Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Instead of requiring consumer education to be taught and studied, provides that beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2024-2025 school year, pupils in the public schools in grade 11 or 12 shall be taught and be required to complete a stand-alone, one-semester or equivalent course covering personal finance, which shall include, but is not limited to, instruction covering behavioral economics; banking and bill payment; investing; types of credit; managing credit; including credit scores; paying for college; insurance; taxes; budgeting; consumer skills; retirement planning, including tax-advantaged retirement plans; home ownership and financing; and personal transportation, including car ownership and leasing. Provides that the State Board of Education shall devise or approve the personal finance education standards for the course. Provides that the school board shall oversee implementation of the personal finance course for each high school student prior to graduation. Specifies the oversight duties of the school board. In provisions regarding required high school courses, provides that the personal finance education course may be counted toward the fulfillment of other graduation requirements. Makes other changes.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 681 is a technical amendment to the Criminal Code that updates the short title of a specific section. This change does not alter any criminal laws or affect the behavior of individuals. The bill involves only a clerical adjustment to the document's naming convention rather than introducing new rules or penalties.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Public Utilities Act to rename it the Wetlands Protection Act and establish a comprehensive state framework for protecting Illinois' wetlands and small streams. It defines various types of wetlands, such as bogs and bottomland hardwoods, and creates a permit system managed by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or approved local districts to regulate activities that could harm these areas. The legislation aims to restore protections for water bodies that may no longer be covered by federal laws following recent Supreme Court rulings, ensuring continued benefits like flood control, water filtration, and habitat preservation.
Amends the Election Code. In provisions concerning petitions for nomination and submission of public questions, provides that by signing an objector's petition, the objector certifies that the petition is not being presented for any improper purpose, the objections are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing existing law or for establishing new law, and the factual contentions have evidentiary support. Provides that the electoral board that hears the objection may impose an appropriate sanction on the objectors or their legal counsel for any false certification, including a monetary sanction payable to the county clerk, the opposing parties, or both the county clerk and the opposing parties. In provisions concerning electoral board review of petitions, provides that the nomination papers of a candidate shall be deemed invalid and a candidate's name shall not appear on the ballot if he or she is found to have personally engaged in material fraud or a pattern of fraud in connection with the nominating papers.
Creates the Judicial Campaign Reform Act and amends the Election Code, the State Finance Act, the Illinois Income Tax Act, and the Clerks of Courts Act. Creates a voluntary program of public financing of election campaigns for the offices of judges of the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court, administered by the State Board of Elections. Establishes funding mechanisms and provides penalties for violations. Sets mandatory contribution limits with respect to all judicial election campaigns. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Provides that, beginning on the effective date of the amendatory Act, Assistant State's Attorneys, Assistant Public Defenders, and Assistant Appellate Defenders are not managerial employees for purposes of the Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois State Police Act and the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that an applicant's credit history may not be used to prevent the appointment or employment of a law enforcement officer, including an Illinois State Police officer. Provides that the limitation does not apply to employment actions performed under a collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that a collective bargaining agreement that conflicts with the limitation may not be entered into, modified, or extended on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Limits home rule powers.
Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources may lease land on property of which the Department has jurisdiction for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system or a clean energy project. Provides that the lease shall be for a period not longer than 25 years. Provides that, if practical, the Department shall require that any land or property over which the Department has jurisdiction and that is used for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system shall have implemented on it and maintained management practices that would qualify the land or property as a beneficial habitat under the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act. Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "clean energy". Provides that the Department may provide for at least one electric vehicle charging station, as defined in the Electric Vehicle Act, at any State park or other real property that is owned by the Department where electrical service will reasonably permit. Provides that the Department is authorized to charge user fees for the use of an electric vehicle charging station. Amends the State Parks Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Exempts certain expenditures by the Department of Natural Resources from the Code.
Creates the Government Contract Retainage Act. Defines terms, including that "retainage" means a portion of money withheld from the payment of a contract for a specified period of time to ensure that a contractor or subcontractor finishes a construction project completely and finishes in the manner specified in the contract. Provides that interest shall accrue monthly on the first day of each month on retainage withheld by a governmental unit at a specified rate set by the State Treasurer. Requires retainage withheld by a governmental unit to be paid not more than 60 days after being retained, including interest accrued, unless the retainage was withheld on the last pay period of a project shall, which shall be paid not more than 120 days after being retained. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.
Appropriates $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Natural Resources for the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. Effective July 1, 2024.