Rep. Rita Mayfield

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Illinois State Police to furnish conviction information, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check under the School Code, within 30 days after receipt of a request from a school board or regional superintendent of schools. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that any person who, prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act, lawfully possessed an assault weapon shall register the assault weapon with the Illinois State Police within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act and any person who acquired an assault weapon on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall register the assault weapon with the Illinois State Police within 90 days after he or she purchased or was given the weapon. Provides that the registration shall contain a description of the assault weapon that identifies it uniquely, including all identification marks, the full name, address, date of birth, and thumbprint of the owner, and any other information that the Director of the Illinois State Police deems appropriate. Provides that the Illinois State Police may charge a fee for registration not to exceed the reasonable processing costs of the Illinois State Police. Provides that the fees shall be deposited into the State Police Firearm Services Fund. Provides that a violation of these provisions is a Class A misdemeanor. Defines various terms.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging, the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that individuals with a score of 29 or higher based on the determination of need (DON) assessment tool shall be eligible to receive services through the Community Care Program, services to prevent unnecessary or premature institutionalization, and services through the program of supportive living facilities. Further amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on and after July 1, 2023, level of care eligibility criteria for home and community-based services for medically fragile and technology dependent children shall be no more restrictive than the level of care criteria in place on January 1, 2021. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to execute, relative to the nursing home prescreening project, written agreements with the Department of Human Services and the Department on Aging to effect, on and after July 1, 2023, an increase in the DON score threshold to 37 for applicants for institutional long term care, subject to federal approval. Provides that on and after July 1, 2023 but before July 1, 2025, continuation of a nursing facility stay that began on or before June 30, 2023 by a person with a DON score between 29 and 36 may be covered when such stay would be otherwise eligible under this Code, provided the nursing facility performs certain actions. Requires the Department to, by rule, set a maximum total number of individuals to be covered and other limits on utilization that it deems appropriate. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2021, upon the expiration of each Public Defender's term of office in each county with under 1,000,000 population, the chairperson of the county board or the executive of a county board of commissioners shall, after receiving a recommendation or recommendations provided by an independent citizen's advisory council, appoint the Public Defender with the advice and consent of the county board. Provides for citizen advisory council membership and appointment requirements. Provides that the provisions do not apply to appointments where two or more adjoining counties have joined to form a common office of Public Defender. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for the 2022 and 2023 levy year, the term "taxing district" means all taxing districts in the State, including home rule units, but does not include a taxing district with a population of less than 25,000, unless that taxing district was subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law on the effective date of the amendatory Act or was made subject to the Law by referendum. Provides that, for the 2022 and 2023 levy year, the extension limitation is 0% or the rate of increase approved by the voters. Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Creates the Task Force on Black Immigrants to study the state of Black immigrants in Illinois and provide recommendations on how to assist them.

Creates the Securing All Futures for Equitable Reinvestment in Communities Act. Provides legislative intent. Creates the Securing All Futures for Equitable Reinvestment Tax Credit Pilot Program Act. Provides that an applicant that hires certain formerly incarcerated individuals during the incentive period may apply for a tax credit against the applicant's withholding tax liability. Provides that the savings from the changes made to the Unified Code of Corrections shall be deposited into the Securing All Futures for Equitable Reinvestment (SAFER) Communities Fund for the purpose of funding the program. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to reduce the sentencing ranges for all classes of felonies, and to remove minimum sentences for Class 4 felonies and Class A and Class B misdemeanors. Provides that the provisions of the Act apply to offenses committed before the effective date of this Act, and to offenses committed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act. Provides for resentencing of currently incarcerated persons based on these changes. Effective immediately. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Revenue) Although the bill limits the credit to $1.5 billion over its 6-year life, the Department is unable to provide a fiscal impact estimate for House Bill 3215 because the legislation, as introduced, contains multiple drafting ambiguities, errors, and incomplete definitions. For example, the bill defines "participant" to mean, in part, a full-time employee who was formerly incarcerated between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2019. The bill, however, provides later that the credit is limited to 10,000 participants "newly released" from prison and 10,000 participants that were released between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2019. Additionally, the bill provides the credit amount awarded is to be between $10,000 and $15,000 each year per participant hired. The bill further provides a list of criteria to be considered in determining the amount of the credit, but no guidance is provided as to how that list of criteria computes to a given credit amount. These problems, among others in the bill as introduced, prevent the Department from making adequately precise determinations of who qualifies for the credit and of how to calculate the credit.

Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Department of Military Affairs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, as follows: General Funds $18,207,900; Other State Funds $6,100,000; Federal Funds $40,410,700; Total $64,718,600.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections Ombudsman Bureau is established as a separate bureau within the Department of Corrections. Provides that the Governor shall appoint a Director of the Bureau within 30 days of the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Ombudsman may receive, investigate, and attempt to resolve complaints that the Department: (1) violated a specific law, rule, or Department written policy; or (2) endangered the health or safety or any person. Provides that if the Ombudsman discovers evidence that the Ombudsman reasonably believes constitutes the commission of a crime, the Ombudsman immediately shall, if the Ombudsman considers it appropriate, inform the Director of the Department, who shall conduct an investigation. Provides that an Ombudsman shall be given: (1) appropriate access to the records of an offender who files a complaint; and immediate access to any correctional facility administered or supervised by the Department. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of obstruction of the Ombudsman. This offense is a Class A misdemeanor. Makes other changes.