Rep. Maurice West

Amends the School Code. Requires a school district to develop and implement a plan to provide additional instructional services, support, or special accommodations to students who suffer from trauma related to experiencing the death of a sibling, parent, guardian, or household member by suicide or homicide or suffer from trauma caused by domestic violence or abuse and whom the school has determined require additional instructional services, support, or special accommodations but do not qualify for an individualized education program or for services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Sets forth what the plan may include. Provides that the plan shall remain in place until the student (i) is no longer enrolled in the district or (ii) has made such significant and sustained academic progress that the student no longer requires the plan. In provisions relating to children with disabilities, provides that beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the notice that a school board provides concerning who qualifies for services under Section 504 shall include that a child may qualify for those services if the child is a student who is at least 3 years old or older and under 22 years and who (i) has experienced the death of a sibling, parent, guardian, or household member by suicide or homicide or (ii) suffers from trauma caused by domestic violence or abuse. Effective immediately.

Creates the Public Official Privacy Act. Provides that government agencies, persons, businesses, and associations shall not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes an official's personal information, provided that the government agency, person, business, or association has received a written request from the person that it refrain from disclosing the person's personal information. Provides injunctive or declaratory relief if the Act is violated. Includes procedures for a written request. Provides that it is a Class 3 felony for any person to knowingly and publicly post on the Internet the personal information of an official or an official's immediate family in a manner posing an imminent and serious threat to the official or the official's immediate family. Excludes criminal penalties for employees of government agencies who publish information in good faith during the ordinary course of carrying out public functions. Provides that the Act and any rules adopted to implement the Act shall be construed broadly to favor the protection of the personal information of officials. Amends various Acts and Codes allowing an official to list a business address rather than a home address and makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning property tax exemptions for charitable purposes, provides that property held by a charitable organization for the purpose of constructing or rehabilitating residences for eventual transfer to qualified low-income families through sale, lease, or contract for deed is exempt from property tax as a charitable purpose. Provides that the exemption commences on the day title to the property is transferred to the organization and continues to the end of the levy year in which the organization transfers title to the property to a qualified low-income family. Effective immediately.

Creates the Veterans Day Paid Leave Act. On and after January 1, 2025, requires each employer to provide each employee who is a veteran with a paid day off on Veterans Day if the employee would otherwise be required to work on that day. Provides that the employee must provide notice to the employer that he or she intends to take time off on Veterans Day and must provide the employer with documentation verifying that he or she is a veteran. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to 100% of the wages paid by the taxpayer to a veteran as a result of the paid day off required under the Veterans Day Paid Leave Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act or any other Illinois statute (rather than except as otherwise provided in the Act), a quorum of members of a public body must be physically present at the location of an open meeting or present by video or audio conference at the open meeting (now, members must be physically present at the meeting). Provides that a member is present by video or audio conference at an open meeting if the member can hear and be heard by all other members of the body who are participating in the meeting. Specifies that, if a member wishes to attend a meeting by video or audio conference, the member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the public body before the meeting, unless providing that advance notice is impractical for the member. Repeals existing provisions concerning the participation of public body members in open meetings by video conference or other means.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit of $250 for taxpayers who make 4 or more qualified donations of human whole blood or human blood components during the taxable year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Requires the world language endorsement on a Professional Educator License to include American Sign Language under rules of the State Board of Education.

Amends the Election Code. Removes provisions requiring the State Board of Elections, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department on Aging, and the Department of Employment Security to enter into an agreement to require each department to provide the State Board of Elections with any information necessary to transmit member data under the Electronic Registration Information Center Membership Agreement and requiring each director or secretary, as applicable, of each agency to deliver this information on an annual basis to the State Board of Elections pursuant to the agreement.

Amends the Election Code. Requires a person who has not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends to become a write-in candidate for a political party's nomination for any office for which the nomination is uncontested to file a written statement or notice of that intent with the local election official where the candidate is seeking to appear on the ballot (rather than to file a written statement or notice of that intent with the State Board of Elections or the local election official with whom nomination papers for such office are filed).

Amends the Election Code. Replaces some instances of annual or semi-annual reports with quarterly reports. In provisions relating to limitations on campaign contributions, removes provisions inoperative beginning July 1, 2013. Removes a reference to the dissolved Task Force on Campaign Finance Reform. Removes references to a temporary filing system effective through August 1, 2009. Removes references to specified committees and the county clerk in the Code of Fair Campaign Practices. Repeals provisions relating to contributions by a medical cannabis cultivation center or medical cannabis dispensary organization to any political action committee created by any medical cannabis cultivation center or dispensary organization to make a campaign contribution to any political committee established to promote the candidacy of a candidate or public official. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Modifies the definition of "affiliated entity" and removes the definition of "sponsoring entity".