AT A GLANCE...AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2020 SPRING SESSION AT A GLANCE Table of Contents An Introduction from Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady ..... 2 Budget, Capital …

S E N A T E R E P U B L I C A N L E A D E R B I L L B R A D Y

AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2020 SPRING SESSION

AT A GLANCE

Table of Contents

An Introduction from Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady ........................................................................ 2

Budget, Capital Plan, Revenue ..................................................................................................................... 3

Business, Commerce, Regulation, Labor and Licensure .............................................................................. 3

Crime, Courts, Corrections and Law Enforcement ....................................................................................... 4

Education (Pre K-12) .................................................................................................................................... 5

Election, Candidacy and Campaign Issues ................................................................................................... 5

Gaming ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Health and Human Services ......................................................................................................................... 6

Local and State Government ....................................................................................................................... 7

Taxes, Fees, Credits, and Financial Institutions ........................................................................................... 9

Transportation, Infrastructure and Vehicular Regulation & Safety ........................................................... 10

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be entitled to collect Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits. The director of IDES may prescribe rules allowed by federal law limiting the work search requirements. An individual who works for an educational institution or an educational service agency in which work is not attributable to an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity qualifies for unemployment between March 15, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. An employer subject to the payment of contributions shall not be chargeable for any benefit charges due to COVID-19 from March 15, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020.

Disability Act, Horse Racing, Criminal Code Changes (SB 471): Amends the Public Employee Disability act to give public employees including correctional officers, Prisoner Review Board employees, Department of Human Services employees who work in a penal institution or a State mental health or developmental disabilities facility operated by DHS, law enforcement officers and firefighters an additional 60 days of line of duty disability pay to recover from an injury if COVID-19 hindered recovery. Amends the Horse Racing Act of 1975 to force racing organizations who are seeking licenses, or renewing licenses, into collective bargaining and arbitration with their employees. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to make it aggravated battery to commit a battery against a merchant performing his or her duties during a public health disaster. This change lasts for six months after the disaster declaration expires.

Crime, Courts, Corrections and Law Enforcement

Disability Act, Horse Racing, Criminal Code Changes (SB 471): Amends the Public Employee Disability act to give public employees including correctional officers, Prisoner Review Board employees, Department of Human Services employees who work in a penal institution or a State mental health or developmental disabilities facility operated by DHS, law enforcement officers and firefighters an additional 60 days of line of duty disability pay to recover from an injury if COVID-19 hindered recovery. Amends the Horse Racing Act of 1975 to force racing organizations who are seeking licenses, or renewing licenses, into collective bargaining and arbitration with their employees. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to make it aggravated battery to commit a battery against a merchant performing his or her duties during a public health disaster. This change lasts for six months after the disaster declaration expires. Liquor Omnibus (HB 2682): Amends the Liquor Code. Permits bars and restaurants to sell and deliver to-go mixed drinks and cocktails in sealed containers. This provision will expire one year after its effective date. Waives and defers liquor licensing fees for liquor license holders whose operations were suspended by the Governor’s disaster proclamations and executive orders. Provides for the automatic renewal of liquor licenses during the term of the disaster. Ensures that liquor retailers shall not be deemed delinquent for failing to pay for purchased liquor until 30 days after their region enters Phase 4 of the Governor’s reopening plan.

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Education (Pre K-12) COVID Education Response (SB 1569): Makes a number of changes aimed at helping schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including creating remote and blended remote learning days, addressing teacher licensure issues, graduation and coursework requirements, educator evaluation and dismissal issues. Gives school districts interfund transfer authority until June 2021. Allows Chicago Public Schools to delay their Local School Council elections to the first semester parent report card pickup day of the 2020-2021 school year. Requires annual organizational meeting for Local School Councils to be held via video or teleconference if necessary. Enacts a technical change to the Property Tax Relief Grant program requested by the State Board of Education. Adds district intervention funding to the base funding minimum of the evidence-based school funding formula. Addresses an applicability issue with the Articulation Initiative regarding grades and fixes an AIM High income eligibility issue.

School Debt Limit Exemptions (SB 1937): Provides debt limitation exemptions for seven school districts, including Berkeley SD 87, Elmwood Park CUSD 401, Greenview CUSD 200, Komarek SD 94, Maroa-Forsyth CUSD 2, Schiller Park SD 81, and Williamsville CUSD 15.

