Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction in an amount equal to the amount received by the taxpayer in gratuities during the taxable year. Provides that the deduction is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. With respect to the 5 State-funded Retirement Systems: requires each System to prepare and implement a Tier 3 plan by July 1, 2020 that aggregates State and employee contributions in individual participant accounts that are used for payouts after retirement. Provides that a Tier 1 or Tier 2 participant may irrevocably elect to participate in the Tier 3 plan instead of the defined benefit plan and may also elect to terminate all participation in the defined benefit plan and to have a specified amount credited to his or her account under the Tier 3 plan. Makes related changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. In the Downstate Teachers, State Employees, and State Universities Articles, authorizes a person to elect not to participate or to terminate participation in those Systems. In the General Assembly and Judges Articles, authorizes a participant to terminate his or her participation in the System. In the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), State Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles, for participants who first become participants on or after the effective date, prohibits (i) payments for unused sick or vacation time from being used to calculate pensionable salary and (ii) unused sick or vacation time from being used to establish service credit. In the Downstate Teachers Article, prohibits an employer from making employee contributions on behalf of an employee, except for the sole purpose of allowing an employee to make pre-tax contributions. Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act to prohibit collective bargaining over that prohibition. Effective immediately.
Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that any member of the General Assembly who wishes to introduce a bill pertaining to a firearm must be able to produce proof, upon request, that he or she has completed: (1) the firearm training requirements under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004; (2) range safety officer training; and (3) a basic knowledge test of calibers and gauges of firearms.
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Removes provisions that a person may not acquire or possess a stun gun or taser within the State without having in his or her possession a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued in his or her name by the Department of State Police under the provisions of the Act.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Increases the penalties for trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and related offenses. For some Class X offenses, imposes a term of imprisonment of not less than 12 years and not more than 30 years. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that "sex offense" for registration purposes of the Act includes involuntary sexual servitude of a minor on or after January 1, 2020.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in a prosecution of a case involving the injury, health, or safety of a cat or dog, the court may, on its own motion or motion of any party, appoint a special advocate to assist the court, as deemed appropriate by the court, and represent the interests of justice regarding the health or safety of the cat or dog. Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois Department of Agriculture Law. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall compile a list comprised of pro bono attorneys and law students from each county who may serve as special advocates for these cases.
Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver that would prohibit the employee from disclosing or discussing the employee's wage or salary; however, an employer may prohibit a human resources employee, a supervisor, or any other employee whose job responsibilities require or allow access to other employees' wage or salary information from disclosing such information without prior written consent from the employee whose information is sought or requested. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer to seek the wage or salary history of a prospective employee from the prospective employee or a current or former employer or to require that a prospective employee's prior wage or salary history meet certain criteria, with some exceptions. Provides that an employer against whom an action is brought alleging a violation of the Act's prohibition against gender-based wage differentials and who, within the previous 3 years and prior to the commencement of the action, has completed a self-evaluation of the employer's pay practices in good faith and can demonstrate that reasonable progress has been made toward eliminating wage differentials based on gender for the same or substantially similar work in accordance with that evaluation shall have an affirmative defense to liability. Provides that an employer who cannot demonstrate that the evaluation was reasonable in detail and scope shall not be entitled to an affirmative defense, but shall not be liable for any civil fine in excess of: (1) $500 per employee affected, if the employer has fewer than 4 employees; or (2) $2,500 per employee affected, if the employer has 4 or more employees. Provides that if an employee recovers unpaid wages under the Act and also files a complaint or brings a sex discrimination action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that results in additional recovery under federal law for the same violation, the employee shall return to the employer the amounts recovered under State law or the amounts recovered under federal law, whichever is less.
Amends the School Code. Provides that for a school district that has an approved waiver from the requirement that tuition be charged to non-resident pupils, the school district report card shall include the total cost of allowing non-resident pupils to attend the schools of the district free of charge or at a reduced-tuition charge, the number of non-resident pupils attending the schools of the district free of charge or at a reduced-tuition charge, and the number of such pupils who are the children of a parent or guardian who is a full-time or part-time employee or staff member of the school district. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions about procedures for a large public utility to acquire a water or sewer utility, provides that if the water or sewer utility being acquired is owned by the State or a political subdivision of the State, a referendum will be required to approve the acquisition of the water or sewer utility by the large public utility (rather than only requiring a public meeting and publication of the terms of acquisition in a newspaper of general circulation in the area that the water or sewer utility operates). Effective immediately.
Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that a concealed carry license shall be renewed for a period of 5 years from the date of expiration on the applicant's current license upon the applicant completing the necessary requirements under the Act.
