Rep. Travis Weaver

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a member may establish optional credit for up to 2 years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher (i) was certified under the law governing the certification of teachers at the time the service was rendered, (ii) applies in writing on or before June 30, 2028 (instead of June 30, 2023), (iii) supplies satisfactory evidence of the employment, (iv) completes at least 10 years of contributing service as a teacher, and (v) pays the required contribution. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may offer the school resource officer course to a qualified retired law enforcement officer for the purpose of employment at a school or school district and may issue a certificate or waiver for the school resource officer course in the same manner as provided for any other officer. Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2024, a school or school district may employ a qualified retired law enforcement officer who obtains a certificate of completion or approved waiver under the Illinois Police Training Act to carry out the duties of a school resource officer. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school resource officer may carry a firearm during the performance of the officer's duties at a school or in a school district. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Increases the penalties by 3 years for a minimum sentence and 10 years for a maximum sentence for the knowing manufacture or delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver 15 grams or more of any substance containing fentanyl, or an analog thereof. Provides that the knowing manufacture or delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver 15 grams or more of any substance containing fentanyl, or an analog thereof of one gram or more but less than 15 grams of any substance containing fentanyl, or an analog thereof is a Class X (rather than a Class 1) felony. Provides that excluding violations of the Act when the controlled substance is fentanyl, any person sentenced to a term of imprisonment with respect to violations of these provisions, controlled substance trafficking, calculated criminal drug conspiracy, criminal drug conspiracy, street gang criminal drug conspiracy, or delivery of controlled substances to persons under 18 years of age or at truck stops, safety rest areas, or school, when the substance containing the controlled substance contains any amount of fentanyl, 6 (rather than 3) years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court, and the maximum sentence for the offense shall be increased by 6 (rather than 3) years. With respect to the offense of controlled substance trafficking, if the substance trafficked contains any amount of fentanyl, provides that a person convicted of controlled substance trafficking shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not less than 3 times the minimum term and fined an amount as authorized by the Act, based upon the amount of fentanyl brought or caused to be brought into the State, and not more than 3 times the maximum term of imprisonment and fined 3 times the amount as authorized by the Act, based upon the amount of fentanyl brought or caused to be brought into the State.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that any person hired by the Department of Natural Resources for a sworn law enforcement position or position that has arrest authority must at the time of hire, be not less than 20 years of age and have successfully completed an associate's degree or 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university. Provides that any person so hired shall not have power of arrest, nor shall he or she be permitted to carry firearms, until he or she reaches 21 years of age (rather than at the time of hire, the person must be not less than 21 years of age, or 20 years of age and have successfully completed an associate's degree or 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university, and any person hired after successful completion of an associate's degree or 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university shall not have power of arrest, nor shall he or she be permitted to carry firearms, until he or she reaches 21 years of age). Effective immediately.

Restores certain provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 concerning cash bail to the form in which they existed before their amendment by Public Act 101-652 by amendment or reenactment. Amends the Statute on Statutes to provide that whenever there is a reference in any Act to the term "pretrial release", "denial of pretrial release", "conditions of pretrial release", or "violations of the conditions of pretrial release", the terms shall be construed to mean "bail", "denial of bail", "conditions of bail", or "forfeiture of bail" respectively. Provides that if the defendant is acquitted, the court shall order 100% of the defendant's bail deposit returned to the defendant or to the defendant's designee by an assignment executed at the time the bail amount is deposited. Deletes a provision that in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs be less than $5 and deletes in counties with a population of 3,000,000 or more in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs exceed $100. Effective immediately.

Creates the Public Safety and Justice Privacy Act. Defines terms. Provides that government agencies, persons, businesses, and associations shall not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes a law enforcement officer's, prosecutor's, public defender's, or probation officer's ("officials") personal information, provided that the government agency, person, business, or association has received a written request from the person that it refrain from disclosing the person's personal information. Provides injunctive or declaratory relief if the Act is violated. Includes procedures for a written request. Provides that it is a Class 3 felony for any person to knowingly publicly post on the Internet the personal information of an official or an official's immediate family under specified circumstances. Excludes criminal penalties for employees of government agencies who publish information in good faith during the ordinary course of carrying out public functions. Provides that the Act and any rules adopted to implement the Act shall be construed broadly to favor the protection of the personal information of officials. Amends various Acts and Codes allowing an official to list a business address rather than a home address and makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986. Provides that a not-for-profit corporation may be organized to do engineering for conservation purposes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force Act. Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois while creating new educational and tourism opportunities for the State. Establishes the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall provide administrative and technical support to the Task Force. Provides that all members of the Task Force shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Task Force shall review available research, existing infrastructure and projects, best practices, and effective interventions to formulate recommendations. Provides that the Task Force shall prepare a report detailing the Task Force's findings and recommendations and needed resources. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before July 1, 2024. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on January 1, 2025.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the chief county assessment officer in a county with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants may require an application to be made to establish or reestablish that a parcel is entitled to common area assessment of $1. Effective immediately.

Amends the Vital Records Act. In provisions concerning the search of death certificates for service members, replaces references to active duty or retired service members with references to active duty service members or veterans. Effective immediately.