Election, Candidacy and Campaign Issues

Elections Omnibus Trailer (HB 2238): Modifies elections omnibus legislation (SB 1863) to stipulate that the only situation where three of

three election judges will be required to reject a vote-by-mail ballot is when signatures do not match. Two out of three election judges can reject a ballot if it does not contain a signature, the ballot was open when delivered, the voter has already cast a ballot in that election, the voter voted in-person on Election Day, or the voter is not registered to vote in that precinct. Processing of a vote-by-mail ballot will require a panel or panels of three election judges. Adds security requirements for collection drop boxes.

Elections Omnibus (SB 1863): Makes a number of changes to the Election Code relating to the 2020 General Election. Makes Election Day 2020 a state and legal school holiday. Stipulates that vote-by-mail applications will be sent to all who applied for a ballot in the 2018 general election, the 2019 consolidated election, or the 2020 primary. Voter registration and change of registration will include the ability to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Stipulates that there will be a public information campaign to let voters know about the ability to vote by mail. Requires that ballots be mailed no earlier than Sept. 24, and that any voter submitting an application on or before Oct. 1 will receive their ballot no later than Oct. 6. For ballot applications received after Oct. 1, a ballot must be mailed no later than two business days after receipt of application. A special panel of three election judges, including no more than two from the same political party, will conduct a signature review of ballots submitted by mail. This can be within two days after the vote-by-mail ballot is received, but before the close of the period for counting provisional ballots. Allows 16-year-olds to serve as election judges. Provides that those who receive applications for vote-by-mail ballots will receive reminders in September and

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October if they haven’t applied for a ballot yet. Extends early voting hours in the 15 days before the election. Allows curbside voting. Allows vote-by-mail ballots to be returned by mail or to a secure postage-free drop box. An automatic voter registration will not trigger an application for vote-by-mail ballot, but any other processing of voter registration or change in registration will.

Gaming

Gaming Omnibus (SB 516): Reduces the tax structure for the Chicago Casino. Changes when new lower tax rates for other casinos take effect to July 1, 2020. Gives casinos and race tracks an additional four years to make reconciliation payments. Reconciliation payments are an additional tax on the casinos based on the average gross receipts of the last three years. Stipulates that if an application is failed to be approved for a location authorized during the last expansion bill, a new licensee can submit an application for the license. Stipulates that the Illinois Gaming Board shall issue a video gaming license to the Department of Agriculture instead of a concessioner, which allows the state to maintain control of gaming at the State Fairs.

Disability Act, Horse Racing, Criminal Code Changes (SB 471): Amends the Public Employee Disability act to give public employees including correctional officers, Prisoner Review Board employees, Department of Human Services employees who work in a penal institution or a State mental health or developmental disabilities facility operated by DHS, law enforcement officers and firefighters an

additional 60 days of line of duty disability pay to recover from an injury if COVID-19 hindered recovery. Amends the Horse Racing Act of 1975 to force racing organizations who are seeking licenses, or renewing licenses, into collective bargaining and arbitration with their employees. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to make it aggravated battery to commit a battery against a merchant performing his or her duties during a public health disaster. This change lasts for six months after the disaster declaration expires. Health and Human Services Healthcare Omnibus (SB 1864): Contains numerous Medicaid and healthcare provisions. Authorizes the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Insurance to take certain actions to address COVID-19 including expanding telehealth, phone or verbal approval by an applicant to submit an application in lieu of applicant signature and authorizing presumptive eligibility. Provides for COVID-19 testing for the uninsured and noncitizens. Creates the Kidney Disease Prevention and Education Task Force. Codifies current practice by transferring the Illinois Health Information Exchange authority to HFS as the Illinois Health Information Office. Includes cleanup language for Medicaid income verification and Medicaid eligibility. Authorizes an offsite institutional pharmacy to supply substance use emergency kits to a licensed health care facility. Codifies into statute an FY20 rate increase for home health visits. Requires HFS to adopt, by rule, a model to ensure that HFS can follow through with implementation of integrated health homes. Requires remote monitoring and support services in community

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integrated living facilities. Requires Medicaid coverage for routine care costs incurred in the course of an approved clinical trial if Medicaid would provide coverage for the same routine care costs not incurred in clinical trial. Assures that the provided coverage is subject to terms, conditions, restrictions and exclusions that apply generally under Medicaid and to healthcare services rendered by participating providers and nonparticipating providers. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, to oversee a feasibility study to explore options to make health insurance more affordable for low-income and middle-income residents and sets out requirements for the study and reporting. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions requiring facilities to complete a Physician Certification Statement prior to ordering non-emergency transportation service for a patient scheduled for discharge, provides that if a ground ambulance provider, medi-car provider, or service car provider is unable to obtain the required Physician Certification Statement within 10 calendar days following the date of the service, the ground ambulance provider, medi-car provider, or service car provider must document its attempt to obtain the requested certification and may then submit the claim for payment.

FY21 Hospital Assessment Plan (SB 2541): Lays out the FY21 hospital assessment plan. The total program makes $3.8 billion in payments to hospitals stemming from $165 billion in assessment on hospitals, $210 million from the General Revenue Fund, and $2.17 billion in federal matching funds. A total of $248 million

in new net payments will be awarded annually to hospitals for specific projects.

Sexual Assault Testing (SB 557): Allows sexual assault survivors the temporary ability to have to have a rape kit completed at federally-qualified health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local and State Government Local Government COVID Response (HB 2096): Makes a number of changes in state law aimed at assisting local governments’ response to COVID-19. Allows a statutorily required annual township meeting to be held the third Tuesday after 6PM in the month following the expiration of a disaster declaration by the Governor. Allows nonresident students in unincorporated areas who live in a household that falls below the USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines to obtain a library card without paying non-resident fees. Allows competitive bidding for construction to be done electronically for schools, and allows construction bids in the School Code of more than $25,000 to be agreed to electronically. Stipulates that stimulus checks from the CARES ACT cannot be counted toward eligibility for township general assistance and township emergency general assistance. Allows Cook County to partner with developers to build low-income or mixed-income housing. Sunset Extensions Omnibus (HB 2174): Extends the sunset date of the various state acts, funds and programs. Extends sunset date on prohibition against Home Rule taxes on power plants to Jan. 1, 2022. Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Coal Resources Development Law of 1997 is extended until Dec. 31, 2021. Extends sunset date of 911

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systems to Dec. 31, 2021. Local governments can continue landline telecom surcharges to Jan. 1, 2022. Locals can continue wireless surcharges until Dec. 31, 2021. Next Generation 911 Program continues until July 1, 2021. Statewide 911 Fund surcharges continues until June 30, 2021. Emergency Telephone Systems Act (911) is extended until Dec. 31, 2021. Extends the Telecommunications Regulation law to Dec. 31, 2021. Extends the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007 to Dec. 31, 2021. Extends ICC authorizations to Dec. 31, 2024. Extends the Transportation Network Providers Act to June 1, 2021. Extends the sunset of a provision of the Mechanics Lien Act regarding the time frame in which to file a lien to Dec. 31, 2021. Extends the Effective Date of the Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act to March 1, 2021. Extends the sunset date of four acts in the Regulatory Sunset Act set to expire on Jan. 1, 2021. Extends the Cemetery Oversight Act to Jan. 1, 2022. Extends the Crematory Regulation Act to Jan. 1, 2022. Extends the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act to Jan. 1, 2022. Extends the Radiation Protection Act of 1990 to Jan. 1, 2022.

Sunset Extension Omnibus (SB 1857): Amends a number of statutes to postpone reports and automatic sunsets. Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act to extend the sunset date for the Notarization Task Force on Best Practices and Verification Standards to Implement Electronic Notarization from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021. Amends the Illinois Lottery Law to reauthorizes the special scratch-off game for Alzheimer’s awareness and extend the sunset date from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022. Amends the Criminal Identification Act to extend the sunset

date for the Cook County expungement- and sealing-fee waiver pilot program from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022. Amends the Criminal Diversion Racial Impact Data Collection Act to extend the sunset of the collection of racial and ethnic arrest data from Dec. 31, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021. Amends the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission Act to delay its automatic repeal from Jan. 1, 2021, until Jan. 1, 2022. Amends the Language Access to Government Services Task Force Act to delay its automatic repeal from Jan.1, 2021, until Jan. 1, 2022. Amends the Protection of Individuals with Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System Task Force Act of 2019 to extend the deadline for the Protection of Individuals with Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System Task Force to submit its report from Sept. 30, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. Amends the State Finance Act to delay the automatic repeal of the Capital Development Board Revolving Fund from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to 1) delay the automatic repeal of the single-prime provision from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022, 2) delay the automatic repeal of the design-bid-build construction provision from Dec. 31, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021, and 3) delay the automatic beginning date for new design-bid-build provisions from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022. Amends the State Property Control Act to extend the deadline for making a decision on the disposal of the Thompson Building (JRTC) from April 5, 2021, until April 5, 2022. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to extend the sunset date from December 2020 to December 2021 for an annual employer tax credit for matching contributions to employees’ 529 college savings accounts. Amends the Illinois Pension Code to extend the provision allowing retired teachers

