This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes links to several ISACo-tracked bills scheduled for committee hearings this week as well as tracked bills approved by committees last week, provides information about proposed legislation intended to merge Chicago area transit agencies, discusses legislation that would regulate migrant busing within Illinois, shares an announcement about funding for permanent supportive housing, includes information about a grant opportunity for community revitalization, provides current CD and Treasury Rates via ISACo corporate partner IPRIME, announces upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo’s partnership with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and invites counties to join ISACo.

List of Tracked Bills in Committee

The following ISACo-tracked bills are posted for possible committee hearings this week. If there is no position listed then the bill is still under review by staff. In some cases, initial ISACo positions may be changed in the future. A complete list of ISACo tracked bills is available via this link.

HB 2385 - Ins-Colonoscopy Coverage (No Position)

HB 2536 - Elec Cd-Mock Election-Children (No Position)

HB 3763 - Personnel Record Review (No Position)

HB 3773 - Limit Predictive Analytics Use (No Position)

HB 3886 - IDPH-Public Health Emergencies (No Position)

HB 3904 - Local Official Vacancy Posting (Oppose)

HB 4180 - Insurance-Diagnostic Mammogram (No Position)

HB 4489 - Bike/Pedestrian Path Funding (ISACo Initiative)

HB 4590 - Animal Adoption-Fee Waiver (Support)

HB 4715 - Unmanned Aircraft Regulation (Support)

HB 4722 - Priv Party-Vehicle Relocation (No Position)

HB 4804 - Unplanned Water Supply Disrupt (Support)

HB 4816 - Pretrial Success-Grants (Support)

HB 4848 - Veh Cd-Load Covers (No Position)

HB 4903 - Sch Cd-Air Quality Task Force (No Position)

HB 4959 - Creative Economy Task Force (No Position)

HB 5085 - EMS Act Training & Curriculum (No Position)

HB 5095 - Nursing Home-Discharge (No Position)

HB 5128 - Em Telephone-Board Members (No Position)

HB 5138 - IDOT-Studies-Local Governments (Support)

HB 5166 - Elk Grove Fire Protection Dist (No Position)

HB 5258 - Ins-Dependent Parent Coverage (No Position)

HB 5403 - Elec Cd-Primary Petition Date (No Position)

HB 5431 - Pregnant Prisoners-Restraints (Support)

HB 5546 - Julie-Positive Response System (No Position)

HB 5643 - Ins Cd-Pregnancy Tests (No Position)

HB 5650 - ICJIA-Community Violence (Support)

SB 0692 - Interjurisdictional Industrial Zoning Impacts Task Force (Support)

SB 1293 - Prop Tx-Veterans (Support)

SB 2346 - Grant Transparency-Report (No Position)

SB 2371 - County Employee-Managerial (Oppose)

SB 2744 - Ins-Vaccine Administration Fee (No Position)

SB 2759 - Adoptee Medical Testing (No Position)

SB 2782 - $DNR-Healthy Forests-Prairies (Support)

SB 2798 - Land Transfer-Monroe, Kane Co (No Position)

SB 2849 - Unmanned Aircraft Regulation (Support)

SB 2906 - Home Rule County Use Tax Law (Support)

SB 3091 - IDNR-Land Transfer-Will Co (No Position)

SB 3201 - Police Training-Autism (No Position)

SB 3209 - Prop Tx-Charitable Exemption (Oppose)

SB 3299 - Arts Council-Arts Initiative (No Position)

SB 3389 - Regional Planning Act-CMAP (No Position)

SB 3455 - IDOR-Prop Tx Study (Support)

SB 3458 - Resilient Illinois Loan Fund (Support)

SB 3470 - Pretrial Success-Grants (Support)

SB 3483 - EPA-Local Gov EV Grant (Support)

SB 3608 - Local Reg-State Facilities (No Position)

SB 3713 - Crime Victims Comp Act (No Position)

*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information." ISACo positions of "support" or "oppose" are usually reserved for bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations. ISACo also supports member county initiatives that are consistent with ISACo's County Platform. 

