Rep. Lisa Hernandez

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Provides that, in addition to the appropriation for payment into the thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing purse accounts at Illinois pari-mutuel tracks, a one-time appropriation shall be made for the 3-year period before the effective date of the amendatory Act for which appropriations were not made. Makes conforming changes. Makes changes to provisions concerning the calculation of organization licensees' annual contributions to non-profit organizations that provide medical and family, counseling, and similar services to persons who reside or work on the backstretch of Illinois racetracks. Provides that for the 10-year (rather than 5-year) period beginning on the January 1 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year during which an organization licensee begins conducting gaming operations, the organization licensee shall make capital expenditures to the improvement and maintenance of the backstretch. Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Requires a person or entity having operating control of a racetrack to pay an initial fee of $17,500 (rather than $30,000) per gaming position from organization gaming licensees where gaming is conducted in Cook County. Provides that a person or entity having operating control of a racetrack located in Cook County shall only pay the initial fees for 720 of the gaming positions authorized under the license. Provides that the required reconciliation payments for an organization gaming licensee who operates gaming positions may be made in installments over a period of no more than 12 (rather than 6) years.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a person commits the crime of violation of an order of protection under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 if the person, in violation of an order to surrender the person's firearms and firearm parts, knowingly transfers a firearm or firearm parts to the respondent or otherwise allows the respondent access to a firearm or firearm parts. Provides that, if the law enforcement agency seeks to correct or negate the warrant for the seizure of the respondent's firearms and firearm parts, it shall take reasonable steps to notify the petitioner before appearing before the court. Makes technical changes.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. In provisions concerning registered professional nurses, adds provisions concerning: the use of artificial intelligence in recorded or transcribed encounters; prohibition on substituting artificial intelligence for nursing services; use of artificial intelligence as clinical decision support under the control of a registered professional nurse; patient notice and transparency; confidentiality protections; exceptions for nonclinical activity; and defined terms. Amends the grounds for discipline to add violations of the artificial intelligence provisions by a registered professional nurse. Requires a health care entity that employs registered professional nurses and deploys artificial intelligence in direct patient care to maintain validation and bias monitoring records for each system and make such records available to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation upon request; provide registered professional nurses with training on intended use, data limits, and known failure modes; ensure registered professional nurses have access to data inputs and key factors that produced any recommendation used in direct patient care; and prohibit staffing, triage, admission, discharge, or transfer decisions that rely solely on artificial intelligence. Allows the Department to investigate any health care entity that employs registered professional nurses for a violation of the artificial intelligence provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands medical assistance coverage to certain categories of lawfully present noncitizens. Sets income guidelines for qualifying persons age 19 through 64 and income guidelines for persons 65 years of age or older. Removes a provision permitting medical assistance coverage for up to 24 continuous months from the initial eligibility date, if otherwise eligible.

Creates the Digital Forgeries in Politics Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery who is an Illinois resident and a candidate for office in this State has a cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, or enters into an agreement with another person to distribute, a digital forgery if: (1) the distribution occurs within 90 days before a regular election; and (2) the distribution is reasonably likely to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election. Sets forth exceptions. Allows a court to issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction ordering the defendant to cease the display or distribution of the digital forgery. Includes additional awards to a prevailing plaintiff.

Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force Act. Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force. Sets forth provisions regarding administrative support, membership, compensation, meetings, and hearings. Requires the Task Force to assess the current landscape of Hispanic-serving institutions and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions in the State; identify barriers to student access, retention, and completion; review existing State policies, funding formulas, and accountability frameworks to determine their impact on Hispanic-serving institutions and their students' success; examine best practices from other states related to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions; develop recommendations to improve access to and success in higher education for students, strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination between State agencies and Hispanic-serving institutions, align Hispanic-serving institutions' efforts with State workforce and economic development priorities, and consider the feasibility of creating a permanent State initiative, designation, or funding mechanism to support Hispanic-serving institutions. Requires the Task Force to submit a written report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the Task Force's findings and recommendations for legislative, administrative, or budgetary action. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to each post the report on their respective public websites. Dissolves the Task Force upon the submission of its report to the Governor and General Assembly. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2029. Effective immediately.

Creates the West Cook Flood Prevention District Act. Establishes the West Cook Flood Prevention District for the purpose of managing the water that flows into the Town of Cicero sewer system, including connected sewer systems. Provides that the territory of the district is the corporate limits of the Town of Cicero as well as the portions of the City of Berwyn, the Village of Oak Park, and the City of Chicago from which sewage or stormwater is discharged into the Town of Cicero sewerage system or any sewer connected within those areas. Includes provisions relating to appointment of trustees, board of trustee powers, enactment of ordinances and rules, fines and criminal offenses for ordinance violations, sewer systems, sewage and stormwater agreements, fees and special assessments that may be charged, unlawful discharge into sewers of the district, acquisition of real and personal property, eminent domain, lease of property, borrowing of money and issuance of bonds, a district assistance program, contractual requirements, and other provisions about the operation of the district. Amends the Eminent Domain Act to provide that the Board of Trustees of the West Cook Flood Prevention District may acquire property by condemnation or eminent domain for general district purposes.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Balanced Budget Note Act. Provides that the Pension Stabilization Fund is considered a general fund or a State general fund for the purposes of those Acts. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that certain amounts transferred from the Budget Stabilization Fund to the General Revenue Fund are not required to be repaid into the Budget Stabilization Fund if the amount of accounts payable exceeds $4,000,000,000. Makes changes concerning monthly reports from State agencies to the Comptroller. Amends the Budget Stabilization Act. Provides that, beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, the General Assembly's appropriations and transfers or diversions as required by law from general funds shall not exceed 99% of the estimated general funds revenues for the fiscal year if (i) revenue estimates of the State's general funds revenues for the fiscal year exceed the prior fiscal year's estimated general funds revenues by more than 4% and (ii) projected accounts payable are estimated by the Comptroller to be less than $3,000,000,000 for the fiscal year. Makes other changes concerning transfers from the Budget Stabilization Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, beginning on January 1, 2026, the reimbursement rates for the support component of the nursing facility rate for facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act as skilled or intermediate care facilities and for facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 shall be the rate in effect on June 30, 2024 increased by the percent change in the Consumer Price Index-U from September 2016 to September 2025. Effective immediately.

Amends the Human Trafficking Resource Center Notice Act. Requires the notice required under the Act to contain images of the Signal for Help hand signal. Effective January 1, 2027.