Sen. Doris Turner

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to, subject to appropriation, establish and administer a Crisis Nursery Grant Program to award grants to crisis nursery service providers. Provides that successful grantees under the program shall comply with policies and procedures on program, data, and expense reporting as developed by the Department. Requires the Department to seek to attain any federal grants or other funding that may be available for the purpose of the program. Provides that funds received by the Department shall supplement and not supplant other existing or new federal, State, or local sources of funding for crisis nursery services. Provides that any new federal funding received shall supplement and not supplant funding for the program. Requires successful grantees under the Crisis Nursery Grant Program to submit an annual report to the Department that includes the following information: (i) the expenditures of the crisis nursery service provider; (ii) the number and demographics of families served over a one-year period; and (iii) any other funds received outside of the State grant. Creates the Crisis Nursery Fund to hold any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Crisis Nursery Grant Program, any federal grants or other funding received by the Department for the program, and all other moneys received by the Fund from any other source. Amends the State Finance Act to add the Crisis Nursery Fund to the list of Funds under the Act.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education shall create a student teaching stipend program to alleviate the financial burden of student teaching, to encourage students to pursue teaching careers to alleviate this State's teacher shortage, and to encourage teachers to be matched with student teachers. Provides that, subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible student a stipend of up to $10,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive semesters, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Provides that, subject to available appropriations, the Board shall disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible cooperating teacher a stipend of up to $2,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive semesters per academic year, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Sets forth provisions concerning the distribution of funds to eligible students and eligible cooperating teachers. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student or an eligible cooperating teacher from participating in the stipend program or receiving a stipend from the stipend program. Sets forth provisions concerning cooperating teacher training. Provides that, subject to available appropriations, the Board, in collaboration with the State Board of Education, shall submit a report evaluating the impact of the stipend program on educator preparation programs to the General Assembly and Governor on or before June 30, 2028. Provides for rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish a librarian recruitment and retention program, which shall encourage both new and experienced librarians to seek employment with qualifying public schools by providing for a refundable income tax credit to each participating librarian in the amount of $3,000 per school year for no more than 5 consecutive school years. Contains requirements for participating school districts and participating librarians. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act establishing the $3,000 tax credit for individuals designated by the State Board of Education as a participating librarian in the librarian recruitment and retention program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Creates the Digital Assets Regulation Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall regulate digital asset business activity in the State. Sets forth provisions concerning: applicability; the powers and duties of the Department; funds; customer protections; custody and protection of customer assets; covered exchanges; compliance; registration; supervision; records; additional procedural provisions; confidentiality; violations; enforcement; rulemaking authority; and severability. Creates the Special Purpose Trust Company Article in the Corporate Fiduciary Act. Sets forth provisions concerning certificates of authority; rulemaking and organization; certificates of authority for foreign corporate fiduciaries; eligibility; fees; and certificates of reciprocity. Makes other changes to various Acts. Effective immediately.

If and only if Senate Bill 3666 of the 103rd General Assembly becomes law, amends the Digital Assets Regulation Act. Provides that an operator shall not accept or dispense more than $1,000 or equivalent monetary value in a day from or to a customer via a digital asset kiosk. Sets forth provisions concerning customer disclosures, reporting physical addresses, and implementation of the provisions. Effective immediately or on the date Senate Bill 3666 of the 103rd General Assembly takes effect, whichever is later.

Designates U.S. Route 51 starting at N2600 East Road in Assumption north to the Shelby–Macon County Line as the "Conner-Keegan Memorial Highway".

Creates the Agricultural and Natural Resources Legacy Act. Creates the Agricultural and Natural Resources Legacy Fund as a separate fund in the State treasury to be managed by the Department of Agriculture. Provides that from the Fund, moneys shall be made available in each fiscal year for grants to qualified easement holdings having an application which has been reviewed by the Department of Agriculture and approved by the Agricultural Legacy Council. Creates the Agricultural Legacy Council to annually review and approve award grants recommended by the Department of Agriculture, review and approve rules adopted by the Department of Agriculture for administration of the program, and review outcomes of the program and advise the Department of Agriculture of changes in the program or rules to ensure success of the program in achieving the intent of the Act.

Amends the State Universities Civil Service Act. Provides that nothing in the Act or any rules adopted under the Act prevents the parties to a collective bargaining agreement subject to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act from agreeing to a provision that enhances employee rights.

Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall administer no more than one assessment (instead of 3 assessments), per student, of English language arts and mathematics for students in a secondary education program. Removes a provision that specifies that students who do not take the State's final accountability assessment or its approved alternate assessment may not receive a regular high school diploma unless otherwise exempted. Provides that the State Board of Education may not assess students in any manner beyond that required for compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Provides that the State Board shall also explore any flexibility afforded to states through waivers under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.