Sen. Christopher Belt

Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act to restore protections for wetlands and small streams that were formerly protected from pollution and destruction by the Clean Water Act. Includes provisions concerning: exemptions; wetlands delineation, classification, notification, permits and veto; general permits; appeal of final decisions made by the Department of Natural Resources and judicial review; investigation and enforcement; and county authority. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Advisory Committee and establishes duties and rules for the Committee. Creates the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Fund. Provides for permit review fees. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the evidence-based funding provisions of the School Code. Provides that the Minimum Funding Level is equal to $550,000,000 (instead of $350,000,000). Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program. Provides that any money appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for scholarship awards for a particular academic year that remains unused at the end of that academic year shall be deposited into the Student Teaching Fund. Requires the Commission to establish and administer a student teaching stipend program in which the Commission receives and considers applications for a stipend from scholarship recipients who are student teaching. Subject to appropriation from the Student Teaching Fund, provides that the Commission shall select stipend recipients from among applicants who are in financial need. Provides that the amount and payment of any stipend shall be determined by the Commission, and provides for rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Student Teaching Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Removes the repeal date for the short-term substitute teacher training program. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning short-term substitute teacher licenses, removes the June 30, 2023 expiration date for issuing short-term substitute teacher licenses. Removes the licensing fees for short-term substitute teacher, substitute teaching, and professional teaching licenses.

Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act. Creates the Youth Nonviolent Crimes Resource Program. Provides that the Criminal Justice Information Authority shall provide resources to people under the age of 18 who have committed a nonviolent crime. Provides that these resources shall include youth employment initiatives throughout the State, access to educational resources in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education, and parental mentorship training conducted by the Department of Human Services. Provides that the Authority shall develop a mentorship initiative for youth that have been convicted of a nonviolent crime. Provides that the Authority may establish a grant program for non-profit organizations. Provides that the Authority shall publish this program on its website by no later than January 1, 2024. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that, for a group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State after the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a covered individual obtains, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a recommendation approving the covered individual to seek in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer based on any of the following: the covered individual's medical, sexual, and reproductive history; the covered individual's age; physical findings; or diagnostic testing, then the procedure shall be covered without any other restrictions or requirements.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for a person who is a resident of a supportive living facility, the State shall pay an amount in addition to the minimum monthly personal needs allowance authorized under the Social Security Act so that the person's total monthly personal needs allowance from both the State and federal sources equals $120.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the issuance of a Montessori educator license to qualified individuals to teach using the Montessori method in public school programs that use the Montessori method as the primary method of instruction. Sets forth the requirements that an individual must satisfy to be issued a Montessori educator license, which include requiring the applicant to have (i) graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor's degree, (ii) a Montessori certificate or credential issued by an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, by the American Montessori Society, or by the Association Montessori Internationale, and (iii) successfully completed required testing. Makes related changes to provisions concerning educator testing and fees.

Creates the Safety Moratorium on Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Act. Establishes a temporary statewide moratorium on construction of carbon dioxide pipelines until certain studies at the federal and State levels are conducted. Details requirements for the State study regarding the safety of carbon dioxide pipelines, which include receiving input from first responders, analyzing pipeline ruptures or leaks in a variety of settings, and recommending setbacks and funding based on that analysis. Provides that pending applications for carbon dioxide pipelines shall be held in abeyance. Provides for expiration of the temporary moratorium after any of the following: 4 years; when new safety standards pursuant to required studies are established; or upon adoption of certain Illinois legislation, including setbacks for safe evacuation, specifications limiting eminent domain, funding for first responders, funding for required actions at carbon sequestration sites, expanded monitoring at carbon sequestration sites, specification for long-term liability in the event of a disaster, a ban on the use of captured carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery, emissions limits for air pollutants, requirements regarding greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis with prohibitions on carbon capture unless certain showings are made, a mandate that alternatives to capture be evaluated, public participation opportunities, and additional protections, including a prohibition related to protecting "sole source" aquifers designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Defines terms. Makes findings. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that the Department of Transportation or any county may, as a part of the cost of construction, make a payment not to exceed the maximum funding permitted under the Uniform Relocation Assistance Program (rather than $22,500) to any displaced person who is displaced from a dwelling acquired for a State highway or federal aid highway project actually owned and occupied by such displaced person for not less than 180 days prior to the initiation of negotiations for the acquisition of such property.