Sen. Terri Bryant

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt and implement rules to adjust licensing requirements, including, but not limited to, worker qualifications for child care providers within child care deserts that reflect local labor market conditions in order to grant local child care providers enhanced hiring flexibility and expand child care into currently underserved areas. Defines "child care deserts" and "child care provider". Provides that the Department shall submit proposed rules to implement the provisions concerning emergency licensing to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules no later than December 31, 2023. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Provides that upon receipt of all the annual moneys collected from the tax levied under the Act, each governmental unit that levies that tax shall immediately deposit 20% of those moneys into a special fund directly controlled by the county sheriff to be used for mental health services within the county jail.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2022, the credit for employee child care shall be in an amount equal to: (1) 50% of the start-up costs expended by the corporate taxpayer to provide a child care facility for the children of its employees; and (2) 20% of the annual amount paid by the corporate taxpayer to (i) provide an on-site child care facility for the children of its employees, (ii) provide child care offsite for the children of its employees, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii) (currently, 30% of the start-up costs and 5% of the annual amount paid by the taxpayer in providing the child care facility). Provides that the taxpayer may coordinate with an independent child care facility to provide care for the children of employees. Effective immediately.

Amends the Local Records Act. Provides that a unit of local government, acting through its governing board, may authorize the use of technology to execute its duties, or assist in the execution of certain portions of public duties, where those technologies utilize commonly accepted methods of data storage and cybersecurity, and the unit of local government otherwise continues adherence to the Local Records Act. Provides that, where applicable law requires accepting information in writing, an appearance before an official in person, or requires a signature, the unit of local government may, in place of those requirements, adopt widely used technologies, such as video chat and secure digital signatures, to verify identity and process service requests. Provides that a unit of local government may also adopt a method of certifying paperless digital copies of any record using PDF file delivery if the unit of local government provides for free on its website an upload tool for any person in recipient of a certified digital file to confirm its authenticity. Requires a unit of local government to provide notice before adopting such procedures. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the At Your Service Act. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 50 ILCS 205/25 new Adds reference to: 55 ILCS 5/3-2003.6 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county clerk may authorize the use of technology to execute the clerk's duties or assist in the execution of certain portions of public duties in specified circumstances. Provides that, where applicable law requires accepting information in writing, an appearance before an official in person, service of official records in paper copy, or requires a signature, the county clerk may, in place of those requirements, adopt widely used technologies such as video chat, secure data transmission portals, and secure digital signatures to verify identity and process service requests. Provides that a county clerk may also adopt a method of certifying paperless digital copies of any record using PDF or similar file delivery in specified circumstances. Provides that a county clerk replacing a previously paper-based process or appearance method must publish notice on the clerk's website, or in a newspaper of general circulation if the county clerk does not have a website, and in the principal office of business 60 days prior to making such a change.

Makes an appropriation to the Court of Claims from the General Revenue Fund for the payment of a specified claim. Effective July 1, 2021.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Provides that after an initial proclamation declaring that a disaster exists, the Governor may only extend that declaration or make further proclamations regarding the same disaster if the General Assembly passes a resolution within 5 calendar days that approves the extension or further proclamation. Provides that if, due to health or safety concerns, the General Assembly is unable to convene in either regular or special session to approve the extension or further proclamation, the extension or further proclamation may continue in effect until the General Assembly is able to convene in regular or special session if the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives submit written certification to the Governor that the General Assembly is unable to convene to provide the necessary approval of the extension or further proclamation. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a member of the State Board of Elections from contributing to a political committee, serving as an officer of a political committee, or being a candidate supported by a candidate political committee. Provides options for the person to remedy the violation. Requires a person who is in violation on the effective date of the amendatory Act to come into compliance within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines a "limited activity committee" to mean a political committee for which a person who is nominated to a position that is subject to confirmation by the Senate, including a member of the State Board of Elections, or a person registered as a lobbyist under the Lobbyist Registration Act is either an officer or a candidate the committee has designated to support. Prohibits a limited activity committee from accepting contributions, except that the person who is either an officer or a candidate the committee has designated to support may contribute personal funds in order to pay maintenance expenses. Provides that a limited activity committee may only make specified expenditures. Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and the Lobbyist Registration Act. Prohibits an appointee subject to Senate confirmation and a registered lobbyist from serving as an officer of a candidate political committee in which the person is the designated candidate or being a candidate supported by a candidate political committee. Provides options for the person to remedy the violation. Requires a person who is in violation on the effective date of the amendatory Act to come into compliance within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Firearm Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that in a criminal case, if a defendant is charged with an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm and subsequently enters into a plea agreement in which in the charge will be reduced to a lesser offense or a non-weapons offense in exchange for a plea of guilty, at or before the time of sentencing, the State's Attorney shall file with the court a written statement of his or her reasons in support of the plea agreement, which shall specifically state why the offense or offenses of conviction resulting from the plea agreement do not include the originally charged weapons offense. Provides that the written statement shall be part of the court record in the case and a copy shall be provided to any person upon request. Provides that in a criminal case in which the original charge is or was for an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm, if a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty of the original charge or lesser offense or a non-weapons offense, in imposing sentence, the judge shall set forth in a written sentencing order his or her reasons for imposing the sentence or accepting the plea agreement. Provides that a copy of the written sentencing order shall be provided to any person upon request.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall not make possession of a Firearm Owner's Identification Card a condition of continued employment if the Department of Corrections officer's Firearm Owner's Identification Card is revoked or seized because the Department of Corrections officer has been a patient of a mental health facility and the Department of Corrections officer has not been determined to pose a clear and present danger to himself, herself, or others as determined by a physician, clinical psychologist, or qualified examiner. Provides that nothing in the new provisions shall otherwise impair an employer's ability to determine a Department of Corrections officer's fitness for duty. Provides that a collective bargaining agreement in effect on this issue on the effective date of the amendatory Act cannot be modified, but on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the employer cannot require a Firearm Owner's Identification Card as a condition of continued employment in a collective bargaining agreement. Provides that the employer shall document if and why a Department of Corrections officer has been determined to pose a clear and present danger. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that evidence of nonimpairment in the first offense of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating compound shall be allowed as a mitigating factor in sentencing for a reduced sentence for driving under the influence or aggravated driving under the influence.