Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to annually confer with the Illinois Community College Board to: (i) identify industries and occupations within this State that face workforce shortages; (ii) notify school districts of these identified industries and occupations; and (iii) approve industry-recognized certification programs designed to mitigate workforce shortages. Provides that beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the State Board of Education shall annually award incentive grants to school districts for each pupil in the school district who obtained a diploma if the school district has an industry-recognized certification program and the pupil successfully completed the program. Further provides that if the funds appropriated in any fiscal year are insufficient to pay the full amount of the incentive grant, the State Board of Education shall prorate the amount of its payments among school districts eligible for an incentive grant. Effective July 1, 2015.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction in an amount equal to the difference between the total amount of interest paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year on any qualified education loan and the amount of the deduction claimed by the taxpayer under a provision of the Internal Revenue Code for the same loan. Provides that the deduction is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.
Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2014, child-sized and adult diapers are exempt from taxation under the Acts. Excludes that exemption from the Acts' automatic sunset provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Personnel Code, Children and Family Services Act, Illinois Youthbuild Act, Illinois Guaranteed Job Opportunity Act, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act, Interagency Coordinating Council Act, School Code, Adult Education Act, various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois, Public Community College Act, Higher Education Student Assistance Act, Illinois Insurance Code, Pharmacy Practice Act, Structural Pest Control Act, Illinois Public Aid Code, Firearm Concealed Carry Act, Illinois Vehicle Code, and Unified Code of Corrections. Changes references relating to General Educational Development (GED) testing and certificates to high school equivalency testing and certificates. Makes technical corrections.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that, for periods beginning on and after June 1, 2014, the Agency's procurement plans shall include procurement of renewable energy credits in amounts projected to be sufficient to meet certain renewable energy resources portfolio standards. Requires the Agency to use the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund, until depleted, to procure renewable energy credits for specified purposes, and terminates the Fund upon depletion of all its funds. Provides that the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall develop procurement plans and conduct competitive procurement processes for the procurement of renewable energy credits with respect to the kilowatthour usage of delivery services non-eligible retail customers in such electric utilities' service areas. Makes changes with regard to the renewable portfolio standard. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that charges for delivery services shall also include the recovery of the electric utility's costs of renewable energy credits and excluded renewable energy resources contract costs. Requires certain electric utilities to procure renewable energy credits with respect to the kilowatthour usage of delivery services non-eligible retail customers in the electric utility's service area. Provides that the obligations of alternative retail electric suppliers and electric utilities operating outside their service territories to procure renewable energy resources, make alternative compliance payments, and file annual reports, and the obligations of the Commission to determine and post alternative compliance payment rates, shall terminate effective May 31, 2014. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Creates the University Faculty and Professional Staff Recruiting and Retention Task Force to study the impact of Tier 2 pension benefits on the ability of institutions of higher education to recruit and retain university faculty and professional staff to our institutions of higher education.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education to create a pilot program called Pay Forward, Pay Back to replace the current system of charging students tuition and fees for enrollment at public institutions of higher education. Requires the Board to identify one or more public institutions of higher education to participate in the pilot program. Provides that the pilot program shall (1) allow students to enroll in an institution without paying tuition or fees; (2) provide that, in lieu of paying tuition or fees, students must sign binding contracts to pay to the State of Illinois or the institution a certain percentage of the student's annual adjusted gross income upon graduation from the institution for a specified number of years; (3) specify the number of years and the percentage of annual adjusted gross income for contracts at each participating institution and base the specifications on research to date; and (4) establish an immediate funding source for the first 15 to 20 years of the pilot program and include the establishment of a revolving fund to deposit payments made under the pilot program. Allows the pilot program to vary by institution depending on certain factors and requires the Board to submit reports to the General Assembly.
Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning employee benefits.
Creates the Emerging Technology Industries Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and maintain a program to award grants to emerging technology enterprises in the State. Sets forth eligibility requirements and funding priorities for awarding the grants, and sets forth procedures for awarding the grants. Requires written contracts in which the emerging technology enterprise guarantees that it will perform the actions expected to be performed. Sets dollar limits on matching funds for federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants and total grant matching funds per year. Limits total credits to $15,000,000 in any one State fiscal year. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Emerging Technology Grant Fund. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for qualified investors who make an investment in an emerging technology enterprise in the State. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity must certify the amount of the credit and sets forth the procedures for the application and certification of the credit. Sets forth provisions for the revocation and recapture of the tax credit. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, the credit allowed for increasing research activities in the State shall be in an amount equal to 10% (now, 6 1/2%) of qualifying expenditures. Deletes language providing that the credit shall be allowed only for taxable years ending prior to January 1, 2016. Provides that, if the amount of the credit exceeds the income tax liability for the applicable tax year, then the excess credit shall be refunded to the taxpayer. Provides that, in place of the credit for increasing research activities, a taxpayer may elect to claim a credit in an amount equal to 20% of the amount of the federal research credit allowed to the taxpayer for the taxable year multiplied by the State's apportioned share of the qualifying expenditures for increasing research activities for the taxable year. Effective immediately.