Rep. Larry Walsh

Amends the Downstate Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision that disqualifies a surviving spouse from receiving survivors benefits if the police officer marries after retirement, provides that the provision does not disqualify a surviving spouse from receiving a survivor's pension if (i) the police officer was married to the surviving spouse for at least 12 months prior to the death of the police officer and (ii) the surviving spouse has attained age 62. Provides that the benefit shall begin to accrue on the effective date of the amendatory Act or the first day of the month following the police officer's death, whichever is later. Provides that the benefits for such a surviving spouse shall terminate no later than 15 years after the benefits begin to accrue. Provides that the changes apply without regard to whether the police officer was in active service on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Changes from 12 months to 5 years the amount of time a police officer must have been married to the surviving spouse for the surviving spouse to receive a survivor's pension.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that annexations and annexation agreements are valid if they meet specified statutory requirements. Declares that it is a proper purpose for a municipality to seek the voluntary annexation of territory in order to: seek contiguity with other territory; or wholly bind other territory for the purpose of annexing that other territory. Provides that the validity of an annexation cannot be contested based on the purpose of the annexation, the contents of any annexation agreement, or any factor other than what is statutorily required. Requires an annexation agreement to include terms relating to disconnection of the territory from a municipality. Provides that, unless the terms of an annexation agreement are inconsistent with the provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code or are otherwise forbidden by law, the terms of the annexation agreement and the intentions of the parties to the annexation agreement may not be considered in determining compliance with the Code. Effective immediately. Judicial Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) The proposed legislation would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. Fiscal Note, House Floor Amendment No. 2 (Illinois State Police) No additional fiscal impact to the Illinois State Police. House Floor Amendment No. 4 Deletes reference to: 65 ILCS 5/7-1-1.5 new 65 ILCS 5/11-15.1-2 65 ILCS 5/11-15.1-2.2 new Adds reference to: 65 ILCS 5/11-74.3-5 65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-3.5 65 ILCS 5/11-74.4-4 from Ch. 24, par. 11-74.4-4 65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Extends the estimated date of completion of redevelopment projects and the retirement of obligations issued to finance redevelopment project costs for various ordinances adopted by the City of Chicago, City of Madison, Village of Aviston, Village of Warren, City of Farmer City, Village of Fairmont City, and City of Springfield. Creates a tax increment allocation financing extension to the 47th year (currently, the 35th year) after the adoption of the ordinance of April 3, 1989 by the City of Chicago Heights. Requires adoption of an ordinance by the City of Chicago Heights extending the completion date of the redevelopment project area to 47 years and providing notice to the taxing bodies that would otherwise constitute the joint review board. Further amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that parcels are considered to be contiguous if they touch or join one another in a reasonably substantial sense. Provides that parcels are also considered to be contiguous if they meet the criteria for annexation under specified provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides the changes are declarative of existing law and are retroactive with regard to pending actions, except to any rights of a party subject to a final judgment entered pursuant to the September 23, 2021 opinion of the Illinois Supreme Court in Board of Education of Richland School District 88A v. City of Crest Hill, 2021 IL 126444. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code's Business District Development and Redevelopment Law and Industrial Jobs Recovery Law making similar changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Removes language exempting from coverage under the Act an employee of an employer subject to the provisions of Title II of the federal Railway Labor Act. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Provides that the rights afforded under the Act serve as the minimum standard in a negotiated collective bargaining agreement.

Amends the Fire Protection District Act. In provisions relating to amounts a municipality must pay to a fire protection district after disconnection of district territory, provides that a municipality that does not timely make the payment required and which refuses to make such payment within 30 days following a written demand by the fire protection district entitled to the payment or which causes a fire protection district to incur an expense in order to collect the amount to which it is entitled shall, in addition to the amount due, be responsible to reimburse the fire protection district for all costs incurred by the fire protection district in collecting the amount due, including, but not limited to, reasonable legal fees and court costs.

Amends the Electric Vehicle Act and the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. Deletes language providing that "electric vehicle" does not include electric motorcycles. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 415 ILCS 120/27 In provisions amending the Electric Vehicle Act and the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act, provides that "electric vehicle" does not include electric mopeds or electric off-highway vehicles. Further amends the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. Provides that only electric vehicles that are not an electric motorcycle qualify for specified rebates. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2022, each person shall be eligible to apply for a $1,500 rebate for the purchase of an electric vehicle that is an electric motorcycle. Provides that purchasers applying for a rebate must continue to reside in Illinois (rather than a covered area) for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date. Provides that rebates administered under the provisions shall be available for both new and used electric vehicles (rather than for new and used passenger electric vehicles). House Floor Amendment No. 2 In the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act, provides that beginning July 1, 2028, each person shall be eligible to apply for a $1,500 (rather than $1,000) rebate for the purchase of an electric vehicle that is not an electric motorcycle.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Creates the Municipal Water and Wastewater Funding Study Committee. Provides that the Committee shall study and make recommendations concerning any needed modifications to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations and policies as they relate to municipal water and wastewater funding to ensure that the State's revolving loan fund programs account for and prioritize the following, to the fullest extent allowed by federal law: (1) a community shall not be deemed ineligible for disadvantaged community status based on size or service area of any size, with regard to special rates, loan terms, and eligibility for loan or grant funds; (2) in determining whether a community is disadvantaged, consideration should be given to impacts of funding on water and wastewater expenses for low-income populations; (3) in determining whether a community is eligible for funds and special rates or loan terms, environmental justice concepts should be considered; (4) in determining how funding is allocated, a community facing water supply shortages should be considered a high priority based on urgency of need; (5) the funding programs should promote formation and implementation of regional water partnerships; and (6) targeted funding should be provided for addressing emerging contaminants, including PFAS. Includes provisions concerning Committee membership and a report of the Committee's findings due no later than January 31, 2023. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2024. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Changes the membership of the Committee. Removes a sentence requiring the members to elect from their number a chair and such other officers as they may choose. Adds that the Committee's studies and recommendations concerning any needed modifications to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations and policies as they relate to municipal water and wastewater funding to ensure that the State's revolving loan fund programs also accounts for and prioritize the following principles: (i) the role that the State revolving fund programs play for small communities in determining eligibility for assistance; and (ii) changes to the programs must be fully consistent with federal law and must not adversely affect any community's eligibility for loans under federal law. Makes other changes.

Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2023, the minimum widow's annuity shall be no less than 150% (rather than 125%) of the Federal Poverty Level for all persons receiving widow's annuities on or after that date, without regard to whether the deceased policeman or fireman is in service on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the fee that must be paid to a foreign fire insurance board by a corporation, company, or association that is not incorporated under the laws of the State and which is engaged in effecting fire insurance in the municipality or fire protection district shall be 2% of the gross receipts received from fire insurance upon property situated within the municipality or district (rather than a sum not exceeding 2%). Allows a foreign fire insurance board aggrieved by a violation relating to foreign fire insurance board fees to file suit. Provides that a department foreign fire insurance board may: (i) establish, manage, and maintain an account for the holding and expenditure of all funds paid to the board; (ii) contract for the purchase of goods and services; and (iii) sue all parties necessary to enforce its rights. Limits home rule powers. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 65 ILCS 5/11-10-0.01 new 65 ILCS 5/11-10-2.5 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Provides that the Foreign Fire Insurance Company Fees Division may be cited as the Foreign Fire Insurance License Fee Act. Provides that a license fee may be recovered from a third party. Provides that a foreign fire insurance board's or board secretary's designee may examine the books, records, and other papers for verification purposes. Provides that the provisions are applicable to receipts from contracts of marine fire insurance (rather than the entire Section shall not be applicable to receipts from contracts of marine insurance). Provides that the board may elect other officers, in addition to a chairman and treasurer, deemed necessary by the board. Strikes provisions concerning the treasurer giving bond to the municipality in which the fire department is organized. Provides that, in the contracting for the purchase of services using funds paid to the board, services may include, but are not limited to, the procurement and payment of all accounting, legal, collection, or other professional services deemed by the board to be necessary to the execution of its duties under the Division. Provides that binding arbitration is the exclusive method to solve disputes between a fire chief and the remaining members of a foreign fire insurance board concerning whether any expenditure of funds by the board is for the maintenance, use, or benefit of the department or for any other purpose authorized by the Division. Adds provisions concerning collection of licensing fees. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2023 (rather than effective immediately).

Amends the School Construction Law. Makes changes concerning application for a grant, a conditional grant award, the required local match and grant award amount, eligibility, the priority of school construction projects, and referendum requirements. Repeals provisions concerning carry over projects, Fiscal Year 2002 escalation, debt service grants, and a school capital needs assessment. Amends the State Finance Act and the Local Government Debt Reform Act to make related changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes: Makes changes to the definition of "grant index". Provides that during the first application cycle after June 30, 2022 (instead of June 30, 2021), the required local match and grant award amount may be adjusted if the applicant had previously expended funds on a school construction project on the 2004, 2005, or 2006 School Construction Grant List (instead of the 2004 School Construction Grant List). Provides that in that case, the grant award amount shall be increased by an amount equal to the amount of the grant the applicant would have received had it been awarded a grant in 2004, 2005, or 2006 based on the 2004, 2005, or 2006 School Construction Grant List and the year in which the school district applied for the grant (instead of increasing the grant award amount by an amount equal to the amount of the grant the applicant would have received had it been awarded a grant in 2004 based on the 2004 School Grant Construction List). Changes other dates. Provides that a school district shall have 2 years from the date the school district was issued a conditional grant award from the Capital Development Board to obtain the school district's required local match and receive a final grant award from the Capital Development Board. If the required local match is not obtained within the 2-year time frame, provides that the school district shall be required to reapply in another application cycle, after the 2-year time frame, to be considered for a grant award. Requires the State share of the grant amount in a conditional grant award that is not claimed by a school district within the 2-year time frame to be reallocated to future application cycles after the 2-year time frame expires. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 4 In provisions concerning the School Construction Law, provides that the definition of grant index applies only to completed or partially completed, as determined by the Capital Development Board, school construction projects (rather than only to completed school construction projects) as specified.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that April 18 of each year is designated as Republic of Ireland Day to be observed throughout the State as a day in recognition of the anniversary of April 18, 1949, the day in which the Republic of Ireland officially declared itself independent from Great Britain, in recognition of the Republic of Ireland and its people, and in recognition of the many Illinoisans of Irish descent who have made a lasting impact upon our State. Provides that each year, within 10 days before Republic of Ireland Day, the Governor shall issue a proclamation announcing the recognition of Republic of Ireland Day, and designate the official events that shall be held in honor of Republic of Ireland Day and the contributions of Illinoisans of Irish descent. Effective immediately.