Sen. Kyle McCarter

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.

Makes application to Congress for the calling of a convention for proposing amendments to the United States Constitution.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that, with respect to any benefit year beginning on or after January 1, 2015, to be monetarily eligible for any benefits, a worker must have been paid wages of $4,290 or more in his or her base period by employers subject to the Unemployment Insurance Act and at least $2,145 of these wages must have been paid to him or her outside the calendar quarter in which he or she was paid the highest amount of wages.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that an individual shall be ineligible for benefits for any week in a benefit year which begins on or after January 1, 2016, unless, subsequent to the beginning of his or her immediately preceding benefit year with respect to which benefits were paid to him or her, he or she was reemployed and had earnings equal to or in excess of his or her current weekly benefit amount in each of 4 calendar weeks that are either for services in employment, or have been or will be reported pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act by each employing unit for which such services are performed and that submits a statement certifying to that fact.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that an individual that, for the purpose of obtaining benefits, knowingly makes a false statement or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact commits unemployment insurance fraud. Requires a statement on the Department of Employment Security's website and on specified forms stating that it is a crime to knowingly provide false, incomplete, or misleading information to any party to an unemployment security benefits transaction for the purpose of committing fraud and outlines possible penalties. Provides that an employer or other person that law enforcement or the Department of Employment Security requests information from regarding unemployment insurance fraud shall take all reasonable actions to promptly provide the information requested and shall disclose information when he or she has a reasonable belief of a specified violation.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the purpose of the "Medicaid" Article.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that as a condition of initial eligibility for medical assistance benefits provided under the State's Medical Assistance program or, subject to federal approval, benefits provided under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an applicant must pass a drug screening. Provides that as a condition of continued eligibility for such benefits, a recipient must pass random drug screenings as prescribed by the Department of Human Services. Requires the Department to adopt rules requiring applicants for TANF benefits or SNAP benefits to actively seek work in order to qualify for such benefits. Provides that the rules adopted by the Department shall be in compliance with those rules under the Unemployment Insurance Act and adopted by the Department of Employment Security requiring unemployed individuals to actively seek employment in order to qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. Requires the Department to adopt rules that allow recipients of TANF benefits or SNAP benefits to experience a gradual reduction in benefits as earnings increase. Increases the penalties for using another person's cash assistance benefits or SNAP benefits. Contains provisions requiring photo identification when using a LINK card to obtain SNAP benefits or cash. Provides that no recipient of TANF benefits shall use his or her benefits to purchase lottery tickets or to patronize any casino or licensed establishment that operates video gaming terminals for the purpose of engaging in gambling or video gaming activities.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Replaces the requirement that a controlled substance analog must be intended for human consumption, with the requirement that the analog is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or, if approved, it is not dispensed or possessed in accordance with State and federal law. Defines "controlled substance" to include a synthetic drug enumerated as a scheduled drug under the Act. Adds chemical structural classes of synthetic cannabinoids, piperazines, and cathinones to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Includes certain substances approved by the FDA which are not dispensed or possessed in accordance with State or federal law and certain modified substances.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is unlawful for any officer or employee of the State, or any political subdivision, or any federal firearms dealer licensed under 18 U.S.C. 923 to enforce any act, law, statute, rule, or regulation of the federal government relating to a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition that is owned or manufactured commercially or privately in the State and that remains exclusively within the boundaries of the State. Provides that any official, agent, or employee of the federal government who enforces any act, order, law, statute, rule, or regulation of the federal government upon a personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is owned or manufactured commercially or privately in the State and that remains exclusively within the borders of the State is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Provides that any federal law, rule, regulation, or order created or effective on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act is unenforceable in the State if the law, rule, regulation, or order attempts to: (1) ban or restrict ownership of a semi-automatic firearm or any magazine of a firearm; or (2) require any firearm, magazine, or other firearm accessory to be registered in any manner. Effective immediately.

Urges the General Assembly to adopt an independent redistricting commission process for the redistricting of federal congressional districts in this State, if Illinois voters adopt the Independent Redistricting Commission constitutional amendment.