Sen. John Curran

Amends the Freedom of Information Act to provide that in the case of sexual assault or sexual abuse by a school district employee or volunteer, nothing in the Act prohibits a school district from disclosing the disciplinary records of that person. Amends the School Code to require a school board to report all credible cases of sexual assault or sexual abuse by a licensed educator to the State Board of Education, to establish a hearing procedure for student victims, and to ensure that a licensed educator under investigation by the State Superintendent of Education is reassigned to non-classroom duty. Provides that, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the State Board of Education must monitor all fingerprint-based criminal history records checks and any other database checks conducted by a school district or regional superintendent for applicants for employment with a school district. Makes changes concerning educator licensure and allegations of physical or sexual abuse. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to create the criminal offense of sexual conduct or sexual relations with a student by an authority figure. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 to require an arresting enforcement agency to share its reports pertaining to the arrest of a licensed educator with the superintendent of any school district that employs the educator (or, in the case of the arrest of a superintendent, with the school board of any school district that employs the superintendent). Amends the Personnel Record Review Act to provide that the Act does not prohibit a school district from divulging internal investigative findings and discipline to another school district. Effective immediately.

Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Prohibits an employer from: (i) screening job applicants based on their wage or salary history, (ii) requiring that an applicant's prior wages satisfy minimum or maximum criteria, and (iii) requesting or requiring as a condition of being interviewed or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment that an applicant disclose prior wages or salary. Prohibits an employer from seeking the salary, including benefits or other compensation or salary history, of a job applicant from any current or former employer, with some exceptions. Limits defenses. Provides for penalties and injunctive relief. Effective 60 days after becoming law.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall reevaluate the current air pollution operating permit of any facility emitting ethylene oxide and conduct a 90-day public hearing process on such permits. Provides that no air pollution operating permit shall be renewed if the facility is in violation of any federal or State standards or current studies pertaining to ethylene oxide. Provides that a facility emitting ethylene oxide at levels higher than federal or State standards shall immediately cease operations until the level of emissions are reduced below both federal and State standards. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the research and development credit applies on a permanent basis. Effective immediately.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. With respect to employment contracts entered into with the president or all chancellors of a public university or an employee of a community college district, provides that severance under the contract may not exceed 6 months (rather than one year) of salary and applicable benefits.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2020, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount under the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.

Creates the Public University Administrative Cost Decrease Act. Provides that all public universities shall annually submit a cost certification that certifies the level of spending dedicated to administrative costs for the current academic year. Provides that beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, a Board of Trustees of a public university may not enact a budget that contains tuition or fee increases above that of the tuition and fees set in the 2017-2018 academic year until the Auditor General has verified that the cost certification submitted by the public university and due in the same calendar year of the proposed tuition or fees increase has shown a decrease of administrative costs by 25%. Amends the Illinois State Auditing Act. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Parent Rights Protection Act. Contains only a short title provision.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.