Rep. Katie Stuart

Declares March 10-16, 2024 as "MS Awareness Week" in the State of Illinois and encourages all Illinoisans to learn more about multiple sclerosis and what they can do to support individuals with MS and their families. Recognizes the importance of finding the cause and cure of MS and expresses appreciation for the dedication that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has shown toward creating a world free of MS.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes certain changes concerning estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir" to provide that a decedent's brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or first cousin is also included.

Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to continue taking appropriate action to facilitate equitable access to adolescent and adult vaccinations, including establishing appropriate programs and initiatives to raise public awareness on the importance of adolescent and adult vaccinations. Urges the IDPH to continue working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in-state healthcare providers, and patients to implement an effective and actionable state immunization strategy that includes adult immunizations. Urges the IDPH to continue increasing community resilience to communicable and other emerging disease threats. Urges the IDPH to continue determining goals on which to center the immunization plan. Urges the IDPH to continue exploring federal funding opportunities and partnerships to support vaccine awareness and access programs aligned with the goals established in the state immunization strategy.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction for an amount equal to the amount included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income that is attributable to student loan repayment assistance received by the taxpayer during the taxable year from a qualified community foundation if the taxpayer is a qualified worker. Effective immediately.

Amends the Gender Violence Act. Provides that "gender-related violence" means, among other meanings, contact between a sexual organ from which a condom has been removed and the intimate part of another who did not verbally consent to the condom being removed and contact between an intimate part of the person and a sexual organ of another from which the person removed a condom without verbal consent.

Amends the Co-Responder Pilot Program Division of the Illinois Municipal Code. Adds the McHenry County Sheriff's Office to the offices to which the Division is applicable, including that the Office shall establish, subject to appropriation, a co-responder unit no later than 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, including the hiring of personnel as provided in the Division. Makes conforming changes, including in the Counties Code. Provides that, along with the duties described elsewhere in the Division, the unit's social workers are responsible for following up with victims (rather than conducting follow-up visits for victims) who may benefit from mental or behavioral health services.

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Directs the Secretary of State to grant a waiver of the lobbyist registration fee for any not-for-profit entity with an annual budget of less than $5,000,000 that is classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including a waiver for any lobbyist that exclusively lobbies on behalf of such an entity.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits may be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2025 unless the policy contains coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Requires such coverage to include procedures necessary to screen or diagnose a fertilized egg before implantation. Provides that coverage for in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer shall be required only if the procedures: (1) are considered medically appropriate based on clinical guidelines or standards developed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology; and (2) are performed at medical facilities or clinics that conform to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines for in vitro fertilization or the American Society for Reproductive Medicine minimum standards for practices offering assisted reproductive technologies. Makes changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that infertility insurance must be included in health insurance coverage for employees. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the conviction of certain offenses as grounds for disqualification for licensure or suspension or revocation of a license, includes the sex offense of abuse by an educator or authority figure under the definition of "sex or other offense". Amends the Sex Offenses Article of Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits abuse by an educator or authority figure if that person holds a position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to a student in a school, the student is at least 18 years of age, the person is at least 4 years older than the student, and the person either (1) commits an act of sexual conduct with the student or (2) commits an act of sexual penetration with the student. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual conduct is a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual penetration is a Class 4 felony for the first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. Provides that consent of the victim is not a defense to abuse by an educator or authority figure.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board shall require each school to notify students and the students' parents or guardians twice each year on how to access any mental health services offered in school or in the community where the school is located.