffing and other functions of the Agency that benefit environmental protection communities and are related to one or more specified purposes. Directs the Agency to establish an Air Quality Community Impact Grant Program to provide grants to nonprofit entities, local health departments, local environmental departments, and school districts to carry out the purposes. Requires 70% of moneys from the Fund to be expended for grants under the Program for specified purposes in the community or nearby community where a violation occurred. Requires the Agency to adopt rules to implement the Program. Provides that the Agency, in collaboration with environmental interest groups, shall develop a process to identify environmental protection communities. Requires the Agency to post on its website, and otherwise make publicly available, an annual report on the purposes for which grants were awarded under the Program. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $150,000, or so much of that sum as may be necessary, from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for the implementation and administration of the Firearm Violence Prevention and Reduction Study Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Messages Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 35 ILCS 610/15 from Ch. 120, par. 467.15 Adds reference to: 35 ILCS 5/225 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the maximum amount of the credit for instructional materials and supplies from $250 for taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2023 to $300 for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023. Effective immediately.