Sen. Steve McClure

Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides that the State Comptroller is authorized during State fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to acquire real property located in the City of Springfield, which the State Comptroller deems necessary to properly carry out the powers and duties vested in him or her. Provides further powers and duties concerning the acquisition of such real property. Creates the Capital Facility and Technology Modernization Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides for the use of moneys in the Fund. Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, to the extent possible, any relocated State employment positions and offices shall be relocated to the City of Springfield, as the State capitol, and to downtown Springfield specifically. Authorizes the Department of Central Management Services to purchase real property in Springfield for relocation purposes. Amends the State Finance Act to provide for the Capital Facility and Technology Modernization Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code and the School Code. Provides for 5 new members of the State Board of Education to be elected at the general election in 2024 and every 4 years thereafter (now, the Board consists of 8 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate). Provides that one member shall be elected from each judicial district. Provides that the 5 members shall be elected on a non partisan basis. Provides that a petition for nomination of a candidate for member of the Board shall be signed by at least 0.5% of the total number of registered voters in the judicial district. Provides that beginning on the date when the 5 members initially elected take office, a majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Makes related changes.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the appointing authorities shall (rather than may) appoint both members of the General Assembly and members of the general public to the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides open meetings requirements for the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena. Provides that any existing rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before commencing any investigation or issuing a subpoena is void. Provides that the Legislative Inspector General may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas without the advance approval of the Legislative Ethics Commission. Provides that a complaint with the Legislative Ethics Commission must be filed within 12 months after the Legislative Inspector General's initiation of an investigation (currently, 12 months after receipt of the allegation of the violation or 18 months after the most recent act of the alleged violation or series of violations). Provides that the Legislative Ethics Commission shall make available to the public any summary report in which a subject of the report is a current or former member of the General Assembly, and the Legislative Inspector General found that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred. Requires that publicly available summary reports be posted on the websites of the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Legislative Inspector General.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, beginning 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the cents per gallon rate established by the Department of Revenue for the prepayment of tax by motor fuel retailers may not exceed $0.18 per gallon for motor fuel and 80% of that amount for gasohol and biodiesel blends. Provides that the rate of tax imposed under the Acts for motor fuel, gasohol, majority blended ethanol fuel, and biodiesel and biodiesel blends may not exceed that prepayment amount set by the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Directs the Auditor General to conduct an audit of Medicaid MCOs.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides for the transfer of day care center licensing, as well as part day child care facility licensing, from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Specifies that the Department of Children and Family Services shall continue to conduct examinations of day care centers but shall report the results of those examinations to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for licensing purposes. Makes other corresponding changes.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the credit for for residential real property taxes from 5% to 10% of real property taxes paid by the taxpayer for tax years ending on or after December 31, 2022. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the Code does not apply to the leasing of State-owned facilities by a wireless carrier. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates credit for the cost of equipment and materials used in the business of providing broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people. Provides that the credit does not apply to equipment and materials placed in service after December 31, 2026. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to exempt equipment and materials used to provide broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person also commits aggravated battery when, in committing a battery, other than by the discharge of a firearm, he or she: (1) knowingly causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual whom the person knows to be a Department of Children and Family Services employee; and (2) is, at the time of the commission of the offense, 21 years of age or older and causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual whom the person knows to be a Department of Children and Family Services employee: (i) performing his or her official duties; (ii) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or (iii) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties. Provides that "Department of Children and Family Services employee" includes any Department employee or a worker, case worker, or investigator employed by an agency or organization providing social work, case work, or investigative services under a contract with or a grant from the Department of Children and Family Services. Provides that a violation is a Class 2 felony. Provides that if the battery causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to the employee, the penalty is a Class 1 felony. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes a redundant reference to a Department of Children and Family Services employee in the elements of the offense of aggravated battery. In the definition of "Department of Children and Family Services employee", deletes "employee or a worker". Deletes the effective date Section.