Sen. Scott M. Bennett

Mourns the death of Gordon Lee Barry of Urbana.

Mourns the death of Leroy O. Hensley of Gifford.

Mourns the death of Harriet McLaughlin Rose of Mahomet.

Mourns the death of Winton Udell Solberg.

Creates the Illinois Student Loan Investment Act. Provides for the establishment, operation, and administration of the Student Investment Account by the State Treasurer. Provides that the State Treasurer shall establish fees to cover the costs of administration, recordkeeping, marketing, and investment management related to the Student Investment Account. Provides that the State Treasurer may charge and collect insurance premiums and deduct wages under the Act. Requires the State Treasurer to develop, publish, and implement one or more investment policies covering the investment of moneys under the Act. Provides for the creation and use of specified Funds to be held outside of the State Treasury with the State Treasurer as custodian. Provides for the adoption of rules. Amends the Deposit of State Moneys Act. Allows the State Treasurer to invest or reinvest State money in, among other items or purposes, investments made in accordance with the Student Loan Investment Act. Amends the Student Loan Servicing Rights Act. Provides that the term "student loan servicer" shall not include, among other entities, the State Treasurer and its agents when the agents are acting on the State Treasurer's behalf. Defines terms. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Creates the Student Investment Account Act (currently, the Student Loan Investment Act). Adds a provision concerning the use of earnings from the Student Investment Account. Modifies provisions concerning the establishment, operation, and administration of the Student Investment Account by the State Treasurer, and adds requirements concerning income share agreements and income share agreement providers. Allows the State Treasurer to enter into income share agreements with participants (currently, borrowers) and to facilitate such arrangements between participants and eligible income share agreement providers (currently, lenders). Provides that the State Treasurer or his or her designee (currently, only State Treasurer) may charge and collect insurance premiums under the Act. Provides for the creation and use of specified Funds as non-appropriated separate and apart trust funds in the State Treasury (currently, Funds to be held outside of the State Treasury with the State Treasurer as custodian). Amends the Student Loan Servicing Rights Act. Provides that the term "student loan servicer" does not include, among other entities, the State Treasurer (currently, the State Treasurer and its agents when the agents are acting on the State Treasurer's behalf). Modifies and defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that "student loan servicer" or "servicer" includes persons or entities acting on behalf of the State Treasurer. Modifies findings and purpose provisions.

Amends the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act. Provides that the purposes of soil and water conservation districts include the conservation of soil health, organic matter in soil and plants, and water quality (rather than just water); and the improvement of resilience to droughts, floods, and other extreme weather. Defines "soil health". Allows districts to initiate and conduct specified activities regarding improvement of soil health, including surveys, investigations, research, development of comprehensive plans, entering into agreements with or cooperating with other entities, and making agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment available to landowners or occupiers within the district. Makes other changes.

Creates the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act. Defines terms. Provides for: applicability; relation to other law; service; notice by posting; commissioners; determination of value; cotenant buyout; partition alternatives; considerations for partition in kind; open-market sale, sealed bids, or auction; and report of open-market sale. Makes conforming changes in the Code of Civil Procedure. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: Changes the definition of "heirs property" and "partition by sale". Defines "fair market value". Provides that if the court determines that the evidentiary value of an appraisal is outweighed by the cost of the appraisal, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to the parties of the fair market value of the property. Provides that if an appraisal is conducted, not later than 10 days after the appraisal is filed, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to each party with a known address. Provides that after a hearing to determine the fair market value of the property, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice to all of the parties of the value and a cotenant's buyout rights (rather than the court shall send notice to the parties of the value). Provides that after the determination of the value, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to the parties that any cotenant may buy all the interests of the cotenants that requested partition by sale. Provides that after the expiration period, if no cotenant elects to buy all the interests of the cotenants that requested partition by sale, the court shall order the plaintiff to send notice (rather than the court shall send notice) to all the parties of that fact and resolve the partition. Provides that cotenants must pay their apportioned price to the clerk of court or as otherwise ordered by the court (rather than into the court). Provides that if one or more, but not all, of the electing cotenants fail to pay their apportioned price on time, the court shall order the plaintiff to give notice (rather than the court shall give notice) to the electing cotenants that paid their apportioned price of the interest remaining and the price for all that interest. Provides that the court, in determining whether partition in kind would result in manifest prejudice to the cotenants as a group, shall consider the tax consequences. Provides that if the court orders partition in kind, the court shall allocate to the cotenants that are unknown, unlocatable, or the subject of a default judgment, if their interests were not brought, a party of the property representing the combined interests of those cotenants as determined by the court. Provides that the court shall apportion the costs of the proceedings for the partition of heirs property among the parties in interest in the action, as the court deems just and equitable. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: New Act 735 ILCS 5/17-101 from Ch. 110, par. 17-101 735 ILCS 5/17-102 from Ch. 110, par. 17-102 735 ILCS 5/17-105 from Ch. 110, par. 17-105 735 ILCS 5/17-106 from Ch. 110, par. 17-106 Adds reference to: 775 ILCS 5/3-102.5 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to refuse to, due to the fact of an arrest, juvenile record, or criminal history record information ordered expunged, sealed, or impounded: sell or rent or otherwise make unavailable or deny a housing accommodation or dwelling to any buyer or renter; or alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale or rental of a housing accommodation or dwelling or the provision of services or facilities in connection with such housing accommodation. Provides that the prohibition against the use of an arrest record shall not preclude an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction from prohibiting the tenant, a member of the tenant's household, or a guest of the tenant from engaging in unlawful activity on the premises. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adds reference to: 775 ILCS 5/1-103 from Ch. 68, par. 1-103 775 ILCS 5/2-103 from Ch. 68, par. 2-103 775 ILCS 5/3-102 from Ch. 68, par. 3-102 775 ILCS 5/3-106 from Ch. 68, par. 3-106 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, because of an arrest record to: refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person or to discriminate in making available such a transaction; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith; refuse to receive or to fail to transmit a bona fide offer to engage in a real estate transaction from a person; refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction with a person; represent a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or fail to bring a property listing to his or her attention, or to refuse to permit him or her to inspect real property; make, print, circulate, post, mail, publish, or cause to made, printed, circulated, posted, mailed, or published, any notice, statement, advertisement, or sign, or use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record or inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on an arrest record, or any intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination; or offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with knowledge that unlawful discrimination or discrimination on the basis of an arrest record in a real estate transaction is intended. Provides that the prohibition against the use of an arrest record shall not preclude an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction from prohibiting the tenant, a member of the tenant's household, or a guest of the tenant from engaging in unlawful activity on the premises. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2020.

