Rep. Norine Hammond

Creates the Endow Illinois Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall award income tax credits to taxpayers who provide an endowment gift to a permanent endowment fund during the taxable year and receive a certificate of receipt for that gift. Provides that the credit is equal to 25% of the endowment gift. Contains provisions setting forth maximum credit amounts. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to require an addition modification equal to the amount of any federal deduction claimed for an endowment gift for which a taxpayer receives a credit under the Endow Illinois Tax Credit Act. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Police and Downstate Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Establishes a presumption that a firefighter or police officer who becomes disabled as a result of exposure to and contraction of COVID-19 was injured in the line of duty and is entitled to receive a duty disability benefit under the applicable Article of the Code. Specifies that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply retroactively to March 9, 2020, and any police officer or firefighter who has been previously denied a duty disability benefit that would otherwise be entitled to a duty disability benefit under the amendatory Act shall be entitled to a retroactive duty disability benefit. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Congratulates the members of the 1974 Western Illinois University (WIU) baseball team on the 50th anniversary of their incredible season.

Congratulates the members of the 1974 Western Illinois University (WIU) baseball team on the 50th anniversary of their incredible season.

Amends the Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Planning Act. Provides that the State Healthcare Workforce Council shall coordinate the State's health workforce education and training to develop a health workforce that meets the State's health care needs. Provides that the Council shall work with graduate medical education and training programs, health professions, including, but not limited to, specialties for primary care and behavioral health, and consumer representatives to address specified issues. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish a program to provide: (1) funding for medical residency positions that are not funded by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other established funding source; (2) technical assistance for entities that wish to establish a residency program, including, but not limited to, entities that are not licensed hospitals and federally qualified health centers; and (3) startup funding for entities that wish to establish a residency program. Sets forth provisions concerning the application process and priority. Provides that the State Healthcare Workforce Council shall provide information annually to the Board of Higher Education related to workforce shortages to assist in the development of the application and shall be responsible for reviewing applications and making recommendations to the Board of Higher Education regarding funding recipients. Creates the Medical Residency Education Fund to expand graduate medical education opportunities in the State and maximize the delivery of medical care and physician services to specific areas of the State where there is a recognized unmet priority need for medical care and physician services. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits sexual assault by deception if the person commits an act of sexual penetration and the victim submits under the belief that the person committing the act is someone known to the victim other than the accused, and this belief is induced by pretense or concealment by the accused with the intent to induce that belief. Sexual assault by deception is a Class 3 felony.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that evidence of a defendant's voluntary intoxication is not admissible for the purpose of negating the defendant's mens rea, nor shall any such argument to the trier of fact be permitted. Provides that if evidence of the defendant's intoxication, either voluntary or involuntary, is admitted, the trier of fact shall be instructed that voluntary intoxication is not a defense to the crime charged.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision concerning suspensions of retirement annuities during employment with a participating employer, provides that an annuitant receiving a sheriff's law enforcement employee annuity shall be considered a participating employee if the annuitant returns to work as a school security guard employed by a participating employer and works more than 999 hours annually. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.