ISACo News and Views Newsletter for July 15, 2019

July 15, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views newsletter links to a summary of major legislative issues addressed during the 2019 Spring session, includes information about bills recently signed into law by the Governor, provides an update concerning the citizenship question and the 2020 census, reports on ISACo's activities during the 2019 NACo Annual Conference and invites counties to join ISACo.

Previously published News and Views newsletters are available via this link.

Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information.

2019 Spring Session Summary

In case you missed ISACo's coverage of the major issues acted upon by the General Assembly during the 2019 Spring legislative session, please review our summary ( available via this link ).

This summary is a companion document to our comprehensive Bills of Interest to Counties Approved by the General Assembly - 2019 report ( available via this link ).

Governor Signs Several Bills into Law

Last week, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed several bill into law. Some of the bills affect or are of interest to counties. They are as follows:

SB 39 - Property Tax Relief Fund

The law ( available via this link ) creates the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund and provides that moneys in the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund shall be used to pay rebates to residential property taxpayers in the State. Effective immediately.

SB 1139 - Eavesdropping Exemption

The law ( available via this link ) extends the sunset on the eavesdropping exemption for law enforcement and makes minor changes to the FOID Card Act, the Concealed Carry Act, the Firearm Dealer License Certification Act and the Wildlife Code. Effective immediately.

HB 92 - Arrest Waiver Delay

The law ( available via this link ) requires law enforcement officers to request a waiver to delay the execution of a warrant of arrest - if it is not for a forcible felony, a violent crime, or an alleged violation of parole or mandatory supervised release - for survivors of sexual assault so they can receive medical care. Effective January 1, 2020.

HB 269 - Workers' Compensation Enforcement Action

The law ( available via this link ) allows one commissioner rather than the full Workers' Compensation Commission to approve enforcement action against an employer. The law also increases penalties for violations of the Workers' Compensation Act. Effective January 1, 2020.

HB 1552 - Local Tax Payments

The law ( available via this link ) requires horse racing facilities to pay municipal and county taxes no later than the 20th of the following month rather than remitting to the Illinois Racing Board within 48 hours. Effective immediately.

HB 2722 - Public Construction Bonds

The law ( available via this link ) allows public construction bonds to be used for payment for apparatus, fixtures and machinery used in the completion of a contract. Effective January 1, 2020.

HB 3038 - Hospital Transfers for Sexual Assault Survivors

The law ( available via this link ) sets conditions where the Department of Public Health can approve a hospital transfer for survivors of sexual assault. Effective immediately.

2020 Census Update

Following a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) unfavorable to the inclusion of a citizenship question as a part of the 2020 census, the Trump administration will no longer pursue the inclusion of the question.

The administration has indicated it will pursue other avenues to obtain citizenship information. This will involve the issuance of an Executive Order directing various federal agencies to share citizenship information from their extensive databases with the U.S. Census Bureau.

ISACo Joins Illinois County Officials at NACo Annual Conference

NACo's 84th Annual Conference is happening now! ISACo is active at the conference working with Illinois county official and attending valuable education sessions.

Pictures of Illinois county officials at the conference are posted on our Facebook page and available via this link. Several of the pictures were taken during an ISACo dinner sponsored by Nationwide. This event was a tremendous success and represents the most well-attended event ever for Illinois county officials at a NACo conference.

A brief video hosted by ISACo Vice President and DuPage County Board member Jim Healy featuring comments by some attendees of the NACo Transportation Steering Committee is available via this link .

DuPage County was recognized at the 2019 NACo Achievement Awards for its shared services program. A brief video of the presentation is available via this link.

The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!

Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?

ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.

ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.

Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.

If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. Thank you for your consideration.

News and Views is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.