Sen. Mike Hastings

Amends the Condominium Property Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Veterans Preference Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a preference given to veterans in employment and appointment to fill certain public works positions.

Amends the Counties Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the Director of Insurance shall have the power, in his or her discretion, to grant up to 4 hours of continuing education to a person licensed under the Code who documents, in a form and manner acceptable to the Department of Insurance, membership and active participation in a State or national insurance trade association. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Police and Downstate Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Beginning in fiscal year 2021, sets a separate Comptroller intercept schedule for payments of State funds to pension funds that have assets in trust that exceed 5 years of current liabilities. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Hazardous Materials Workforce Training Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall develop by rule a curriculum of approved advanced safety training for workers at high hazard facilities. Provides that an owner or operator, when contracting for the performance of construction work at the stationary source, shall require that its contractors and any subcontractors use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all onsite work within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades. Provides a penalty for violation of the Act. Creates the Illinois Hazardous Materials Workforce Training Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Makes corresponding changes in the State Finance Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the certification of service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses is an exclusive power and function of the State. Denies home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Citizen Participation Act. Provides that any official, employee, or agent of a public body, or a public body on behalf of its official, employee, or agent, has a right of action in a State circuit court against a requester if a request submitted by the requester under the Freedom of Information Act is based on, relates to, or is in response to any act or acts by the official, employee, or agent of the public body, in furtherance of the rights of the official, employee, or agent to petition, speak freely, associate freely, or otherwise participate in government. Provides that the court shall award liquidated damages of $5,000 for each offending request in addition to reasonable attorney's fees and costs associated with bringing such an action, unless the court finds that the requester has produced clear and convincing evidence that: (1) the request is not based on, related to, or in response to any act or acts by the official, employee, or agent of the public body, in furtherance of the rights of the official, employee, or agent to petition, speak freely, associate freely, or otherwise participate in government; or (2) the act or acts of the official, employee, or agent of the public body are not immunized from liability, or are not in furtherance of the acts immunized from liability, under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board shall require each physical education teacher or health teacher to complete an open water safety training course, approved by the State Board of Education, prior to employment by a school district. Effective July 1, 2019.

Amends the Child Passenger Protection Act. Provides that when any person is transporting a child in this State who is under the age of 2 years in a motor vehicle of the first division or motor vehicle of the second division weighing 9,000 pounds or less, he or she shall be responsible for properly securing the child in a rear-facing child restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.