Tracked Bills Approved by Committees Last Week

HB 0588 - Regulation of Intercity Buses Act (Support)

HB 4834 - Crim Id-Sealing-One Year (Under Review)

HB 5561 - Whistleblower Act (Under Review)

SB 0773 - Insurance Mandate - Infertility Treatments (No Position)

SB 2412 - Elec Wrker Protection & Candidate (No Position)

SB 2617 - Cottage Food Operations (Under Review)

SB 2626 - Crim Id Act-Expungement Filing (No Position)

SB 2641 - Network Adequacy-Specialists (No Position)

SB 2643 - Integrity In Death Care Act (No Position)

SB 2644 - SOS-Advance Directive Registry (Under Review)

SB 2672 - Ins Cd-Generic Drug Shortage (Under Review)

SB 2743 - Water Plan Task Force Act (Under Review)

SB 2751 - Local-Disabled Vet Permit Fee (Oppose)

SB 2778 - Sheriff Dept-Veteran Exam (No Position)

SB 2781 - Forests-Wetlands-Prairies (Support)

SB 2938 - Mosquito Abate Dist-Powers (No Position)

SB 3077 - Food Infrastructure-Grant (Support)

SB 3116 - EMS/Officers-Cell Medical Info (Under Review)

SB 3137 - Mental Health-Death Notice (No Position)

SB 3173 - County/Muni-Broadband Projects (Support)

SB 3182 - Birth Certificate-Stillbirth (No Position)

SB 3202 - Bikeway Act-Transport Plan (Under Review)

SB 3219 - Grocery Initiative-Grants (No Position)

SB 3232 - Abandoned Infants-Hospitals (No Position)

SB 3279 - IEMA-Groundwater-Local (No Position)

SB 3342 - Pesticides-Application Notice (Oppose)

SB 3353 - Community-Based Cor Task Force (No Position)

SB 3402 - Counties Cd/FPD Act-Ambulances (No Position)

SB 3405 - Counties-Problem-Solving Court (Support)

SB 3414 - Ins-Continuous Glucose Monitor (No Position)

SB 3418 - Hwy Commissioner/Clerk-Elect (Under Review)

SB 3429 - Sanitary Dist-Disconnection (No Position)

SB 3451 - Rail Safety Recommendations (Support)

SB 3463 - Juv Ct-Automatic Expungement (No Position)

SB 3501 - Outdoor Lighting Control Act (Under Review)

SB 3538 - Loc First Responder Insurance (Oppose)

SB 3566 - EPA-Vehicle Washing (No Position)

SB 3597 - Counties Cd-Borrowing Money (Support)

SB 3599 - Ins-Mobile Integrated Health (No Position)

SB 3648 - Community Em Services & Support (No Position)

SB 3716 - Lake Mich Monitoring-Reporting (No Position)

Lawmakers Propose Merger of Chicago Area Transit Agencies

The Chicago Tribune published an article about proposed legislation in Springfield to merge the public bus and rail systems that serve residents of Cook and the Collar Counties. The proposal is part of a broader look at transit funding, as the region's public transit agencies face a combined $730 million budget hole once federal COVID-19 relief funding starts running out, which could be as soon as 2025.

The Tribune article is available via this link. 

The legislation is available below:

HB 5823 - Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act

HB 5829 - Clean and Equitable Transportation 

HB 5828 - Metropolitan Mobility Authority (Appropriation Legislation) 

Legislation Introduced to Regulate Migrant Busing Within Illinois

On April 17, 2024, Representative Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) filed HA#2 to HB 588 to create the Regulation of Intercity Buses Act.

The amendment proposes to "protect the health and safety of people traveling on intercity buses by regulating when and where carriers, operators and bus drivers can load and unload passengers." The amendment is permissive in nature and would afford counties and municipalities with an additional measure of control over where and when migrants are bussed into their jurisdictions. 

Ultimately, the amendment would provide that designated transportation officials in counties and municipalities have the option to identify one or more landing zones where intracity buses are permitted to load and unload passengers. These landing zones must be posted on the website of the county or municipality (if it has one) and in the primary office of the county or municipality. Each landing zone must provide lawful access to a heated and sheltered premise from November 1 through April 30.

The amendment would also establish designated days and hours for loading or unloading passengers at the landing zones. The designated days and hours for loading or unloading passengers would be between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on eligible weekdays (any weekday other than a State holiday). The designated transportation official may shorten the designated days and hours to a minimum of a 5-hour time period between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, each eligible weekday. 

