Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Creates the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act. Provides that every school in this State shall provide a federally reimbursable lunch to a student of that school who requests the lunch, regardless of whether the student has the ability to pay for the lunch or owes money for earlier lunches. Provides that if a student owes money for 5 or more lunches, a school shall reach out to the parent or guardian of the student to attempt collection of the owed money and to request that the parent or guardian enroll the student in a free or reduced-price lunch program. Provides that a school may not publicly identify or stigmatize a student who cannot pay for a lunch or who owes money for lunches. Effective immediately.

Creates the Service-Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Contains provisions concerning matters relevant to the employment rights of service-members, including employment protections, additional benefits for public employee members of a reserve component, prohibitions on discrimination, a notice of rights and duties, violations, enforcement, remedies, and rulemaking. Provides that the Attorney General shall appoint an Illinois Service-Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act Advocate to carry out various duties related to the Act. Provides that in times of national or State emergency, the Governor may extend the protections of the Act. Limits the concurrent exercise of power by home rule units. Makes corresponding and related changes throughout the statutes. Repeals the Military Leave of Absence Act, the Public Employee Armed Services Rights Act, the Municipal Employees Military Active Duty Act, and the Local Government Employees Benefits Continuation Act. Amends the Service Member's Employment Tenure Act to change the short title to the Service Member's Tenure Act.

Amends the Enforcement Title of the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall cause investigations to be made as a result of the Agency's own investigation or knowledge. Provides that in all cases in which an alleged violation may have a continuing effect on the environment, the Agency shall promptly notify the Attorney General and the State's Attorney for the county in which the alleged violation is occurring. Provides that in all cases the Agency shall refer to the Attorney General and the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred information regarding the violation if a violation is continuing to occur or a penalty for past violations may be appropriate. Makes corresponding and other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2018, and quarterly thereafter, the Department of Human Services shall submit to the General Assembly a written report providing, at minimum, for each State-operated mental health center and State-operated developmental center: (1) the number of employees; (2) the number of patient or resident initiated workplace violence incidents which occurred, including the number which were a direct assault on staff and the number which were a violent incident to which staff responded; (3) the number of employees impacted in each incident; and (4) the rate of workplace violence that quarter expressed as total number of employees impacted to total number of employees. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, by January 1, 2019, the State Board of Education shall implement a program and adopt rules to allow school districts to supplement their substitute teacher recruitment for elementary and secondary schools with the use of recruiting firms. Defines "recruiting firm". Specifies program requirements. Prohibits school districts from using recruiting firms to circumvent collective bargaining agreements or laws. Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the term "teacher" or "substitute teacher" does not include and service credit may not be granted to an individual employed by an entity that provides substitute teaching services under the program and is not a school district. Effective immediately.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. In a provision that allows a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor to provide signs to a retailer if certain conditions are met, including a limitation on the dollar value of the signs that may be provided, provides that the cost adjustment factor applied to the limitation on the dollar value of the signs is 5% annually (rather than the change in the consumer price index or 5%, whichever is greater). Effective immediately.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act. Provides that an owner of a ground-mounted solar site may follow practices that: (1) provide native perennial vegetation and foraging habitat which is beneficial to game birds, songbirds, and pollinators; and (2) reduce storm water runoff and erosion at the solar site. Provides that an owner or manager of a solar site with a generating capacity of more than 40 kilowatts implementing site management practices under the Act may claim that the site is "pollinator-friendly" or provides benefits to game birds, songbirds, and pollinators only if the site adheres to guidance set forth by the pollinator friendly scorecard published by the Department of Natural Resources in consultation with stakeholders. Provides that an owner making a beneficial habitat claim shall make the solar site's pollinator score card, and where available, related vegetation management plans, available to the public and provide a copy to the Department of Natural Resources and a nonprofit solar industry trade association of the State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish and maintain the Growing Future Educators Program to train high school graduates who at one time have been identified as English learners and who are enrolled in an approved educator preparation program, among other qualifications, to become secondary language educators. Provides that each school district that chooses to participate in the Program shall partner with one public, regionally accredited institution of higher education in this State that offers a pre-approved educator preparation program and each qualified high school graduate participating in the program through the district must be enrolled at that institution in its educator preparation program. Provides that for each semester that a qualified high school graduate is participating in the program, the State Board shall issue the person a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations and the person must be employed as a part-time employee by the participating district as a paraprofessional working under the supervision of a district employee with a Professional Educator License. Sets forth provisions concerning funding, submitting program data, reporting to the General Assembly, and rulemaking. Effective immediately.