Sen. Elgie Sims

Creates the Right to Read Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall offer support: to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction; and to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Requires the State Board of Education to annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing. Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, requires applicants seeking specified licenses to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. In provisions concerning minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, provides that an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes changes to the General Assembly's findings. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to a public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them. Makes changes concerning the support offered by the State Board of Education to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading, including creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs (instead of the creation of an advisory list of rigorous professional development programs). Further amends the School Code. Requires that, before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction. Makes changes to the amendatory provisions concerning educator testing, including requiring that applicants seeking specified licenses pass a test in reading foundations after October 1, 2025. Makes changes concerning the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, including providing that applicants must complete coursework concerning evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Growing Manufacturing Jobs Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in consultation with a statewide manufacturing association, for the purpose of establishing and operating a statewide marketing campaign to increase the number of people entering high-demand manufacturing occupations. Provides findings provisions. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish and administer a recovery tax credit program to provide tax incentives to qualified employers who employ eligible individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder or mental illness in part-time and full-time positions within Illinois. Creates the Advisory Council on Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder Impacts on Employment Opportunities within Minority Communities. Sets forth the membership of the Council. Provides that the Council shall advise the Department of Human Services regarding employment of persons with mental illnesses and substance use disorders in minority communities. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Requires the Department of Human Services to maintain an electronic listing of the tax credit certificates it issues under the recovery tax credit program so that the Department of Revenue may confirm the eligibility of qualified employers for the tax credit. Provides that the tax credit authorized under the Act may not be carried forward. Contains provisions concerning tax credits for partners, shareholders of S corporations, and owners of limited liability companies. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer who has been awarded a credit under the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the tax imposed under specified provisions of the Illinois Income Tax Act. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of Senate Amendment No. 1 with the following changes: Requires the Department of Human Services to maintain an electronic listing of the certificates of tax credit issued by which the Department of Revenue may verify tax credit certificates issued to qualifying employers. Provides that the tax credit authorized under the Act may not be carried forward. Provides that a taxpayer who is a qualified employer who has received a certificate of tax credit from the Department shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed equal to the amount shown on such certificate of tax credit. Provides that if the taxpayer is a partnership or Subchapter S corporation the credit shall be allowed to the partners or shareholders in accordance with the determination of income and distributive share of income as provided under specified provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, a taxpayer who has been awarded a credit under the Recovery and Mental Health Tax Credit Act is entitled to a credit against the tax imposed under specified provisions of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

Amends the Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that a petitioner may petition the circuit court to expunge the records of his or her arrests and charges not initiated by arrest when each arrest or charge not initiated by arrest sought to be expunged resulted in: (1) an order of misdemeanor diversion under the Unified Code of Corrections, and the diversion program was successfully completed by the petitioner; or (2) a conviction for possession of certain specified amounts of a controlled substance; (3) a conviction for possessing less than 5 grams of methamphetamine; or (4) a conviction where the statutory penalty changed as a result of a resentencing hearing under the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Changes the penalties for the manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, or possession of a controlled substance. Amends the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Changes the penalties for methamphetamine delivery or possession. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a person serving a sentence, including a sentence of probation, for an offense for which the statutory penalty has been subsequently reduced under the amendatory Act to petition the trial court that entered the judgment of conviction to request resentencing in accordance with the statutory penalty in effect at the time of the filing of the petition. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to create a Misdemeanor Diversion Program. Fiscal Note (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) HB3447 amends the Criminal Identification Act regarding expungements. Based on a review of the bill, it has been determined that the proposed legislation would have no fiscal impact on the state appropriation to the judicial branch. It is not possible to determine what fiscal impact, if any, the bill would have on local judicial budgets.

Amends the Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that it shall be a matter of State policy that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall set nursing facility rates by rule utilizing an evidenced-based methodology that rewards appropriate staffing, quality-of-life improvements for nursing facility residents, including the cessation of payments for rooms with 3 or more people residing in them by January 1, 2027, and the reduction of racial inequities and health disparities for nursing facility residents enrolled in Medicaid. Provides that the new nursing services reimbursement methodology taking effect January 1, 2022, upon federal approval, shall utilize the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) (rather than the RUG-IV 48 grouper model). Sets the statewide base rate for dates of service on and after January 1, 2022 at $85.25. Requires the Department to establish, by rule, a multiplier based on information from the Payroll Based Journal. Provides that, beginning on and after January 1, 2022, the Department shall allocate funding, by rule, for per diem add-ons to the PDPM methodology for each resident with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Contains provisions concerning funds allocated for certain incentive payments to nursing facilities; emergency rules; payments to improve the quality of care delivered by nursing facilities; long-term care provider assessments; and other matters. Amends the Nurse Agency Licensing Act. Prohibits nurse agencies from entering into covenants not to compete with certified nurse aides. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Permits the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt emergency rules. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides for the transfer of moneys in specified amounts for deposit into the Audit Expense Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for a taxpayer who purchases a manufactured home during the taxable year if: (i) the purchase is the first purchase of the manufactured home for use as a dwelling; and (ii) the taxpayer certifies that, within 30 days after the retail sale, the manufactured home will be affixed to a permanent foundation in the State so that the manufactured home is deemed to be real property. Provides that the credit shall be 50% of the purchase price of the manufactured home. Effective immediately.