Sen. Elgie Sims

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Brownfields Redevelopment and Intermodal Promotion Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the purpose of the Act.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that any building used in animal fighting is a public nuisance and may be abated. Provides for the seizure and forfeiture of vessels, vehicles, and aircraft used with the knowledge and consent of the owner in the commission of animal fighting. Provides that in those cases the court may order the sheriff of the county in which the public nuisance occurred to padlock the property and impound any vessels, vehicles, or aircraft located on the property.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Creates the Illinois Primary Care Workforce Investment Fund for the purposes of providing individuals seeking licensure as an advanced practice nurse with increased opportunities to complete the clinical hours required for licensure and increased access to clinical preceptors who are qualified to teach, supervise, and evaluate these individuals. Provides that the fund is also intended to address the State-wide shortage of a primary care workforce by increasing the number of advanced practice nurses in local health care facilities. Further provides that the fund shall be financed by moneys collected from the proceeds of the penalty imposed on cardholders who violate certain provisions of the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act and from the proceeds of the tax paid by cultivation centers under certain provisions of the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act and the State Finance Act to make related changes.

Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Adds Parkinson's disease to the list of diseases for which certain firemen may be entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Enhances the penalties for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and contributing to the criminal delinquency of a minor.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that there shall be a moratorium on school closings, consolidations, and phase-outs in the school district in the 2013-2014 school year. Provides that any of these actions that are subsequently appropriate must be carried out no sooner than the end of the 2014-2015 school year, subject to any new set of requirements adopted by the General Assembly. During this moratorium period, requires the district to establish polices that address and remedy the academic performance of schools in which Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores reflect students performing at or below 75%. Requires these policies to establish clear criteria or processes for establishing criteria for making school facility decisions and include clear criteria for setting priorities with respect to school openings, school closings, school consolidations, school turnarounds, school phase-outs, school construction, school repairs, school modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related school facility decisions, including the encouragement of multiple community uses for school space. Effective immediately.

Amends the Assumed Business Name Act. Provides that filings under the Act shall be in the manner prescribed by the County Clerk. Provides for the renewal of assumed business names every 5 years. Authorizes the withdrawal of an assumed name. Authorizes an increase in filing fees.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that qualified taxpayers that undertake one or more eligible projects related to the remodeling, rehabilitation, modernization, or remediation of certain contaminated property may apply with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to obtain a tax credit against their income tax liability. Effective immediately.