Sen. Sue Rezin

Urges the State of Illinois to fully fund the Guidehouse final rate recommendations in FY 22.

Amends the Election Code and the School Code. Provides for 5 new members of the State Board of Education to be elected at the general election in 2024 and every 4 years thereafter (now, the Board consists of 8 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate). Provides that one member shall be elected from each judicial district. Provides that the 5 members shall be elected on a non partisan basis. Provides that a petition for nomination of a candidate for member of the Board shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the total number of registered voters in the judicial district. Provides that beginning on the date when the 5 members initially elected take office, a majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Makes related changes.

Designates the West Baltimore Street Bridge over Forked Creek in Wilmington as the "Sgt. Dan G. Feezell Memorial Bridge".

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the appointing authorities shall (rather than may) appoint both members of the General Assembly and members of the general public to the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides open meetings requirements for the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena. Provides that any existing rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena is void. Provides that the Legislative Inspector General may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas without the advance approval of the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides that a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Commission must be filed within 12 months after the Legislative Inspector General's initiation of an investigation (currently, 12 months after receipt of the allegation of the violation or 18 months after the most recent act of the alleged violation or series of violations). Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall make available to the public any summary report in which a subject of the report is a current or former member of the General Assembly, and the Legislative Inspector General found that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred. Requires that publicly available summary reports be posted on the websites of the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Legislative Inspector General.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the cents per gallon rate established by the Department of Revenue for the prepayment of tax by motor fuel retailers may not exceed $0.18 per gallon for motor fuel and 80% of that amount for gasohol and biodiesel blends. Provides that the rate of tax imposed under the Acts for motor fuel, gasohol, majority blended ethanol fuel, and biodiesel and biodiesel blends may not exceed that prepayment amount set by the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Allows the board of trustees of a community college district to establish and offer a baccalaureate-level early childhood education program and confer a bachelor of applied science degree in early childhood education and a Professional Educator License with endorsements in early childhood education and early childhood special education under certain conditions. Provides for an application for approval from the Illinois Community College Board. Sets forth college requirements and prohibitions. Provides that a candidate for educator licensure must successfully complete applicable testing requirements prior to the issuance of an educator license and any endorsements. Provides for a statewide evaluation of such programs.

Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Telephone Solicitations Act. Provides that a person, business, or organization may not spoof a caller's information or otherwise misrepresent the origin of a telemarketing call unless the person, business, or organization has the right to use the name and phone number displayed. Requires telephone solicitations placed in a manner other than by a live operator to immediately disclose their identity and the purpose of the call and prompt the recipient of the call to consent to the solicitation. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that in addition to any other penalties provided by law, a person knowingly and unlawfully selling or dispensing any scheduled drug containing a detectable amount of fentanyl is guilty of a Class X felony and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 9 years and not more than 40 years or fined not more than $250,000, or both. Provides that it shall be a Class 1 felony for which a fine not to exceed $100,000 may be imposed for any person to knowingly use an electronic communication device in the furtherance of controlled substance trafficking involving a substance containing any amount of fentanyl. Provides that this penalty shall be in addition to any other penalties imposed by law. Defines "electronic communication device".