Sen. Don DeWitte

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Provides that after an initial proclamation declaring that a disaster exists, the Governor may only extend that declaration or make further proclamations regarding the same disaster if the General Assembly passes a resolution within 5 calendar days that approves the extension or further proclamation. Provides that if, due to health or safety concerns, the General Assembly is unable to convene in either regular or special session to approve the extension or further proclamation, the extension or further proclamation may continue in effect until the General Assembly is able to convene in regular or special session if the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives submit written certification to the Governor that the General Assembly is unable to convene to provide the necessary approval of the extension or further proclamation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that "approved driver education course" includes online instruction. Provides that the Secretary of State may permit a course provider of a driver training school to offer the course online if the course provider is able to verify: (i) the identity of the person taking the course; (ii) and that the person completes the entire course. Provides that a fee charged by the course provider shall bear a reasonable relationship to the cost of the course. Provides that the Secretary shall post, on the Secretary of State's website, a list of approved course providers, the fees charged by the course providers, and contact information for each provider. Provides that the course provider shall collect an additional $5 to be paid to the Secretary for administering the program and such collected fees shall be deposited into the Driver Services Administration Fund.

Amends the Department of Veterans' Affairs Act. Defines "outbreak". Provides that if a Veterans Home administrator or a member of the administrative staff is notified that an outbreak has occurred, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Public Health shall conduct an onsite visit to assess the status of the spread and determine if any additional actions can be taken to lessen exposure to the disease. Provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Public Health are to conduct the site visit as soon as practical, but in no event shall the visit be delayed later than the end of the next business day. Requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to post specific information on its website upon conducting a site visit.

Creates the Fund the Police Act. Creates the Fund the Police Grant Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that from appropriations to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board from the Fund, the Board must make grants to units of local government and Illinois public universities for the purpose of: (1) hiring law enforcement officers; (2) providing mental health care for law enforcement officers; (3) providing for hiring, retention incentives, and overtime payments for law enforcement officers; (4) purchasing public safety equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband; and (5) training for law enforcement officers in preventing gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband. Provides that moneys in the Fund the Police Grant Fund may not be appropriated, assigned, or transferred to another State fund. Provides that, as soon as practical after the effective date of the Act, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer the sum of $100,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that any minor 10 years of age or older arrested or taken into custody under the Act for vehicular hijacking or aggravated vehicular hijacking shall be detained in an authorized detention facility until a detention or shelter care hearing is held to determine if there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that: (1) secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity for the protection of the minor or of the person or property of another; (2) the minor is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court; or (3) the minor was taken into custody under a warrant. Provides that, if the court makes that determination, the minor shall continue to be held until the disposition of an adjudicatory hearing under the Delinquent Minors Article of the Act. Provides that a minor who at the time of the offense was at least 16 years of age and who is charged with certain aggravated vehicular hijacking violations or certain armed robbery violations is not subject to the Act and shall be prosecuted under the criminal laws of the State.

Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that payments of an ordinary disability benefit shall be made at least monthly (instead of intervals of not more than 30 days). Effective immediately.

Creates the Fund the Police Act. Contains findings. Creates the Fund the Police Grant Fund and provides that moneys the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board receives from the fund must be used for the purpose of make grants to units of local government for the purposes of: (1) hiring, rehiring, and retention of law enforcement officers, including hiring and retention incentives and overtime; (2) funding body camera mandates, including, but not limited to, the purchase, storage, and other necessary expenses for running local body camera programs, and purchasing law enforcement equipment designed to keep officers and their communities safe; (3) funding additional law enforcement training, including funding for Mobile Team In-Service Training Units throughout the State; (4) assisting with outreach and community policing activities; and (5) assisting with mental health treatment for individuals in county jails. Provides that the Board may set rules relating to requirements for the distribution of grant moneys and determine which law enforcement agencies are eligible and shall consider compliance with the Uniform Crime Reporting Act as a factor in awarding grant moneys. Provides that moneys in the Fund the Police Grant Fund may not be appropriated, assigned, or transferred to another State fund. Provides for a continuing appropriation at the beginning of each fiscal year of $125,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. Amends the State Finance Act by making conforming changes.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt and implement rules to adjust licensing requirements, including, but not limited to, worker qualifications for child care providers within child care deserts that reflect local labor market conditions in order to grant local child care providers enhanced hiring flexibility and expand child care into currently underserved areas. Defines "child care deserts" and "child care provider". Provides that the Department shall submit proposed rules to implement the provisions concerning emergency licensing to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules no later than December 31, 2023. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that if the defendant is acquitted, the court shall order 100% of the defendant's bail deposit returned to the defendant or to the defendant's designee by an assignment executed at the time the bail amount is deposited. Deletes provision that in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs be less than $5 and deletes in counties with a population of 3,000,000 or more in no event shall the amount retained by the clerk of the court as bail bond costs exceed $100.