Rep. David A. Welter

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that appointments to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, other than the ex officio members, shall be made by the Executive Director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from a list of nominees selected by a majority of votes of the President of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, the President of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the President of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council and the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge 7 (rather than the Governor).

Designates the portion of Illinois Route 47 over Interstate 80 from Romines Drive to Illinois Route 6 East as the "Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins Memorial Road".

Creates the Rental Housing Support Program Funding Allocation Task Force Act. Creates the Illinois Rental Housing Support Program Funding Allocation Task Force (Task Force) to implement, monitor, and maintain an equitable allocation of Rental Housing Support Program funds across the State. Provides that the Task Force shall also develop more level funding allocations based on data released by the United States Census Bureau on the 2020 decennial census. Contains provisions on the composition of the Task Force; the deadline for appointing members; Task Force vacancies; nonvoting members; and other matters. Provides that the Illinois Housing Development Authority shall provide staff and administrative services to the Task Force. Requires the Task Force to meet not less than 6 times after the effective date of the Act. Requires the Task Force to submit a report to the General Assembly no later than March 31, 2022. Provides that the report must delineate the Task Force's findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on March 31, 2023. Effective immediately.

Creates the Firefighting Foam Act. Provides that, after June 30, 2021, a person, unit of local government, or State agency: (1) shall not use for training purposes a Class B firefighting foam that contains an intentionally added PFAS chemical and may use only training foam that does not contain such chemicals; and (2) shall not use for testing purposes a Class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals unless the testing facility has implemented appropriate containment, treatment, and disposal measures to prevent releases of the Class B firefighting foam to the environment. Provides that the Act's prohibitions apply regardless of whether the testing is required by law or by a unit of local government or State agency having authority concerning testing by firefighters. Provides that the Act does not prohibit or restrict the manufacture, sale, or distribution of Class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals or the use of Class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals in an emergency firefighting operation or an emergency fire prevention operation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Infectious Disease Testing Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any requirement for a person to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination shall be deemed to be met if a positive COVID-19 test or proof of the presence of COVID-19 antibodies is provided by that person. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption also applies to persons who are quadriplegic; defines "person who is quadriplegic". Amends the State Mandates Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency may qualify renewable energy credits associated with the electricity generated by a utility-scale wind energy facility or utility-scale photovoltaic facility and transmitted by a high voltage direct current transmission line (instead of a qualifying direct current project) to a delivery point on the electric transmission grid located in the State or a state adjacent to Illinois, if certain conditions are met. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Removes language that allows a qualifying direct current applicant that does not own, control, operate, or manage, within the State, any plant, equipment, or property used or to be used for the transmission of electricity at the time of its application or of the Illinois Commerce Commission's order to file an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity on or before December 31, 2023. Removes language that allows the Commission to grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct, operate, and maintain a qualifying direct current project. Effective immediately.

Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that no person or owner may knowingly or recklessly beat, cruelly treat, torment, starve, overwork, or otherwise abuse any animal. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, act in a reckless manner as to cause a severe injury or death, or kill any animal used by a law enforcement department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency or when placed in confinement off duty. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person who commits a traffic violation concerning an emergency vehicle and the violation results in the injury or death of another person or a severe injury or death of a police animal, service animal, accelerant detection dog, or search and rescue dog commits a Class 4 felony. Provides that a person commits aggravated driving under the influence if the person was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a severe injury or death of a police animal, service animal, accelerant detection dog, or search and rescue dog.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning conditions for basic maintenance grants of aid to the aged, blind, or disabled. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 305 ILCS 5/3-2 Adds reference to: 210 ILCS 50/3.10 305 ILCS 5/5-4.2 305 ILCS 5/5-30c new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adjust the Department's criteria for determining the appropriateness of non-emergency transportation by striking any reference to prohibiting approval of ground ambulance services when the sole purpose of the transport is for the navigation of stairs or the assisting or lifting of a patient at a medical facility or during a medical appointment. Provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly to permit ground ambulance reimbursement for lifting, moving, or navigating stairs when a recipient exhibits extenuating circumstances related to the social determinants of health which would make an otherwise non-eligible ground ambulance transport eligible for reimbursement. Provides that such extenuating circumstances may be established through the completion of a Physician Certification Statement. Requires the Department to establish a methodology for providing reimbursement for: (i) bariatric transports at an amount of one additional base rate for each additional 2 personnel necessary to safely move the patient; and (ii) specialty care transports to include transports originating or terminating at a residence and for intra-facility transports. Provides that, to increase access to non-emergency transportation services, the Department shall increase the base rate for medi-car and stretcher van services to at least $50, and the rate of each attendant for medi-car and stretcher van services to at least $50. Provides that the reimbursement rate shall only apply to stretcher van providers licensed by the Department of Public Health in accordance with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a grant program for the purpose of building capacity among IMPACT-enrolled and BEP-certified providers of medi-car and stretcher van transportation services. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Removes pre-hospital or inter-hospital transportation from the definition of "critical care transport". Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Further amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Changes the definition of "critical care transport" to mean transportation which includes the provision of pre-hospital or inter-hospital emergency care or non-emergency medical services to a critically injured or ill patient by a vehicle service provider, including the provision of medically necessary supplies and services, at a level of service beyond the scope of the Paramedic (rather than the pre-hospital or inter-hospital transportation of a critically injured or ill patient by a vehicle service provider, including the provision of medically necessary supplies and services, at a level of service beyond the scope of the Paramedic).

Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Changes the definitions of "biometric identifier" and "written release". Defines "biometric lock", "biometric time clock", "electronic signature", "in writing", and "security purpose". Provides that if the biometric identifier or biometric information is collected or captured for the same repeated process, the private entity is only required to inform the subject or receive consent during the initial collection. Waives certain requirements for collecting, capturing, or otherwise obtaining a person's or a customer's biometric identifier or biometric information under certain circumstances relating to security purposes. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to apply to information captured by a biometric time clock or biometric lock that converts a person's biometric identifier or biometric information to a mathematical representation. Requires the Department of Labor to provide information for employers regarding the requirements of the Act on its website. Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that nothing in the Act limits, prevents, or preempts a recovery by an employee under the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Effective immediately.