Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that no fees shall be charged in excess of applicable registration fees for the issuance of special registration plates designated as U.S. Air Force license plates. Makes a corresponding change in the State Finance Act.
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board and the Department of Public Health shall jointly develop and establish a program of certification of tactical paramedics for the purposes of aiding special law enforcement teams involved in, but not limited to, search and rescues, civil disturbances, bomb threat responses, tactical or special operations team deployments, hostage negotiations, HazMat responses, executive and dignitary protection, and counterterrorism, as assigned and directed by a law enforcement agency recognized by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. Includes program requirements. Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that chiefs of police and sheriffs may employ tactical paramedics and provide tactical paramedic support to first responders. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act making conforming changes.
Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the AJ Freund Act. Provides that any report received by the Department of Children and Family Services alleging the abuse or neglect of a child by a person who is not the child's parent, a member of the child's immediate family, a person responsible for the child's welfare, an individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent shall immediately be shared with (rather than referred to) the appropriate local law enforcement agency for consideration of criminal investigation or other action. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall be the primary agency (rather than sole agency) responsible for receiving and investigating reports of child abuse or neglect made under the Act, except where investigations by other agencies may be required. In a provision requiring the Department to allow law enforcement personnel to concurrently investigate with the Department reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, provides that the Department's completed investigative report shall be shared with the office of the State's Attorney of the involved county.
Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Changes the term of "written release" to "written consent". Provides that the written policy that is developed by a private entity in possession of biometric identifiers shall be made available to the person from whom biometric information is to be collected or was collected (rather than to the public). Provides that an action brought under the Act shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrued if, prior to initiating any action against a private entity, the aggrieved person provides a private entity 30 days' written notice identifying the specific provisions the aggrieved person alleges have been or are being violated. Provides that if within the 30 days the private entity actually cures the noticed violation and provides the aggrieved person an express written statement that the violation has been cured and that no further violations shall occur, no action for individual statutory damages or class-wide statutory damages may be initiated against the private entity. Provides that if a private entity continues to violate the Act in breach of the express written statement, the aggrieved person may initiate an action against the private entity to enforce the written statement and may pursue statutory damages for each breach of the express written statement and any other violation that postdates the written statement. Provides that a prevailing party may recover: against a private entity that negligently violates the Act, actual damages (rather than liquidated damages of $1,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater); or against a private entity that willfully (rather than intentionally or recklessly) violates the Act, actual damages plus liquidated damages up to the amount of actual damages (rather than liquidated damages of $5,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater). Provides that the Act does not apply to a private entity if the private entity's employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides for different policies regarding the retention, collection, disclosure, and destruction of biometric information. Makes other changes.
States opposition to any additional excise taxes on Illinois businesses that produce beer, wine, or liquor or their related industries.
Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Makes changes to the compensation periods for accidental injuries resulting in the loss of or the permanent and complete loss of use of the thumb, fingers, or toes; the amputation of an arm, foot, or leg; the enucleation of an eye; and other injuries to reduce the compensation to the amounts in effect for injuries occurring before February 1, 2006. Effective immediately.
Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that the term "official" as used under the Act includes specified officials of a unit of local government. Modifies the terms "lobby" and "lobbying" to include communications with units of local government for the ultimate purpose of influencing any executive, legislative, or administrative action, and further specifies such actions. Modifies the term "lobbyist" to mean a natural person who, on behalf of any person other than himself or herself, or as any part of his or her duties as an employee of another, undertakes to influence or lobby for any executive, legislative, or administrative action for State government or a unit of local government. Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act to provide that no legislator may engage in lobbying as that term is defined under the Lobbyist Registration Act (currently, as defined under the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act) for compensation.
Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that any (i) member of the General Assembly, (ii) person whose appointment to office is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, or (iii) head of a department, commission, board, division, bureau, authority, or other administrative unit within the government of this State who takes office on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act shall not, within a 3-year period immediately following termination of that person's most recent term of office, register as a lobbyist and engage in lobbying with members of the General Assembly. Effective immediately.
Creates the COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner because of such person's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to his or her belief. Requires all health care facilities to adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that belief-based objections do not cause impairment of patients' health and that explain how belief-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient care. Provides that it is unlawful for any public or private employer, entity, agency, institution, official, or person to deny admission because of, to place any reference in its application form concerning, to orally question about, to impose any burdens in terms or conditions of employment on, or to otherwise discriminate against, any applicant, in terms of employment, admission to or participation in any programs for which the applicant is eligible, or to discriminate in relation thereto, in any other manner, on account of the applicant's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination that is against the applicant's beliefs. Provides that it is unlawful for any public official, guardian, agency, institution, or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or to condition the reception in any way of any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or in any other manner to coerce, disqualify, or discriminate against any person, otherwise entitled to such aid, assistance, or benefits, because that person refuses to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the person's belief. Allows any person injured by any public or private person, association, agency, entity, or corporation by reason of any action prohibited by the Act to bring an action. Provides that a person who brings an action shall recover threefold the actual damages, the costs of the action, and reasonable attorney's fees, but in no case shall recovery for each violation be less than $2,500 plus costs of the action and reasonable attorney's fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that the Invest in Kids credit applies permanently (currently, the credit applies for taxable years ending before January 1, 2023). Effective immediately.
