Rep. Travis Weaver

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Allows an active-status member of the Illinois National Guard to use a toll highway without paying the toll if the active-status member has applied for and received from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority an Official Permit Card. Requires the Authority to adopt rules for the issuance of a permit that allows an active-status member of the Illinois National Guard to use any toll highway without paying the established toll.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a person may apply for the senior citizens homestead exemption if the person is 64 years of age or older, as long as the person will be 65 years of age during the assessment year for which the exemption is sought. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 1822 repeals a law that prohibited banks from charging merchants fees for processing credit card transactions. The bill removes this ban immediately, allowing banks to resume charging these fees without restriction. This change directly affects banks, which can now impose these transaction fees, and merchants, who may face higher costs for processing payments. The bill is a straightforward reversal of a prior restriction with no new requirements or provisions.

Amends the Public Funds Investment Act. Permits public agencies to invest public funds in any security that matures or that may be tendered for purchase at the option of the holder within not more than 7 years of the date on which it is acquired and that has the highest rating category (AAA) or the second highest rating category (AA) assigned by Standard & Poor's Corporation, Moody's Investors' Services, or other similar nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Effective immediately.

Amends the Motor Fuel Sales Act. Authorizes motor fuel blends containing 10.5% to 15% ethanol, by volume, to be sold in the State at any time during the year if permitted under federal law. Provides that, if a federal authorization must be obtained to provide for the year-round sale of those motor fuel blends, then the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall take all actions necessary to obtain the federal authorization on behalf of the State.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that violation of an order of protection is a Class 4 felony if the defendant has any prior conviction for violation of a civil no contact order, violation of a stalking no contact order, or any prior conviction under the law of another jurisdiction for an offense that could be charged in the State as violation of a civil no contact order or violation of a stalking no contact order. Provides that violation of a civil no contact order is a Class 4 felony if the defendant has any prior conviction for violation of an order of protection, violation of a civil no contact order, or violation of a stalking no contact order, or any prior conviction under the law of another jurisdiction for an offense that could be charged in the State as a violation of an order of protection, violation of a civil no contact order, or violation of a stalking no contact order. Provides that violation of a stalking no contact order is a Class 4 felony if the defendant has any prior conviction under the Code for a violation of an order of protection, violation of a stalking no contact order, or violation of a civil no contact order, or any prior conviction under the law of another jurisdiction for an offense that could be charged in the State as a violation of an order of protection, violation of a civil no contact order, or violation of a stalking no contact order.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections concerning executive clemency. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Corrections shall provide disciplinary records of the petitioner to the State's Attorney of the county in which the conviction had been entered. Provides that any State's Attorney provided disciplinary records of a petitioner is prohibited from disseminating the disciplinary records or their contents. Provides that the records and the information contained in the records may only be disclosed as part of a response to a petition for clemency or during a related clemency hearing. Provides that upon an application for compassionate release, the Department of Corrections shall provide the State's Attorney serving the county in which the applying petitioner's conviction was entered with a copy of the petitioner's complete disciplinary files and complete medical file and any evaluations, whether by prison medical staff or outside medical providers, which form the basis for the petitioner's application for compassionate release. Provides that the records shall remain in the exclusive possession of the State's Attorney and shall not be disclosed other than in hearings on compassionate release or written responses to the petitioner's compassionate release petition.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a person convicted of a felony, after the completion of his or her sentence, including the completion of his or her parole or mandatory supervised release term, shall be eligible to be nominated for, and elected to, an elective public office. Provides that the provision does not apply to a person convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime for an offense committed while he or she was serving as a public official in the State. Defines "elective public office". Amends the Election Code and the Illinois Municipal Code to make conforming changes.

Amends the General Provisions and Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a person who first becomes a member on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act who (i) is at least 50 years of age and (ii) does not have any service credit in the System or any other reciprocal System may elect to participate in the defined contribution benefit in lieu of participation in the defined benefit plan under the Article. Provides that the member shall contribute an amount equal to 7.5% of the member's pre-tax salary to the member's defined contribution account. Provides that, in addition, the employer shall contribute 6% of the member's pre-tax salary to the defined contribution account. Provides that a person who participates in the defined contribution plan in lieu of the defined benefit plan may not establish any service credit in the System. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Makes conforming changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, for a municipality that has a population of at least 80,000 and that has adopted the managerial form of municipal government, a candidate's petition for nomination shall contain at least the number of signatures equal to 3% of the total vote cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding election for mayor in the municipality. Effective immediately.