Sen. Cristina Castro

Amends the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that internal (also known as female) and male condoms, incontinence products, diapers, and baby wipes shall be taxed by the State at a rate of 1% (currently, 6.25%). Provides that the net revenue from the 1% tax collected from the sale of those products shall be deposited into the State and Local Sales Tax Reform Fund. Amends the Use Tax, Service Occupation Tax, and Service Occupation Use Tax Acts to make conforming changes.

Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health insurance carrier that provides coverage for prescription drugs shall ensure that no fewer than 25% of certain individual and group plans offered shall apply a pre-deductible, flat-dollar copayment structure to the entire drug benefit. Provides that the flat-dollar copayment structure for prescription drugs must be reasonably graduated and proportionately related in all tier levels such that the copayment structure as a whole does not discriminate against or discourage the enrollment of individuals with significant health care needs. Requires the health insurance carriers to clearly and appropriately name the plans to aid in consumer or plan-sponsor plan selection. Requires the health insurance carriers to market the plans in the same manner as their other plans. Provides that if a health insurance carrier offers fewer than 4 plans, the health insurance carrier shall ensure that one plan shall use the drug benefit structure, including cost-sharing requirements. Requires the Department of Insurance to adopt rules necessary to implement and enforce the provisions. Effective January 1, 2020. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 134/45.3 new Adds reference to: 5 ILCS 80/4.32 5 ILCS 80/4.31 rep. 20 ILCS 687/6-7 20 ILCS 3855/1-130 50 ILCS 750/3 from Ch. 134, par. 33 50 ILCS 750/15.3 from Ch. 134, par. 45.3 50 ILCS 750/15.3a 50 ILCS 750/15.6b 50 ILCS 750/30 50 ILCS 750/99 220 ILCS 5/13-1200 220 ILCS 5/21-401 220 ILCS 5/21-1601 415 ILCS 98/55 625 ILCS 57/34 770 ILCS 60/6 from Ch. 82, par. 6 P.A. 101-221, Sec. 99-99 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Extends the repeal of the following by one year: the Crematory Regulation Act; the Cemetery Oversight Act; the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act; the Radiation Protection Act of 1990; the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997; a provision of the Illinois Power Agency Act concerning home rule preemption; the Emergency Telephone System Act; the Telecommunications Article of the Public Utilities Act; provisions of the Cable and Video Competition Article of the Public Utilities Act; the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act; and the Transportation Network Providers Act. Further amends the Emergency Telephone System Act to delay the required implementation of Next Generation 9-1-1 service until December 31, 2021 (rather than July 1, 2020) and to make conforming changes throughout the Act. Further amends the Cable and Video Competition Article of the Public Utilities Act to extend State-issued authorizations to provide cable or video service by one year. Amends the Mechanics Lien Act. In provisions concerning fixing or stipulating time for the completion of a contract or a time for payment in a contract in order to obtain a lien, extends the date that certain provisions are operative for one year. Amends Public Act 101-221. Delays, from July 1, 2020 until March 1, 2021, the effective date of the Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that the State Treasurer shall establish the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program for the purpose of expanding access to higher education through savings. Provides for enrollment in the Program. Provides further duties and requirements of the Treasurer regarding the Program. Creates the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program Fund as a fund held outside of the State treasury to be the official repository of all contributions, appropriations, interest, and dividend payments, gifts, or other financial assets received by the State Treasurer in connection with the operation of the Program or related partnerships. Provides for audits and reports concerning the Program. Allows the Treasurer to adopt any rules that may be necessary to implement the Program. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to provide an exemption for information that is exempt from disclosure under the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Provides that notwithstanding any court order which would otherwise prevent the release of information, the Department of Public Health is authorized to release specified information to the State Treasurer for the purposes of the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate. Fiscal Note (Office of the Treasurer) Based upon Illinois' current birth rate of 155,000 to 165,000 newborns per year, the annual cost for this program is expected to be $9-10 million per year, beginning in FY21. This includes approximately $8 million for the initial seed funding of $50 per child and an estimated $1.5 million to develop local savings incentive partnerships, engage parents and children in related financial literacy initiatives, and administer the program. Because unclaimed and unused funds will remain with the program for future use, the need for annual appropriations will decline after year 10 of the program as unclaimed and unused funds are recycled. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Modifies the definition of "eligible child".

