Sen. Christopher Belt

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Mourns the passing of Saundra Reveille (Witherspoon) Rule.

Urges the Administration of President Biden to publish and certify without delay the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Urges Congress to pass a joint resolution affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the Twenty-Eighth Amendment. Calls on other states to join in this action by passing the same or similar resolutions.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Adds to the definition of "brownfield site photovoltaic project", photovoltaics that meet the criteria that the project is interconnected to an electric utility, a municipal utility, a public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Act, or an electric cooperative as defined in the Public Utilities Act and is located on any part of the site, and within the property boundaries, of a coal-fueled electric generating plant in this State that was retired as of January 1, 2023, or that the generating plant owner commits to retire prior to the commercial operation date of the project. In provisions concerning renewable energy credits from new projects in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall procure 55% from photovoltaic projects where at least 44% (rather than 47%) are from utility-scale solar projects and at least 3% are from projects that meet specified criteria. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $29.64 beginning July 1, 2023 to sustain a minimum wage of $18 per hour for direct service workers. Requires rates in subsequent State fiscal years to be no lower than the rates in effect on July 1, 2023. Requires providers of in-home services to be required to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases described in the amendatory Act. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, each individual who serves as a volunteer emergency worker for at least 9 months during the taxable year and does not receive compensation for his or her services as a volunteer emergency worker of more than $10,000 for the taxable year is entitled to a credit against specified taxes in an amount equal to $500. Defines "volunteer emergency worker". Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Establishes a presumption that a fireman or policeman who becomes disabled as a result of exposure to and contraction of COVID-19 was injured in the line of duty and is entitled to receive a duty disability benefit under the applicable Article of the Code. Specifies that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply retroactively to March 9, 2020, and any policeman or fireman who has been previously denied a duty disability benefit that would otherwise be entitled to a duty disability benefit under the amendatory Act shall be entitled to a retroactive duty disability benefit. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act. Provides that, if the agreement is entered into on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act and before June 1, 2024 and the applicant (i) is an electric vehicle manufacturer, an electric vehicle component parts manufacturer, or a renewable energy manufacturer or (ii) has existing operations within Illinois that the applicant intends to convert or expand, in whole or in part, from traditional manufacturing to electric vehicle manufacturing, electric vehicle component parts manufacturing, renewable energy manufacturing, or electric vehicle power supply equipment manufacturing, then the applicant must (A) make an investment of at least $500,000,000 in capital improvements at the project site to be placed in service within the State within a 60-month period after approval of the application and (B) retain at least 800 full-time employee jobs in Illinois. Provides that, with respect to those agreements, a taxpayer may receive a tax credit not to exceed 75% of the incremental income tax attributable to retained employees at the applicant's project, except that, if the project is in an underserved area or an energy transition area, then the maximum amount of the credit attributable to retained employees for the applicant may be increased to an amount not to exceed 100% of the incremental income tax attributable to retained employees at the applicant's project. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires health care professionals who have continuing education requirements to complete cultural competency training, which shall include information on sensitivity relating to and best practices for providing affirming care to people in the person's preferred language, people with disabilities, documented or undocumented immigrants, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 5 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a person licensed or registered by the Department under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 10 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that these continuing education hours may count toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. Provides for rulemaking. Effective January 1, 2024.

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for services provided under the Family Caregiver Act. Effective immediately.