Sen. Christopher Belt

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the School Code's construction.

Amends the School Code. With regard to the State Board of Education's student discipline report, provides that, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the State Board must annually collect data on all of the data elements pertaining to school discipline, student seclusion, and student restraint collected by the U.S. Department of Education as part of its Civil Rights Data Collection. Provides that, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the State Board must collect data on all disciplinary incidents that result in office referrals but do not result in out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, disciplinary transfers to alternative schools, referrals to law enforcement, or school-based arrests. Sets forth the categories of data that must be collected by the State Board and included in the school discipline report. Sets forth provisions regarding a school discipline improvement plan. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to convene an Equitable and Restorative School Discipline Advisory Council to advise the State Board on the ongoing implementation of school discipline policies in this State. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Changes references from "school-based arrests" to "school-related arrests". Removes provisions requiring the State Superintendent of Education to convene an Equitable and Restorative School Discipline Advisory Council. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the reinstatement of a lapsed Professional Educator License upon the payment by the applicant of the lesser of a $100 penalty or a $10 penalty for each year the license has lapsed (rather than a $500 penalty). Effective immediately.

Amends the Electricity Excise Tax Law. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to provide that the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall process an application for a license within 4 weeks after receiving a complete application that contains no deficiencies.

Creates the Nonconsensual Sexually Protective Device Removal or Tampering Act. Defines terms. Provides that a person commits nonconsensual sexually protective device removal by causing contact between a sexual organ, from which a sexually protective device has been intentionally removed, and the intimate part of another who did not consent to the sexually protective device being removed or by causing contact between an intimate part of the person and a sexual organ of another from which the person intentionally removed a sexually protective device without consent. Provides that a person commits nonconsensual sexually protective device tampering by causing contact between a sexual organ, with a sexually protective device that has been intentionally tampered with, and the intimate part of another who did not consent to the sexually protective device being tampered with or by causing contact between an intimate part of the person and a sexual organ of another with a sexually protective device that has been intentionally tampered with without consent. Provides that a person who commits nonconsensual sexually protective device removal or tampering is liable to the other person for damages, and the court may further award equitable relief for the other person. Requires that the trier of fact consider previous findings of liability for nonconsensual sexually protective device removal or tampering when awarding punitive damages. Provides that the Act does not affect a remedy available under any other laws of the State.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Makes changes concerning the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program. Provides that the State Treasurer may make supplementary deposits to children in financially insecure households if sufficient funds are available. Provides that the State Treasurer shall annually prepare a report that includes a summary of the Program operations for the preceding fiscal year, including, among other items, the rate of seed deposits claimed, and, to the extent data is reported and available, the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic data of beneficiaries and of children in financially insecure households who may receive automatic bonus deposits. Provides that such other information that is relevant to make a full disclosure of the operations of the Program and Fund may also be reported. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that each qualified teacher is entitled to an income tax credit in an aggregate amount equal to 50% of the tuition costs incurred by that teacher at a public university in the State. Provides that each qualified teacher may take no more than 20% of his or her aggregate credit amount in any taxable year. Provides that the term "qualified teacher" means an individual who (i) graduated from a public university in the State, (ii) is employed as a teacher in this State during the taxable year, and (iii) has been employed as a teacher in the State for at least 5 consecutive years as of the first day of the taxable year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish reimbursement rates that build toward livable wages for front-line personnel in residential and day programs and service coordination agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, subject to federal approval, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2022 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $3.50 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2022 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2022, shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $3.50 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2022 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Requires the same increase for front-line personnel employed at community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Requires the Department of the Lottery, beginning on July 1, 2021, to offer a special instant scratch-off game for child abuse prevention. Requires the net revenue from that game to be deposited into the Child Abuse Prevention Fund. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the special instant scratch-off game for child abuse prevention shall be offered by the Department of the Lottery starting on July 1, 2022 (rather than July 1, 2021) and be discontinued on July 1, 2023 (rather than July 1, 2022).