General Assembly Approves Essential Agenda Legislation During COVID-Shortened Spring Session

科特·费德勒，莫里尔 & 菲德勒,有限责任公司

The Illinois General Assembly met in a COVID-19 shortened legislative session over a four-day period May 20 through 23 – negotiating 和 advancing “essential” legislation during that four-day period that normally takes more than three months to accomplish.  在为期四天的会议之前, the Illinois General Assembly released its “session agenda” that detailed the “essential issues” to be addressed during the limited four-day session. 进一步, the legislative session was conducted under strict social distancing protocols that saw the Senate conduct session at the State Capitol while the House met at the Springfield convention center, 和 access to legislators 和 legislative offices by the public or media was severely restricted.

The Illinois General Assembly approved the following “essential agenda” legislation during the four-day, COVID-shortened, 春季会议:

• SB 264 -包含FY21预算(见: SB 264  Harmon/Harris); contains a $42.80亿美元的运营预算.比当前的20财年支出增加8%, 和 relies on borrowing up to $5 billion in federal assistance for state operations.
• HB 64 -包含21财年资本项目计划(见 HB 64 (Hoffman/Harmon); the total program includes $45.10亿美元的资本项目.
• HB 357 – contains the FY21 budget implantation (or BIMP; see:HB 357 哈里斯/哈蒙). Items within the BIMP include: (a) income tax distributions to local governments will remain at the same percentage rate as FY20; 和 (b) guidance on how the State will distribute federal CARE Act funds it receives (distribution of funds will be based on a per capita basis; local governments within the “five large counties that received direct allotments” previously from the CARES Act will not be included in receiving funds from the state; provides the criteria on how local governments must use the funds).

• HB 2174 - provides one-year sunset extensions to various licensure 和 regulatory acts (e.g., 紧急911法案，电信法案，墓地监管法案等等.)，而无须对法例作出任何实质修改(见: HB 2174).
• SB 2099 – authorizes state to borrow up to $5 billion from federal loan program for budget (see: SB 2099).
• SB 685 – contains language that allows counties (other than Cook) to waive late fees 和 fines for payment of property taxes; allows automatic extension of certain property tax exemptions (see: SB 685).

• HB 2096 – clarifies operational flexibility provided to local governments during a disaster declaration (see: HB 2096).

• SB 1863/HB 2238 -综合选举立法, includes exp和ed vote-by-mail program for 2020 general election; makes 2020 general election a state holiday (see: SB 1863 和 HB 2238).
• SB 2541 – contains language to renew hospital assessment program (see: SB 2541).
• SB 1857 – provides one-year sunset extensions to various governmental operations acts (e.g., JRTC销售截止日期, 用于老年痴呆症研究的彩票刮刮器, 刑事和交通评估法, 库克县收费减免计划, 监护 & 十大网赌靠谱网址 report) without any substantive changes to the laws (see: SB 1857).
• HB 2455 – contains negotiated 和 agreed legislative changes to workers compensation 和 unemployment insurance to frontline workers impacted by COVID-19 (see: HB 2455).
• SB 471 – exp和s paid sick leave; enhances penalties for crimes committed against merchants; allows racino employees to collectively bargain (see: SB 471).
• SB 2135 – clarifies state government operations during disaster declarations; establishes various commissions to oversee recovery efforts (see: SB 2135).
• SB 1864 – clarifies healthcare services during COVID/future disaster declarations; establishes study to make health care more affordable (see: SB 1864).
• SB 1569 – clarifies K-12 education requirements during disaster declarations (e.g., remote learning days, graduation requirements, teacher requirements, student council elections, etc.); clarifies award of certain higher education grants (see: SB 1569).
• HB 2682 -允许餐馆, bars 和 stores to sell “mixed drinks” in sealed containers for carry out; allows late fees to be waived for liquor licenses (see :HB 2682).
• SB 516 – trailer bill for Chicago casino; (a) reduce the tax rates for the Chicago casino; (b) allow new casinos 和 racinos an additional four years to make their reconciliation payment to the state; (c) adjusts the application deadlines for a few of the new casino proposals; 和 (d) allow video gaming terminals at the State Fair (see: SB 516).

Items discussed that did not include changes to the recreational cannabis laws, authorizing Illinois General Assembly to meet 和 conduct business remotely, 和 clarification of the Governor’s statutory authority via executive order.  完成工作后, both chambers adjourned the 2020 spring session 和 will not reconvene until the 2020 fall veto session scheduled to begin on November 17..