Designated transportation officials would be required to comply with specified posting requirements involving the county or municipal website and primary office when changing landing zones or shortening the number of days or hours that passengers can be loaded or unloaded from buses. In each case, 7-days notice must be provided in advance of a change. 

For instances when a county or municipality does not identify a landing zone, an intercity bus could not load or unload passengers outside the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm each eligible weekday at a location where passengers do not have immediate and lawful access to a heated and sheltered premise from November 1 through April 30.

Under the amendment, non-home rule counties and municipalities would be allowed to adopt ordinances to regulate the operations of intercity buses pertaining to the loading or unloading of passengers in a manner more restrictive than what is provided under the Act. The amendment specifies what such ordinances can include. Home rule counties (Cook) and municipalities are not permitted to regulate intercity buses in a manner less restrictive than the Act.

The proposed amendment includes penalties and a civil cause for of action for the offense of unlawfully operating an intercity bus that loads or unloads passengers in a county or municipality in violation of the Act. The Act can be enforced by state and local law enforcement. The Attorney General would also be permitted to investigate alleged or suspected violations of the Act.

ISACo supports HA#2 to HB 588 based on it being a permissive grant of authority for counties to more proactively establish the locations and times that migrants can be transported into their jurisdictions by bus. 

Pritzker Administration Announces Illinois' Largest Annual Award for Permanent Supportive Housing

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has announced more than $123 million in state and federal resources have been awarded by the agency to finance permanent supportive housing throughout Illinois. Awarded under Round X of IHDA’s Permanent Supportive Housing Development Program, this funding represents the largest ever annual award made by the State to fund housing and services for individuals at risk of homelessness, those living with disabilities, or other vulnerable populations. Funds will be used for the construction or rehabilitation of 14 developments containing 392 units of affordable housing that will be integrated with flexible supportive services designed to help residents maintain their housing stability, health, and independence. 

Additional information is available via this link. 

$30 Million Grant Opportunity for Community Revitalization

On April 26, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $30 million in funding for the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital (RDMS, $20 million) and Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE, $10 million) programs to revitalize commercial corridors and downtown areas throughout the state and accelerate local economic recovery initiatives. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

Additional information is available via this link.

Current CD and Treasury Rates Provided by IPRIME

The following rates provided by ISACo corporate partner IPRIME are current as of May 5, 2024. Please click on the image below to review the rates.

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities. 

Connecting Services for Improved Outcomes: Riverside County’s Integrated Services Delivery

(Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)

The presentation will provide an overview of Riverside County’s current Integrated Services Delivery (ISD) initiative to connect health, human, and public safety services to orchestrate our efforts and resources around a constituent-first approach, focusing on delivering the best possible outcomes for our most vulnerable populations. Hear how this endeavor includes the use of artificial intelligence.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Elevate Your Contract Efficiency with NACo's Public Promise Procurement

(Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)

For new and expiring contracts up for bid, consider NACo's recently awarded contract with KONE for elevators, escalators, walkways and lifts.

Learn how the Maricopa County led contract with KONE can help your organization with people moving solutions.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Global Connections for Your Local Economy Virtual Training #4: Understanding Your County’s Competition

(Thursday, May 16, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Ever wonder why multinational companies invest billions in some counties, but pass by others? Or what makes the difference between a successful business interaction which results in hundreds or thousands of new jobs, and one that falls flat? If you’re ready to take your county’s economic development to the next level, join the International Economic Development Task Force throughout this Spring for a special virtual training series on how to bring jobs and capital to your community through foreign investment. In this fourth training, we will discuss how to determine your county’s competitive advantage and form your value proposition using key economic data points.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

How to Deliver A County AI Hackathon

(Friday, May 31, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm CST)

One collaborative strategy in prioritizing and evaluating AI Use-Cases is to hold an AI Hackathon. During this webinar, you will hear from Alameda County, California, and King County, Washington, on how they have taken this approach. The concept, steps for preparing, and for delivering the Hackathon will be shared. Tips on how to engage partner and county wide staff will also be covered.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office provides treasury management services for local governments to conduct business safely and efficiently. The Illinois Funds is a $19 billion local government investment pool servicing 1,500 local and state participants, ePAY offers competitively priced payment processing options. The office also offers free cybersecurity training and encryption technologies to our participants. 

Click here to learn more about the Illinois State Treasurer's Office. 

Become an ISACo Member!