Rep. Dan Ugaste

Amends the School Construction law. With regard to early childhood construction grants, provides that (i) a public school district assigned to Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula under the School Code or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 3% of the awarded grant, (ii) a public school district assigned to Tier 2 under the evidence-based funding formula or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 7.5% of the awarded grant, (iii) a public school district assigned to Tier 3 under the evidence-based funding formula or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 8.75% of the awarded grant, and (iv) a public school district assigned to Tier 4 under the evidence-based funding formula or any other eligible entity in an area encompassed by that district must provide local matching funds in an amount equal to 10% of the awarded grant. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes the definition of "gambling device" to include any vending or other electronic machine or device, including, without limitation, a machine or device that awards credits and contains a circuit, meter, or switch capable of removing and recording the removal of credits that offers a person entry into any contest, competition, sweepstakes, scheme, plan, or other selection process that involves or is dependent upon an element of chance for which the person may receive a gift, award, or other item or service of value if that offer is incidental to or results from: (A) the purchase of an item or service of value; or (B) the purchase or gratuitous receipt of a coupon, voucher, certificate, or other similar credit that can be redeemed for or applied towards an item or service of value from such machine or device or elsewhere. Provides that participants in a game of skill or chance where money or other things of value can be won but no payment or purchase is required to participate shall not be convicted of gambling except where participation in such game of skill or chance is accomplished using a gambling device prohibited by these changes to the definition. Further provides that a gambling offense involving such a gambling device is a Class 4 felony. Amends the Video Gaming Act. Removes a provision allowing for the use of a game device without a license if the game device is used in an activity that is not gambling under the Criminal Code of 2012. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that a member of the General Assembly who has held office any part of a month, but not for the entire month, is entitled to compensation only for those days during that month that he or she held office (currently, entitled to compensation for the entire month). Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Allows a private special education facility in this State that is a nonprofit entity and that provides special education services only to students who are referred to it by a public school district in this State to require tuition payments by a school district monthly prior to the provision of special education services in accordance with a student's individualized education program for the period that the student is enrolled in the facility pursuant to a placement contract between the facility and the student's school district. Provides that, at or before the end of each regular school term and each summer school term, the private special education facility shall refund to a school district any tuition funds collected by the facility for days that a student was not enrolled in the facility, and if, for any reason, the facility does not satisfy the requirements of the Article or any rules adopted by the State Board of Education regulating private special education facilities, then the State Board, at the request of the school district, may determine that the facility shall refund any tuition funds collected by the facility for days that it was determined by the State Board that the facility was in noncompliance with special education rules. Effective immediately.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that for redevelopment project areas created on and after the effective date of the amendatory Act, "blighted areas" must have a household median income of 100% or less of the area median income, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in addition to the other requirements for "blighted areas". Effective immediately.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides for registration under the Act of a person convicted of a battery if: (1) the State's Attorney filed a notice contemporaneous with or included in the summons, complaint, or other document charging the battery to seek sex offender registration under the provision as a sexually motivated battery; (2) the complaining witness is under 17 years of age; (3) the offender is 21 years of age or older; and (4) the court finds that the battery was "sexually motivated" as defined in the Sex Offender Management Board Act.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that if the defendant is acquitted, the court shall order 100% of the defendant's bail deposit returned to the defendant or to the defendant's designee by an assignment executed at the time the bail amount is deposited. Deletes provision that in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs be less than $5 and deletes in counties with a population of 3,000,000 or more in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs exceed $100.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, if the amount of the credit for residential real property taxes exceeds the taxpayer's liability, that amount shall be refunded if the taxpayer is 65 years or older and has a federal adjusted gross income of not more than $50,000. Provides that the credit is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority may make personally identifiable information of a person available to a law enforcement agency only pursuant to a search warrant. Provides that, absent a search warrant to the contrary, the Authority shall immediately, but in any event within no more than 5 days, notify the person that his or her records have been obtained and shall provide the person with a copy of the search warrant and the identity of the law enforcement agency or peace officer to whom the records were provided. Effective immediately.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires specified personnel of a child care facility to be present at the open or close of the facility. Provides that early childhood teachers shall meet specified qualifications. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt rules on the qualifications of persons directly responsible for the care and welfare of children served in accordance with the qualifications for early childhood teachers. Effective immediately.