Sen. Craig Wilcox

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Deletes language that provides that no construction shall commence on any new nuclear power plant to be located within the State, and no certificate of public convenience and necessity or other authorization shall be issued therefor by the Illinois Commerce Commission, until the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency finds that the United States Government has identified and approved a demonstrable technology or means for the disposal of high level nuclear waste, or until such construction has been specifically approved by a statute enacted by the General Assembly. Provides that the Commission shall only issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity to a public utility operating or located within the State or to a company with a fossil fuel-based power generator. Provides that the Commission shall adopt rules concerning the granting of certificates of public convenience and necessity for the construction, purchase, or lease of small modular nuclear reactors. Provides requirements for the Commission to follow when adopting rules for the granting of certificates of public convenience and necessity for small modular nuclear reactors. Provides that the Commission may adopt emergency rules for the granting of certificates of public convenience and necessity for small modular nuclear reactors.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, notwithstanding other specified county property leasing provisions, upon majority vote, the county board may lease farmland acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding 99 years. Provides that farmland may be leased to either public or private entities for the public purpose of financially supporting the operations of the government at any time or times and on any terms and conditions that the county board deems best for the interest of the county, including, but not limited to, crop-sharing arrangements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, removes the provision that requires the teacher performance assessment to be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. Provides instead that each teacher preparation program in this State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In a provision concerning expedited licensure for service members and spouses, provides that a department shall waive any application, examination, or licensure fee for a service member or the service member's spouse. Removes references to fees.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act. Provides that a pharmacist may sell fentanyl test strips over-the-counter to the public to test for the presence of fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, or a drug adulterant within a controlled substance. Provides that a county health department may distribute fentanyl test strips at the county health department facility for no fee. Amends the Drug Paraphernalia Control Act. Provides that "drug paraphernalia" does not include equipment, products, or materials to analyze or test for the presence of fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, or a drug adulterant within a controlled substance.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, by no later than June 30, 2024, the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Insurance, and the Illinois Community College Board, shall establish a system providing liability insurance to cover (i) public high school students and community college students participating in a career development experience or apprenticeship program and (ii) public school teachers and community college faculty participating in an externship program. Provides that the liability insurance program shall be implemented by fiscal year 2025. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with those other agencies, may direct the program to cover specific occupational areas.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in a county having a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county sheriff shall establish with other law enforcement agencies a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their installed existing global positioning systems, collaborate with vehicle manufacturers and dealers to provide information and assistance to law enforcement officers in the investigation of vehicle theft, and ensure that consumers are provided with information concerning the hotline and any new or used vehicle manufactured with a global positioning system by publishing the information in a conspicuous location on the county sheriff's website. Provides that the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall establish a hotline available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement information sharing and the electronic tracking of vehicles stolen in vehicular hijacking incidents or that have been used in the commission of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted homicide, or homicide. Provides that the manufacturer's hotline shall relay vehicle location information, including real-time vehicle location information whenever possible, to the 9-1-1 call center or designated dispatch center for the responding agency, to the best of the manufacturer's technical capability. Requires State, county, and local law enforcement agencies to use their respective 9-1-1 system call centers or designated dispatch centers for the purpose of verification of law enforcement officers' identities and bona fide incident report numbers related to incidents. Requires manufacturers to prepare written statements detailing tracking and disabling system capabilities and make them available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies upon request. Requires that, if a vehicle is not subscribed to the manufacturer's tracking service, the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall waive all fees associated with initiating, renewing, reestablishing, or maintaining the location, disabling, or alert service with which the vehicle is equipped during a law enforcement response or investigation of specified offenses.

Amends the Illinois Underground Natural Gas Storage Safety Act. Provides that, in the case of a verified facility release, the owner and operator of the underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for specified actions. Defines "verified facility release". Effective immediately.