Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the Legislate Ethics Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena. Provides that any existing rule, as of the effective date of the amendatory Act, requiring the Legislative Inspectors General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena is void. Removes language providing that the Legislative Inspector General needs the advance approval of the Commission to issue subpoenas. Provides that within 60 days after receipt of a summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head, the Executive and Legislative Ethics Commissions shall make available to the public the report and response or a redacted version of the report and response (currently, report required to be made public only if it resulted in a suspension of at least 3 days or termination of employment). Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Sen. Andrew Chesney
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Modifies the definition of "representation case" to include matters before units of local government. Provides that no legislator or employee of a governmental entity may accept or participate in any way in any representation case if the State or unit of local government is an adverse party or if the result is an adverse effect on State or local revenue, State or local finances, or the health, safety, welfare, or relative tax burden of any State resident. Prohibits (rather than allows) participation in a representation case by a person with whom the legislator maintains a close economic association. Provides that no legislator or employee of a governmental entity may derive any income, compensation, or other tangible benefit from providing opinion evidence as an expert against the interests of the State or a unit of local government in any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding before any administrative agency or court. Provides that a legislator shall officially recuse himself or herself, including a written explanation of the recusal, from any legislative matter in which the legislator or his or her spouse or immediate family member has a financial interest. Makes conforming and other changes.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Reduces the trailer flat weight tax for maximum loads of 3,000 lbs. and less from $118 to $18, if and only if Senate Bill 1939 of the 101st General Assembly becomes law. Effective immediately.
Creates the Domestic Violence Task Force Act. Creates the Domestic Violence Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall: (1) conduct a comprehensive review of the process, operation, and enforcement of current domestic violence laws across the State; (2) identify gaps in the process, operation, and enforcement of those laws; (3) develop recommendations to address those gaps; (4) establish a framework for specialized protective networks for victims, treatment options for victims and offenders, and specialty courts for the accumulation of specialized domestic violence skills for courts; and (5) review the need for special consideration for conditions of bail in cases involving domestic violence within the ongoing changes brought on bail reform. Establishes membership and appointment of the Task Force. Provides that the Attorney General shall provide administrative support to the Task Force. Provides that the Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee, shall be the chair of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall review available research, best practices, and effective interventions to formulate recommendations. Provides that the Task Force shall produce a report detailing the Task Force's findings and recommendations. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before September 1, 2022. Repeals the Act on September 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person who intentionally misrepresents an animal as a service animal commits a petty offense. Provides that a person commits intentional misrepresentation of an animal as a service animal when the person: (1) intentionally misrepresents an animal in his or her possession as his or her service animal; (2) was previously given a warning that it is illegal to intentionally misrepresent an animal as a service animal; and (3) knows that the animal is a not a service animal.
Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that no petition for the appointment of a guardian of a minor shall be filed in which the primary purpose of the filing is to reduce the financial resources available to the minor in order to cause the minor to qualify for public or private financial assistance from an educational institution. Provides that the court may deny such a petition if it finds that the primary purpose of the filing is to enable the minor to declare financial independence so that the minor may obtain public or private financial assistance from an educational institution or a State or federal student financial aid program.
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the reinstatement of a lapsed Professional Educator License upon the payment by the applicant of the lesser of a $100 penalty or a $10 penalty for each year the license has lapsed (rather than a $500 penalty). Effective immediately.
Urges Governor JB Pritzker to instruct the Illinois Department of Corrections to comply with federal law and allow the DOC to continue to work with ICE and local law enforcement agencies.
Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture may audit or validate the intake and outcome of statistics required for a license renewal (rather than shall not be required to). Provides that the annual renewal license fee shall be offered to an animal shelter at a reduced rate if the animal shelter can demonstrate that it has satisfied specified requirements. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Relative to the financial audits made annually by the Auditor General of the financial statements of all accounts, funds, and other moneys in the care, custody, or control of a regional superintendent of schools or educational service region, provides that the regional office of education or educational service center may utilize a cash basis, modified cash basis, or generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements. Makes changes to require audit reports to be published on the Auditor General's website and distributed in accordance with the Illinois State Auditing Act. Effective immediately.