Sen. Mike Simmons-Gessesse

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is unlawful for a child sex offender with the duty to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act to knowingly reside within 250 (rather than 500) feet of a school building or the real property comprising any school that persons under the age of 18 attend, a playground, child care institution, day care center, part day child care facility, (deletes day care home and group day care home) or a facility providing programs or services exclusively directed toward persons under 18 years of age. Provides that the provisions do not apply if the property was established as the child sex offender's current address of registration prior to the date that entity was opened, or if the entity must obtain a license in order to provide programs or services, the date that the license was issued. Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that if the registrant is an indigent person, the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction shall (rather than may) waive the registration fee. Lowers various penalties from felonies to misdemeanors for violations of these Acts. Reduces the registration period under the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act from 10 years to 5 years. Defines in the various Acts "indigent person" and "poverty guidelines". Provides that the amendatory changes apply retroactively. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police may (rather than shall) mail verification letters to registered sex offenders. Provides that the Illinois State Police may adopt rules to allow for the use of an electronic registration portal to comply with the verification letters. Provides that the Illinois State Police may (rather than shall) mail an annual nonforwardable verification letter, beginning one year from the date of his or her last registration. Requires that registration of a sex offender shall (rather than may) include a submission of the sex offender's fingerprints and may, subject to appropriation, include the palm prints, and a current photograph of the person which shall be updated at each registration (rather than annually). Deletes a provision that the registration information must include whether the person is a sex offender as defined in the Sex Offender Community Notification Law. Provides that the registering agency shall enter the information into the Illinois State Police Sex Offender database (rather than the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS)). Provides that the Illinois State Police may, subject to appropriation for this purpose, establish an electronic registration portal to be used by sex offenders and law enforcement to comply with the Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police may, subject to appropriation for this purpose, establish an electronic registration portal to be utilized by sex offenders and law enforcement to comply with the Act. Deletes a provision that the Illinois State Police shall establish and promulgate rules and procedures regarding the administration of this Fund. Deletes a provision that 50% of the moneys in the Fund shall be allocated for sheriffs' offices and police departments and that the remaining moneys in the Fund received shall be allocated to the Illinois State Police for education and administration of the Act. Provides that moneys in the Offender Registration Fund shall be allocated pursuant to the registration and penalty provisions of the Act, respectively

Amends the Real Estate Transactions Article of the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesman, because of a conviction record to: refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person or to discriminate in making available such a transaction; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith; refuse to negotiate for a real estate transaction with a person; represent to a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it is so available, or to fail to bring a property listing to his or her attention, or to refuse to permit him or her to inspect real property; make, print, circulate, post, mail, publish, or cause to be made, printed, circulated, posted, mailed, or published any notice, statement, advertisement, or sign, or use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record or inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction, that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on a conviction record or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination; or offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with knowledge that discrimination on the basis of a conviction record in a real estate transaction is intended. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for a third-party loan modification service provider, because of a conviction record, to: refuse to engage in loan modification services; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of such services; or discriminate in making such services available. Provides that nothing contained in the provision regarding civil rights violations in real estate transactions shall prohibit inquiry into or the use of a conviction record if the inquiry or use is otherwise authorized by State or federal law.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation: (1) to inquire into a person's conviction record before making a conditional offer to sell, lease, or rent real property; (2) for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesman, because of conviction record, to refuse to engage in a real estate transaction with a person or to discriminate in making available such a transaction; (3) use a conviction record as a basis to rescind a conditional offer to sell, lease, or rent real property, unless there is a substantial relationship between one or more of the previous criminal offenses and the offer made, the granting or continuation of the offer would involve an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of specific individuals or the general public, or the use is otherwise authorized by law; and (4) for a third-party loan modification service provider, because of a conviction record to refuse to engage in loan modification services, alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of such services, or discriminate in making such services available. Provides that nothing shall prohibit: the owner of an owner-occupied residential building with 4 or fewer units from making decisions regarding whether to rent to a person based upon that person's conviction record; inquiry into or the use of a conviction record if the inquiry or use is otherwise authorized by State or federal law; and use of a criminal conviction that results in a current sex offender registration requirement or a current child sex offender residency restriction.

Amends the Right of Publicity Act. Grants additional enforcement rights and remedies to recording artists. Provides for the liability of any person who materially contributes to, induces, or otherwise facilitates a violation of a specified provision of the Act by another party after having reason to know that the other party is in violation. Defines "artificial intelligence" and "generative artificial intelligence". Changes the definition of "commercial purpose" and "identity".

Creates the Powering Up Illinois Act. Provides that an electrical corporation which operates in the State shall upgrade the State's electrical distribution systems in order to achieve the State's decarbonization standards. Provides that an electrical corporation shall be adequately staffed and recruit, train, and retain further staff as needed. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods. Provides that the Commission shall establish requirements for an electrical corporation to report to the Commission, at least annually, to track and improve electrical corporation performance. Provides that the Commission shall require an electrical corporation to establish a dedicated electrification team. Sets forth requirements for an electrical corporation to consider when engaging in the annual distribution planning process. Provides that, in its site evaluation and design process, the Commission shall require an electrical corporation to consider flexible interconnection to defer or mitigate energization-related grid upgrades, but, if the solutions cannot defer or mitigate an upgrade, the corporation may evaluate traditional system upgrades. Provides that an electrical corporation may recover costs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a forest preserve district from prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm into any botanic garden, campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course, zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois nature preserve, land and water reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit. Defines "grounds".

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Nelson Mandela Act. Creates the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act. Provides that, except for a committed person in protective custody who opts out of that status by providing informal, voluntary, written refusal of that status, the use of isolated confinement in correctional institutions is restricted to isolated confinement of no more than 10 consecutive days or no more than 10 days in any 180-day period. Provides that The Department of Corrections shall post on the Department's official website quarterly reports on the use of isolated confinement. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Makes various appropriations from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services, the Department of Early Childhood, and the Illinois State Board of Education for early childhood and related purposes. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that owners of income-producing properties shall file physical descriptions of their properties with the chief county assessor in the form and format determined by the chief county assessor. Effective immediately.