Sen. Ram Villivalam

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the Cook County Treasurer shall maintain a special fund known as the Cook County Housing Trust Fund for which the Housing Authority of Cook County shall be the sole beneficiary. Provides that the Fund may receive moneys from appropriations from the State for use by the Housing Authority of Cook County, as well as loan repayments, cash distributions from equity investments, and similar cash payments generated by a funded project that may be redeposited into the Fund and used for additional projects. Specifies the use of moneys in the Fund. Requires the Cook County Treasurer, in consultation with the Housing Authority of Cook County, to make accounting annually to the Cook County Board of Commissioners through the County Clerk of the use of moneys maintained in the Fund. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Revenue) HB 5018 does not impact state revenues of the taxes administered by the Department of Revenue.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the application fee for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License shall be waived when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits the State Board of Education from developing, purchasing, or requiring a school district to administer, develop, or purchase a standardized assessment for students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2, other than for diagnostic purposes. Prohibits the State Board of Education from providing funding for any standardized assessment of students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Changes the term "diagnostic purposes" to "diagnostic and screening purposes". Includes in the definition of diagnostic and screening purposes the determination of eligibility for special education, early intervention, bilingual education, dyslexia services, or other related educational services. Removes "child find" from the definition of diagnostic and screening purposes. Permits the State Board of Education to provide funding for any standardized assessment of students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade 2 for diagnostic and screening purposes.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to annually include information about the Child Care Assistance Program and the federal dependent care allowance in the language that schools are required to provide to students eligible for Monetary Award Program grants. Specifies the information that must be included. Provides that an institution of higher learning that participates in the Monetary Award Program shall provide, at a minimum, the information to all students who are enrolled, or who are accepted for enrollment and are intending to enroll, and who have been identified by the Commission as Monetary Award Program-eligible at the institution. Provides that an institution of higher learning shall also provide the information to any student identified by the institution of higher learning as a student with dependents. Provides that an institution of higher learning may designate a public benefits liaison or single point person to assist students in taking the necessary steps to obtain public benefits if eligible. Requires the Commission to adopt rules to implement the provisions on or before October 1, 2022. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that school counseling services may include the promotion of career and technical education by assisting each student to determine an appropriate postsecondary plan based upon the student's skills, strengths, and goals and assisting the student to implement the best practices that improve career or workforce readiness after high school. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the school counseling services of developing individual career plans with students and assisting all students with a college or postsecondary education plan includes planning for postsecondary education, as appropriate, and engaging in related and relevant career and technical education coursework in high school.

Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2023, the minimum widow's annuity shall be no less than 150% (rather than 125%) of the Federal Poverty Level for all persons receiving widow's annuities on or after that date, without regard to whether the deceased policeman or fireman is in service on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Collateral Recovery Act. Provides that each individual, partner of a partnership, officer of a corporation, or member of a limited liability company shall submit with an application for licensure as a repossession agency a valid State or U.S. government-issued photo identification card (rather than one form of personal identification upon which must appear a photograph taken within one year immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application). Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to notify the submitting person within 14 days (rather than 10 days) after receipt of a criminal history records check (rather than after receipt of the application) of its intent to issue (rather than issue or deny) the recovery permit or set the matter for an administrative hearing before an administrative law judge. Provides that a recovery employee may work under a recovery permit for multiple licensed repossession agencies. Permits the Commission to allow electronic payments for license and permit fees. Provides that certain fees must be paid at the time of filing and are nonrefundable. Provides that at least 90 days prior to the expiration of a license or recovery permit, the Commission shall send to the license or permit holder a renewal notice (rather than mail to the license or permit holder a renewal form in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission). Provides that applications for renewal of a license or permit shall be filed with the Commission no earlier than 90 days, and not later than 45 days, prior to the expiration of a license or permit. Provides that when a license holder or permit holder has made such timely and sufficient application for the renewal of a license or recovery permit, the existing license or recovery permit shall continue in full force and effect until the final agency decision on the application has been made, unless a later date is fixed by order of a reviewing court.