Rep. Tom Demmer

Amends the School Code. Provides that school districts need not comply with and may discharge any mandate or requirement placed on school districts by the Code or by administrative rules adopted by the State Board of Education that is unfunded; with exceptions. Provides that before a school district may lawfully discharge an unfunded mandate, it must hold a public hearing on the matter; sets forth requirements concerning the hearing. Requires a school board to report each unfunded mandate it has discharged to the State Board of Education, and requires the State Board to compile and report this information to the General Assembly each year. Repeals a Section of the Code concerning an unfunded mandates prohibition.

Repeals the Illinois Athletic Trainers Practice Act. Makes conforming changes in the Regulatory Sunset Act, the School Code, the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act, and the Unified Code of Corrections. Effective immediately.

Amends the House Rules. Makes changes concerning Rules 4, 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 26, 37, 40, 41, 45, 57, 79, and 102. Adds Rules 11.5 and 13.4.

Proposes to amend the Executive Article of the Illinois Constitution. Eliminates the Offices of the Comptroller and Treasurer. Provides instead for a single Comptroller of the Treasury. Provides that the Comptroller of the Treasury shall (i) maintain the State's central fiscal accounts and order payments into and out of the funds held by him or her, (ii) be responsible for the safekeeping and investment of monies and securities deposited with him or her, and for their disbursement upon his or her order, and (iii) have the duties and powers that may be prescribed by law. Provides that no Comptroller or Treasurer shall be elected in 2018 and thereafter. Effective otherwise upon conclusion of the terms of the Comptroller and the Treasurer elected in 2014.

Proposes to amend the Legislature and Finance Articles of the Illinois Constitution. Amends the Finance Article to provide that the State budget shall be based on estimated revenue (now funds); defines "revenue". Provides that appropriations are expendable only during the fiscal year for which they were appropriated. Provides that no budget shall become law without the Comptroller's independent certification that the planned expenditures are less than or equal to the revenue estimates for the ensuing fiscal year. Provides that appropriations for the current fiscal may not exceed the average annual revenue collected for the 3 prior years, adjusted in proportion to changes in population and inflation. Provides that within 30 days of the enactment of the State budget for a fiscal year, the Comptroller must certify whether the enacted budget will be balanced with expenses not exceeding funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year. Provides that the Comptroller may find at any time during the fiscal year that the State budget has become unbalanced and so report to the General Assembly. Provides that a special session of the General Assembly shall be convened within 10 days of receiving a report from the Comptroller to enact a new State budget. Makes a conforming amendment to the Legislature Article. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Township Code. Provides that all townships within a coterminous, or substantially coterminous, municipality may be discontinued (currently, municipalities in which the city council exercises the powers and duties of the township board, or in which one or more municipal officials serve as an officer or trustee of the township; that are located within a county with a population of 3 million or more; and which contain a territory of 7 square miles or more). Repeals an Article of the Township Code regarding discontinuance of specified townships in St. Clair County. Effective immediately.

Creates the Board of Legislative Repealers Act. Establishes the Board of Legislative Repealers as a not for profit corporation. Directs the Board to determine instances in which State laws and regulations are duplicative, in conflict, contradictory, anachronistic, obsolete, or have been held unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court or the Illinois Supreme Court, and to create a system for receiving public comments, and to recommend changes in the law that it deems necessary to repeal, modify or revise such laws and regulations. Authorizes the Board to set a schedule to make the identifications required by the Act and to adopt criteria to be used to determine whether a State law or regulation is duplicative, in conflict, contradictory, anachronistic, obsolete, or has been held unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court or the Illinois Supreme Court. Requires the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, the Legislative Information System, the Legislative Reference Bureau, and the Legislative Research Unit to provide technical support and information to the Board, as directed by the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services. Authorizes the Board to adopt bylaws necessary to implement the Act. Makes conforming changes to the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984, the Legislative Reference Bureau Act, and the Legislative Information Service Act. Effective July 1, 2017.

Amends the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act and the Illinois Physical Therapy Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may issue an occupational therapist, occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist, or physical therapist assistant license to an applicant who is licensed under another jurisdiction upon filing an application, paying the required fee, and meeting requirements established by rule (rather than if the requirements for licensure in that jurisdiction were, at the date of licensure, substantially equivalent to the requirements in force in this State on that date or equivalent to the requirements of this Act). Provides that an applicant for endorsement shall meet the requirements for endorsement upon filing the application, paying the required fee, and showing proof of licensure in another jurisdiction for at least 10 consecutive years without discipline by certified verification of licensure by the jurisdiction. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Association Manager Licensing and Disciplinary Act, the Home Inspector License Act, and the Real Estate License Act of 2000. Reduces the minimum age requirement for licensure as a community association manager, supervising community association manager, home inspector, broker, or managing broker to 18 years of age (rather than 21 years of age). Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.