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to return to work without jeopardizing their annuity for up to 120 days out of the 176-day school year until June 30, 2021. Starting July 1, 2021, they will only be able to work up to 100 hours. Amends the Environmental Protection Act to extend the rules adopted under the Clean Air Act as amended by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Extends the mandate through Dec. 31, 2021. (Under current statute, these rules expired Dec. 31, 2019.) Amends the Clerks of Courts Act to extend the sunset on circuit court filing fees and the assessment report on the fees collected in civil cases from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022.

Government Emergency Administration Act (SB 2135): Creates new acts and amends several others to provide government with the tools needed to continue serving the people and better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Establishes a commission to advise and review efforts to revive the economy with members appointed by leaders of the four caucuses of the General Assembly. Allows for a study about providing free broadband Internet access to all Illinois residents. Under certain circumstances, allows for remote witnessing and notarization. Gives the Secretary of State the power to extend various expiration dates if there is a statewide disaster declaration based on a pandemic or similar emergency. Changes how museums, aquariums and zoological parks provide free access to the public. Creates a task force to study the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on businesses and the need for changes to business interruption insurance policies. Allows for

municipal appropriation deadliness to be extended during an emergency.

Taxes, Fees, Credits, and Financial Institutions Omnibus Property Tax Relief Bill (SB 685): Provides for automatic property tax exemption applications. For the Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities, Homestead Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities, and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, authorizes the County Assessor to approve the exemptions for the 2020 tax year, without application, for any property that was approved for the exemption in the 2019 tax year, provided that the property meets specified criteria. For the Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities only, provides that the eligible veteran whose service connected disability rating has changed since the 2019 exemption was granted may apply for the exemption based on the subsequent service-connected disability rating. For the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption only, provides that the County Assessor may conduct audits of any taxpayer claiming this exemption to verify that the taxpayer is eligible to receive the exemption. Waiving Interest on Delinquent PTAX Payments. Provides that for the 2019 tax year only, the county board of a county outside of Cook may adopt an ordinance or resolution under which some or all of the interest penalty for the delinquent payment of any installment other than the final installment of taxes for the 2019 tax year shall be waived for all taxpayers in the county, for a period of 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the

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101st General Assembly or until the first day of the first month during which there is no longer a statewide COVID-19 public health emergency, as evidenced by an effective disaster declaration of the Governor covering all counties in the State. Postponing Scavenger Sales. Provides that under no circumstances may a tax year be offered at scavenger sale prior to the annual tax sale for that tax year. Provides that in Cook County only, all application for judgment and order of sale for taxes and special assessments on delinquent properties shall be made within 365 days of the second installment due date for each tax year beginning in tax year 2018. Provides that the application for judgment and order of sale for the 2018 annual tax sale that would normally be held in calendar year 2020 shall not be filed earlier than the first day of the first month during which there is no longer a statewide COVID-19 public health emergency, as evidenced by an effective disaster declaration of the Governor covering all counties in the State. Provides that in all counties other than Cook County, the annual tax sale that would ordinarily be held in 2020 shall be held no earlier than 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly , or until the first day of the first month during which there is no longer a statewide COVID-19 public health emergency, as evidenced by an effective disaster declaration of the Governor covering all counties in the State.

Omnibus TIF Extension (SB 2052): Extends 11 tax increment financing districts for an additional 12 years (from 23 to 35 years) for 10 municipalities, including Okawville, Vandalia, Rushville, Quincy, Park Forest, Chicago’s North

Point TIF District, two TIFs for Maywood, Mahomet, Washburn, New Berlin.

Transportation, Infrastructure and Vehicular Regulation & Safety Toll Bridge Rates (SB 531): Amends the Toll Bridge Act to allow a county board to enter into an agreement establishing a toll rate schedule for a period not to exceed 99 years, as determined by the county board. Also states that this legislation is declarative of existing law and shall be given retroactive effect.