Sen. Scott M. Bennett

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an Illinois Veteran grant may be transferred to a qualified dependent beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year if, among other requirements, the qualified dependent's spouse or parent has served at least 8 years combined of federal active duty service or Reserve or Individual Ready Reserve Service. Effective July 1, 2020.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Removes the age limitation for coverage in provisions concerning coverage for epinephrine injectors. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following change. Provides that group or individual policies of accident and health insurance or managed care plans amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021 (rather than January 1, 2020) shall provide coverage for medically necessary epinephrine injectors. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, in addition to other penalties imposed for a violation of provisions concerning operation of a vehicle while approaching an authorized emergency vehicle, the court may order a person to perform community service as determined by the court.

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, 2021.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that no fee shall be required if the records sought to be expunged or sealed were arrests resulting in release without charging or arrests or charges not initiated by arrest resulting in acquittal, dismissal, or conviction when the conviction was reversed or vacated, except for the expungement or sealing of certain records of minor traffic violations. Eliminates the county fee waiver pilot program that was only applicable in counties of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants that was set to expire on January 1, 2021.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that no person who has served as a statewide elected official, the executive or administrative head of a State agency, the deputy executive or administrative head of a State agency, or a member of the General Assembly shall, within 2 years after the termination of service or employment, become a lobbyist. Defines "lobbyist".

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall create and maintain an online database and resource page on its website. Provides that the database and resource page shall contain mental health resources specifically geared toward first responders with the goal of connecting those persons with mental health resources related to crisis services, wellness, trauma information, nutrition, stress reduction, anxiety, depression, violence prevention, suicide prevention, and substance use and of encouraging information sharing among families of first responders, first responder organizations, first responder professional organizations, and first responders. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for the 2015 taxable year and thereafter, the exemption for veterans with disabilities also carries over to the surviving spouse of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty in the current taxable year or any preceding taxable year. Provides that, for the 2019 taxable year and thereafter, the exemption for veterans with disabilities also carries over to (i) the surviving spouse of a veteran who did not obtain the exemption before death, but who would have qualified for the exemption in the current taxable year if he or she had survived and (ii) the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was determined to be service-connected and who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being a current recipient of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Provides that, in the case of a surviving spouse who is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being a current recipient of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, the property is exempt. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Permits offenders subject to the truth in sentencing provisions of the Code to earn sentence credit for good conduct in specific instances as the Director of Corrections deems proper. Permits offenders subject to the truth in sentencing provisions of the Code to earn sentence credit for educational, vocational, substance abuse, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, re-entry planning, and correctional industry programs. Provides that sentence credit earned shall not reduce the sentence of the prisoner to less than: (1) 75% (rather than 85%) of his or her sentence if the prisoner is required to serve 85% of his or her sentence; and (2) 90% of his or her sentence if the prisoner is required to serve 100% of his or her sentence. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Lowers the flat weight tax for Class C and D vehicles; Class VF farm trucks. Lowers the mileage weight tax for Class MD, ME, MF, and MG vehicles. Lowers the trailer flat weight tax for Class VDD, VDE, and VDG farm trailers. Lowers the flat weight trailer tax of Class TA, TB, TC, TD, and TE trailers.