Amends the Attorney General Act. Creates the Worker Protection Unit within the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to intervene in, initiate, enforce, and defend all criminal or civil legal proceedings on matters and violations relating to specified statutes. Provides further powers and requirements of the Attorney General in the Worker Protection Unit. Creates the Worker Protection Task Force. Provides for the purposes and composition of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding its progress no later than December 1, 2020. Repeals the Task Force December 1, 2021. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with additions and changes. Modifies provisions concerning the Worker Protection Unit. Specifies that the Unit shall be dedicated to combating businesses that underpay their employees, force their employees to work in unsafe conditions, and gain an unfair economic advantage by avoiding their tax and labor responsibilities. Specifies that the Unit shall have the power and duty to intervene in, initiate, and enforce all legal proceedings on matters related to the payment of wages, the safety of the workplace, and fair employment practices. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General may use information obtained by the Worker Protection Unit for law enforcement purposes only. Modifies provisions concerning the Worker Protection Unit Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be coordinated by the Office of the Attorney General to promote a statewide outreach and enforcement effort to target businesses that violate the State's worker protection laws (currently, to target Illinois' underground economy). Adds members to the Task Force. Makes other changes concerning the purposes and duties of the Unit and Task Force.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Codifies the findings and recommendations of the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force established under P.A. 100-0403. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall identify unlined, thinly covered legacy landfills for inspection and study the landfills after prioritizing them based on potential hazards to surface water and groundwater resources. Prescribes required qualifications for Agency inspectors designated to identify and inspect legacy landfills. Provides that the Agency shall collect and archive information about landfills for present and long-term use, including manifests and engineering records. Provides that the Agency shall assemble location information about industries and companies that generate waste and that the resulting records should be available for use as confidential information by regulatory agencies but shall not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Amends the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Agency, in consultation and cooperation with the Illinois State Geological Survey and the Illinois State Water Survey, shall design and implement a Pilot Project at the Pekin Metro Landfill in Tazewell County, to be completed by December 31, 2020. Provides that the Pilot Program shall perform specified tasks. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of Senate Amendment No. 2, and makes the following changes: Provides that, when prioritizing the unregulated or underregulated landfills (currently, only landfills) that overlie the Mahomet Aquifer for inspection, the Agency shall consider the specified factors. Requires the Agency to identify unknown, unregulated, or underregulated (currently, unpermitted) waste disposal sites that overlie (currently, that are located within the boundaries of) the Mahomet Aquifer. Removes language requiring the Prairie Research Institute to offer specified training to instruct landfill instructors for the routine inspection and management of landfills. Removes language requiring the Prairie Research Institute to provide the Agency with updates on developments in specified technologies and systems. Requires the Agency to (i) archive information about landfills prioritized for response action following inspection and investigation, including their ownership, operational details, and waste disposal history, and (ii) assemble location information about industries and companies that generate waste. Removes language requiring the information to be available for use as confidential information but exempted from the Freedom of Information Act. Removes language requiring the Agency to utilize the information and data collected from the project to create best management practices for addressing other landfills throughout the State. Requires the Agency, following the completion of the pilot project response actions, to (i) evaluate the use of aerial photography and other remote sensing technologies to aid in the inspection and investigation of landfills; and (ii) identify additional procedures, requirements, or authorities that may be appropriate or necessary to address threats to human health and the environment from other unregulated or underregulated landfills throughout the State. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 415 ILCS 5/13.9 new Further amends the Environmental Protection Act to require the Prairie Research Institute to conduct a Mahomet Aquifer natural gas storage study using specified methods.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a Section concerning the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, provides that in all counties (now, in counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants), the county board may by resolution provide that if a person has been granted a senior citizens homestead exemption, the person qualifying need not reapply for the exemption. Provides that the county recorder of deeds shall alert the assessor whenever the transfer of ownership of any property receiving a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption has occurred. Provides that, if such a transfer occurs, the assessor shall remove the exemption and provide the new property owner with information concerning reapplication. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the county assessor shall exchange information with the county recorder of deeds or the county clerk (in the introduced bill, the county recorder of deeds only) for the purpose of alerting the assessor whenever the transfer of ownership of any property receiving a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption has occurred. Provides that changes in the introduced bill concerning reapplication for the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption apply for taxable year 2019 and thereafter. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 35 ILCS 200/15-170 Adds reference to: 35 ILCS 5/205 from Ch. 120, par. 2-205 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the calculation of base income for an organization that is exempt from the federal income tax by reason of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.