Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Amends the Equitable Restrooms Act. In provisions concerning baby changing stations, provides that hotels and lodging facilities; public and private schools and educational institutions; small entertainment venues including, movie theaters and bowling alleys; healthcare facilities with public restrooms; transit public parks with restroom facilities; and standalone public parks with restroom facilities are subject to the provisions. Provides that a retail store of more than 3,000 square feet (rather than 5,000 square feet) that contain a restroom open to the public are subject to the provisions. Provides that a restaurant that has an occupancy of at least 40 persons (rather than 60 persons), among other criteria, are subject to the provisions of the Act.

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training relevant to clean energy apprenticeships in the construction and building trades and that the Program shall meet certain requirements regarding applicant placements (rather than requiring each Climate Works Hub that receives funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to perform certain actions).

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person to charge a consumer an additional fee or surcharge for: (1) not enrolling in an automatic payment program; or (2) requesting business documents, including, but not limited to, invoices and statements, be mailed to the consumer's address rather than delivered electronically.

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Adds electrification industries to clean energy jobs. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility may cease providing service if the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that adequate substitute service is available at a reasonable cost to support the existing end uses of the affected utility customers. Provides for cost-effective energy efficiency measures for natural gas utilities that supersede existing provisions concerning natural gas energy efficiency programs and take effect beginning January 1, 2025. Provides that gas main and gas service extension policies shall be based on the principle that the full incremental cost associated with new development and growth shall be borne by the customers that cause those incremental costs. Provides that, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed rulemaking reviewing each gas public utility tariff that provides for gas main and gas service extensions without additional charge to new customers in excess of the default extensions as specified in administrative rule. Adds the Clean Building Heating Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning emissions standards for heating in buildings, as well as related and other provisions. Adds the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Standard Article to the Act, with provisions concerning options for compliance, measures for customer emission reduction, customer emission reductions, tradable clean heat credits, banking of emission reductions, equity in emission reductions, enforcement, the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Pathways Study, gas infrastructure planning, a study on gas utility financial incentive reform, and reporting requirements. Adds the Statewide Navigator Program Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning creation of a statewide navigator program, as well as related and other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the College Campus Press Act. Defines "public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning". Provides that all public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the employees producing media at the particular institution of higher learning. Provides that public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning shall not be subject to prior review by public officials of a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Allows an employee working for or an agent of an entity creating public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of the Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that expression made by an employee or agent of an entity producing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is neither expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that a State-sponsored institution of higher learning shall be immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made by the public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning

States that the new Department of Early Childhood and its planning process should prioritize appropriate attention to the facilities needs of our State's mixed-delivery system of early care and education. Additionally states that the State should move expeditiously to award its remaining Early Childhood Construction Grant monies to qualified applicants, to assist providers of critical birth-to-five programs in meeting their growing building-and-repair demands. Finally states that the State should also move as quickly as feasible to replenish Early Childhood Construction Grant resources to help Illinois achieve the long-term vision of the bipartisan Funding Commission for making services "simpler, better, fairer" for young children, their families, and communities statewide.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that any program of study at a public institution of higher education that improves employability shall be considered equivalent to an acceptable SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program component, unless prohibited by federal law. Defines "public institution of higher education". Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt any rules necessary to implement the amendatory Act. Provides that rulemaking shall not delay full implementation of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Declares April 2025 as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in the State of Illinois to help increase public awareness of the need to support individuals with autism and the family members, medical professionals, and human services professionals who help care for individuals with autism.

Honors the memory of the Jewish people who were victims of the Holocaust and recognizes the bravery of survivors who have shared their stories with the world. Honors the memory of the millions of additional people, including prisoners of war, ethnic Poles, Romani people, Serbian civilians, people with disabilities, political opponents and dissenters, people labeled as asocial, Jehovah's Witnesses, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and Black Germans, who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazi state and their collaborators. Expresses gratitude for the soldiers, resistance fighters, and all those who helped defeat the Nazi regime and end the Holocaust. Expresses gratitude for the American soldiers who fought around the world during World War II, including the over 980,000 men and women from Illinois who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the approximately 22,000 who gave their lives in pursuit of liberty. Expresses gratitude for the American forces that liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945, and who would go on that month to liberate concentration camps at Dachau, Dora-Mittelbau, and Flossenburg before liberating Mauthausen in early May 1945. Urges all Illinoisans to commit to learning about the Holocaust in order to ensure that such atrocities are never perpetrated again. Urges all Illinoisans to enhance their efforts to combat antisemitism, bigotry, intolerance, and racism.

Declares March 25, 2025 as Equal Pay Day in the State of Illinois. Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.