Delivered via email: December 2, 2022
General Assembly Adjourns Fall Veto Session
On December 1, The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up a busy week of Fall Veto Session. Without many or any gubernatorial vetoes to act upon, the General Assembly has turned Veto Session into an opportunity to revisit issues that warrant further attention. The issues that rose to the top of the agenda this fall were the SAFE-T (Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity Today Act) and the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The changes to the SAFE-T Act came about after the law got a great deal of attention on the campaign trail. The follow-up legislation, House Bill 1095 (Slaughter, D-Chicago) was seen as needed to address concerns before the January 1, 2023, implementation date. HB 1095 passed along partisan lines and will now head to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk.As jobless claims soared during the early throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, so did Illinois’ debt to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund. At one point, the debt to the fund was $4.5 billion. After a loan from the federal government and some additional revenue, the UI trust fund debt stands at $1.8 billion. However, after the passage of Senate Bill 1698 (Holmes, D-Aurora) Illinois has an agreement to pay back the debt and invest more in the UI fund in the future. SB 1698 passed with bipartisan support in a testament to the agreed bill process used by employer groups and those that represent employees. The appropriation of the money to clear the debt, Senate Bill 2801 (Holmes), has not yet passed the House but has cleared the Senate.
SB 2801 will be one of the many topics addressed by the 102nd General Assembly during a January lame duck session. The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to be back under the dome starting January 4 and wrapping up some time before the 103rd General Assembly is sworn in on January 11. While we do not yet know all that will be on the docket, we will do our best to keep you informed of all that is happening and all that will impact school districts.
Several bills that may impact schools were heard during the Veto Session. Below are three of those bills along with their status.
HB 4228 (Morrison, D-Highwood) clarifies that School Districts are not subject to the requirements of the Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act. Passed by the Senate and awaiting action by the House.
SB 1595 (Cunningham, D-Chicago) extends various Tax Increment Financing districts across the State of Illinois. Passed by the House and the Senate.
SB 4244 (Lightford, D-Hillside) removes the requirement that the township school treasurer shall be a resident of the township. Passed by the Senate and awaiting action by the House.