Sen. Mark Walker

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Removes the condition that a disaster declaration related to public health concerns needs to be in effect to conduct meetings by audio or video conference without the physical presence of a quorum. Provides that the presiding officer shall give a reason why conducting an audio or video conference is in the best interest of the public body (instead of the nature of the emergency) at the beginning of the meeting. Makes conforming changes.

Honors and thanks State Representative Frances Ann Hurley for her years of dedicated service. Wishes her the best on her future success.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person convicted of a felony or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution or jail shall have his or her right to vote restored and shall be eligible to vote not later than 14 days following his or her conviction. In provisions concerning temporary branch polling places at county jails, provides that a voter entitled to vote in another county, other than the county in which the jail is located, shall be allowed to vote only by mail. Provides that a correctional institution shall make available to a person in its custody current election resource material from the State Board of Elections and current election resource material that is requested by a person in custody and received at the correctional institution from a local election authority in response to the request. Creates the Post-Conviction Task Force to strengthen and improve provisions that restore the right to vote to a person convicted of a felony or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution or jail. Makes other changes. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective June 1, 2023.

Amends the Vital Records Act. Removes language requiring that the State Registrar of Vital Records establish a new certificate of birth when he receives a declaration stating that a person has undergone treatment for the purpose of gender transition, or that the individual has an intersex condition, and that the sex designation on such person's birth record should therefore be changed. Provides that the State Registrar of Vital Records must establish a new certificate of birth when he receives a statement signed by the person in which the person attests to making the request for the purpose of affirming the person's gender identity or intersex condition and that the sex designation on the person's certificate of birth should therefore be changed. Provides that the fee for a new certificate of birth shall not be required from persons upon release from the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, but the person is entitled to only one new certificate of birth fee waiver. Provides that the fee for a new certificate of birth shall be waived for specified persons. Provides that fees for a new certificate of birth and for a search of a birth record or a certified copy of a birth record shall be waived for all requests by a person who resides in a shelter for domestic violence. Requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to establish standards and procedures for the waiver of fees. Provides that a person who resides in a shelter for domestic violence must not be charged for verification. Provides that a person who knowingly or purposefully falsifies verification is subject to a penalty of $100. Provides that a person who resides in a shelter for domestic violence shall be provided no more than 4 birth records annually under the provisions. Effective January 1, 2022. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that a person's signed statement to receive a new birth certificate must indicate whether the certificate of birth should be changed to a male, female, or X designation (rather than just changed). State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State Mandate. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Public Health) HB9 would not pose any fiscal cost aside from standard staff time with the rulemaking, the cost would be negligible. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the amendatory Act takes effect July 1, 2023 (rather than January 1, 2022).

Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that a person required to register under the Act may change her or his name if the change is due to marriage, religious beliefs, status as a victim of trafficking or gender-related identity as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires the person to report the name change within 10 days to the law enforcement agency with whom they last registered. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides further requirements for when name changes may and may not be granted. Provides that a petition for this change shall be a statewide, standardized form approved by the Illinois Supreme Court and include a warning about when a name change may be charged as a felony. Provides when an objection to the name change may be filed. Deletes notice by publication language. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 rep. Adds reference to: 735 ILCS 5/21-103 from Ch. 110, par. 21-103 Deletes a provision concerning objections relating to specificity, timing, filing, and form. Provides that a person who has been convicted of a felony offense in this State or any other state and whose sentence has not been terminated, completed, or discharged is not permitted to file a petition for a name change in the courts of this State unless that person is pardoned for the offense. Adds "name" to two section headings to reflect the duty to report a legal name change. Provides that certain objections shall be served upon the petitioner. Replaces a repeal of a provision concerning notice by publication with a change to the provision providing that the court may issue an order directing that the notice and publication requirement be waived for a change of name involving a person who files with the court a statement verified under oath that the person believes that publishing notice of the name change would be a hardship, including but not limited to, a negative impact on the person's health or safety. Provides that in a case where waiver of the notice and publication requirement is sought, the petition for waiver will be presumed granted and heard at the same hearing as the petition for name change. Provides that the court retains discretion to determine whether a hardship is shown and may order the petitioner to publish thereafter.

Amends the Property Tax Code, the Community Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, the Counties Code, and the Community Mental Health Act. Contains provisions validating certain tax levies for community mental health boards. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 35 ILCS 200/18-103 new 50 ILCS 835/1.2 55 ILCS 5/5-25025 405 ILCS 20/5 Adds reference to: 50 ILCS 70/5 50 ILCS 70/10 50 ILCS 70/20 50 ILCS 70/25 30 ILCS 805/8.47 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act. Defines "governing board" to mean the governing body of a governmental unit, including, but not limited to, the governing body of a road district. Provides that "governmental unit" means all entities that levy taxes and are also units of local government, as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, except municipalities and counties (rather than includes all units of local government that may levy any tax, except municipalities and counties). Provides that a highway commissioner of a township road district in a county with a population under 400,000 and the township board of the same township may form a joint committee on local government efficiency (currently, the governmental unit must form a single committee). Makes other changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Interstate Rail Compact Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Interstate Rail Compact Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.