Sen. Tom Bennett

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that law enforcement officers, in an effort to assist the Department of Children and Family Services in child protective investigations in its response to reports of child abuse or neglect, must, upon request of a child protection investigator, accompany the child protection investigator. Provides that it is the responsibility of the accompanying officer to accompany the child protection investigator to any other police jurisdiction that is outside the accompanying officer's primary jurisdiction. Amends the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Counties Code, and the Illinois Municipal Code making conforming changes.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Makes changes to provisions concerning the licensure powers of the State Board of Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (including adding 2 members), types of licenses (including removing and adding certain endorsements on an educator license with stipulations), endorsements on professional educator licenses, educator testing, the minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries, application fees, license renewal, the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers, alternative route to superintendent endorsement programs, and the approval of educator preparation institutions. Effective July 1, 2018.

Amends the Wind Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Provides that the Act may be cited as the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Changes references in the Act from "commercial wind energy facility" to "commercial renewable energy facility". Provides that "commercial renewable energy facility" means a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility. Defines "commercial solar energy facility". Provides that for commercial renewable energy facility owners of a commercial solar energy facility, the agricultural impact mitigation agreement shall be entered into prior to the commercial renewable energy facility owner making contact with a landowner seeking an underlying agreement for the development of a commercial solar energy facility. Makes conforming changes in the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Effective immediately.

Designates the overpass at 200 North Road crossing I-57 South of Paxton as the "McCarter-Caisse-Vice-Hale Memorial Overpass".

Designates March of 2018 as "Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois.

Recognizes Paul Ritter's important efforts to restore the population of the alligator snapping turtle back to healthy levels in Illinois.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that endangering the life or health of a child that is a proximate cause of bodily harm to the child is a Class 4 felony (rather than a Class A misdemeanor).

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if the defendant was in the custody of the Department of Corrections at the time of the commission of the offense, each sentence for an offense committed while the defendant was in custody of the Department of Corrections (rather than the sentence) shall be served consecutive to the sentence under which the defendant is held for an offense committed before the defendant was held in custody of (rather than by) the Department of Corrections. Provides that if a person charged with a felony commits a separate felony while on pretrial release or in pretrial detention in a county jail facility or county detention facility, then each sentence (rather than the sentences) imposed upon conviction of these felonies shall be served consecutively regardless of the order in which the judgments of conviction are entered.

Congratulates Samantha Hasselbring on being crowned the 2018 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen.

Amends the School Code. With respect to the requirement that a student teacher authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check prior to the commencement of any student teaching experience or required internship, provides for the authorization to be made to and the student teacher's information to be submitted by the educator preparation institution at which the student teacher is enrolled (instead of the school district or non-public school where the student teaching is to be completed). Makes related changes.