Sen. Linda Holmes

Amends the Agricultural Experiences Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act. Provides that owners of qualified low-income housing developments are eligible for credits against the taxes imposed by the Illinois Income Tax Act or taxes, penalties, fees, charges, and payments imposed by the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may investigate complaints concerning drone use by a law enforcement agency. Provides that if a pattern of willful and wanton violations is confirmed, the law enforcement agency shall take actions to prevent future violations through specified means. Provides that if the agency fails to take actions to address the violations and prevent future violations from occurring, then the Board may restrict the agency's ability to use its drones for a period not to exceed 3 months per incident. Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Drones as First Responders Act. Defines "permitted special event". Adds various exemptions allowing the use of drones. Permits records of drone usage, including flight path data, metadata, or telemetry information of specific flights, to be disclosed subject to the Freedom of Information Act and rules adopted under that Act. Provides that the information relating to infrastructure inspections conducted at the request of a local governmental agency may be disclosed to that local governmental agency or, in the case of traffic and parking evaluations conducted at school, it may also be disclosed to the school or any engineering staff involved in the process. Provides that nothing in the Act prevents the disclosure of information through a court order or subpoena in connection with a criminal proceeding or if the disclosure is in regard to a completed traffic crash investigation. Changes drone usage reporting requirements of law enforcement agencies to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Makes other changes, and amends the School Code to make conforming changes. Provides that a drone may not be used over a school unless the parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to the use of the drone.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Declares March 14, 2023 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Creates the Paid Family Leave Insurance Program Act. Requires the Department of Employment Security to establish and administer a Family Leave Insurance Program that provides family leave insurance benefits to eligible employees. Sets forth eligibility requirements for benefits under the Act. Provides that a self-employed individual may elect to be covered under the Act. Contains provisions concerning disqualification from benefits; compensation for family leave; the amount and duration of benefits; employer equivalent plans; an annual report by the Department; hearings; penalties; notice; the coordination of family leave; and rules. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the State Benefits Fund. Effective immediately, except that provisions concerning the State Benefits Fund take effect June 1, 2024 and provisions concerning the amount and duration of paid family leave take effect June 1, 2025.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined in by the Department of Human Services. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined in rule by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Construction Bond Act. Provides that a local governmental unit may not withhold retainage of more than 5% from any payment to a contractor who furnishes the bond or bond substitute required by the Act and that the contractor and its subcontractors may not withhold retainage of more than 5% from their subcontractors. Defines "local governmental unit". Effective Immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that an amount equal to 10% of the net revenue realized from the State income tax during the preceding month shall be transferred from the General Revenue Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund (currently, the amount transferred is equal to the sum of (i) 6.16% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon individuals, trusts, and estates, (ii) 6.85% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon corporations, and (iii) 6.16% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon electing pass-through entities). Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Establishes a presumption that a fireman or policeman who becomes disabled as a result of exposure to and contraction of COVID-19 was injured in the line of duty and is entitled to receive a duty disability benefit under the applicable Article of the Code. Specifies that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply retroactively to March 9, 2020, and any policeman or fireman who has been previously denied a duty disability benefit that would otherwise be entitled to a duty disability benefit under the amendatory Act shall be entitled to a retroactive duty disability benefit. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.