Bill Text: IL SB1820 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Property Tax Code to freeze the tax assessment for electricity generating plants for a period of 5 years beginning the year the electricity generating plant is closed. Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act to authorize additional benefits for individuals whose unemployment or partial unemployment is attributable to a layoff from an electric power plant.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-16 - Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB1820 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SB1820-Introduced.html

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102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 SB1820 Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. David Koehler SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
35 ILCS 200/15-190 new
820 ILCS 405/408.5
Amends the Property Tax Code to freeze the tax assessment for electricity generating plants for a period of 5 years beginning the year the electricity generating plant is closed. Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act to authorize additional benefits for individuals whose unemployment or partial unemployment is attributable to a layoff from an electric power plant.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning revenue and employment.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by adding
Section 15-190 as follows:
(35 ILCS 200/15-190 new)
Sec. 15-190. Electricity generating plant tax assessment
freeze. Beginning in the year an electricity generating plant
is closed, the closed plant is granted a property tax
assessment freeze for a period of 5 years. The amount at which
the property tax assessment shall be frozen shall be
determined by calculating the average equalized assessed value
of the property for the year the plant is closed and the
equalized assessed value of the property during the 4 years
preceding the year the plant was closed.
Section 10. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by
changing Section 408.5 as follows:
(820 ILCS 405/408.5)
Sec. 408.5. Additional benefits.
A. Additional benefits shall be available:
1. only with respect to benefit years beginning on or

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after April 1, 2017 2015 and prior to the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 102nd 99th General Assembly;
and
2. to an otherwise eligible individual: (a) who was
certified as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance
under the federal Trade Act of 1974, as amended, on or
after January 1, 2015; (b) who has not received the
maximum amount of trade readjustment allowances payable to
him or her pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of
Section 233 of the federal Trade Act of 1974, as amended,
as a result of the certification referenced in item (a) of
this paragraph 2; and (c) whose total or partial
unemployment is attributable to a layoff from an electric
power plant or coal mine a steel manufacturer.
B. An individual shall be eligible to receive additional
benefits pursuant to this Section for a week if he or she: (1)
has met the requirements of Section 500E of this Act; (2) is an
exhaustee; and (3) except when the result would be
inconsistent with the provisions of this Section, has
satisfied the requirements of this Act for the receipt of
regular benefits as that term is defined in Section 409 of this
Act.
C. For the purposes of this Section, an individual is an
exhaustee with respect to a week if:
1. prior to such week: (a) he or she has received, with
respect to his or her current benefit year that includes

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such week, the maximum total amount of benefits to which
he or she was entitled under the provisions of Section
403B, and all of the regular benefits (including
dependents' allowances) to which he or she had entitlement
(if any) on the basis of wages or employment under any
other State unemployment compensation law; or (b) he or
she has received all the regular benefits available to him
or her with respect to his or her current benefit year that
includes such week, under this Act and under any other
State unemployment compensation law, after a cancellation
of some or all of his or her wage credits or the partial or
total reduction of his or her regular benefit rights; or
(c) his or her benefit year terminated, and he or she
cannot meet the qualifying wage requirements of Section
500E of this Act or the qualifying wage or employment
requirements of any other State unemployment compensation
law to establish a new benefit year which would include
such week or, having established a new benefit year that
includes such week, he or she is ineligible for regular
benefits by reason of Section 607 of this Act or a like
provision of any other State unemployment compensation
law; and
2. for such week: (a) he or she has no right to
benefits or allowances, as the case may be, under the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, the federal Trade Act
of 1974, as amended, or such other federal laws as are

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specified in regulations of the United States Secretary of
Labor or other appropriate federal agency; and (b) he or
she has not received and is not seeking benefits under the
unemployment compensation law of Canada, except that if he
or she is seeking such benefits and the appropriate agency
finally determines that he or she is not entitled to
benefits under such law, this clause shall not apply; and
3. the week for which additional benefits are being
claimed is not later than 78 seventy-eight weeks after the
end of the individual's benefit year for which benefits
can be claimed under this Section.
For the purposes of clauses (a) and (b) of paragraph 1 of
this subsection, an individual shall be deemed to have
received, with respect to his or her current benefit year, the
maximum total amount of benefits to which he or she was
entitled or all of the regular benefits to which he or she had
entitlement, or all of the regular benefits available to him
or her, as the case may be, even though: (a) as a result of a
pending reconsideration or appeal with respect to the
"finding" defined in Section 701, or of a pending appeal with
respect to wages or employment or both under any other State
unemployment compensation law, he or she may subsequently be
determined to be entitled to more regular benefits; or (b) by
reason of a seasonality provision in a State unemployment
compensation law which establishes the weeks of the year for
which regular benefits may be paid to individuals on the basis

