Sen. Mike Halpin

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall, in consultation with the Illinois Community College Board, create a standardized electronic form by which a community college district may document student demand or workforce need for a specific baccalaureate degree completion program and may demonstrate that the demand or need is currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a program in the district. Provides that the form must be completed by the requesting community college district and must be submitted to the Illinois Community College Board for initial review. Provides that if the Illinois Community College Board concurs with the community college district that unmet demand or need for a program exists in the district, the Illinois Community College Board may forward the form to the Board of Higher Education and if the Illinois Community College Board does not concur with the community college district, the district may appeal the decision directly to the Board of Higher Education. Provides that if the Board of Higher Education determines that unmet student demand or workforce need for a program exists, the Board of Higher Education shall communicate a request for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public universities. Sets forth the response procedure. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to jointly adopt rules.

Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act. Provides that, in calendar years beginning on or after January 1, 2025 and ending on or before December 31, 2028, the State Historic Preservation Office within the Department of Natural Resources may allocate $75,000,000 (currently, $25,000,000) in credits under the Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Provides that the Attorney General shall have authority to enforce the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to make a confirming change. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the salary (exclusive of any other compensation or benefits) of a county treasurer who is elected or appointed after the effective date of the amendatory Act in a county shall not be less than 80% of the salary set for the State's Attorney for the county in which the county treasurer is elected or appointed. Provides that the State shall furnish 66 2/3% of the total annual salary to be paid to a county treasurer, and the county shall furnish 33 1/3% of the total annual salary. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Makes conforming changes.

Declares the month of February 2024 as Career and Technical Education Month in the State of Illinois.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2024, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount calculated under Section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code, including any deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (currently, the exclusion amount for Illinois estate tax purposes is $4,000,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that if the State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge. Provides that the State Board shall adopt rules to define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display this definition on the State Board's Internet website.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision requiring a participating municipality or participating instrumentality to pay an additional contribution to the Fund for certain earnings increases above 6% or 1.5 times the annual increase in the consumer price index-u, whichever is greater, provides that the payments must be concluded within 7 years (instead of 3 years) after receipt of the bill by the participating municipality or participating instrumentality. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Teachers Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if an Employer fails to transmit to the Fund contributions required of the Employer under the Article or contributions required of teachers for more than 180 days after those contributions are due, then, after giving notice to the Board of Education, the Fund may certify to the State Comptroller or the State Superintendent of Education the amounts of the delinquent payments, and the State Comptroller or the State Superintendent of Education shall deduct the amounts so certified, or any part thereof, from any State funds to be remitted to the Board of Education and shall pay the amount so deducted to the Fund. Amends the Charter Schools Article of the School Code. Provides that a charter school contract shall provide that the school district shall withhold from any funding to the charter school an amount equal to any delinquent pension contributions by the charter school and that the school district shall remit that amount to the affected pension fund or retirement system. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.