Rep. Sue Scherer

Proposes to amend the Education Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the amount appropriated to the State Board of Education to provide funding to school districts may not be reduced in a given fiscal year from the previous fiscal year without the concurrence of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly. Effective upon being declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act.

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that any increase in the salary of General Assembly members shall require a vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house. Amends the Compensation Review Act. Provides that the annual increase in salary for members of the General Assembly based upon a cost of living adjustment shall no longer be in effect.

Amends the State Property Control Act. Provides that all airplanes and helicopters owned by the State, except those designated for emergency use and those used by a public university as part of a course in aviation, are surplus property and must be sold by a competitive sealed bid method (now, a transferable airplane may be disposed of only if (i) it is no longer needed, (ii) it will not be used as a trade-in, and (iii) a public university or college offering aviation-related instruction or training has not listed its need for an airplane). Requires that the sale proceeds be deposited into the Education Assistance Fund. Effective immediately.

Provides appropriations to various agencies for personal services and State contributions to Social Security. Effective immediately.

Amends the Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse and Dependency Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act and the Illinois Crime Reduction Act of 2009. Provides that a minimum of 10% of the statewide Juvenile and Adult Redeploy Illinois Program funds shall be reallocated to jurisdictions located in the 10 postal zip codes outside Cook County with the highest average annual violent crime rate for the prior 3 calendar years.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for taxpayers who make a qualified donation of a crop to a food bank or other charitable organization in Illinois. Provides that the amount of the credit shall be 15% of the value of the quantity of the crop donated. Provides that the credit is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.

Encourages the State Board of Education to look at counting student teaching experience, and program requirements and curriculum for teacher licensure, instead of the edTPA and the APT.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates an advisory council within the Department of Insurance to review and make recommendations to the Department regarding rules to be adopted by the Department concerning continuing education courses, course materials, curriculum, and credentials of instructors. Provides that the members shall be appointed by the Director of Insurance. Provides criteria for membership, length of terms, term limits, and quorum. Provides that a member of the advisory council or a designee of the Director shall be permitted access to any classroom or any educational offering while instruction is in progress to monitor the instruction for any class that has been submitted to the Department for continuing education credit under the provisions of the Code. Effective immediately.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. Provides that the Board of Trustees of a public university or community college district in this State may not enter into an agreement or allow any person or group affiliated with the university or district to enter into an agreement with a credit card issuer to allow the credit card issuer to market credit cards to students. Defines terms. Repeals the Credit Card Marketing Act of 2009. Makes conforming changes in the Freedom of Information Act.