Sen. Willie Preston

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.

Declares May 17, 2024 as Take Break from Social Media Day in the State of Illinois.

Declares May 10, 2024 as Provider Appreciation Day in the State of Illinois. Encourages all residents of Illinois to recognize child care providers, the importance of their work, and the immeasurable value they bring to communities.

Appropriates the amount of $709,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for the administration and operation of Greencorps Chicago and Forest Preserve Experience programs within the Conservation Corps program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program. Provides that any money appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for scholarship awards for a particular academic year that remains unused at the end of that academic year shall be deposited into the Student Teaching Fund. Requires the Commission to establish and administer a student teaching stipend program in which the Commission receives and considers applications for a stipend from scholarship recipients who are student teaching. Subject to appropriation from the Student Teaching Fund, provides that the Commission shall select stipend recipients from among applicants who are in financial need. Provides that the amount and payment of any stipend shall be determined by the Commission, and provides for rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Student Teaching Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.

Amends the Capital Development Board Act and the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board and the Illinois Highway Toll Authority may make low-interest loans from the Working Capital Revolving Loan Fund to disadvantaged business enterprises or minority-owned businesses. Establishes a loan selection committee to review applications and select eligible businesses. Provides that the Board and Authority may set eligibility requirements for loans by administrative rule. Provides that loans shall not be used for: (1) the refinancing or payment of existing long-term debt; (2) the payment of non-current taxes; (3) the payment, advance, or loan to a stockholder, officer, director, partner, or member owner of a limited liability company; or (4) the purchase or lease of non-construction motor vehicles or equipment. Provides that loans may be made with interest. Limits the number of loans a business may receive. Provides that the Board and Authority shall give annual reports to the Governor and the General Assembly on the program. Provides that the authority to issue loans expires on June 1, 2028. Amends the State Finance Act. Establishes the Working Capital Revolving Loan Fund. Provides that transfers shall not exceed $20,000,000 a year, for a period of 5 years, from the Road Fund to the Working Capital Revolving Loan Fund as requested by the Commissioner of the Board or the Director of the Authority. Provides that no transfer will occur if the available balance in the Working Capital Revolving Loan Fund is equal to or greater than $40,000,000.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for certain qualified individual taxpayers who rent a dwelling in Illinois for use as their principal place of residence. Provides that the credit shall be equal to 5% of the documented rental costs paid by such taxpayer during the taxable year on that dwelling. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is unlawful for a child sex offender with the duty to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act to knowingly reside within 250 (rather than 500) feet of a school building or the real property comprising any school that persons under the age of 18 attend, a playground, child care institution, day care center, part day child care facility, (deletes day care home and group day care home) or a facility providing programs or services exclusively directed toward persons under 18 years of age. Provides that the provisions do not apply if the property was established as the child sex offender's current address of registration prior to the date that entity was opened, or if the entity must obtain a license in order to provide programs or services, the date that the license was issued. Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that if the registrant is an indigent person, the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction shall (rather than may) waive the registration fee. Lowers various penalties from felonies to misdemeanors for violations of these Acts. Reduces the registration period under the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act from 10 years to 5 years. Defines in the various Acts "indigent person" and "poverty guidelines". Provides that the amendatory changes apply retroactively. Makes other changes. 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 Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a forest preserve district from prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm into any botanic garden, campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course, zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois nature preserve, land and water reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit. Defines "grounds".