Sen. Ram Villivalam

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer shall be allowed an income tax credit in an amount equal to 1.3% of the qualified research expenses made by the taxpayer in Illinois. Provides that the taxpayer is not required to have obtained a research and development credit with respect to his or her federal income taxes to qualify for the Illinois research and development credit.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning payments to nursing facilities to increase compensation for certified nursing assistants (CNA), removes language requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish, by rule, payments to nursing facilities equal to Medicaid's share of the tenure wage increments for all reported CNA employee hours compensated. Instead provides that, based on the schedule set forth in the amendatory Act, the Department shall pay to each facility Medicaid's share of the facility's estimated CNA hours performed by employees and agency workers, estimated overtime hours, and benefits and taxes paid to and on behalf of CNA workers at the beginning of each quarter. Provides that moneys paid by the Department to each facility and moneys paid by each facility to workers and agencies or on behalf of workers and agencies shall be reconciled at the end of each quarter. Sets for a schedule concerning the calculation of tenure compensation which shall include: (i) compensation for regular CNA hours; (ii) overtime calculated at time and a half; and (iii) benefits and taxes at 25%. Provides that estimates of overtime shall be calculated at time and a half and benefits and taxes at 25%. Requires the Department to pay the facility for qualifying promotions estimated at the beginning of each quarter and reconciled at the end of the quarter.

Amends the Uniform Crime Reporting Act. Provides that each law enforcement agency shall submit a report to the Illinois State Police after receiving a complaint of a hate crime or other bias-related complaint within 2 weeks of receiving the complaint. Describes information to be contained in the report. Provides that, when handling a hate crime or bias-related complaint, each law enforcement agency shall (1) approach victims in a sensitive and supportive manner; (2) reassure victims that appropriate investigative and enforcement methods will be used by the law enforcement agency to properly address the bias incident; (3) as required by the facts and circumstances surrounding the suspected or confirmed bias incident, ensure that a thorough and complete initial response investigation and a follow-up investigation are conducted, including providing for appropriate community relations activities and crime prevention programs; (4) refer the victims and the witnesses to the appropriate Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy or the Division on Civil Rights; (5) interact with concerned community service organizations, civic groups, and religious institutions regarding the bias incident; and (6) effectively calm victims and reduce their fear and alienation through direct, ongoing official communication regarding the bias incident. Provides that the Illinois State Police must identify patterns and analyze the information reported to it for the purpose of connecting the information to other reported crimes or incidents, create a reporting form or process to receive this information, review all reports, and disseminate to potentially affected law enforcement agencies and create a process for the sharing of all the reported incidents with law enforcement agencies across the State. Provides that each law enforcement agency shall identify a point of contact in regard to hate crime reporting within the agency and provide the Illinois State Police with that person's name and contact information. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall adopt rules identifying other bias-related complaints that must be reported. Makes a conforming change. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt reports and information received under the hate crime and bias-related incident reporting under the Uniform Crime Reporting Act.

Amends the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code. Provides that "funeral establishment", "funeral chapel", "funeral home", or "mortuary", when used in reference to transfer care specialists, means a building or a separate portion of a building having a specific street address or location devoted to activities relating to the shelter, care, custody and preparation of a deceased human body that contains facilities for funeral and wake services and operates from a fixed place of business. Defines "general supervision", "immediate and direct supervision", and "transfer care specialist". Requires a funeral establishment, funeral chapel, funeral home, or mortuary to operate from a fixed place of business. Creates the Transfer Care Specialists Article under the Code. Sets forth provisions concerning license requirements; address of record and email address of record; license qualifications; applications; the issuance and display of transfer care specialist licenses; renewal, reinstatement, and restoration of a license; the applicability of the Article; and rulemaking authority of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. In provisions concerning practicing without a license, provides that the practice of removing a deceased human body from its place of death, institution, or other location as a transfer care specialist by any person who has not been issued a license by the Department, whose license has been suspended or revoked, or whose license has not been renewed is hereby declared to be inimical to the public welfare and to constitute a public nuisance. In provisions concerning grounds for discipline, provides that engaging in practice as a transfer care specialist without a license is a Class A misdemeanor. Makes other changes.

Creates the Internet Gaming Act. Authorizes an Internet gaming operator to offer Internet gaming in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Provides that Internet gaming shall only be offered by an Internet gaming license or an Internet management service provider that has contracted with an Internet gaming licensee. Provides that an Internet gaming licensee shall offer no more than 3 individually branded Internet gaming skins. Provides that an Internet management service provider may conduct Internet gaming on its own Internet gaming platform pursuant to the agreement between the provider and an Internet gaming licensee and in accordance with the rules of the Board and the provisions of the Act. Includes provisions for: requirements of an Internet gaming platform; Internet waging accounts; license requirements; age verification, location, and responsible gaming; diversity goals in procurement and spending by Internet gaming licensees; acceptance of out-of-state wagers; and limitations on home rule units. Provides that a 25% privilege tax is imposed on Internet gaming to be deposited into the State Gaming Fund. Authorizes the adoption of emergency rules to implement the Act and makes conforming changes in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Motor Vehicle Franchise Act. Provides that it shall be deemed a violation for a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or other specified entity to distribute new motor vehicles directly to consumers or to circumvent franchise distribution obligations under the Act. Provides that a manufacturer, common entity, or distributor, other than a manufacturer or distributor that was lawfully licensed to sell new motor vehicles directly to customers in the State before January 1, 2022, shall not own or operate a dealership or directly sell new vehicles in the State. Provides that it shall be deemed a violation for any manufacturer with an established franchise dealer network in the State to engage in the sale, lease, or servicing of new motor vehicles in a manner that bypasses or competes with the manufacturer's existing franchisee network. Makes conforming and other changes. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2027, an electric vehicle owner may register an electric vehicle with any qualifying registration, and an additional $320 surcharge shall be collected in addition to the applicable registration fee. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2028, the Secretary shall annually adjust the electric vehicle registration surcharge by an amount equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the 12 months ending in March of the year in which the increase takes place. Establishes the Road Usage Charge Program to be implemented by Secretary of State to be used in lieu of the fees levied for electric vehicle owners. Requires the Secretary to adopt rules to implement the Program. Allows the Secretary to impose a penalty for failure to timely pay a road usage charge according to the terms of the Program or tampering with a device necessary for the Program. Provides that if enrolled in the Program, the owner of an electric vehicle shall: report mileage driven; pay the road usage fee for each payment period; and comply with all other provisions and other requirements of the Program. Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, the road usage charge rate is 1.5 cent per mile and the road usage charge cap is $320 for an annual registration. Requires the Secretary to annually adjust the road usage charge rate and the road usage charge cap by an amount equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the 12 months ending in March of the year in which the increase takes place. Provides that revenue generated by the Program and relevant penalties shall be distributed in the same manner revenue from the motor fuel tax is distributed after covering the costs to administer the Program.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the reimbursement rate a health insurance issuer must pay to nonparticipating ground ambulance service providers subject to a unit of local government is equal to the rate established or approved by the governing body of the local government providing ground ambulance service (instead of the local government having jurisdiction for that area or subarea).

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Establishes that a municipality that operates an automated speed enforcement system shall set aside 10% of the net proceeds from each system that generates more than $500,000 in revenue for the respective school district or park district in the safety zone in which the automated speed enforcement system is located. Provides that the set aside proceeds may be allocated for any purpose designated by the school district or park district. Set forth home rule provisions.