Sen. Terri Bryant

Amends the Election Code and the School Code. Provides for 5 additional members of the State Board of Education to be elected at the general election in 2028 and every 4 years thereafter. Provides that one member shall be elected from each judicial district. Provides that the 5 members shall be elected on a nonpartisan basis. Provides that a petition for nomination of a candidate for member of the State 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 State Board shall constitute a quorum. Makes related changes.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the penalty for aggravated battery is a Class 2 felony (rather than a Class 3 felony) when the person knows the individual battered to be a judge, State's Attorney, or Assistant State's Attorney: (1) performing his or her official duties; (2) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or (3) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. In provisions concerning energy storage systems, provides that the farmland drainage plan that a facility owner must file with a county shall include, among other things, plans to repair any subsurface drainage affected during construction or deconstruction using procedures outlined in the agricultural impact mitigation agreement (rather than outlined in the decommissioning plan) and procedures for the repair and restoration of surface drainage affected during construction or deconstruction. Provides that a county shall (rather than may) require a facility owner to provide a decommissioning plan to the county. Makes changes to the requirements of a decommissioning plan. Provides that a county shall (rather than may) require the facility owner to submit to the county (i) a commercial operation a commissioning report meeting specified requirements of specified publications of the National Fire Protection Association; (ii) a hazard mitigation analysis meeting specified requirements of specified publications of the National Fire Protection Association; (iii) an emergency operations plan meeting specified requirements of specified publications of the National Fire Protection Association; and (iv) a warning that complies with specified publications of the National Fire Protection Association. Provides that the energy storage system owner shall enter into one agricultural impact mitigation agreement for each energy storage system. Requires the agricultural impact mitigation agreement for an energy storage system to include specified plans. Requires a commercial renewable energy facility owner to make available a copy of the signed agricultural impact mitigation agreement at the site of the commercial renewable energy facility during any construction or deconstruction activities. Makes other changes.

Repeals the Illinois TRUST Act. Makes corresponding changes in the Illinois Identification Card Act, the School Code, the Public Higher Education Act, and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that, notwithstanding other provisions of law to the contrary, any person serving as a guard of youth at a Department of Juvenile Justice Youth Center must: (1) be over the age of 21 and (2) have a high school diploma or equivalent. Provides that no social work experience or college education is required to serve as a guard of youth at a Department of Juvenile Justice Youth Center.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, in matters a sheriff deems essential to preventing or assisting with disasters or events of civil disorder, the sheriff may authorize plain clothes to be worn by auxiliary deputies as long as the auxiliary deputies are carrying proper identification while performing this function. Provides that auxiliary deputies may only carry firearms while in the performance of their assigned duties (rather than while in uniform and in the performance of their assigned duties).

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person who, in committing a domestic battery, other than by discharge of a firearm, knows the individual battered to be a person 60 years of age or older commits aggravated domestic battery.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of domestic assault. Provides that a person commits the offense when, without lawful authority, he or she knowingly engages in conduct that places any family or household member in reasonable apprehension of great bodily harm, or permanent disability or disfigurement. Provides that if the defendant is arrested for domestic assault, upon release of the defendant from custody pending trial, the court, at the preliminary examination, shall order that the defendant refrain from contact or communication with the victim of the domestic assault and refrain from entering or remaining at the victim's residence for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours. Provides that domestic assault is a Class A misdemeanor. Defines "family or household member".

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall achieve 100% scanning capacity of all mail arriving at each correctional institution and facility not later than 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Department shall utilize all means necessary to achieve synthetic drug interdiction in order to: (1) protect staff and committed persons from exposure to synthetic drugs and opioids introduced to correctional institutions and facilities through the mail; and (2) ensure that after a piece of mail is received at a correctional institution or facility, each committed person receives a digital copy of any mail that is addressed to the committed person. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules regarding the delivery of mail and mail scanning services necessary to achieve the scanning capacity described in this provision. Provides that beginning one year after the date on which the strategy is achieved and each year thereafter, the Director of Corrections shall submit to the Governor and General Assembly a report on the total quantity of detected synthetic drugs and opioids. Contains a findings provision.

Congratulates Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson on his retirement, concluding a distinguished career of more than 30 years of service to the institution and to the Illinois Community College System.