Rep. Kevin Olickal

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Provides that an applicant may use an examination alternative to allow the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to ascertain the qualifications and fitness of candidates for a license to engage in the independent practice of clinical social work. Provides that the examination alternative shall consist of at least 2 years of supervised professional experience subsequent to obtaining the degree as established by rule. Provides that the examination alternative supervised professional experience shall be in addition to any other supervised clinical professional experience required for licensure. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, an applicant acquiring the examination alternative supervised professional experience must be a licensed social worker or licensed in this State for the practice of school social work prior to acquiring the supervised professional experience. Provides that the Department shall require that a qualified licensed clinical social work supervisor to complete at least 6 hours of continuing education training. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Department of Transportation along with local authorities or any responsible entity of a publicly owned bicycle trail in the State shall erect permanent signage alerting pedestrians or cyclists of vehicle crossings at least 250 feet before the crossing. In the event of an emergency or safety hazard, requires the Department, local authority, or responsible entity to erect temporary signage alerting pedestrians or cyclists of damage to the trail, maintenance being performed on the trail, or other temporary hazards along the trail.

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that a person who has been convicted of a felony is qualified to act as an executor if: (i) the testator names that person as an executor and expressly acknowledges in the will that the testator is aware that the person has been convicted of a felony; and (ii) the person is otherwise qualified to act as an executor.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In a provision concerning expedited licensure for service members and spouses, provides that a department shall waive any application, examination, or licensure fee for a service member or the service member's spouse. Removes references to fees.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person is not legally accountable for the conduct of another, unless the statute defining the offense provides otherwise, if he or she was subjected to specified and credible coercion, compulsion, or duress related to domestic abuse as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a person is not guilty of an offense (deletes other than an offense punishable by death) by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Includes in the relief from judgment provisions if the allegations in the petition establish each of the following by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) the movant was convicted of a forcible felony; (2) the movant's participation in the offense was related to experiencing or the effects of gender-based violence; (3) no substantial evidence or incomplete evidence of gender-based violence against the movant was presented at the movant's sentencing hearing; and (4) the evidence of gender-based violence against the movant is material and noncumulative to other evidence offered at the sentencing hearing, or previous hearing filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and is of such a conclusive character that it would likely change the sentence imposed by the original trial court. Defines "gender-based violence".

Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act. Provides that the membership of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall include 3 individuals who report having been incarcerated in a Department of Corrections facility and 3 members of the general public (instead of 6 members of the general public). Effective immediately.

Creates the Digital Forgeries Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery has a cause of action against any person who, without the consent of the depicted individual, knowingly distributes a digital forgery, creates a digital forgery with intent to distribute, or solicits the creation of a digital forgery with the intent to distribute: (1) in order to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; (2) with reckless disregard for whether such a creation, distribution, reproduction, or manipulation will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; or (3) in order to incite violence or interfere with an official proceeding. Allows a prevailing plaintiff to be awarded damages, costs, and additional relief. Allows the court to grant injunctive relief maintaining the confidentiality of a plaintiff using a pseudonym.

Amends the State Employment Records Act. Provides that State agencies when collecting and reporting data on employment records must include specified data on persons who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Life Care Facilities Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules meeting specified requirements for providers of at-home continuing care. Tasks the Department with issuing preliminary certificates of registration, certificates of registration, and renewal certificates of registration to providers of at-home continuing care. Requires providers to renew their registrations every 2 years. Allows the Department to deny, suspend, or revoke a preliminary, initial, or renewal certificate of registration for cause. Contains other provisions.