Rep. Dan Caulkins

Amends the General Assembly Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Restricts participation in the General Assembly Retirement System by members of the General Assembly to persons who become participants before January 1, 2022 and provides that, beginning on that date, the System shall not accept any new participants who are members of the General Assembly. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Reduces the trailer flat weight tax for maximum loads of 3,000 pounds and less from $118 to $18. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board may allow the motto "In God We Trust" to be displayed in a conspicuous location inside or outside each school building.

Designates South Side Drive in Decatur from Route 51 to Route 48 as the "Officer Chris Oberheim Memorial Highway".

Amends the Conveyances Act. Provides that special warranty deeds may be made in a specified form. Provides that every deed in substance in the specified form shall be deemed and held a conveyance in fee simple, to the grantee, his or her heirs and assigns, with specified covenants on the part of the grantor.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that the court may not order the sealing or expungement of the records of arrests or charges not initiated by arrest that result in an order of supervision for or conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds or any combination thereof (DUI) under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance; except that the court may order the sealing of one misdemeanor record of arrest or charge not initiated by arrest that results in an order of supervision for or conviction of DUI under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance per petitioner if each of the following conditions have been met: (1) the petitioner has not previously been convicted of or placed on supervision for DUI under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance; (2) 10 or more years have passed since the termination of the petitioner's sentence; (3) during the commission of the violation, the petitioner did not proximately cause death or personal injury to any other person or damage the property of any other person; (4) the petitioner has no other misdemeanor or felony driving charge on his or her driving abstract; and (5) the judge examined the driving abstract of the petitioner petitioning to have his or her records sealed under this provision and made a finding entered on the record that the petitioner did not enter into a plea agreement on a lesser charge other than a DUI under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance, and the facts did not support that the petitioner had previously committed a DUI under the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance. Provides that the Secretary of State shall maintain orders of court supervision and convictions for DUI under the Illinois vehicle Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance on court purposes driving abstracts.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Reduces the trailer flat weight tax for maximum loads of 3,000 pounds and less from $118 to $18. Provides that the Secretary of State shall issue a refund of $100, upon appropriation of money for refunds, to any person who paid a $118 flat weight tax for a Class TA trailer and applies for a refund in the manner specified by the Secretary. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the period for early voting by personal appearance begins the 40th day preceding a general primary, consolidated primary, consolidated, or general election and extends through the end of the day the Friday immediately preceding election day (rather than it extends through the end of the day before election day). Makes a conforming change.

Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Delays the implementation of annual minimum wage increases in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000 inhabitants. Provides that in those counties the minimum wage will be $11 per hour until December 31, 2024. Provides for an annual increase of $1 per hour in the minimum wage in those counties culminating in a minimum wage of $15 per hour beginning in January 2028.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Deletes language that provides that no construction shall commence on any new nuclear power plant to be located within the State, and no certificate of public convenience and necessity or other authorization shall be issued therefor by the Illinois Commerce Commission, until the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency finds that the United States Government, through its authorized agency, has identified and approved a demonstrable technology or means for the disposal of high level nuclear waste, or until such construction has been specifically approved by a statute enacted by the General Assembly. Effective immediately.