Sen. Emil Jones

Amends the Wildlife Code. Changes the name of the fee from "Public Hunting Grounds for Pheasants" to "Public Hunting Grounds for Game Birds". Provides that the Department of Natural Resources may permit hunters to take bobwhite quail, chukar partridge, and gray partridge on public hunting grounds. Authorizes the Department to set the hunting season for game birds by administrative rule between the dates of September 1st and March 31st, both inclusive.

Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Sex Offenses and Sex Offender Registration Task Force to ensure that law enforcement and communities are able to identify and monitor high-risk sex offenders. The Task Force will hold public hearings to receive input from the public and give recommendations to the General Assembly to effectively classify sex offenders based on individual risk to public safety. Provides that the Task Force shall present its findings in a written report on or before January 1, 2018. Repeals the new provisions on January 1, 2019.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that any commissions or revenues for the provision of pay telephones in institutions and facilities of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice for those incarcerated are prohibited. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 5 cents per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not bill to any party any service charge or additional fee exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to, any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee, as established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375, FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Provides that telephone services made available through a prepaid or collect call system shall include international calls; those calls shall be made available at reasonable rates subject to Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations, but not to exceed 25 cents per minute. Provides that the amendatory Act applies to any new or renewal contract for inmate calling services. Effective January 1, 2017.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Permits the sealing of all felony convictions, except Class X felonies and except certain excluded offenses. Provides that the expungement of records that resulted in a successful completion of the supervision or qualified probation may be expunged after satisfactory termination of the supervision or probation (rather than after 2 or 5 years following satisfactory termination of the supervision or probation).

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning the general homestead exemption, provides that, in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, if a property is not occupied by its owner as a principal residence as of January 1 of the current tax year, then the property owner shall notify the chief county assessment officer by April 1 of the current tax year that the property was not occupied by the owner as a principal residence as of January 1 of the current tax year. Provides that, if such a notification is made and a general homestead exemption is granted for the property, that homestead exemption shall not be considered an erroneous homestead exemption. Effective immediately.

Creates the Employee Sick Leave Act. Provides that employees may use personal sick leave benefits provided by the employer for absences due to an illness, injury, or medical appointment of the employee's child, spouse, sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent, for reasonable periods of time as the employee's attendance may be necessary, on the same terms upon which the employee is able to use sick leave benefits for the employee's own illness or injury. Provides that the Department of Labor shall issue rules to implement the Act. Effective January 1, 2017.

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that a charter shall be granted for a period of 5 school years (instead of may be granted for a period not less than 5 and not more than 10 school years) and may be renewed in incremental periods not to exceed 10 (instead of 5) school years. With respect to start-up grants and loans from the Charter Schools Revolving Loan Fund, makes changes concerning their use and the maximum amount that may be awarded. Provides that (i) an additional charter school campus of a replicating charter school is eligible to receive a loan; (ii) if a charter school is located in a building owned by its school district, the State Board of Education shall award 10% of the loan for that charter school to the district; (iii) the State Board may prioritize awarding loan funds to charter schools located in buildings owned by their school district; and (iv) a charter school is responsible for repaying only the loan amount that the charter school received. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Agriculture may sell at cost, to qualified applicants, signs designating an agribusiness that has been operated for 100 years or more or more than 150 years or more as the same agribusiness. Defines "agribusiness".

Amends the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985. Provides that the program of study a person seeking licensure as a barber, cosmetologist, esthetician, hair braider, or nail technician must graduate from must include both domestic violence and sexual assault education as determined by rule of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Requires that the continuing education needed to renew a license as a cosmetologist, esthetician, hair braider, or nail technician must include both domestic violence and sexual assault education as determined by rule of the Department.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice to include in a contract for the sale or lease of consumer goods or services a provision that requires a consumer to waive his or her right to make any statement regarding the consumer's experience with the business. Establishes civil penalties and provides for the deposit of civil penalties into the Attorney General Court Ordered and Voluntary Compliance Payment Projects Fund.