Sen. Thomas Cullerton

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an Illinois Veteran grant may be transferred to a qualified dependent beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year if, among other requirements, the qualified dependent's spouse or parent has served at least 8 years combined of federal active duty service or Reserve or Individual Ready Reserve Service. Effective July 1, 2020.

Amends the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. Provides that if a public higher education institution issues student identification cards to its students, the institution must provide contact information for certain suicide prevention and mental health resources on each student identification card. Provides that if an institution does not issue student identification cards to its students, the institution must publish the contact information on its website. Effective July 1, 2021.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for the 2015 taxable year and thereafter, the exemption for veterans with disabilities also carries over to the surviving spouse of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty in the current taxable year or any preceding taxable year. Provides that, for the 2019 taxable year and thereafter, the exemption for veterans with disabilities also carries over to (i) the surviving spouse of a veteran who did not obtain the exemption before death, but who would have qualified for the exemption in the current taxable year if he or she had survived and (ii) the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was determined to be service-connected and who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being a current recipient of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Provides that, in the case of a surviving spouse who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being a current recipient of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, the property is exempt. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Veterans Service Act. Requires each public college and university to use its best efforts to hire a veteran of the United States armed forces as the Coordinator of Veterans and Military Personnel Student Services. Provides that the Coordinator of Veterans and Military Personnel Student Services must create and maintain a contact list of all veterans attending the public college or university and may communicate with veterans of the public college or university via email or other electronic means. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 110 ILCS 49/15 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/19-1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. In a Section concerning the debt limitations of school districts, provides that, in addition to all other authority to issue bonds, Komarek School District 94, Berkeley School District 87, and Schiller Park School District 81 may issue bonds if the voters of those districts approve a proposition for the bond issuance and certain conditions are met. Provides that the debt incurred on the bonds shall not be considered indebtedness for purposes of any statutory debt limitation. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 110 ILCS 49/15 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/19-1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. In a Section concerning the debt limitations of school districts, provides that, in addition to all other authority to issue bonds, Greenview Community Unit School District 200, Komarek School District 94, Williamsville Community Unit School District 15, Berkeley School District 87, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401, Maroa-Forsyth Community Unit School District 2, and Schiller Park School District 81 may issue bonds if the voters of those districts approve a proposition for the bond issuance and certain conditions are met. Provides that the debt incurred on the bonds shall not be considered indebtedness for purposes of any statutory debt limitation. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as amended by House Amendment No. 1 with the following changes. In a Section concerning the debt limitations of school districts, adds language providing that, in addition to all other authority to issue bonds, Greenview Community Unit School District 200, Williamsville Community Unit School District 15, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401, and Maroa-Forsyth Community Unit School District 2 may issue bonds if the voters of those districts approve a proposition for the bond issuance and certain conditions are met. Provides that the debt incurred on the bonds shall not be considered indebtedness for purposes of any statutory debt limitation. Effective immediately.

Creates the Right to Shop Act. Requires a carrier offering a health plan to develop and implement a program that provides incentives for enrollees in a health plan who elect to receive a comparable health care service from a provider that collects less than the average in-network allowed amount paid by that carrier to a network provider for that comparable health care service. Provides how incentives may be calculated, distributed, and offered. Requires the carrier to file a description of the health care service incentive program with the Department of Insurance. Requires a carrier to establish an interactive mechanism on its website to enable an enrollee to request the estimated amount the carrier would pay to a network provider for a comparable health care service. Requires the Director of Central Management Services to conduct an analysis on the cost effectiveness of implementing an incentive-based program for current enrollees and retirees of the State group health benefits plan. Requires a program found to be cost effective to be implemented as part of the next open enrollment. Effective immediately.

Creates the Water Heater Safety Valve Act. Provides that a manufacturer or supplier of a hot water heater for use in a residential home or facility must supply or attach a temperature mixing valve or other safety valve to the hot water heater or tank that prevents water with a temperature above 130 degrees Fahrenheit from coming from any faucet or other source of water into direct contact with a person. Amends the Illinois Plumbing License Law to provide that a person engaged in plumbing who installs a hot water heater for use in a residential home or facility must supply or attach a temperature mixing valve or other safety valve to the hot water heater or tank that prevents water with a temperature above 130 degrees Fahrenheit from coming from any bathtub faucet, shower faucet, sink faucet, or any other source of water into direct contact with a person. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Replaces "hot water heater or tank" with "water heater or tank". Provides that a manufacturer or supplier of a water heater or tank for use in a residence or residential facility located in Illinois (rather than a residential home or facility) must supply or attach a temperature mixing valve or other safety valve that prevents water with a temperature above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (rather than 130 degrees Fahrenheit) from coming into direct contact with a person. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall administer and enforce the provisions of the Act. Provides that any person or entity who violates the Act's provisions shall be liable for a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation.

Creates the Illinois Hazardous Materials Workforce Training Act. Contains only a short title provision. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 30 ILCS 105/5.891 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Illinois Hazardous Materials Workforce Training Act. Provides that the Department of Labor 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. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Provides that activities described in Code 324110, 325110, 325193, and 325199 (currently, only 324110 and 325110) of the 2017 North American Industry Classification System are within the meaning of "owner or operator". Land Conveyance Appraisal Note (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in Senate Bill 1407; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Correctional Note (Dept of Corrections) There is no fiscal or population impact on the Department of Corrections. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 1407, as engrossed, would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued or State-supported bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 1407 will not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in Illinois. Judicial Note (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) This legislation would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State Mandate. Home Rule Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not pre-empt home rule authority. Balanced Budget Note, House Floor Amendment No. 1 (Office of Management and Budget) The Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to House Bill 1407 (H-AM 1) as it is not a supplemental appropriation that increases or decreases appropriations. Under the Act, a balanced budget note must be prepared only for bills that change a general funds appropriation for the fiscal year in which the new bill is enacted. Housing Affordability Impact Note (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence.

Mourns the passing of James E. Henaughan.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that each Department of Corrections facility shall have at least one telephone for every 10 inmates in the facility.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall waive all application fees and examination fees for active military personnel and their spouses. Provides that nothing in the provisions waives the requirement that the person or spouse meet all other licensing requirements, including other fees required during the licensing process.