Sen. Robert Peters

Amends the Transportation Article of the School Code. With respect to the provision of free transportation for pupils, allows a school district to pay the public transit fees of pupils instead (rather than providing an exception for pupils for whom the school board certifies to the State Board of Education that adequate transportation for the public is available). In provisions allowing for free transportation if conditions are such that walking constitutes a serious hazard, removes the provision specifying that such transportation shall not be provided if adequate transportation for the public is available. Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands the categories of families and individuals eligible for child care assistance to include: early childhood assistants or aides, qualified assistants, early childhood teachers, and school-age workers who work at least 20 hours per week and meet income eligibility and other requirements. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law or administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in State fiscal year 2025, the specified income threshold for families with a household member who is an early childhood assistant or aide, qualified assistant, early childhood teacher, or school-age worker shall be no less than 300% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Effective July 1, 2024.

Creates the Digital Assets Regulation Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall regulate digital asset business activity in the State. Sets forth provisions concerning: applicability; the powers and duties of the Department; funds; customer protections; custody and protection of customer assets; covered exchanges; compliance; registration; supervision; records; additional procedural provisions; confidentiality; violations; enforcement; rulemaking authority; and severability. Creates the Special Purpose Trust Company Article in the Corporate Fiduciary Act. Sets forth provisions concerning certificates of authority; rulemaking and organization; certificates of authority for foreign corporate fiduciaries; eligibility; fees; and certificates of reciprocity. Makes other changes to various Acts. Effective immediately.

If and only if Senate Bill 3666 of the 103rd General Assembly becomes law, amends the Digital Assets Regulation Act. Provides that an operator shall not accept or dispense more than $1,000 or equivalent monetary value in a day from or to a customer via a digital asset kiosk. Sets forth provisions concerning customer disclosures, reporting physical addresses, and implementation of the provisions. Effective immediately or on the date Senate Bill 3666 of the 103rd General Assembly takes effect, whichever is later.

Amends the Department of Children and Family Services Powers Law. Repeals a provision that grants the Department of Children and Family Services the power to appoint members of a police and security force to act as peace officers and have all powers possessed by police officers in cities and sheriffs under certain circumstances. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Employee Disability Act, the Line of Duty Compensation Act, and the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Includes mental health professionals within the scope of the Acts. Defines "mental health professional" as any person employed and dispatched by a unit of local government to respond to crisis calls received on public emergency service lines instead of or in conjunction with law enforcement.

Amends the Right of Publicity Act. Grants additional enforcement rights and remedies to recording artists. Provides for the liability of any person who materially contributes to, induces, or otherwise facilitates a violation of a specified provision of the Act by another party after having reason to know that the other party is in violation. Defines "artificial intelligence" and "generative artificial intelligence". Changes the definition of "commercial purpose" and "identity".

Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides an exception for vendors to receive payment by non-electronic means. Provides that outstanding liabilities as of June 30, payable from appropriations which have otherwise expired and interest penalties payable on those liabilities under the State Prompt Payment Act, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31 of each year, without regard to the fiscal year in which the payment is made. Amends the Prompt Payment Act. Removes provisions concerning payments made under the Public Aid Code. Provides that when a State official or agency responsible for administering a contract receives a bill or invoice from a contractor, that State official or agency shall electronically confirm the date on which the bill or invoice was received within 5 business days of receipt and shall transmit any approved amount to the Comptroller within 30 days of receipt. Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that a pre-qualification requirement may include consideration of past performance in administering grants if past performance failed to meet performance goals, indicators, and milestones. Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that all claims against the State founded upon any contract entered into with the State of Illinois, except that undisputed individual claims below $2,500 resulting from lapsed appropriations do not fall under the jurisdiction of Court of Claims. Provides that state agencies may pay undisputed individual claims below $2,500 resulting from lapsed appropriations from current fiscal year appropriations. Sets forth that the provisions are not intended to prohibit more frequent reporting to assess items such as service needs, gaps, or capacity. Sets forth other provisions concerning grant agreement specifications, separate accounts for State grant funds, expenditures prior to grant execution and reporting requirements.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Nelson Mandela Act. Creates the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act. Provides that, except for a committed person in protective custody who opts out of that status by providing informal, voluntary, written refusal of that status, the use of isolated confinement in correctional institutions is restricted to isolated confinement of no more than 10 consecutive days or no more than 10 days in any 180-day period. Provides that The Department of Corrections shall post on the Department's official website quarterly reports on the use of isolated confinement. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.