Sen. Mike Halpin

Amends the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act. Creates an exemption for gross rental receipts received by a hotel operator when renting, leasing, or letting rooms to an entity that (i) is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, or educational purposes, (ii) possess an active Exemption Identification Number issued by the Department of Revenue pursuant to the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, and (iii) rents the room in furtherance of the purposes for which the charitable, religious, or educational entity is organized. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that, for a group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State after the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a covered individual obtains, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a recommendation approving the covered individual to seek in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer based on any of the following: the covered individual's medical, sexual, and reproductive history; the covered individual's age; physical findings; or diagnostic testing, then the procedure shall be covered without any other restrictions or requirements.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities, provides that the exemption applies to all real property that is the primary residence of a veteran with a disability (currently, property with an equalized assessed value of less than $250,000 that is the primary residence of a veteran with a disability). Provides that, with respect to veterans with a service connected disability of 70% or more and surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths were service-connected, the first $250,000 in equalized assessed value of the property is exempt.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to develop a caregiver program to provide direct payments to caregivers of individuals enrolled in the medical assistance program who are disabled for less than 12 months as a result of a diagnosed illness or related treatment. Sets forth the components of the caregiver program, including, but not limited to: (i) criteria applicable to a caregiver, which shall include, but not be limited to, a limitation on the total hours of a caregiver's outside employment plus hours of providing care to the enrollee to ensure that the complete plan of care is delivered; (ii) payment of caregiver services at the personal assistant level of care and pay rate; (iii) limitations on the number of reimbursable hours of personal services; and (iv) utilization of the determination of need evaluation and other comprehensive assessment tools as criteria for determining eligibility and developing service plans under the caregiver program. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply, by January 1, 2025, for any waivers or State Plan amendments necessary for implementation of the caregiver program. Permits the Department of Human services to adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the caregiver program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides a tax credit for certain developers of single-family residences that incur development costs and that sell or rent qualified residences to individuals who meet certain income thresholds. Sets forth the amount of the credit. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall conduct an access to nutritious food program to establish and operate projects and strategies within food deserts that focus on: (1) distribution of fresh and nutritious food; and (2) education in food preparation and nutrition. Provides that the Department shall promote the sharing of information concerning best practices and programs, including specified projects, that have proven to be effective in improving distribution of fresh and nutritious food and education in food preparation and nutrition. Provides that the Department shall convene an annual meeting of nonprofit organizations and other interested parties to share best practices and information on programs, including specified projects, that have proven to be effective in improving distribution of fresh and nutritious food and education in food preparation and nutrition. Defines "food desert" and "program".

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act. Provides that the KIND Act creates the statutory vision and authority for the Department of Children and Family Services to execute a kin-first approach to service delivery and directs the juvenile courts to provide necessary oversight of the Department's obligations to maintain family connections and promote equitable opportunities for youth and families to thrive with relational permanence. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Contains provisions concerning Department rules on relative, kinship, and licensed foster care; grants to subsidized guardians of hard-to-place children; a requirement on the Department to make reasonable efforts to place a child with a relative; documentation of the Department's reasons for failing to secure a relative placement; foster care maintenance payments for relatives who qualify for certification as a kinship caregiver home; subsidized guardianship support services for children and their guardians; certification and background checks on relative caregivers; annual reports regarding relative and kinship care placements; performance audits; and other matters. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires the Department to adopt standards for certifying kinship caregiver family homes that are different from licensing standards used for non-relative foster family homes. Contains provisions concerning background screenings of prospective kinship caregivers; a requirement that the Department assist relatives and prospective kinship caregivers with completing the steps required for approval as a kinship caregiver home; orientation activities for prospective kinship caregivers; Guardianship Assistance Program payments and services for relative caregivers; and other matters. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes changes to provisions concerning "best interest" determinations; emergency placement of a minor with a willing relative pending a temporary custody hearing; court assessments on the Department's effort to place a minor with a relative; court ordered family-finding efforts; required notification to a minor's located relatives that the minor has been removed from the custody of the minor's parents; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for developers that invest in a qualified project redeveloping a brownfield or grayfield. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Creates an exemption for tangible personal property that is purchased by a developer who has been awarded a certificate of exemption by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and that is used to rehabilitate brownfield or grayfield property. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Provides that the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Office of the State Fire Marshal determines are eligible for grant funding. Provides that eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, and fuel dispensers. Provides that an eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding. Provides that no funding under the program shall be made available to a public body. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund, unless the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. Sets forth membership and duties of the Task Force. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Allows the board of trustees of a community college district to establish and offer a baccalaureate degree program and confer a bachelor's degree if the board of trustees and the program meet specified conditions. Provides for an application for approval from the Illinois Community College Board. Sets forth community college requirements and prohibitions for establishing a baccalaureate degree program. Provides that a community college district that offers a baccalaureate degree program shall submit an annual report to the Illinois Community College Board. Sets forth what that report shall include. Provides for a statewide evaluation of a baccalaureate degree program.