Creates the Illinois Energy Transition Zone Act. Provides for the certification by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity of municipal ordinances designating an area as an Energy Transition Zone. Provides that green energy enterprises located in Energy Transition Zones shall be eligible to apply for certain tax incentives. Provides that a green energy enterprise is a company that is engaged in the production of solar energy, wind energy, water energy, geothermal energy, bioenergy, or hydrogen fuel and cells. Contains provisions concerning qualifications and applications. Creates the Energy Transition Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall make income tax credit awards under the Act to foster job creation and the development of green energy in Energy Transition Zones. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act, the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, and the Public Utilities Act to make conforming changes concerning tax incentives. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 In provisions creating the Energy Transition Tax Credit Act, removes language concerning the use of the credit as a tax payment by a pass through entity. Provides that the credit is exempt from the automatic sunset provision of the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the credit may be applied in more than 10 taxable years but not more than 15 taxable years for an eligible green energy enterprise that qualifies under the Energy Transition Tax Credit Act and the Corporate Headquarters Relocation Act and undertakes a qualifying project within the timeframe specified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall extend the tax credit agreement to not more than 15 years and reduce the annual allocation to 60% of the maximum credit that would otherwise be available. Adds provisions allowing the credit to be carried forward. Makes changes concerning pass through entities. Provides that the investment credit for Energy Transition Zones applies for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Makes changes to provisions of the introduced bill creating the Illinois Energy Transition Zone Act. Provides that a person employed in a full-time equivalent job must earn a wage that meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the locality in which the work is performed. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Removes a reference to local rent control ordinances.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that political committee funds may be used for certain child care expenses that are necessary for the fulfillment of political, governmental, or public policy duties, activities, or purposes. Effective immediately.

Urges the Department of Employment Security to collect data, where practicable, regarding incidents of employer misclassification and regarding applicants who are found by the Department to qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance as self-employed, independent contractors, and sole proprietors.

Amends the Parking Excise Tax Act. Provides that the tax imposed by the Act does not apply to a parking area or garage owned or operated by a city, village, county, township, or incorporated town. Effective immediately.

Creates the Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Interstate Compact. Enters into the compact, which may be entered into by any state and the District of Columbia, in which each member state agrees not to offer or provide any company-specific tax incentive or company-specific grant to any entity for a corporate headquarters, manufacturing facility, office space, or other real estate development located in any other member state as an inducement for the corporate headquarters, manufacturing facility, office space, or other real estate development to relocate to the offering member state. Defines terms. Excludes: (1) workforce development grants that train employees; (2) company-specific tax incentives or company-specific grants from local governments; and (3) specified company-specific tax incentives or company-specific grants related to companies already within the member state. Creates the Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Board and provides for membership and meeting requirements. Provides for withdrawal of a member state with a 6-month written notice to each member state's chief executive officer. Contains construction and severability provisions.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a tax year may not be offered at a scavenger sale prior to the date of annual tax sale for that tax year. Provides that, for omitted assessments, a tax year may not be offered at a scavenger sale prior to the annual tax sale for that omitted assessment's warrant year. Provides that, for the 2019 tax year and each tax year thereafter, all applications for judgment and order of sale for taxes and special assessments on delinquent properties shall be made within 365 days of the second installment due date. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision defining "eligible child" for purposes of certain survivors' benefits, changes the definition of "disability" to "dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability". Provides that the definition of "dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability" does not require that the eligible child be claimed as a dependent on the member's or annuitant's final federal income tax return. Effective immediately.