Amends the School Code. Provides that when registering or seeking recognition status with the State Board of Education, a nonpublic elementary or secondary school shall include assurances that the school will not prohibit religious hairstyles, hair-related religious practices, or facial hair worn in accordance with a student's or employee's sincerely held religious beliefs, observance, or practice. Provides that a school uniform or dress code policy adopted by a school board or local school council may not include or apply to religious hairstyles, hair-related religious practices, or facial hair worn in accordance with a student's sincerely held religious beliefs, observance, or practice. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that in the Articles governing employment, financial credit, and public accommodations it is a civil rights violation to use criteria or methods including practices, policies, and groups of practices or policies that has the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination prohibited under the Act. Changes the definition of "unlawful discrimination" to mean discrimination against a person, whether by purpose or effect, because of his or her actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, reproductive health decisions, or unfavorable discharge from military service as those terms are defined in the Act.
Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that the use of genetic testing, biomarker testing, or both (rather than only genetic testing), and the information derived from testing is confidential and privileged and may be released only to the individual tested and persons specifically authorized in writing by the individual tested to receive the information. Provides that an insurer may not seek information derived from genetic or biomarker testing (rather than only genetic testing) for use in connection with a policy of accident or health insurance (unless the individual voluntarily submits the results and the results are favorable to the individual), for nontherapeutic purposes, or for underwriting purposes. In provisions concerning the use of testing information by employers, provides that an employer may release genetic testing or biomarker testing information (rather than only genetic testing information) under specified circumstances. Limits an employer's use of genetic information, genetic testing, biomarkers, and biomarker testing (rather than only genetic information and genetic testing). In provisions concerning testing, provides that no person may disclose or be compelled to disclose the identity of any person upon whom a genetic test or biomarker test (rather than only genetic test) is performed or the results of a genetic test or biomarker test (rather than only genetic test) in a manner that permits identification of the subject of the test, except to the persons specified in the Act. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines "biomarker" and "biomarker testing". Makes other and conforming changes.
Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Provides that, whenever an eligible employee suffers any injury or illness in the line of duty (rather than suffers any injury in the line of duty) which causes that employee to be unable to perform the employee's duties, the employee shall continue to be paid by the employing public entity on the same gross pay basis, inclusive of all pensionable salary, as the employee was paid before the injury (rather than paid by the employing public entity on the same basis as he was paid before the injury), with no deduction from and with continued accrual of any sick leave credits (rather than with no deduction from his sick leave credits) and specified other compensation, with other requirements. Makes technical changes.
Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. In a provision requiring a school board, before setting a hearing on charges stemming from causes that are considered remediable, to give a teacher reasonable warning, in writing, stating specifically the causes that, if not removed, may result in charges, allows a teacher to grieve the issuance of such warning pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement to determine whether the board had just cause in issuing the warning. Requires the written warning to narrowly specify the nature of the alleged misconduct that needs to be remedied. Provides that under no circumstances may the written warning remain effective for longer than 4 years from the date of the issuance of the written warning. Requires the school district to use reasonable efforts to remove the written warning from the teacher's personnel file after the 4 years have elapsed or sooner if agreed to through the exclusive bargaining representative, with an exception. Effective immediately.
Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Provides that employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply to volunteer emergency workers participating in required training, including a prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than only termination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee to take vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to an emergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not apply to any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more (currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes.
Creates the Transparency in Downcoding Act. Provides that the Act applies to certain policies of health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act, except for employee or employer self-insured health benefit plans under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and health care provided pursuant to the Workers' Compensation Act or the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from using an automated process, system, or tool to downcode a claim; from downcoding a claim based solely on the reported diagnosis codes; and from using downcoding practices in a targeted or discriminatory manner against physicians who routinely treat patients with complex or chronic conditions. Requires downcoding decisions to be made by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in any United States jurisdiction and of the same or similar specialty as a physician who typically manages the medical condition or disease. Sets forth provisions concerning notification requirements for downcoded claims; the appeal process for downcoded claims; enforcement by the Department of Insurance; and penalties. Provides that any pattern or practice of discriminatory downcoding identified by the Director of Insurance or another regulatory authority shall be subject to enforcement actions, including fines, restitution, or suspension of the health insurance issuer's license in this State. Effective immediately.
Amends the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article of the School Code. Prohibits an evaluator from using an artificial intelligence tool to assign a numerical score or qualitative rating for any component of a teacher's evaluation or any evaluation task that requires professional judgment. However, allows an artificial intelligence tool to be used to support the evaluator in administrative tasks.
Amends the Health Care Violence Prevention Act. Makes changes to defined terms. In provisions concerning workplace safety, provides that a health care worker may not be discouraged from contacting law enforcement or the Department of Public Health regarding workplace violence and a health care provider may not hold a policy that limits such contact. Adds additional requirements to the workplace violence prevention program, including reporting requirements and identifying the need for additional security and alarms, adequate exit routes, monitoring systems, barrier protections, lighting, entry procedures, and systems to identify and flag persons who have previously committed violent acts in the health care provider space. Sets forth provisions concerning violent incident investigations and recordkeeping and reporting requirements for health care providers regarding violent incidents. Establishes penalties for failure to comply with the Act. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from public disclosure workplace violence records maintained by health care providers as required under a specified provision of the Health Care Violence Prevention Act.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning colocation of photovoltaic community renewable generation projects, changes references from "community renewable generation project" to "photovoltaic community renewable generation project" and "community solar projects" to "photovoltaic community renewable generation projects". Requires a project labor agreement for the new construction of certain facilities related to community-driven community solar projects. In a provision applying prevailing wage requirements to facilities for which a renewable energy credit delivery contract is signed, removes an exception for multi-family residential buildings with aggregate geothermal system tonnage, including colocated projects, of no more than 29 tons. Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall jointly develop activities to support the recruitment of eligible candidates to the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program. Provides that the activities shall include coordinating on sharing with community-based providers the contact information of persons preparing to be released into the community, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, if the person preparing to be released consents to the person's contact information being shared. Makes other changes.
