Rep. Dee Avelar

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish the Small Business Emergency Loan Program. Provides that from funds made available to the Department from the State Small Business Credit Initiative Fund, the Department shall offer low-interest loans of up to $50,000 to eligible small businesses for working capital, with at least 50% of loan proceeds to be applied for specified purposes. Provides that borrower eligibility and loan terms under the Program shall be as prescribed by the Department. Provides for the adoption of rules.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that an apprentice who is hired by the taxpayer through the United States Department of Defense SkillBridge internship program is considered a qualifying apprentice for the purpose of the apprenticeship education expense credit. Provides that, in the case of an employee participating in the SkillBridge program, the credit shall be equal to $3,500 per qualifying apprentice. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Removes provisions of the introduced bill providing that, in the case of an employee participating in the SkillBridge program, the credit shall be equal to $3,500 per qualifying apprentice.

Creates the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act. Provides that owners of qualified low-income housing developments are eligible for credits against the taxes imposed by the Illinois Income Tax Act or taxes, penalties, fees, charges, and payments imposed by the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Requires that at least one registered pharmacy technician be on duty whenever the practice of pharmacy is conducted. Requires that pharmacies fill no more than 10 prescriptions per hour. Requires 10 pharmacy technician hours per 100 prescriptions filled. Prohibits pharmacies from requiring pharmacists to participate in advertising or soliciting activities that may jeopardize patient health, safety, or welfare and any activities or external factors that interfere with the pharmacist's ability to provide appropriate professional services. Provides that a pharmacist shall receive specified break periods. Provides that a pharmacy may not require a pharmacist to work during a break period, shall make available a break room meeting specified requirements, shall keep a complete and accurate record of the break periods and may not require a pharmacist to work more than 8 hours a workday. Provides for enforcement and penalties. Provides whistleblower protections for an employee of a pharmacy if the pharmacy retaliates against the employee for certain actions. Requires pharmacies to maintain a record of any errors in the receiving, filling, or dispensing of prescriptions.

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that beginning with the first payroll of the 103rd General Assembly, the compensation to be paid per year to members of the General Assembly, including additional sums payable per year to officers of the General Assembly, shall be paid at least monthly or may be paid semi-monthly at a member's request as agreed to by the Comptroller. Provides that members who resign before completing the entire term in office shall be compensated on a prorated basis. Provides that members completing the term of a vacancy shall be compensated on a prorated basis. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Requires a pharmacy to offer a kiosk to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications free of charge.

Amends the Illinois Housing Development Act. Provides that from funds appropriated, directly or indirectly, from moneys received by the State from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (Authority) shall expend funds to create a Senior Home Preservation Grant Program to provide grants to legacy resident seniors to preserve the safety of their homes. Provides that grants may be used for housing owned by a legacy resident senior to reduce the cost of repair and rehabilitation, to remove or correct health or safety hazards, to comply with applicable housing standards or codes, or to make needed repairs to improve the general living conditions of the legacy resident senior, including improved accessibility for seniors with disabilities. Requires applicants to apply to the program in a form and manner prescribed by the Authority. Provides that, to qualify for a grant, the applicant must, at a minimum, be the owner of the home and use the home as his or her primary residence. Permits the Authority to establish minimum housing standards applicants must meet to qualify for a grant under the program. Provides that the Authority may adopt rules to implement the program. Provides that expenditures of funds provided under the authority of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 shall be in accordance with the permitted purposes under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and all related federal guidance. Fiscal Note (Housing Development Authority) Provides that from funds appropriated, directly or indirectly, from moneys received by the State from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (Authority) shall create a Senior Home Preservation Grant Program to provide grants to legacy resident seniors to preserve the safety of their homes. As drafted this bill suggests that grants will be made directly to residents from the Authority – differing greatly from existing infrastructure established and used by IHDA to administer similar grant programs which work directly with municipalities or local non-profits. As drafted, IHDA would need to build new systems designed for individual grants, establish rules for monitoring and vetting grantees, and to hire staff to administer directly to the grantees. The overall size of the burden cannot be known until a funding amount is known. Fiscal impact could be offset with administration funding that is not currently contemplated in HB4949.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Removes references to General Assembly members from provisions concerning funding for salaries of General Assembly members, judges, and legislative operations. Effective immediately.

Creates the Clean Jobs, Workforce and Contractor Equity Act. Creates the Equity and Empowerment in Clean Energy Advisory Board to administer the Clean Jobs Workforce Hubs Program, the Expanding Clean Energy Entrepreneurship and Contractor Incubator Network Program, the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, and the Illinois Clean Energy Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Primes Contractor Accelerator. Creates the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund Act, the Community Energy, Climate, and Jobs Planning Act, the Energy Community Reinvestment Act, the Clean Energy Empowerment Zone Tax Credit Act, the Coal Severance Fee Act, the Building Energy Performance Standard Act, and the Public Utilities Intervenor Compensation Act. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to allow for emergency rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Energy Community Reinvestment Fund, the Illinois Commerce Commission Intervenor Compensation Fund, and the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund. Amends the Electric Vehicle Act, the Energy Efficient Building Act, the Illinois Power Agency Act, the Illinois Income Tax Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, the School Code, the Public Utilities Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Illinois Nuclear Facility Safety Act, and the Prevailing Wage Act by making changes to implement certain programs. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person is not accountable for the conduct of another if he or she was subjected to specific and credible coercion, compulsion, duress, or threats. Provides that no offense is excepted from the provision that a person is not guilty of an offense by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. In a provision concerning relief from judgments, changes the allegations a movant must establish when presenting a meritorious claim to: (1) the movant was convicted of a forcible felony; (2) the movant's participation in the offense was related to experiencing or the effects of gender-based violence; and (3) no substantial evidence or incomplete evidence of gender-based violence against the movant was presented at the movant's sentencing hearing. Changes the term "domestic violence" to "gender-based violence". Removes the definition of "intimate partner". Makes corresponding changes. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: In the Criminal Code of 2012, removes language providing that no offense is excepted from the provision that a person is not guilty of an offense by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. In the Code of Civil Procedure, restores language providing that a movant may present a meritorious claim if the allegations in the petition establish that the evidence of domestic violence or gender-based violence against the movant is material and noncumulative to other evidence offered at the sentencing hearing, and is of such a conclusive character that it would likely change the sentence imposed by the original trial court. Restores the term "domestic violence". Defines "gender-based" violence. Restores the definition of "intimate partner". Makes other changes.