Sen. Jil Tracy

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that through June 30, 2023 (instead of June 30, 2021), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2026. Removes language requiring a school to advertise its vacancies in the subject shortage area in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the school is located. Provides that certain requirements related to advertising the vacancy in the subject shortage area and searching for teachers legally qualified to fill those vacancies through the Illinois Education Job Bank shall not apply to a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of illness, injury, or disability after being hired by a school district. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. In the provision defining "eligible employment" for the purpose of allowing a teacher to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing his or her retirement status or retirement annuity, changes the ending date of the employment from no later than June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2024 (rather than June 30, 2026). Provides that before hiring a teacher under the provisions, the school district must post all vacancies on the school district's website and list the vacancy in an online job portal or database. Provides that a school district replacing a teacher who is unable to continue employment with the school district because of documented illness, injury, or disability that occurred after being hired by a school district shall be exempt from the job-posting requirements for 90 school days. Requires the school district to comply with the job-posting requirements on an ongoing basis. Effective immediately.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. With respect to the high school coursework that a person must satisfactorily complete for university admission, adds agricultural sciences as a course option for the science category and agricultural education as a course option for the electives category. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but changes references from vocational education to career and technical education.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the first Saturday in May of each year is designated as Veterans Gardening Day to be observed throughout the State as a day set apart in the honor and remembrance of veterans and as celebrated with appropriate activities.

Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that parents or guardians must receive prior notice of a law enforcement drill not less than 5 days prior to the drill. Provides that a law enforcement drill (i) must not include simulations that mimic an actual school shooting incident or active shooter event, (ii) must be announced in advance to all school personnel and students prior to the commencement of the drill, (iii) must include content that is age appropriate and developmentally appropriate, (iv) must include and involve school personnel, including school-based mental health professionals, and (v) must include trauma-informed approaches to address the concerns and well-being of students and school personnel. Requires a school district to include in its annual review of each school building's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures an examination of the efficacy and effects of law enforcement drills. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Changes certain references relating to law enforcement drills to law enforcement lockdown drills. Removes the requirement that parents or guardians must receive prior notice of a law enforcement drill not less than 5 days prior to the drill. Provides that (i) school administrators and school support personnel may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill; (ii) schools must provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any walk-through lockdown drill that involves the participation of students and must also provide to parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in the walk-through lockdown drill; (iii) schools must provide alternative safety education and instruction related to an active threat or active shooter event to students who do not participate in a walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential information, training, and instruction through less sensorial safety training methods; (iv) during a drill, students must be allowed to ask questions related to the drill; and (v) law enforcement may choose to run an active shooter simulation, but only on school days when students are not present, and parental notification is not required if students are not required to be present. Corrects a typographical error.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that "public body" includes the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Provides that all records relating to the obligation, receipt, and use of public funds of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County are public records subject to inspection and copying by the public. Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Provides that records kept by the clerks of the circuit courts are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that specified unpaid assessments under the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act shall not be included in an agreement between the clerk of the circuit court and the Department of Revenue to establish a program for the purposes of collecting certain balances owed. Provides that the clerk of the court shall (rather than may) accept credit card payments over the Internet for fines, penalties, court costs, or costs from offenders on voluntary electronic pleas of guilty in minor traffic and conservation offenses to satisfy the requirement of written pleas of guilty. Amends the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act. Provides that one hour of public or community service shall be equivalent to $10 (rather than $4) of assessment. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 140/2 from Ch. 116, par. 202 5 ILCS 140/2.5 705 ILCS 105/16 from Ch. 25, par. 16 705 ILCS 105/27.2b Adds reference to: 50 ILCS 205/3a from Ch. 116, par. 43.103a Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Local Records Act. Provides that reports and records of the obligation, receipt, and use of public funds of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County are public records available for inspection by the public. Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Provides that the clerk of the court shall (rather than may) accept credit card payments over the Internet for specified payments. Amends the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act. Provides that one hour of public or community service shall be equivalent to $10 (rather than $4) of assessment. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill, and further amends the Clerks of Courts Act to allow the clerk of court to accept payment of fines, penalties, or costs by certified check. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 705 ILCS 135/5-20 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill, and makes the following changes: Further amends the Clerks of Courts Act to allow the clerk of court to accept payment of fines, penalties, or costs by certified check. Removes the changes to the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 120 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 625 ILCS 5/1-216.5 new 625 ILCS 5/3-819 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-819 625 ILCS 5/3-821 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-821 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2022, the term "selling price" no longer includes the value of traded-in motor vehicles. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "utility trailer". Provides for a flat weight trailer tax of $36 for utility trailers. Decreases the flat weight tax for Class TA trailers from $118 to $36. Increases the certificate of title fee for vehicles other than all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, motor homes, mini motor homes, and van campers from $150 to $155 and provides that the additional fee amount shall be deposited into the Road Fund. In a Section concerning the use tax on motor vehicles, makes changes concerning the amount of the tax. Effective January 1, 2022. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Removes language including only trailers weighing between 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds within the TA trailer class, and restores language including all trailers weighing 3,000 pounds and less within the TA trailer class.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall evaluate eligibility of special districts for State and federal programs, grants, and subsidies based on eligibility requirements set forth in their statutory charters. Amends the Kaskaskia Regional Port District Act. Provides that the Port District has power to apply for and accept grants, loans, or appropriations from the federal and State government (currently, only federal government) or any agency or instrumentality thereof, to be used for any of the purposes of the District and to enter into agreements with the federal and State government (currently, only federal government) in relation to such grants, loans or appropriations.

Amends the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. Provides that if a public higher education institution issues student identification cards to its students, the institution must provide contact information for certain suicide prevention and mental health resources on each student identification card. Provides that if an institution does not issue student identification cards to its students, the institution must publish the contact information on its website. Effective July 1, 2022. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Requires the contact information to be provided on each student identification card issued by the public college or university after the effective date of the amendatory Act (rather than requiring the contact information to be provided on each student identification card issued by the public college or university).

Amends the Radon Industry Licensing Act. Provides that all electronic radon detection devices sold in this State to individuals licensed in accordance with the Act (currently, those sold to anyone) must be calibrated to ensure the accuracy and precision of their measurements of radon and radon progeny. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Radon Industry Licensing Act. Provides that no person shall sell a device in this State to a radon contractor for use in licensed activities (rather than sell a device in this State) to detect the presence of radon or radon progeny in the indoor atmosphere without prior approval of the device from the Environmental Protection Agency. Provides that all electronic radon detection devices sold to radon contractors for use in a licensed activity (rather than all electronic radon detection devices sold) in this State must be calibrated to ensure the accuracy and precision of their measurements of radon and radon progeny. Effective immediately.