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State is authorized to suspend or revoke the driving privileges of any person without a preliminary hearing upon a showing of the person's records or other sufficient evidence that the person has committed an out-of-State offense similar to the Illinois prohibition on the unlawful use of a license, has possessed cannabis while under 21 years of age, or has provided false information about his or her age to a cannabis establishment. Provides that driver rehabilitation specialists or programs are permitted to give driving instruction without being issued a license, except when the client of the specialist or program has never held a driver's license. Changes the implementation date concerning changes to the Secretary of State's requirements regarding the posting of certain information to the Commercial Driver's License Information System from June 22, 2021 to June 23, 2025. Provides that an individual shall be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life if that individual uses a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving an act or practice of severe forms of human trafficking. Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides requirements concerning probate court notifications to the Secretary of State in limited and plenary guardianship cases. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 755 ILCS 5/11a-12 Adds reference to: 755 ILCS 5/11a-25 new from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 11a-12 Removes language providing that: if the court makes a finding that the respondent should not hold a driver's license, the clerk of the court shall provide a copy of the written order of limited guardianship to the Secretary of State; and if the court provides the guardian with the power to determine if the respondent may hold a driver's license, upon the guardian making a determination that the respondent should not hold a driver's license, the guardian shall notify the Secretary of State. Provides instead that when a court adjudges a respondent to be a person with a disability and appoints a plenary guardian for that person or enters an order finding that the respondent should not operate a motor vehicle, the court shall direct the circuit court clerk to notify the Secretary of State's Driver Services Department, in a form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of State, and shall forward a copy of the court order to the Secretary of State's Driver Services Department no later than 7 days after the entry of the order.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a violation for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesman to otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling because of unlawful discrimination, familial status, or an arrest record. Allows a plaintiff or defendant to demand a trial by jury for specified civil actions. Allows a circuit court or jury to award any remedy set forth under a provision regarding a hearing on a complaint upon the finding of a civil rights violation. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 775 ILCS 5/3-102 from Ch. 68, par. 3-102 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following change: Removes language providing 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 to otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling because of unlawful discrimination, familial status, or an arrest record. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Modifies the exclusions to the definition of "aggregate extension" by excluding special purpose extensions made for the purpose of making contributions to the pension fund established under Article 13 of the Illinois Pension Code by use of bonds issued under specified provisions of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2032 and each year thereafter, the District shall contribute the actuarially determined contribution. Provides that the actuarially determined contribution is equal to the employer's normal cost plus an amount to amortize the unfunded liability on a level percent of payroll basis and bring the total actuarial assets of the Fund up to 100% of the total actuarial liability, calculated using the entry age normal actuarial cost method, by the year 2050. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Adds a provision allowing for the corporate authorities of the district to issue bonds in the principal amount of $600,000,000 for the purpose of making contributions to the pension fund without submitting the question of issuing bonds to the voters of the District. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 In the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code, modifies the exclusions to the definition of "aggregate extension" by excluding special purpose extensions made for payments of principal and interest on bonds issued under specified provisions of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act to make contributions to the pension fund established under Article 13 of the Illinois Pension Code (rather than made for the purpose of making contributions to the pension fund established under Article 13 of the Illinois Pension Code by use of bonds issued under specified provisions of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act). Makes a conforming change. Modifies provisions in the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Removes language providing that, beginning in fiscal year 2032 and each year thereafter, the District shall contribute the actuarially determined pension contribution requirements from its annual tax levy and related provisions. In provisions requiring revenues derived from the tax to be paid to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Retirement Fund for the benefit of the Fund, adds an exception for amounts of revenues to be retained by the District and used to pay principal and interest on bonds issued for the sole purpose of making contributions to the Fund. In the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act, provides that the corporate authorities are authorized to issue from time to time bonds of the district in the principal amount of an amount not to exceed $600,000,000 (rather than in the principal amount of $600,000,000) without submitting the question of issuing bonds to the voters of the District and that the bonds issued under the specified paragraph (rather than subsection) are intended to decrease the unfunded liability of the pension fund and shall not decrease the amount of the employer pension contributions.