Rep. Kelly Cassidy

Creates the Language Equity and Access Act. Requires the Governor's Office of New Americans, in partnership with the Department of Human Services, to: prepare a Language Needs Assessment Report that identifies the languages spoken throughout the State; assist State agencies in the creation of language access plans; provide oversight and central coordination to State agencies in the implementation of language access requirements under this Act; ensure that each State agency develops an internal complaint and review process specific to the provision of language assistance services in addressing complaints in a timely manner; and perform other duties. Requires the Office and Department to work with State agencies to compile available United States Census data on language used across the State to inform the Language Needs Assessment Report. Provides that the report shall be updated every 10 years in conjunction with the decennial federal census. Requires each State agency to prepare and submit a language access plan to the Governor's Office of New Americans.

Creates the Worker Freedom of Speech Act. Provides that an employer or the employer's agent, representative, or designee may not discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, or take any adverse employment action against an employee: (1) because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to receive or listen to communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; (2) as a means of inducing an employee to attend or participate in meetings or receive or listen to communications; or (3) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of the Act. Provides for a private right of action to enforce the provisions of the Act. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the Act, an employer shall post and keep posted a notice of employee rights under the Act where employee notices are customarily placed. Provides for exceptions under the Act.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council shall study and identify discriminatory practices in sentencing across the State and make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly regarding ways to remedy those discriminatory practices. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Modular Dwelling and Mobile Structure Safety Act. Provides that an installer of manufactured homes must supply a weather radio with specified features in each manufactured home installed after 2023. Provides for an annual notice during National Fire Prevention Week to be given by the operator of a mobile home community to replace batteries in weather radios and smoke detectors. Provides installers with immunity from liability for the functionality of weather radios or smoke detectors.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a trafficking victim, as defined in the human trafficking provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012, may petition for vacation and expungement or immediate sealing of his or her juvenile court records and juvenile law enforcement records relating to events that resulted in the victim's adjudication of delinquency for an offense if committed by an adult would be a violation of the criminal laws occurring before the victim's 18th birthday upon the completion of his or her juvenile court sentence if his or her participation in the underlying offense was a direct result of human trafficking under the Criminal Code of 2012 or a severe form of trafficking under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Adds definitions. Provides that the minimum ratio for each provider type shall be no less than any such ratio established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the maximum travel time and distance standards and appointment wait time standards shall be no greater than any such standards established for qualified health plans in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges by federal law or by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Makes changes to provisions concerning network adequacy, notice of nonrenewal or termination, transition of services, network transparency, administration and enforcement, provider requirements, and provider directory information. Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Makes changes to provisions concerning notice of nonrenewal or termination and transition of services. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to authorize the Department of Insurance to adopt emergency rules implementing federal standards for provider ratios, time and distance, or appointment wait times when such standards apply to health insurance coverage regulated by the Department of Insurance and are more stringent than the State standards extant at the time the final federal standards are published. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Creates the Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, hotels with 50 rooms or more and, beginning January 1, 2026, hotels with less than 50 rooms may not provide small single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products to either (i) a customer of the establishment who is staying in a sleeping room accommodation or any space within the sleeping room accommodation or (ii) a customer of the establishment who is using a bathroom shared by the public or guests. Establishes civil penalties. Defines terms.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Creates a process that Illinois residents may use to seek an Illinois judicial order making findings of fact to change a government-issued document from another state or country so that they may petition the issuing jurisdiction to change such a document.

Amends the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act. Repeals the provision establishing the Health and Hazardous Substances Coordinating Council. Repeals provisions which set forth the Council's duties. Makes conforming changes throughout. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. In provisions relating to emergency services dispatched through a 9-1-1 PSAP and coordination of activities with mobile and behavioral health services, provides that the coordination must begin no later than July 1, 2025 (rather than July 1, 2024). Provides that provisions relating to State prohibitions shall take effect once specified conditions are met, but no later than July 1, 2025 (rather than July 1, 2024). Effective immediately.