Rep. Amy Elik

Creates the Paraprofessional Fast Track to Teaching Degree Pilot Program Act. Makes findings. Provides that the Paraprofessional Fast Track to Teaching Degree Pilot Program is created for a 2-year degree pathway by which paraprofessional educators may enroll to achieve the education requirements to attain a professional educator license in this State, which shall comply with the standards of the State Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education. Provides that, subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year or, if funds are not appropriated for the Program that academic year, beginning with the academic year in which funds are appropriated for the Program, the State Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education shall coordinate with each other to assign a qualified individual to serve as a Program director to develop the curriculum for the Program. Provides that one public elementary or public secondary school and one public university in this State shall be chosen to develop a program for transitioning paraprofessionals to teachers. Includes the core components of the Program. Provides that the State Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education must submit a report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Legislative Reference Bureau detailing the impact of the Program and then the Program is dissolved and the Act is repealed. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the county board or the corporate authorities of a municipality may adopt a resolution declaring that a specified area of the county or municipality has a litter problem and that fines for littering in the specified area will be tripled. Provides that the county or municipality shall post notice in the area specified by the county or municipality warning of the increased fines. Allows the amount of the increase in the fine received under the provisions must be used toward litter cleanup in the county or municipality.

Amends the Stalking No Contact Order Act and the Civil No Contact Order Act. Removes language providing that a knowing violation of a stalking no contact order or civil no contact order is a Class A misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent violation of such orders is a Class 4 felony. Provides instead that: (1) violation of a stalking no contact order or civil no contact order is a Class A misdemeanor; (2) violation of a stalking no contact order or civil no contact order is a Class 4 felony if the defendant has any prior conviction of domestic battery or violation of an order of protection or any prior conviction under the law of another jurisdiction for an offense that could be charged in the State as domestic battery or violation of an order of protection; and (3) violation of a stalking no contact order or civil no contact order is a Class 4 felony if the defendant has any prior conviction of attempt, first degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, unlawful restraint, aggravated unlawful restraint, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, aggravated arson, aggravated discharge of a firearm, or aggravated battery of an unborn child, of a violation of any former law of the State that is substantially similar to any such listed offense, or any prior conviction under the law of another jurisdiction for an offense that could be charged in the State as one of such offenses, when any of these offenses have been committed against a family or household member. Provides that the court shall impose a minimum penalty of 24 hours imprisonment for the respondent's second or subsequent violation of any stalking no contact order or civil no contact order, unless the court explicitly finds that an increased penalty or such period of imprisonment would be manifestly unjust. Provides that in addition to any other penalties, the court may order the respondent to pay a fine or to make restitution to the victim under the Unified Code of Corrections. Makes same changes to the Criminal Code of 2012.

Amends the Counties Code. Restores certain provisions of the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code concerning citizenship of employees of a sheriff's department and police officer applicants to the form in which they existed before their amendment by Public Act 103-357. Effective immediately.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as Draco's Law. Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that a person convicted of willfully or maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, or kill (1) any animal used by a law enforcement department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency or when placed in confinement off duty, (2) any search and rescue dog, (3) any law enforcement, service, or search and rescue animal in training, or (4) any accelerant detection canine used by a fire officer for arson investigations in the performance of his or her functions or while off duty is guilty of a Class 3 felony if the animal is not killed or totally disabled. Provides that if the animal is killed or totally disabled, a person convicted of the violation is guilty of a Class 2 felony. Provides that if the offender is convicted of the violation, the offender shall be responsible for any veterinarian bills for an animal that was injured, and training costs for another animal, if the animal injured or killed is no longer able to be in service. Provides that a person does not violate these provisions if the animal used by a law enforcement department or agency was used against the person in violation of the law enforcement department or agency's use of force continuum or policy.

Makes application to Congress under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.

Amends the Course of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2028-2029 school year must successfully complete either 2 years of foreign language courses or at least 2 years of career-focused coursework that has been authorized by the State Board of Education as meeting the requirements for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (rather than requiring the successful completion of 2 years of foreign language courses). Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois State University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, and the Western Illinois University Law. Provides that a university may not require State public high school graduates, as a condition of acceptance, to have completed any years of foreign language courses unless the university permits, as an alternative to completion of a foreign language course, attainment of a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Randy Nelson of Alton, formerly of East Alton.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish and administer a Seniors Deserve Dignity Program that provides monthly supplemental personal needs payments to persons residing in supportive living facilities who receive medical assistance and a personal needs allowance as specified in the Illinois Administrative Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2024, a qualifying person shall receive a monthly supplemental personal needs payment in the amount of $30 so that the person's total monthly personal needs allowance is no less than $120. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, a qualifying person shall receive a monthly supplemental personal needs payment in the amount of $60 so that the person's total monthly personal needs allowance is no less than $150. Requires a qualifying person's monthly supplemental personal needs payment amount to be adjusted for inflation beginning July 1, 2026 and every July 1 thereafter. Provides that the monthly supplemental personal needs payments shall not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility or the amount of assistance for any public aid benefit provided under State law. Grants the Department rulemaking authority. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that in addition to any other penalties provided by law, a person knowingly and unlawfully selling or dispensing any scheduled drug containing a detectable amount of fentanyl is guilty of a Class X felony and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 9 years and not more than 40 years or fined not more than $250,000, or both. Provides that it is a Class 1 felony for which a fine not to exceed $100,000 may be imposed for any person to knowingly use an electronic communication device in the furtherance of controlled substance trafficking involving a substance containing any amount of fentanyl. Provides that this penalty shall be in addition to any other penalties imposed by law. Provides that in addition to any other penalties imposed, not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years shall be imposed with respect to any amount of carfentanil or fentanyl, or any analog thereof, in excess of 150 milligrams that is stored or transmitted as a powder, blotter paper, tablet, patch, or spray. Provides that in addition to any other penalties imposed, with respect to fentanyl, or an analog thereof, an additional sentence of 5 years shall be imposed if the fentanyl or analog thereof is in a form that resembles, or was mixed, granulated, absorbed, adsorbed, spray-dried, aerosolized as or onto, coated on in whole or in part, or solubilized with or into, a product, where the product or its packaging further has at least one of the following attributes: (1) a resemblance to the trade dress of a consumer food product, branded food product, or logo food product, or incorporates an actual or satirical version of a registered trademark, service mark, or copyright; (2) a bright color or coloring scheme; (3) the appearance of a cereal, candy, vitamin, gummy, or chewable product such as a gum or gelatin-based product; (4) a cartoon character imprint; or (5) incorporation into a separate product or package approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or approved by a regulatory agency for food or drug products in another country, if the addition of fentanyl, carfentanil, or any analog thereof, would render the approved product an adulterated product under the standards of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or any law of this State or administrative rule. Defines "electronic communication device".