Sen. John Curran

Amends the Northern Illinois University Law. Adds specified parcels not located on or adjacent to Northern Illinois University that the Board of Trustees may acquire, sublease or contract to purchase, or sell without compliance with the State Property Control Act and retain the proceeds in its development fund account. Provides that, in addition to other purposes, revenues from the development fund account may be withdrawn by the University for the purpose of repairs to existing campus facilities and infrastructure and professional services associated with planning and design. Removes provisions allowing revenues from the fund to be used for routine land and property acquisition, extension of utilities, streetscape work, landscape work, surface and structure parking, sidewalks, recreational paths, and street construction, and lease and lease purchase arrangements and the professional services associated with the planning and development of the area. Effective immediately.

Supports the U.S. Women's national soccer team in their effort to achieve equal pay.

Designates the Plainfield Road Bridge over Interstate 294 as the "Kelli Joy O'Laughlin Memorial Bridge".

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the special county retailers' occupation tax for public safety, public facilities, mental health, substance abuse, or transportation may additionally be imposed for senior citizen programs and social services in the county. Changes the name from the Special County Retailers' Occupation Tax For Public Safety, Public Facilities, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Transportation to the Special County Retailers' Occupation Tax. Amends the Transportation Development Partnership Act and the Simplified Sales and Use Tax Administration Act to make conforming changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Removes provisions allowing the special county retailers' occupation tax for public safety, public facilities, mental health, substance abuse, or transportation to be imposed for senior citizen programs and social services in the county. Provides that a special county retailers' occupation tax for public safety purposes includes criminal justice. Effective immediately.

Creates the Sexual Harassment Victim Representation Act. Prohibits unions from designating the same union representative to represent both a victim of sexual harassment and the alleged perpetrator in any disciplinary proceeding.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Removes the requirement for each Legislative District to be divided into two Representative Districts. Modifies provisions concerning legislative redistricting. Provides specified requirements for each Legislative District, Representative District, and Congressional District for redistricting purposes. Replaces the current method of legislative redistricting with the following: a sixteen-member commission, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the most senior Supreme Court Justice of a different political party in accordance with specified criteria, shall adopt and file with the Secretary of State redistricting plans for Legislative, Representative, and Congressional Districts following a series of public hearings by August 1 of the year following a federal decennial census; permits the public to submit maps during the map drawing process for consideration by the Commission; and, if a redistricting plan is not adopted by August 1 of the year following a federal decennial census, then a seventeenth member shall be appointed to the Commission and redistricting plans shall be filed by September 1. Adds provisions concerning the membership of the Commission and budgetary matters related to the Commission. Effective upon being declared adopted and applicable to redistricting beginning in 2021 and to the election of General Assembly members beginning in 2022.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides for a credit against withholding taxes in an amount equal to 25% of the wages or salary paid by a private employer to an Illinois employee while the employee is on organ donation leave if the employer grants all of its employees the option of taking a paid leave of absence of at least 30 days for the purpose of serving as an organ donor or bone marrow donor. Provides that the credit may not exceed $20,833.33 for each employee who takes organ donation leave. Provides that such a leave of absence must be taken without loss of pay, vacation time, compensatory time, personal days, or sick time for at least the first 30 days of the leave of absence. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Makes changes to the introduced bill to require the employer to provide medical documentation and documentation of the employer's organ donation leave policy to the Department of Revenue and to require the employee to allow medical records to be disclosed to the Department of Revenue. Provides that, if the leave taken spans into a second tax year, the employer qualifies for the credit in the later of the 2 years. Provides that the credit may be carried forward. Senate Floor Amendment No. 4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Makes changes to update the statutory base. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, but provides that the credit may not exceed $1,000 in withholdings for each employee (in Senate Amendment No. 2, $20,833.33). Provides that the credit applies for reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2020. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish reimbursement rates that build toward livable wages for front-line personnel in residential and day programs and service coordination agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities under the Act, including, but not limited to, intermediate care for the developmentally disabled facilities, medically complex for the developmentally disabled facilities, community-integrated living arrangements, community day services, employment, and other residential and day programs for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities supported by State funds or funding under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. Provides that on or before July 1, 2019, the Department shall increase rates and reimbursements and on or before that date, direct support persons shall earn a base wage of not less than $5.25 per hour above the highest applicable federal, State, county, or municipal minimum wage, and on or before that date, other front-line personnel shall earn a commensurate wage. Provides that on or before July 1, 2021, the Department shall increase rates and reimbursements and on or before that date, direct support persons shall earn a base wage of not less than $6.75 per hour above the highest applicable federal, State, county, or municipal minimum Wage, and on or before July 1, 2021, other front-line personnel shall earn a commensurate wage. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that any person who knowingly possesses a controlled or counterfeit substance or controlled substance analog with respect to fentanyl is guilty of a Class 1 felony and shall, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, be sentenced as follows: (1) not less than 4 years and not more than 15 years with respect to 15 grams or more but less than 100 grams of a substance containing fentanyl; (2) not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years with respect to 100 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl; (3) not less than 8 years and not more than 40 years with respect to 400 grams or more but less than 900 grams of any substance containing fentanyl; and (4) not less than 10 years and not more than 50 years with respect to 900 grams or more of any substance containing fentanyl.

Amends the Public Defender and Appointed Counsel Division of the Counties Code. Creates the Public Defender Quality Defense Task Force. Provides that the Task Force is established to: (i) examine the current caseload and determine the optimal caseload for public defenders in the State; (ii) examine the quality of legal services being offered to defendants by public defenders of the State; and (iii) make recommendations to improve the caseload of public defenders and quality of legal services offered by public defenders. Provides that the Task Force shall hold a minimum of 2 public hearings and at other times of its choosing. Provides that the Task Force shall prepare a report that summarizes its work and makes recommendations resulting from its study to the General Assembly and Governor no later than December 31, 2020. Repeals the provisions on December 31, 2021. Effective immediately. Fiscal Note (Office of the State Appellate Defender) If the only responsibility to the Agency would be to provide space for meetings, the cost would be minimal because meetings could be held in our Chicago or Springfield office. If the Agency was responsible for administrative costs, travel reimbursement for board members, preparation of meeting materials or research and analysis, the cost could be significantly more. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Removes a requirement that the Governor appoint at least one Task Force member from the Legal Resources Division of the Office of the Cook County Public Defender. Provides that the Governor shall appoint 5 (rather than 3) public defenders or assistant public defenders to the Task Force from 5 (rather than 3) counties other than Cook County.