Sen. Jil Tracy

Creates the Firearm Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that in a criminal case, if a defendant is charged with an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm and subsequently enters into a plea agreement in which in the charge will be reduced to a lesser offense or a non-weapons offense in exchange for a plea of guilty, at or before the time of sentencing, the State's Attorney shall file with the court a written statement of his or her reasons in support of the plea agreement, which shall specifically state why the offense or offenses of conviction resulting from the plea agreement do not include the originally charged weapons offense. Provides that the written statement shall be part of the court record in the case and a copy shall be provided to any person upon request. Provides that in a criminal case in which the original charge is or was for an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm, if a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty of the original charge or lesser offense or a non-weapons offense, in imposing sentence, the judge shall set forth in a written sentencing order his or her reasons for imposing the sentence or accepting the plea agreement. Provides that a copy of the written sentencing order shall be provided to any person upon request.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the definition of "33 1/3%". Effective immediately.

Proposes to amend the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the right of a parent to determine his or her child's education and healthcare shall not be infringed prior to the child's attainment of the age of majority, except where the child is in the care and custody of the State. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Business Assistance and Regulatory Reform Act. Modifies requirements concerning the Office of Business Permits and Regulatory Assistance. Provides that the office shall implement reforms to improve interagency coordination that allow for expeditious permitting issuance. Provides that the office shall utilize information technology tools to track project schedules and metrics to improve transparency and accountability of the permitting process, reduce uncertainty and delays, and reduce costs and risks to taxpayers. Modifies provisions and adds requirements concerning the provision of information and the expediting of permit reviews. Provides for the creation of an Interagency Permitting Advisory Committee. Provides additional requirements concerning the permitting process under the Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes.

Amends the Election Code and the School Code. Provides for 5 new members of the State Board of Education to be elected at the general election in 2024 and every 4 years thereafter (now, the Board consists of 8 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate). Provides that one member shall be elected from each judicial district. Provides that the 5 members shall be elected on a non partisan basis. Provides that a petition for nomination of a candidate for member of the Board shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the total number of registered voters in the judicial district. Provides that beginning on the date when the 5 members initially elected take office, a majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Makes related changes.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the appointing authorities shall (rather than may) appoint both members of the General Assembly and members of the general public to the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides open meetings requirements for the Commission. Provides that the 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 requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena is void. Provides that the Legislative Inspector General may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas without the advance approval of the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides that a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Commission must be filed within 12 months after the Legislative Inspector General's initiation of an investigation (currently, 12 months after receipt of the allegation of the violation or 18 months after the most recent act of the alleged violation or series of violations). Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall make available to the public any summary report in which a subject of the report is a current or former member of the General Assembly, and the Legislative Inspector General found that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred. Requires that publicly available summary reports be posted on the websites of the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Legislative Inspector General.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the cents per gallon rate established by the Department of Revenue for the prepayment of tax by motor fuel retailers may not exceed $0.18 per gallon for motor fuel and 80% of that amount for gasohol and biodiesel blends. Provides that the rate of tax imposed under the Acts for motor fuel, gasohol, majority blended ethanol fuel, and biodiesel and biodiesel blends may not exceed that prepayment amount set by the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of the Code to the contrary, the denial of bail or pretrial release is required if the person is a felon who is charged with a firearm offense.

Amends the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may issue a certificate of verification for the credit even if the Taxpayer does not meet certain payroll and capital expenditure requirements if that failure is due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amends the Corporate Accountability for Tax Expenditures Act. Provides that credits awarded under the Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credit program shall not be revoked or suspended as a result of the recipient's failure to meet requirements for new or retained employees if that failure is due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Provides that, to avoid revocation or suspension of credits under the provisions of the bill, the Taxpayer shall also maintain job creation and retention at the level of 85% of the Agreement requirements. Provides that the taxpayer must show a direct and substantial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (in the introduced bill, a financial hardship). Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a county with a population of less than 3,000,000 does not have to comply with the changes made by Public Act 100-1 (the Bail Reform Act of 2017) and the pretrial release provisions of Public Acts 101-652 and 102-28 if the county board adopts a resolution for that purpose on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.