Sen. Terri Bryant

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. In the definition of "Category A offense" for bail and pretrial release purposes, includes aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, escape, and violation of bail bond or pretrial release.

Declares April 22, 2021 as Webb Eastham Day in the State of Illinois. Further acknowledges Wilbert "Webb" Eastham's accomplishments and his years of service and wishes him all the best in retirement.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that registered nurses, including those employed by the Department of Public Health, are completely exempt from the jurisdiction of the Department of Central Management Services with respect to the hiring of those individuals. Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that when hiring a registered nurse, no State agency shall take into consideration the accreditation status of the nursing school or program of the applicant if he or she is licensed as a registered nurse by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Creates the Illinois Regional Generation Reliability Task Force Act. Sets forth findings of the General Assembly. Creates the Illinois Regional Generation Reliability Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall monitor the reliability of the Illinois power grid. contains provisions concerning: the membership of the Task Force; duties of the Task Force; administrative support; and an annual report. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury and shall be administered by the Illinois Power Agency. Provides that $10,000,000 shall be transferred from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund to the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund. Provides that the Agency shall award grants from the fund to carbon producing power plants for the construction of new carbon capture storage systems. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $3,000,000 from the Road Fund to the Rail Division of the Illinois Department of Transportation for the hiring of additional employees. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the Road Fund to the Illinois Department of Transportation High Speed Rail Commission for support and planning purposes. Appropriates $10,000,000 from the Road Fund to the Illinois Department of Transportation for engineering support. Effective July 1, 2022.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a school bus owner may affix to the school bus a sign displaying the fines a driver may incur if the driver passes a school bus while: (i) the school bus is stopped and the stop signal arm is extended; or (ii) the school bus is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils. Provides that the sign may be affixed to the back of the school bus or to the stop arm signal.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, any suspension or revocation of a business license under the Act must be approved by the majority vote of the county board of the unincorporated area or the municipal board of the incorporated area in which the business is located.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that resident and nonresident landowners shall complete a landowner permit application and submit proof of eligible land ownership to the Department of Natural Resources once every 5 years.

Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Provides that an action for a violation of the Act shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrued if the aggrieved person provides a private entity 30 days' written notice identifying the specific provisions of the Act the aggrieved person alleges have been or are being violated. Provides that if, within the 30 days, the private entity actually cures the noticed violation and provides the aggrieved person an express written statement that the violation has been cured and that no further violations shall occur, no action for individual statutory damages or class-wide statutory damages may be initiated against the private entity. Provides that a prevailing party may recover actual damages for a negligent violation of the Act (instead of "liquidated damages of $1,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater"). Provides that a prevailing party against a private entity that willfully (instead of intentionally or recklessly) violates the Act may recover actual damages plus liquidated damages up to the amount of actual damages (instead of "liquidated damages of $5,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater").