Sen. Sue Rezin

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the monetary award program. Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year through the 2028-2029 academic year, provides that an applicant who is otherwise eligible for grant assistance under the program may receive grant assistance for an additional academic year after receiving a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 135 semester credit hours if he or she (i) enrolls in a State-approved educator preparation program and (ii) within 5 years after receiving a Professional Educator License, teaches in this State for a minimum of 3 years. Requires repayment if at any time a person fails to meet the requirements. Effective immediately.

Creates the Sale of Pharmaceuticals on Social Media Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, no individual shall sell or advertise the sale of a pharmaceutical on social media unless the individual has completed a verification process with specified requirements.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person also commits criminal damage to property when he or she intentionally damages, destroys, or tampers with equipment in a critical infrastructure facility without authorization from the critical infrastructure facility. Provides that a violation is: (1) a Class 4 felony when the damage to property does not exceed $500; (2) a Class 3 felony when the damage to property exceeds $500 but does not exceed $10,000; and (3) a Class 2 felony when the damage to property exceeds $10,000. Provides that a person may be liable in any civil action for money damages to the owner of the critical infrastructure facility for any damage resulting from a violation. Provides that it is an affirmative defense to a violation that the owner of the property or land damaged consented to the damage. Provides that a person may also be liable to the owner for court costs and reasonable attorney's fees resulting from a violation. Changes the name of the offense of criminal trespass to a nuclear facility to criminal trespass to a critical infrastructure facility. Includes as an element of the offense that the person must have the intent to damage, destroy, or tamper with equipment of the facility. Provides that a person may also be liable in a civil action for money damages to the owner of the critical infrastructure facility for any damage to personal or real property of the facility resulting from the trespass. Provides that a person may also be liable to the owner for court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Defines "critical infrastructure facility" and "with the intent to damage, destroy, or tamper with equipment of the facility".

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that certain property may be certified by the Department of Revenue as containing a mega project. Provides that a "mega project" is a project with respect to which a company makes a specified investment during a specified investment period. Provides that the mega project property is eligible for an assessment freeze. Provides that mega project property may be granted an abatement. Provides that a company that operates a mega project shall enter into an agreement with the municipality in which the project is located to make certain special payments. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that qualified tangible personal property used in the construction or operation of a mega project is exempt from the taxes imposed under those Acts. Effective June 1, 2023.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that in provisions concerning the valuation of water and sewer utilities, 20% of the lesser of (1) the purchase price or (2) the fair market value determined shall constitute the rate base associated with the water or sewer utility as acquired by and incorporated into the rate base of the district designated by the acquiring large public utility. Provides that the amount of the difference between the rate base and the purchase price or fair market value shall be borne by the shareholders of the acquiring large public utility. Provides that only 20% of the transaction and closing costs shall be included in rate base. Provides that any large public utility acquiring a water or sewer utility must inform (rather than if the water or sewer utility being acquired is owned by the State or any political subdivision thereof, then the water or sewer utility must inform) the public of the terms of its acquisition.

Amends the Hospital Services Trust Fund Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Increases by 20% hospital reimbursement rates for dates of service on and after January 1, 2024, for specified services, including, but not limited to: inpatient general acute care services; inpatient psychiatric services for safety-net hospitals; general acute care hospitals that are not safety-net hospitals; and outpatient general acute care services. Provides that the rates for the listed services shall be increased, beginning on January 1, 2025 and each January 1 thereafter, based on the annual increase in the national hospital market basket price proxies (DRI) hospital cost index from the midpoint of the calendar year 2 years prior to the current year, to the midpoint of the preceding calendar year. Provides that in no instance shall the adjustment result in a reduction to the rates in place at the time of the required adjustment. Provides that if the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finds that the increases required under the amendatory Act would result in rates of reimbursement which exceed the federal maximum limits applicable to hospital payments, then the payments and assessment tax imposed on hospital providers shall be reduced as provided in the Hospital Provider Funding Article. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to promptly take all actions necessary to ensure the changes authorized in the amendatory Act are in effect for dates of service on and after January 1, 2024. Requires the Department to ensure that all necessary adjustments to the managed care organization capitation base rates necessitated by the adjustments in the amendatory Act are completed, published, and applied 90 days prior to the implementation date of the changes required under the amendatory Act. Provides that, by October 1, 2023, the Department shall by rule implement a methodology effective for dates of service beginning on and after January 1, 2024 to reimburse hospitals for extended stays in a hospital emergency department. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Department emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

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

Creates the Climate and Landowner Protection Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for disqualification for licensure or suspension or revocation of a license, includes the sex offense of abuse by an educator or authority figure under the definition of "sex or other offense". Amends the Sex Offenses Article of Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits abuse by an educator or authority figure if that person holds a position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to a student in a school, the student is at least 18 years of age, the person is at least 4 years older than the student, and the person either (1) commits an act of sexual conduct with the student or (2) commits an act of sexual penetration with the student. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure is a Class 3 felony for the first offense and a Class 2 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that consent of the victim is not a defense to abuse by an educator or authority figure. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Includes abuse by an educator or authority figure under the definitions of "sex offense" and "sexual predator".

Amends the Coroner Division of the Counties Code. In provisions regarding preliminary investigations where a drug overdose is determined to be the cause or a contributing factor in a death, modifies the definition of "overdose" to exclude death caused by fentanyl, which shall be considered poisoning. Provides that, in every case in which fentanyl is determined to be the cause or a contributing factor in the death, the coroner or medical examiner shall report the death to the Department of Public Health as "fentanyl poisoning". Provides that, in the monthly report of overdose deaths, the Department shall also report on fentanyl poisoning deaths.