Sen. Jil Tracy

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that incidental sales of finished compost do not need to be applied to agronomic rates in determining whether a person needs a permit to conduct a landscape waste composting operation at specified sites. Removes a provision requiring that no fee is charged for the acceptance of materials to be composted in order for a site having 10 or more occupied non-farm residences within 1/2 mile of its boundaries to be excepted from permit requirements.

Amends the Salaries Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in a county having a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county sheriff shall establish with other law enforcement agencies a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their installed existing global positioning systems, collaborate with vehicle manufacturers and dealers to provide information and assistance to law enforcement officers in the investigation of vehicle theft, and ensure that consumers are provided with information concerning the hotline and any new or used vehicle manufactured with a global positioning system by publishing the information in a conspicuous location on the county sheriff's website. Provides that the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall establish a hotline available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement information sharing and the electronic tracking of vehicles stolen in vehicular hijacking incidents or that have been used in the commission of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted homicide, or homicide. Provides that the manufacturer's hotline shall relay vehicle location information, including real-time vehicle location information whenever possible, to the 9-1-1 call center or designated dispatch center for the responding agency, to the best of the manufacturer's technical capability. Requires State, county, and local law enforcement agencies to use their respective 9-1-1 system call centers or designated dispatch centers for the purpose of verification of law enforcement officers' identities and bona fide incident report numbers related to incidents. Requires manufacturers to prepare written statements detailing tracking and disabling system capabilities and make them available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies upon request. Requires that, if a vehicle is not subscribed to the manufacturer's tracking service, the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall waive all fees associated with initiating, renewing, reestablishing, or maintaining the location, disabling, or alert service with which the vehicle is equipped during a law enforcement response or investigation of specified offenses.

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, the Life Care Facilities Act, the Nursing Home Care Act, the MC/DD Act, and the ID/DD Community Care Act. Provides that establishments or facilities licensed under the Acts shall post on the home page of the licensed establishment's or facility's website specified information about the Department on Aging's Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. Provides that an establishment or facility may comply with the provisions by posting the required information on the website of its parent company if the establishment does not maintain a unique website and is not required to comply with the provisions if the establishment or facility and any parent company do not maintain a website. Contains other provisions. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that the annual incentive shall be $2,250 (instead of $1,500) and that 45 hours of mentoring shall be required (instead of 30). Provides that funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center. Effective immediately.

Amends the Rescue Squad Districts Act. Provides that a rescue squad district may fix, charge, and collect fees for rescue squad services and ambulance services within or outside of the rescue squad district not exceeding the reasonable cost of the service. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning Substitute Teaching Licenses, provides that if there is no licensed teacher under contract because of an emergency situation, then a district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the district if the district notifies the appropriate regional office of education within 5 business days after the employment of the substitute teacher in that vacant position (instead of employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency situation). Provides that a district may continue to employ that same substitute teacher in that same vacant position for one or more additional 30 calendar day periods if, prior to the expiration of the then-current 30 calendar day period, the district files a written request with the appropriate regional office of education for a 30 calendar day extension on the basis that the position remains vacant and the district continues to actively seek qualified candidates. Provides that each extension request shall be deemed granted unless denied in writing by the regional office of education. Provides that an emergency situation is one in which a vacancy has occurred (instead of an unforeseen vacancy has occurred) and (i) a teacher is unexpectedly unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous indications or vacancies are unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates, and the district is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the vacant position (instead of (i) a teacher is unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous indications, and the district is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the vacant position).

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that in addition to other monetary assistance and incentives, if adequate funds are available, retention bonuses of $4,000 per year for 2 consecutive years shall be awarded to National Board certified teachers employed in hard-to-staff schools. This bonus shall be distributed to the respective school district or directly to the qualified educators. Provides that the State Board of Education's annual budget shall set out a separate line item for the appropriation of this bonus.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Repeals provisions authorizing, under certain conditions, drainage districts to control beaver populations. Provides that a drainage district, road district or similar body, landowner, tenant, or the designee of a drainage district, road district, landowner, or tenant shall be exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit to control nuisance raccoons, opossums, muskrats, skunks, coyotes, or beavers if all applicable provisions for licenses are complied with and any trap types and sizes used are in compliance with the Act, including marking or identification. Provides that landowners, tenants, or their designees may remove cottontail rabbits or grey or fox squirrels from their property, but only by means of a live trap, if the cottontail rabbits and grey or fox squirrels are released alive and unharmed in suitable habitat that is not within any city or town and not within any park. Provides that the designee of a drainage district, road district, landowner, or tenant must have a signed and dated written authorization from the drainage district, landowner, or tenant in possession at all times when conducting animal control activities. Provides that the exemption from obtaining a permit shall be valid only upon property owned, leased, or controlled by the drainage district, road district, landowner, or tenant. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that any entity may make contributions to an ABLE account. Makes changes concerning privacy of ABLE account information. Provides that the ABLE Account Program may also be referred to as the Senator Scott Bennett ABLE Program. Effective immediately.