Sen. Kyle McCarter

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning charter schools.

Mourns the death of Tim Jansen of Bartelso.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that by passage of a resolution, the board of education of any school district may exempt all school construction projects undertaken in the district from the requirements of the Prevailing Wage Act. Defines "school construction project".

Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that each bill, including all amendments and conference committee reports to that bill, making appropriations from the General Revenue Fund must be filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as applicable, at least 7 calendar days before final legislative action by the General Assembly prior to presentation to the Governor. This restriction does not apply to amendments or conference committee reports that make only technical or non-substantive changes or to supplemental appropriations. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning charter schools.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution concerning the passage of revenue bills. A bill that would result in the increase of revenue may become law only with the concurrence of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly. Proposes to amend the Finance Article of the Illinois Constitution concerning the State budget. Provides that the rate of growth in total State expenditures in any fiscal year over the prior fiscal year is limited to: (i) the percentage increase in the annual rate of increase, for the previous calendar year, of the Consumer Price Index; plus (ii) the rate of increase in the State's population for the same 12-month period. Requires the State to maintain a reserve fund equal to 3% of the enacted budget for the prior fiscal year. Effective on being declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act.

Proposes to amend the Legislative Article of the Illinois Constitution concerning the passage of revenue bills. Provides that any bill resulting in the increase of revenue to the State may become law only by a vote of three-fifths of the members in each house of the General Assembly. Provides that each house of the General Assembly shall have a revenue committee. Provides that there shall be 25 members on the revenue committee in the House of Representatives. Provides that there shall be 13 members on the revenue committee in the Senate. Provides that revenue committee members may be removed from the committee only by a majority, recorded, roll call vote of all members of the committee's respective chamber. Provides that revenue committees may not vote upon a bill until a public hearing has been held. Effective on approval by the electors.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Defines "accident" and "injury." Provides that "injury" includes the aggravation of a pre-existing condition by an accident arising out of and in the course of the employment, but only for so long as the aggravation of the pre-existing condition continues to be the major contributing cause of the disability. Provides that an injury resulting directly or indirectly from idiopathic causes is not compensable. No longer allows an employee to choose in writing to decline their employer's preferred provider program. Makes changes concerning the determination of the level of permanent partial disability. Effective immediately.

Amends provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act concerning ineligibility for benefits after a discharge for misconduct. Provides that "misconduct" means the violation (rather than the deliberate and willful violation) of a reasonable rule or policy of the employing unit governing the individual's behavior in performance of his or her work, provided the violation has harmed the employing unit or other employees or has been repeated by the individual despite a warning or other instruction (rather than explicit instruction) from the employing unit.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that payments made pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement to an individual as vacation pay, vacation pay allowance, pay in lieu of vacation, or as standby pay during a period of shutdown for the taking of inventory or for vacation purposes shall be deemed "wages". Makes changes concerning what constitutes "disqualifying income".