Committee Updates
Both the House and Senate will return to Springfield next week. Governor Pritzker will give a combined “state of the state” and budget address on Wednesday.
House Cybersecurity was canceled this week. Right to Repair (HB 3061) had been posted for votes. The Chamber opposes this measure. This committee has yet to post for next week, but it has until Friday afternoon to do so.
Accordingly, I would not be surprised to see anything posting for next week.
There are no tech bills of interest posted in the Senate.
New Bills of Interest
Last Friday was the Senate filing deadline. This afternoon is the House filing deadline. Here are the newly filed bills of interest from the last few days.
Broadband
SB 3710 (Koehler)/ HB 4918 (Halpin)- Creates credit for the cost of equipment and materials used in the business of providing broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act to exempt equipment and materials used to provide broadband services in a county in the State with a population of fewer than 40,000 people or a township in the State with a population density of less than 50 households per square mile in a county with a population of less than 300,000 people.
SB 3683 (Joyce) - Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish and implement a statewide broadband service grant program. Provides that the Department shall use money from the grant program only for the exclusive purpose of awarding grants to applicants for projects that are limited to the construction and deployment of broadband service into unserved areas in the State and for the Department's cost to administer the program.
SB 3748 (Turner) - Creates the Broadband Truth in Advertising Act.
Cryptocurrency
SB 3643 (Rezin) – Adds large scale cryptocurrency miners to the data center tax incentive. Does not change any of the requirements of the act (e.g. total investment amounts, job requirements, etc) Modifies "qualifying Illinois Data center" to include data centers engaged in cryptocurrency mining over a 60-month period that may begin no earlier than 60 months prior the effective date of this Act; or data centers engaged in cryptocurrency commencing before the effective date of this Act and ending after the effective date of this Act in the case of a data center. This is an Illinois Chamber initiative.
Electronic Signatures
HB 4966 (Cassidy) - Provides that, no later than January 1, 2024, the State Board of Elections shall adopt rules authorizing election authorities and local election officials to establish procedures under which digital voter signatures may be collected for nominating, candidate, and referendum petitions
Transportation Network Companies (TNC)
SB 3752 (Crowe)- Amends the Transportation Network Providers Act. Provides that a TNC vehicle must display a consistent and distinctive signage or emblem, which shall be known as a trade dress, at all times the TNC driver is active on the TNC digital platform or providing TNC services. Provides that the trade dress must be readable during daylight hours at a distance of 50 feet, must include an illuminated TNC-provided sign displaying the company's proprietary trademark or logo that is patently visible so as to be seen in the darkness, and may be magnetic or removable in nature. Additionally, a TNC shall not permit an individual to act as a TNC driver on its digital platform for more than 10 hours out of a 24-hour period.
SB 4051 (Villivalam) - Amends the Transportation Network Providers Act. Provides that solely for purposes of provisions concerning safety, TNCs or TNC drivers are not common carriers, contract carriers or motor carriers, as defined by applicable State law, nor do they provide taxicab or for-hire vehicle service. Effective immediately. The Illinois Chamber opposes this bill.
