Sen. Sally Turner

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person charged with involuntary sexual servitude of a minor or trafficking in persons if the victim is under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to plead down to lesser offenses. Provides that no person charged with grooming shall be permitted to plead down to lesser offenses. Provides that prosecutors are prohibited from offering plea bargains to lesser offenses to those individuals charged with grooming. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony for a child sex offender to knowingly operate, manage, be employed by, volunteer at, be associated with, or knowingly be present at any facility providing entertainment exclusively directed toward persons under the age of 18.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that a registrable sex offense includes the offense of unauthorized video recording and live video transmission, when the victim is a person under 18 years of age, the defendant is not a parent of the victim, the offense was sexually motivated as defined in the Sex Offender Evaluation and Treatment Act, and the offense was committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the $15 tax imposed on the privilege of using any motor vehicle acquired by gift, transfer, or purchase also applies to grandparents and grandchildren.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that: (1) if the person committed the offense while possessing a knife, 15 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court; (2) if, during the commission of the offense, the person used the knife, 20 years shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court; or (3) if, during the commission of the offense, the person personally used the knife that proximately caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person, 25 years or up to a term of natural life shall be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for disqualification for licensure or suspension or revocation of a license, includes in the definition of "sex or other offense" abuse by an educator or authority figure as defined in the Criminal Code of 2012. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of abuse by an educator or authority figure. Provides that a person commits the offense if that person is an educator or authority figure at the school, the student is at least 18 years of age but under 23 years of age, the person is at least 4 years older than the student and holds or held within the previous year a position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to the student in connection with an educational or extracurricular program or activity, and the person either: (1) commits an act of sexual conduct with the student; or (2) commits an act of sexual penetration with the student. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual conduct is a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual penetration is a Class 4 felony for the first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that consent of the victim is not a defense to abuse by an educator or authority figure. Defines "authority figure" and "educator".

Maddy summarySB 3793 reenacts and makes permanent the Invest in Kids Act, allowing Illinois taxpayers to claim a state income tax credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). These SGOs provide scholarships to eligible students from Illinois households with income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (initially) and 400% after receiving a scholarship, covering necessary school costs and fees at qualified non-public schools. The scholarships are available for students attending non-public schools, including technical academies with approved career and technical education programs. The bill amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to reflect these changes and takes effect immediately.

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Reducing Barriers to Start Act. Beginning January 1, 2026, this State shall encourage the elimination of all first-year business fees relating to any license or registration for any new business or person establishing a new business, including home-based businesses, whose principal place of business is in this State.

Amends the Public Funds Investment Act. Provides that a public agency may invest any public funds in any security that matures or that may be tendered for purchase at the option of the holder within not more than 7 years of the date on which it is acquired and that has the highest rating category (AAA) assigned by Standard & Poor's corporation, Moody's investors service, or other similar nationally recognized statistical rating organization. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Owned By Noncitizens Act. Provides that a prohibited foreign-party-controlled business may not acquire by grant, purchase, devise, descent, or otherwise any interest in public or private land in the State. Provides that a prohibited foreign-party-controlled business entity in violation of the provisions has 2 years to divest of the public or private land, and if a prohibited foreign-party-controlled business entity does not divest the public or private land, the Attorney General shall commence an action in the circuit court within the jurisdiction of the public or private land. Provides that a prohibited foreign party may not acquire by grant, purchase, devise, descent, or otherwise any interest in agricultural land in the State regardless of whether the prohibited foreign party intends to use the agricultural land for nonfarming purposes. Provides that a prohibited foreign party who is a resident alien of the United States has the right to acquire and hold agricultural land in the State upon the same terms as a citizen of the United States during the continuance of residence in the State, but if a prohibited foreign party is no longer a resident alien, that party has 2 years to divest of the agricultural land, and that if the prohibited foreign party does not divest of the agricultural land as required, the Attorney General shall commence an action in circuit court within the jurisdiction of the agricultural land. Provides that if a prohibited foreign party that owns agricultural land or a prohibited foreign-party-controlled business violates any of the Act's provisions, that violation may be a Class 4 felony punishable by not more than 2 years' imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections or a $15,000 fine, or both. Creates the Office of Agricultural Intelligence within the Department of Agriculture to collect and analyze information concerning the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land by prohibited foreign parties and administer and enforce the provisions of the Act.