Rep. Sharon Chung

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that an individual shall be ineligible for benefits for a period totaling and not to exceed 2 weeks (rather than an individual shall be ineligible for benefits for any week) with respect to which it is found that his total or partial unemployment is due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a labor dispute at the factory, establishment, or other premises at which he is or was last employed. Provides that, after the 2-week period, the individual will be eligible for benefits.

Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a Tier 2 member who has at least 20 years of service in this system as a police officer or firefighter is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application on or after the attainment of age 55 (instead of age 60) if a specified rule is applicable to the participant. Provides that the changes apply retroactively to January 1, 2011. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase".

Maddy summaryHB 4171 amends the Sports Wagering Act to remove the ability of local governments, known as home rule units, to regulate, license, or tax sports wagering activities within their jurisdictions. This means that local municipalities can no longer impose their own rules or fees on sports betting operations. The bill centralizes the authority over sports wagering at the state level. It is effective immediately upon becoming law.

Amends the Chicago Park District Act. Authorizes the Chicago Park District, in collaboration with the botanic gardens authorized under the Forest Preserve Botanic Gardens Act, to establish, maintain, and manage small public gardens throughout the City of Chicago. Provides that each public garden shall include a native landscape aimed at protecting butterfly populations that migrate through the City of Chicago. Defines "Illinois native plants" and "native landscape".

Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2027, a Farmland Conversion Fee of $275 per acre shall be paid by the buyer or lessee of a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose of developing an industrial park, a commercial area, a single-family or multi-family dwelling or for being put to any other use that removes the agricultural land from production. Provides that the fee shall be collected by the Department of Agricultural. Provides for the creation of the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Provides that all Farmland Conversion Fees collected by the Department of Agriculture shall be contributed to the Fund. Further provides that moneys in the Fund may be exclusively used for the following purposes: (i) supporting education and programs that support healthy soil clean water, and climate-smart agricultural practices; (ii) supporting operations funding for soil and water conservation districts; (iii) covering costs associated with administering the Act; (iv) any other purposes that the Department of Agriculture determines are consistent with the purposes of the Act. Provides that, before expending moneys for any other purposes, the Department of Agriculture shall, subject to the availability of moneys in the Fund, ensure that during each State fiscal year, $10,000,000 is distributed to soil and water conservation districts, for the purpose of supporting their operations funding. Provides that $500,000 shall be distributed to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of collecting fees and administering the program created under the Act. Provides for penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a public body may impose a fee upon a requester for the actual, necessary, and direct cost of redacting recorded audio or video content recordings made under the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that the public body may not impose the fee under specified circumstances. Requires the public body to provide the requester, in writing, with an estimate of the amount of the fee to be charged before before fulfilling the request.

Amends the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act. Adds an occupational therapist to the individuals that the Act does not prohibit from performing or advertising activities that are considered to be the practice of applied behavior analysis under the Act. In provisions concerning unlicensed practice, provides that any member, partner, shareholder, director, officer, holder of any other ownership interest, or agent of a business organization providing behavior analysis services who makes clinical decisions regarding patient care without being licensed or exempt under the Act shall be deemed to have violated the provisions. Repeals a provision concerning license restrictions and limitations. Amends the Professional Service Corporation Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by persons licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of personal services that, when combined, constitute "related professions" and "related professional services". Amends the Professional Limited Liability Company Act. Adds the practice of applied behavior analysis by behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts licensed under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act to the list of professional services that may be combined under a single professional limited liability company. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2027, certain services shall be eligible for reimbursement at approved programs through the Brain Injury waiver for eligible individuals over the age of 21, including, but not limited to: (1) case management; (2) nursing services; (3) medical oversight by consulting medical director; (4) physical therapy; and (5) occupational therapy. Requires the Department of Human Services to reimburse approved programs at the rates in effect for the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver program most recently approved. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Public Utilities Act. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" means a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system that meets the following criteria: (1) the applicable farm plan and the system have been intentionally designed with agricultural producers, agrivoltaics experts, or both agricultural producers and agrivoltaics experts; (2) the system is constructed, installed, and operated to achieve an integrated and simultaneous production of both solar energy and current or future marketable agricultural products, including all products and activities described in the definition of "production agriculture" in the Use Tax Act and apiaries if the apiary is paired with another qualifying marketable agricultural product, by an agricultural producer; (3) the agricultural production of the system occur on land beneath or between rows of solar panels; and (4) the agricultural production of the system begins as soon as agronomically feasible and optimal for the agricultural producer after the commercial operation date of the solar panels and continues until decommissioning. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" does not include a system that has a pollinator habitat as the sole dual use of the system.

Amends the Home Repair and Remodeling Act. Provides that a contractor offering home repair or remodeling services shall not propose to contract or solicit a contract for home repair or remodeling services: (1) while a loss-producing occurrence is continuing at the premises; (2) while the fire department or emergency personnel are engaged at the damaged premises; or (3) between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Provides that a contractor shall not, in person, propose to contract or solicit a contract with a consumer for home repair or remodeling services for a minimum of 72 hours after a disaster proclamation, unless the proposal to contract or the solicitation to contract is initiated by a consumer.