Sen. Elgie Sims

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that through June 30, 2023 (instead of June 30, 2021), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall appoint a point of contact person who shall receive suggestions, complaints, or other requests to the Department from visitors to Department institutions or facilities and from other members of the public.

Creates the Forest Preserve District and Conservation District Design-Build Authorization Act. Provides that a forest preserve district or conservation district may enter into design-build contracts. Includes scope and performance criteria for design-build contracts, a two-phase procedure for selection of contracts, requirements for submission of proposals, procedures for awarding contracts, and requirements of reports and evaluation of contracts. Provides that if the total overall cost of a project is estimated to be less than $12,000,000, the forest preserve or conservation district may combine the two-phase procedure for selection into one phase. Amends the Conservation District Act, Downstate Forest Preserve District Act, and Cook County Forest Preserve District Act making conforming changes. Further amends those Acts increasing the minimum contract amount to $30,000 (currently $25,000) before competitive bidding is required. Effective June 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the total project cost criteria weighing factor shall not exceed 30% (rather than 60%) of the forest preserve district's or conservation district's Phase II cost evaluation.

Amends the School Code. In the provisions relating to holidays, adds January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali) to the list of commemorative holidays. In the provisions relating to courses of study, provides that the teaching of history of the United States shall include the study of the contributions made by Muslims and Muslim Americans to society. House Committee Amendment No. 1 In the provisions relating to courses of study, provides that the teaching of history of the United States shall include the contributions made to society by Americans of different faith practices, including, but not limited to, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, Christian Americans, Hindu Americans, Sikh Americans, Buddhist Americans, and any other collective community of faith that has shaped America (rather than the study of the contributions made by Muslims and Muslim Americans to society).

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, in counties with a population over 3,000,000, the Public Defender, without fee or appointment and with the approval of the county board, may act as attorney to noncitizens in immigration cases related to or resulting from an underlying court matter in which the Public Defender served as attorney before he or she became the Public Defender. Provides that representation by the Public Defender in immigration cases is limited to those arising in immigration courts located within the geographical boundaries of the county where the Public Defender has been appointed to office unless the board authorizes the Public Defender to provide representation outside the county. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 55 ILCS 5/3-4004.2 55 ILCS 5/3-4004.5 new Adds reference to: 55 ILCS 5/3-4006 from Ch. 34, par. 3-4006 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, in counties with a population over 3,000,000, the public defender, without fee or appointment and with the concurrence of the county board, may act as attorney to noncitizens in immigration cases. Provides that representation by the public defender in immigration cases shall be limited to those arising in immigration courts located within the geographical boundaries of the county where the public defender has been appointed to office unless the board authorizes the public defender to provide representation outside the county.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. With respect to the high school coursework that a person must satisfactorily complete for university admission, adds agricultural sciences as a course option for the science category and agricultural education as a course option for the electives category. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but changes references from vocational education to career and technical education.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. With respect to the high school coursework that a person must satisfactorily complete for university admission, adds agricultural sciences as a course option for the science category and agricultural education as a course option for the electives category. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but changes references from vocational education to career and technical education.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Removes a provision limiting consumers to 10 requests for disclosure of the current usual and customary retail price of prescription drugs or medical devices for which the person making the request has a prescription. Provides that a pharmacy must post a notice informing customers that they may request, in person or by telephone, the current usual and customary retail price of any brand or generic prescription drug or medical device that the pharmacy offers for sale to the public. Provides that a pharmacist or his or her authorized employee must disclose to the consumer at the point of sale the current pharmacy retail price for each prescription medication the consumer intends to purchase. If the consumer's cost-sharing amount for a prescription exceeds the current pharmacy retail price, the pharmacist or his or her authorized employee must disclose to the consumer that the pharmacy retail price is less than the patient's cost-sharing amount.

Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Provides that members of the Illinois National Guard serving on State Active Duty, in addition to those serving in a federal duty or training status, shall have a State flag presented to their next of kin upon their death.

Amends the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission Act. Extends the repeal of the Act from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2032. Effective immediately.