Affirms support for the Jones Act and celebrates the more than 100-year history of the Jones Act in fostering a strong domestic maritime industry that is critical to Illinois workers and families and to the nation's economic prosperity and national security.
Declares the week of May 5-11, 2024 as Youth Apprenticeship Week. Encourages business leaders, educators, families, and young people to learn more about the opportunities that youth apprenticeship programs provide and to encourage the development and expansion of youth apprenticeship programs in Illinois.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that scholarships awarded under the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program may be granted to individuals employed as teachers who agree to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses at a secondary school. Provides that for any individual receiving a scholarship to teach dual credit courses, following the completion of the program of study, the individual must teach at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary school in this State for a period of at least 5 years. Provides that individuals who fail to comply shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, whether payments were made directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing by the scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded. Provides that no individual may be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary school is the result of financial conditions within school districts. Makes conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2023.
Amends the Illinois Public Demonstrations Law. Replaces all references to the principal law enforcement officer for the area with references to the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates. Provides that a person who blocks an exceptionally busy public right-of-way for any period of not less than 5 minutes in a manner that prevents, or would prevent, the free passage of a peace officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical services personnel responder, irrespective of the time of day or notice provided, commits a Class 4 felony. Provides that no act of notification to law enforcement is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that no act or circumstance of scheduling or time is a defense to the Class 4 felony. Provides that if permission is requested from the sheriff of the county where the march, assembly, meeting, parade, or gathering on roadways originates under, it is the responsibility of the sheriff, not the requester, to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions as necessary. Preempts the concurrent exercise of home rule. Defines "exceptionally busy public right of way". Makes findings. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires insurance policies to be written in language easily readable and understandable by a person of average intelligence and education. Provides the factors the Director of Insurance shall consider in making the determination that the policy is easily readable and understandable by a person of average intelligence and education.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that in competitive procurements conducted by the Agency for utility-scale energy storage resources from owners of existing or retired fossil-fueled power plants, the Agency, in ranking the bids, shall apply a downward bid price adjustment to any project bid that is located or proposed to be located within a one mile radius of an existing substation that serves or has served as a point of interconnection for a fossil-fueled power plant and that meets one of 3 specific criteria. Provides that if the project meets 2 or more of the criteria, the Agency shall apply the bid price adjustment 2 times. Provides that the Agency shall develop a storage procurement plan that results in the electric utilities contracting for energy storage resources. Provides that, within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Agency shall develop an energy storage procurement plan. Provides that an owner of the energy storage resources must have entered into a project labor agreement for the construction of the energy storage resource and certify that not less than the prevailing wage was or will be paid to employees who are engaged in construction activities. Provides that, if the owner or owners of the energy storage resources own existing or retired fossil-fueled power plants, the owner shall commit to a job training and education program to provide the requisite skills, knowledge, and training required to operate and maintain energy storage resources and create employment opportunities for graduates of the program. Provides that the Agency shall conduct an analysis every 2 years to determine whether the contracted quantity of energy storage in energy storage capacity and energy storage duration is sufficient. Provides that the Agency shall retain an independent consultant to conduct the analysis. Sets forth requirements of the independent consultant and the analysis. Provides that the Agency is authorized to collect costs for conducting the analysis from electric utilities. The electric utilities are authorized to recover the cost of the analysis. Provides that if the Agency determines that the need for energy storage capacity or energy storage duration is greater than the energy storage resources already procured, the Agency shall establish and the Commission shall approve new energy storage resources targets to meet the identified need. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Creates the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Act. Provides that the State of Illinois ratifies and approves the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. Provides that the purpose of the Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of Occupational Therapy with the goal of improving public access to Occupational Therapy services, and states that the Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. The Compact contains provisions concerning definitions; state participation in the Compact; Compact privilege; obtaining a new home state license by virtue of Compact privileges; active duty military personnel and their spouses; adverse actions; establishment of the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission; a data system; rulemaking; oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement; date of implementation of the Interstate Commission for Occupational Therapy Practice and associated rules, withdrawal, and amendment; construction and severability; and the binding effect of the Compact and other laws.
Mourns the death of Deputy Christina M. "Beana" Musil.
Creates the Transmission Efficiency and Cooperation Law within the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an incumbent electric transmission owner has the right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line approved in a transmission plan that will connect to facilities that are owned by that incumbent electric transmission owner and that are or will be under the functional control of a regional transmission operator. Specifies that the right to construct, own, and maintain such an electric transmission line belongs individually and proportionally to each incumbent electric transmission owner, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Provides that proportionality shall be determined based on the location of the electric transmission line relative to each incumbent electric transmission owner's retail service territory. Authorizes an incumbent electric transmission owner to assign its right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line to a transmission affiliate. Provides that an owner may notify the Illinois Commerce Commission that it will not construct any or all of the electric transmission line, and the Commission may grant permission and approval for the construction to another entity. Effective immediately.
