Rep. Theresa Mah

Amends the Automatic Contract Renewal Act. Provides that any person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation that sells or offers to sell any products or services to a consumer pursuant to a contract that includes a free gift or a trial period of the product or service that lasts 15 days or longer, where such contract automatically renews unless the consumer cancels the contract, shall notify the consumer no less than 2 weeks before the cancellation deadline as described by the automatic renewal offer terms. Provides that if the person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation has the consumer's email address, this notice shall be sent by email.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning charitable exemptions granted to limited liability companies, removes a requirement that the limited liability company must be a disregarded entity for federal and Illinois income tax purposes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health plan shall limit the total amount that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription inhaler at an amount not to exceed $25 per 30-day supply and shall limit the total amount that a covered person is required to pay for all covered prescription inhalers at an amount not to exceed $50 in total per 30 days. Provides that coverage for prescription inhalers shall not be subject to any deductible. Provides that nothing in the provisions prevents a health plan from reducing a covered person's cost sharing to an amount less than the cap. Authorizes rulemaking and enforcement by the Department of Insurance. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Landscape Architecture Registration Act. Allows the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to issue a registration as a landscape architect to a person licensed or registered under the laws of another state, the District of Columbia, a territory of the United States, or a foreign country if specified conditions are satisfied. Amends the Illinois Architecture Practice Act of 1989, the Registered Interior Designers Act, the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989, the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act of 1989, and the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989. Makes changes to provisions regarding endorsements of licenses issued outside of the State to allow for an applicant licensed in a foreign country to receive a license for the Department if specified conditions are satisfied. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the school report card, provides that a school district's expenditure of Base Funding Minimum and Evidence-Based Funding received from the State in the level of specificity required by the annual spending plans required by the Evidence-Based Funding provisions. In provisions concerning Evidence-Based funding, provides that Organizational Units shall also indicate in their submission of annual spending plans which stakeholder groups the Organizational Unit engaged with to inform annual spending plans. Provides that annual spending plans shall be integrated in annual school district budgets completed pursuant to specified provisions.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that the State Employees Group Insurance Program (for Illinois State Police officers), a county (for members of the sheriff's office), and a municipality (for members of the police department or fire department) shall provide coverage for joint mental health therapy services for the officer or firefighter and a spouse or partner of the officer or firefighter who resides with officer or firefighter. Specifies that the coverage shall be provided without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement, except that, for Illinois State Police officers and the spouse or partner of the officer under the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, only if all resources available to those individuals through the State of Illinois' Employee Assistance Program and any first responder mental health program available are first exhausted. Directs the joint mental health therapy services to be provided by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed social worker, or a licensed professional counselor. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person who is convicted of obscene depiction of a purported child is ineligible to receive a school bus driver permit. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that "child pornography" includes the depiction of a part of an actual child under 18 who by manipulation, creation, or modification, appears to be engaged in sexual activity. Creates the offenses of obscene depiction of a purported child and non-consensual dissemination of sexually explicit digitized depictions. Defines offenses and provides criminal penalties for violations. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides for the forfeiture to the State: (1) of any profits or proceeds and any property the person has acquired or maintained in violation of those offenses; (2) any interest in, securities of, claim against, or property or contractual right of any kind affording a source of influence over any enterprise that the person has established, operated, controlled, or conducted in violation of those offenses; and (3) any computer that contains an obscene depiction of a purported child. Amends the Bill of Rights for Children. Provides that under certain conditions, the parent or legal guardian of a child who is the victim of obscene depiction of a purported child may make a victim's impact statement on the impact which the defendant's criminal conduct or the juvenile's delinquent conduct has had upon the child. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a period of probation, a term of periodic imprisonment, or conditional discharge shall not be imposed for specified violations of the offense of obscene depiction of a purported child. Provides for enhanced penalties for specified violations of obscene depiction of a purported child. Provides that the court shall impose a consecutive sentence when the defendant is convicted of specified violations of the offense of obscene depiction of a purported child. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act to provide that a person convicted of obscene depiction of a purported child must register as a sex offender.

Creates the Landlord Retaliation Act. Declares that it is against the public policy of the State for a landlord to take retaliatory action against a tenant. Prohibits a landlord from knowingly terminating a tenancy, increasing rent, decreasing services, bringing or threatening to bring a lawsuit against a tenant for possessing or refusing to renew a lease or tenancy because the tenant has in good faith has taken certain actions, including but not limited to (i) complaining of code violations applicable to the premises to the relevant governmental agency responsible for enforcement of a building, housing, health, or similar code; (ii) complaining of a building, housing, health, or similar code violation, or an illegal landlord practice to a community organization or the news media; or (iii) complaining or requesting the landlord to make repairs to the premises as required by a building code, health ordinance, other regulation, or the residential rental agreement. Creates remedies for violation by a landlord including damages, punitive damages, or recovering possession of the premises. Creates an affirmative defense under the Code of Civil Procedure in eviction actions if a landlord violates the Landlord Retaliation Act. Repeals the Retaliatory Eviction Act. Makes other changes.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall establish a content area test for applicants seeking a State license to teach in any of grades kindergarten through 8. Provides that the test shall include foundational teaching skills and methods that are developmentally and educationally appropriate for students in grades kindergarten through 8. Provides that, in addition to this test, the State Board of Education shall establish specialty content area tests in mathematics, music, and science that are optional for applicants seeking an endorsement in mathematics, music, or science.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that an employer is responsible for harassment and sexual harassment of its employees by the employer's nonmanagerial and nonsupervisory employees, nonemployees, and third parties only if the employer becomes aware of the conduct and fails to take reasonable corrective measures. Changes the definition of "real estate transaction" to include any act that otherwise makes available such a transaction or alters a person's right to real property. Makes it a civil rights violation in a real estate transaction to: make unavailable or deny real property to discriminate in making available such a transaction; or use criteria or methods that have the effect of subjecting individuals to unlawful discrimination or discrimination based on familial status, immigration status, source of income, or an arrest record in a real estate transaction. Provides that an aggrieved party may take action to collect on a judicial order issued by the Circuit Court in an action initiated by the State, regardless of whether or not the aggrieved party intervened in an enforcement action of a Human Rights Commission order. Provides that, in imposing a penalty based on a real estate transaction violation, the Commission may order a respondent to pay a civil penalty per violation to vindicate the public interest, and in imposing a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest, a separate penalty may be imposed for each specific act constituting a civil rights violation and for each aggrieved party injured by the civil rights violation. Deletes language authorizing each commissioner of the Human Rights Commission to hire a staff attorney. Repeals language regarding the collection of information concerning employment discrimination in relation to persons affected by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Makes other changes.