Sen. Cristina Castro

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the live theater production credit applies for tax years beginning prior to January 1, 2029 (currently, January 1, 2022). Amends the Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act. Includes commercial Broadway touring productions in the list of accredited productions. Increases the maximum aggregate credit amount from $2,000,000 per fiscal year to $4,000,000 per fiscal year. Provides that, beginning in State fiscal year 2021, $2,000,000 of the $4,000,000 cap shall be reserved for applicants that are operators of qualified production facilities solely in connection with the presentation of commercial Broadway touring shows. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that cable or video providers shall cease charging customers for modems and routers, whether rented together or separately, when the customer has paid to the provider the wholesale cost of the modem or router, or modem and router if rented together, plus a reasonable mark-up not to exceed 5% of the modem, router, or modem and router wholesale cost to the provider. Provides that the cable and video provider shall provide notice regarding the discontinuance of rental charges to the customer in each billing statement. Provides that the notice shall include a disclosure of rights and responsibilities relating to the maintenance of modems and routers.

Amends the School Code. Removes provisions preventing a charter from not being renewed for a term if an authorizer fails to establish standards and goals. Provides that prior to submitting a renewal proposal a charter school must submit its renewal proposal via certified mail or electronic mail to the local school board, which may, no later than 30 days following the receipt of the renewal proposal, choose to either: (i) take no action on the renewal, which can thereafter be submitted to the State Board as the chartering entity, or (ii) renew the charter school as the chartering entity. Removes provisions requiring that when a charter school is revoked or not renewed, a school board must place all enrolled students in schools that are higher performing than the charter school. Provides that when a State Board reverses a local board's decision to revoke or not renew a charter based on the State Board approving a lesser amount of funding, then the State Board must remand the appeal to allow the local school board to determine if they will renew the charter at the lesser amount. Provides that the State Board shall biannually (currently, no listed reporting timetable) report the number of charter school participants in a school district which shall be disaggregated by race and ethnicity, household income, students who are English learners, students who have an individualized education program, gender, and students who are homeless. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act. Adds student loan borrowers to the definition of "consumer". Adds to the definition of "debt settlement provider" any person or entity engaging in, or holding itself out as engaging in, or any person who solicits for or acts on behalf of such person or entity engaging in or holding itself out as engaging in, the business of student loan debt relief services in exchange for any fee or compensation assessed against or charged to a consumer. Excludes institutions of higher education from the definition of "debt settlement provider". Defines other terms. Requires a specified notice and disclosure to student loan borrowers to be included in advertising and marketing communications concerning student loan debt relief services. Requires providers of student loan debt relief services to provide a specified notice and disclosure before a student loan borrower signs a contract. Provides that any fees charged to a student loan borrower in exchange for student loan debt relief shall comply with a provision concerning fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firefighters' Pension Investment Fund Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the candidate receiving the highest number of votes who is from a fire protection district shall be elected if the candidate or candidates who are mayors, presidents, chief executive officers, chief financial officers, or other officers, executives, or department heads of municipalities or fire protection districts receiving the highest number of votes would result in there being no trustee who is from a fire protection district. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes changes concerning the Chicago Board of Education's requirements and criteria for the position of principal of an attendance center. Provides that if the requirements and criteria result or may result in the exclusion of otherwise qualified and licensed candidates from being eligible for selection to serve as a principal, then the Board shall maintain a public database that includes the names of all of the candidates who are eligible to be selected as a principal. Requires the Board to establish due process protections for candidates for the position of principal and establish a grievance procedure for those candidates the Board has deemed ineligible to serve as a principal. Makes changes concerning the use of performance evaluations in determining that a principal is no longer eligible to serve as principal of an attendance center. Effective January 1, 2023.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall not issue a tax certificate to any taxpayer under this Act unless the taxpayer first submits a supplier diversity report. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall publish on its website all supplier diversity reports filed by taxpayers under this Act and maintain those reports for at least 5 years.

Creates the Housing is Recovery Pilot Program Act. Creates the Housing is Recovery Pilot Program within the Division of Mental Health of the Department of Human Services. Provides that the Program shall provide bridge rental subsidies for individuals at high risk of unnecessary institutionalization and individuals at high risk of overdose for purposes of stabilizing their mental illness or substance abuse disorder. Provides criteria for the award, computation, and payment of bridge rental subsidies. Sets forth the responsibilities of persons receiving bridge rental subsidies. Provides for the identification and referral to the Program of persons eligible to receive bridge rental subsidies prior to their discharge from a hospital or release from a correctional facility. Provides standards for housing service providers, long-term housing, and temporary rental units. Provides that the Department will contract with an independent outside research organization to evaluate the Program's effectiveness, and shall report the results of the evaluation to the General Assembly after 5 years. Provides rulemaking authority. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that qualified contributions made on or after June 1, 2023 may be used only to provide scholarships to eligible students who attend a technical academy.

Amends the Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1995. Provides that specified components of an "electronic cigarette" do not include any solution or substance that contains cannabis subject to tax under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act or the Cannabis Cultivation Privilege Tax Law. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that "electronic cigarette" means, among other things, any device that employs a battery or other mechanism to heat a solution or substance to produce a vapor or aerosol intended for inhalation, except any device that contains or is only able to be used with a solution or substance that contains cannabis (rather than except any device that contains a solution or substance that contains).