Rep. Tony McCombie

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.

Appropriates $20,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for grants and other expenses associated with Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement. Effective July 1, 2022.

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.

Creates the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2021. Provides that any person who knowingly performs a partial-birth abortion and thereby kills a human fetus or infant is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Provides that a person shall only perform or induce a partial-birth abortion on a viable fetus if: (i) the person is a physician; (ii) the person has a documented referral from another physician not legally or financially affiliated with the person performing or inducing the abortion; (iii) both physicians determine that the life of the mother is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself; and (iv) there is no other medical procedure that would suffice for that purpose. Provides that the maternal grandparents of the fetus or infant, if the mother has not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the abortion, may obtain appropriate relief unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion. Provides that a woman on whom a partial-birth abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under the Act, for a conspiracy to violate the Act, or for an offense under Article 31 of the Criminal Code of 2012, nor may she be held accountable under Article 5 of the Criminal Code of 2012. Effective immediately.

Creates the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act. Creates the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Program to be administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Creates various tax incentives for manufacturers of semiconductors, microchips, or semiconductor or microchip component parts, subject to an agreement with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, the Property Tax Code, the Telecommunications Excise Tax Act, the Electricity Excise Tax Law, and the Public Utilities Act. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 35 ILCS 105/12 from Ch. 120, par. 439.12 35 ILCS 110/12 from Ch. 120, par. 439.42 35 ILCS 115/12 from Ch. 120, par. 439.112 Makes changes to the introduced bill as follows: (1) provides that credits awarded under the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act apply for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025 (in the introduced bill, January 1, 2026 in certain places); (2) in the Illinois Income Tax Act, makes changes concerning applicability of the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act to pass-through entities; and (3) makes conforming changes in the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, and the Service Occupation Tax Act concerning the building materials exemption for microchip and semiconductor manufacturing created in the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

Amends the Property Tax Code. With respect to the homestead exemption for persons with disabilities, provides that the property is exempt from taxation if the person with a disability is 55 years of age or older at any point during the taxable year.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing an investigation or issuing a subpoena. Provides that an investigation of the Legislative Inspector General may not be initiated more than 2 years (rather than one year) after the most recent act of the alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations. Provides that if the subject matter of the investigation would constitute a civil offense or crime if proven, then the statute of limitations should be the same as that for the offense or crime. Requires the Legislative Inspector General to notify complainants of receipt of a complaint within 15 business days after receiving such complaint. Provides for the release of founded and unfounded reports. Provides that any respondent who is afforded the opportunity to participate in an investigation, but who refuses to cooperate, forfeits the right to offer redactions or to provide a response to the report to the Commission. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority shall not charge a toll for a vehicle of the first division pulling a trailer with no more than 2 axles at a rate higher than an amount calculated by multiplying the toll charged to passenger vehicles using an I-PASS device by the total number of axles on the trailer. Provides that the toll rate applies to drivers who use an I-PASS device or use cash to pay a toll. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that veterans who served in active duty status during the Vietnam War but were not deployed to Vietnam for combat are eligible for Vietnam veteran license plates.

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Eliminates provision that a licensee under the Act shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, and any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds.