Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

Amends the Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 15 ILCS 60/1 Adds reference to: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.21 new 20 ILCS 2505/2505-306 new 30 ILCS 105/5.970 new 30 ILCS 105/6z-130 new 40 ILCS 5/1-160 40 ILCS 5/7-142.2 new 40 ILCS 5/14-147.7 new 40 ILCS 5/14-152.1 40 ILCS 5/24-105.3 new 50 ILCS 705/3.2 new 50 ILCS 708/24 new 55 ILCS 5/3-6042 new 230 ILCS 10/5.4 new 730 ILCS 5/3-2-10.5 new 730 ILCS 110/15.2 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the State Employee, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), and Deferred Compensation Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Creates a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for certain sheriff's law enforcement employees and State policemen who are eligible to retire and meet other criteria. Provides that a participant in the DROP may elect to participate for up to 5 years. Provides that on the effective date of the member's election, the System or Fund shall credit the member's account on a monthly basis, for as long as the member participates in the DROP, an amount equal to the monthly amount of retirement annuity the member would otherwise be eligible to receive had the member retired on the date of the election. Sets forth other provisions concerning interest on the account; termination of the DROP; and contributions. Provides that a State policeman, investigator for the Secretary of State, conservation police officer, investigator for the Department of Revenue or the Illinois Gaming Board, investigator for the Office of the Attorney General, Illinois Commerce Commission police officer, or arson investigator under the Tier 2 provisions is entitled to an annuity calculated under the alternative retirement formula, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, only if the person has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 55 (instead of age 60), regardless of whether the attainment of age 55 (instead of age 60) occurs while the person is still in service. In the Deferred Compensation Article, provides that an employee under the State Employee Article who participates in the deferred retirement option plan shall have at least 7.6% of his or her pretax gross compensation for each compensation period deferred into his or her deferred compensation account. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Board of Trustees of the State Employees' Retirement System to adopt emergency rules. Amends the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board and the Illinois Community College Board shall create a report with recommendations to the General Assembly for establishing minimum requirements for credits that may transfer from community colleges to satisfy the requirements of law enforcement and correctional intern courses under the Act. Amends the Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Counties Code, the Illinois Gambling Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that programs shall be established for specified officers, investigators, agents, and employees who are retiring in good standing to purchase either one or both of the following: (1) any badge previously issued to the individual; or (2) if the individual has a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card, the service firearm issued or previously issued to the individual. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates the Illinois Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Board to review proposals and award grants for recruitment and retention efforts proposed by employers of law enforcement personnel in Illinois or nonprofit entities that have established experience in recruitment and retention efforts in Illinois. Effective immediately, except that the provisions amending the Illinois Police Training Act are effective July 1, 2023, and provisions amending the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act are effective January 1, 2023. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 15 ILCS 60/1 Adds reference to: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.21 new 20 ILCS 2505/2505-306 new 30 ILCS 105/5.970 new 30 ILCS 105/6z-130 new 40 ILCS 5/1-160 40 ILCS 5/7-142.2 new 40 ILCS 5/14-147.7 new 40 ILCS 5/14-152.1 40 ILCS 5/24-105.3 new 50 ILCS 705/3.2 new 50 ILCS 708/24 new 55 ILCS 5/3-6042 new 230 ILCS 10/5.4 new 730 ILCS 5/3-2-10.5 new 730 ILCS 110/15.2 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the State Employee, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), and Deferred Compensation Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Creates a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for certain sheriff's law enforcement employees and State policemen who are eligible to retire and meet other criteria. Provides that a participant in the DROP may elect to participate for up to 5 years. Provides that on the effective date of the member's election, the System or Fund shall credit the member's account on a monthly basis, for as long as the member participates in the DROP, an amount equal to the monthly amount of retirement annuity the member would otherwise be eligible to receive had the member retired on the date of the election. Sets forth other provisions concerning interest on the account; termination of the DROP; and contributions. Provides that a State policeman, investigator for the Secretary of State, conservation police officer, investigator for the Department of Revenue or the Illinois Gaming Board, investigator for the Office of the Attorney General, Illinois Commerce Commission police officer, or arson investigator under the Tier 2 provisions is entitled to an annuity calculated under the alternative retirement formula, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, only if the person has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 55 (instead of age 60), regardless of whether the attainment of age 55 (instead of age 60) occurs while the person is still in service. In the Deferred Compensation Article, provides that an employee under the State Employee Article who participates in the deferred retirement option plan shall have at least 7.6% of his or her pretax gross compensation for each compensation period deferred into his or her deferred compensation account. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Board of Trustees of the State Employees' Retirement System to adopt emergency rules. Amends the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall collaborate with the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education to create a report with recommendations to the General Assembly for establishing minimum requirements for credits that may transfer from public institutions of higher education to satisfy the requirements of law enforcement and correctional intern courses under the Act. Amends the Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Counties Code, the Illinois Gambling Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that programs shall be established for specified officers, investigators, agents, and employees who are retiring in good standing to purchase either one or both of the following: (1) any badge previously issued to the individual; or (2) if the individual has a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card, the service firearm issued or previously issued to the individual. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates the Illinois Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Board to review proposals and award grants for recruitment and retention efforts proposed by employers of law enforcement personnel in Illinois or nonprofit entities that have established experience in recruitment and retention efforts in Illinois. Effective immediately, except that the provisions amending the Illinois Police Training Act are effective July 1, 2023, and provisions amending the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act are effective January 1, 2023. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.21 new 30 ILCS 105/5.970 new 30 ILCS 105/6z-130 new 40 ILCS 5/7-142.2 new 40 ILCS 5/14-147.7 new 40 ILCS 5/14-152.1 40 ILCS 5/24-105.3 new 50 ILCS 705/3.2 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause with only the following portions of the engrossed bill: (i) provisions amending the Law Enforcement Intern Training Act requiring the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to collaborate with the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education to create a report with recommendations to the General Assembly for establishing minimum requirements for credits that may transfer from public institutions of higher education to satisfy the requirements of law enforcement and correctional intern courses; (ii) provisions amending the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code providing that a State policeman, investigator for the Secretary of State, conservation police officer, investigator for the Department of Revenue or the Illinois Gaming Board, investigator for the Office of the Attorney General, Illinois Commerce Commission police officer, or arson investigator under the Tier 2 provisions is entitled to an annuity calculated under the alternative retirement formula, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, only if the person has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 55 (instead of age 60), regardless of whether the attainment of age 55 (instead of age 60) occurs while the person is still in service; and (iii) provisions amending the Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Counties Code, the Illinois Gambling Act, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the Probation and Probation Officers Act requiring programs to be established for specified officers, investigators, agents, and employees who are retiring in good standing to purchase specified badges or service firearms. Effective immediately, except that Section 15 takes effect January 1, 2023.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that, if a grocery store or a supermarket shows the price of an item on a screen or other display at the point of sale, and the item is being sold at a discount to the regular price, the display must show both the regular price and the discounted price when the price of the item is first displayed on the screen, rather than delaying the showing of the discounted price until the total price of all items is displayed, with specified exceptions. Provides that failure to comply with those requirements constitutes an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 815 ILCS 505/2WWW new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Sale Price Ad Act. Defines "retail mercantile establishment" to mean a retailer where 55% or more of its gross sales include nonprescription medicines and any cooked or uncooked article of food, beverage, alcohol, confection, or condiment, used for or intended to be used for human consumption off premises. Provides that if a discount is offered for an item, the retail mercantile establishment shall provide (i) the original price and the discounted price; (ii) the original price and a credit or reduction of the advertised savings; (iii) the amount saved or the amount reduced as a percentage; or (iv) any other format for showing the advertised savings of the discount to the consumer. Specifies exceptions. Denies home rule powers. Provides that a person or retail mercantile establishment shall not be fined in excess of $500 per year for violations under the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2023 shall provide coverage for medically necessary breast reduction surgery. Makes conforming changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024 (rather than January 1, 2023) shall provide coverage for medically necessary breast reduction surgery. Makes grammatical changes.

Amends the School Construction Law. Makes changes concerning application for a grant, a conditional grant award, the required local match and grant award amount, eligibility, the priority of school construction projects, and referendum requirements. Repeals provisions concerning carry over projects, Fiscal Year 2002 escalation, debt service grants, and a school capital needs assessment. Amends the State Finance Act and the Local Government Debt Reform Act to make related changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes: Makes changes to the definition of "grant index". Provides that during the first application cycle after June 30, 2022 (instead of June 30, 2021), the required local match and grant award amount may be adjusted if the applicant had previously expended funds on a school construction project on the 2004, 2005, or 2006 School Construction Grant List (instead of the 2004 School Construction Grant List). Provides that in that case, the grant award amount shall be increased by an amount equal to the amount of the grant the applicant would have received had it been awarded a grant in 2004, 2005, or 2006 based on the 2004, 2005, or 2006 School Construction Grant List and the year in which the school district applied for the grant (instead of increasing the grant award amount by an amount equal to the amount of the grant the applicant would have received had it been awarded a grant in 2004 based on the 2004 School Grant Construction List). Changes other dates. Provides that a school district shall have 2 years from the date the school district was issued a conditional grant award from the Capital Development Board to obtain the school district's required local match and receive a final grant award from the Capital Development Board. If the required local match is not obtained within the 2-year time frame, provides that the school district shall be required to reapply in another application cycle, after the 2-year time frame, to be considered for a grant award. Requires the State share of the grant amount in a conditional grant award that is not claimed by a school district within the 2-year time frame to be reallocated to future application cycles after the 2-year time frame expires. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 4 In provisions concerning the School Construction Law, provides that the definition of grant index applies only to completed or partially completed, as determined by the Capital Development Board, school construction projects (rather than only to completed school construction projects) as specified.

Creates the Student Confidential Reporting Act. Subject to appropriation, requires the Illinois State Police, in consultation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, State Board of Education, Department of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Human Services, to establish a program for receiving reports and other information from the public regarding potential self-harm or potential harm or criminal acts directed at school students, school employees, or schools in this State. Requires the program to include a Safe2Help Illinois helpline (defined as a school helpline involving a statewide toll-free telephone number, social media, a website, or other means of communication, or a combination of a toll-free telephone number and another means of communication, that transmits voice, text, photographic, or other messages and information to the Safe2Help Illinois operators). Provides for referrals from and the discontinuance of other State-operated school violence help lines (excluding the CPS Violence Prevention Hotline). Sets forth other program and Illinois State Police requirements. Contains provisions concerning the confidentiality of reported information, funding, and annual reporting. Provides that a Safe2Help Illinois employee, law enforcement agency, or law enforcement official acting in good faith in compliance with the Act shall have immunity from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise occur as a result of handling tips, with the exception of willful or wanton misconduct. Provides that the Illinois State Police may adopt emergency rules to implement the Act. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.21 new Defines "Safe2Help Illinois Manager". Provides that beginning on the date that Safe2Help Illinois is operational, any State or locally operated school violence help line currently in operation shall work in conjunction with Safe2Help Illinois as needed. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall ensure that program personnel or call center staff, or both, are appropriately trained in the following areas: (1) crisis management, including recognizing mental illness and emotional disturbance; (2) the resources that are available for providing mental health and other human services; (3) matters determined by the Illinois State Police to be relevant to the operation of the program; and (4) handling of criminal intelligence information regarding primary and data collection, storage, and dissemination. Provides that the Safe2Help Illinois program manager, in consultation with the Illinois State Police and the State Board of Education, shall prepare an annual report. Deletes provisions requiring the Department of Innovation and Technology's dedicated website to provide risk assessment information for students. Deletes provisions requiring the Illinois State Police to be responsible for the administrative oversight of the Safe2Help Illinois program. Deletes the amendatory changes to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 705 ILCS 405/1-7 Further amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Permits the disclosure of juvenile law enforcement records to the appropriate school official only if the agency or officer believes that there is an imminent threat of physical harm to students, school personnel, or others (removing "who are present in the school or on school grounds").

Amends the School Code. Provides that a substitute teacher may teach up to 120 (instead of 90) school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that substitute teachers may teach up to 120 school days beginning with the 2021-2022 school year through the 2022-2023 school year.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to issue a substitute teaching license to those individuals enrolled in a regionally accredited institution of higher education who have earned at least 60 credits and are enrolled in an Illinois-approved educator preparation program. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Instead of requiring an applicant for a Substitute Teaching License to hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, allows an applicant to be enrolled in an approved educator preparation program in this State and have earned at least 90 credit hours.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who is at least 18 years of age and will be using the Educator License with Stipulations exclusively for elementary education. Makes a corresponding change. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but allows a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations to be issued to an applicant who is at least 18 years of age only until the individual reaches the age of 19 years and otherwise meets the criteria for a paraprofessional educator endorsement.

Amends the School Code. Provides that an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may teach up to 15 (instead of 5) consecutive days per licensed teacher who is under contract. Provides that a school district may hire an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License for teacher absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who is under contract, if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency. Effective immediately.

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 a $50 penalty (rather than a $500 penalty). Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits from a State of Illinois retirement system shall be listed as retired (instead of shall notify the State Board of Education using the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS)). Provides that if a licensee retires during a renewal cycle, the license status must be updated using ELIS indicating that the licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status (instead of requiring the licensee to notify the State Board of Education using ELIS that the licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status). Provides that an individual with a license in retired status shall not be required to complete professional development activities (rather than shall not be required to complete professional development activities or pay registration fees) until returning to a position that requires educator licensure. Provides that upon returning to work in a position that requires a Professional Educator License, the license status shall immediately be updated using ELIS (instead of the licensee shall immediately pay a registration fee). Provides that a retired teacher, even if returning to a position that requires educator licensure, shall not be required to pay registration fees.