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of wages in seasonal employment he or she may be entitled to
regular benefits for future weeks but such benefits are not
payable with respect to the week for which he or she is
claiming additional benefits, provided that he or she is
otherwise an exhaustee under the provisions of this subsection
with respect to his or her rights to regular benefits, under
such seasonality provision, during the portion of the year in
which that week occurs; or (c) having established a benefit
year, no regular benefits are payable to him or her with
respect to such year because his or her wage credits were
cancelled or his or her rights to regular benefits were
totally reduced by reason of the application of a
disqualification provision of a State unemployment
compensation law.
An individual shall not cease to be an exhaustee with
respect to any week solely because he or she meets the
qualifying wage requirements of Section 500E for a part of
such week.
D. The provisions of Section 607 and the waiting period
requirements of Section 500D shall not be applicable to any
week with respect to which benefits are otherwise payable
under this Section.
E. With respect to any week payable under this Section, an
exhaustee's "weekly additional benefit amount" shall be the
same as his or her weekly benefit amount during his or her
benefit year which includes such week or, if such week is not

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in a benefit year, during his or her applicable benefit year,
as defined in regulations issued by the United States
Secretary of Labor or other appropriate federal agency. If the
exhaustee had more than one weekly benefit amount during his
or her benefit year, his or her weekly additional benefit
amount with respect to such week shall be the latest of such
weekly benefit amounts.
F. An eligible exhaustee shall be entitled to a maximum
total amount of additional benefits equal to the maximum total
amount of benefits to which he or she was entitled under
Section 403B, plus dependents' allowances, during his or her
applicable benefit year, minus the sum of any trade
readjustment allowances he or she has received as a result of
the certification referenced in item (a) of paragraph 2 of
subsection A.
G. 1. A claims adjudicator shall examine the first claim
filed by an individual who meets the requirements of
subsection A and, on the basis of the information in his or her
possession, shall make an "additional benefits finding". Such
finding shall state whether or not the individual has met the
requirement of subsection E of Section 500 of this Act, is an
exhaustee and, if so, his or her weekly additional benefit
amount and the maximum total amount of additional benefits to
which he or she is entitled. The claims adjudicator shall
promptly notify the individual of his or her "additional
benefits finding", and shall promptly notify the individual's

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most recent employing unit and the individual's last employer
(referred to in Section 1502.1) that the individual has filed
a claim for additional benefits. The claims adjudicator may
reconsider his or her "additional benefits finding" at any
time within 2 years after the close of the individual's
applicable benefit year, and shall promptly notify the
individual of such reconsidered finding. All of the provisions
of this Act applicable to reviews from findings or
reconsidered findings made pursuant to Sections 701 and 703
which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this
subsection shall be applicable to reviews from additional
benefits findings and reconsidered additional benefits
findings.
2. If, pursuant to the reconsideration or appeal with
respect to a "finding", referred to in subsection C, an
exhaustee is found to be entitled to more regular benefits
and, by reason thereof, is entitled to more additional
benefits, the claims adjudicator shall make a reconsidered
additional benefits finding and shall promptly notify the
exhaustee thereof.
H. Benefits payable pursuant to this Section shall be paid
from the unemployment trust fund.
I. No employer shall be chargeable for the additional
benefits paid under this Section.
J. To ensure full compliance and coordination with all
applicable federal laws, including, but not limited to, the

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federal Trade Act of 1974, as amended, the Federal
Unemployment Tax Act, and the Social Security Act, the
Director shall take any action or issue any regulations
necessary in the administration of this Section to ensure that
its provisions are so interpreted and applied as to meet the
requirements of such federal Act as interpreted by the United
States Secretary of Labor or other appropriate Federal agency.