Rep. Justin Slaughter

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Specifies that, as used in the Act, "commercial purpose" includes the use of public records (or information contained in public records) for solicitation of individuals to join an organization. Authorizes a public body to extend the time for responding to a request for a public record by 7 business days (rather than 5 business days) in specified circumstances. Provides that, in the case of a request for a commercial purpose, a public body shall (rather than may) require the person to pay the estimated copy fee in full before copying the requested documents. Changes the way that a public body may respond to requests by recurrent requesters. Provides that, in the case of a voluminous request, a requester shall pay the entire fee before releasing the requested public record. Allows a public body after the first 2 hours (rather than the first 8 hours) to charge up to $10 for each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a requested record or examining the record for necessary redactions. Removes a limitation on the imposition of this $10 per hour fee. Exempts from disclosure under the Act communications that do not pertain to the transaction of public business that are sent to or received by an individual's personal electronic device, such as text messages, voice messages, and emails.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice shall establish procedures to ensure that a committed person convicted of: (1) a sex offense, (2) first degree murder, or (3) second degree murder is discharged from custody within the municipality, or if the committed person was residing in an unincorporated area, the county where the committed person was residing immediately before his or her conviction for the sex offense or murder offense for which the committed person is serving a sentence in the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Changes all references in the General Provisions Article and the Abused, Neglected or Dependent Minors Article of the Act from "reasonable efforts" to "active efforts" in cases that involve reunification by the Department of Children and Family Services. Defines "active efforts" as efforts that are affirmative, active, thorough, timely and intended to maintain or reunite a child with the child's family and represent a higher standard of conduct than reasonable efforts. In the court review provisions, provides that if the court makes findings that the Department of Children and Family Services has failed to make active efforts to provide services as provided in the service plan, the court's order shall specify each party that failure applies to and the applicable time period. Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that a person shall not be considered an unfit person for the sole reason that the Department of Children and Family Services or its assign has been found to have not made active efforts as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 during any period during the pendency of the case at hand. Provides that a parent shall not be found unfit for failure to make reasonable efforts or reasonable progress for any 9-month period during which a court, hearing a case under the Abused, Neglected or Dependent Minors Article of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, found that the Department failed to make active efforts, as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 with respect to that parent. Provides that this provision applies to findings of failure to make active efforts made on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act. Provides that an entity licensed under the Act shall enter information regarding each loan that exceeds $500 (rather than all loans) into the consumer reporting service database and shall follow the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's related rules. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall ensure that no law enforcement officer is certified or provided a valid waiver if that law enforcement officer has been convicted of, found guilty of, or entered a plea of guilty to any specified misdemeanor (or similar offense in another state) on or after the respective effective date of any amendatory changes adding the charged misdemeanor to the provisions (rather than on or after the effective date of Public Act 101-652). Provides that the information that the Illinois State Police must process, retain, and additionally provide and disseminate to the Board from the full Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database concerning criminal charges, arrests, convictions, and their disposition, that have been filed against a basic academy applicant, law enforcement activation applicant (rather than a law enforcement applicant), or law enforcement officer whose fingerprint identification cards are on file or maintained by the Illinois State Police. Provides that law enforcement agencies and the Illinois State Police shall notify the Board of any final determination of a willful violation of department, agency, or Illinois State Police policy, official misconduct, or violation of law within 10 days of the action when the determination leads to a suspension of at least 10 days, dismissal, discharge, or termination (rather than when the determination leads to a suspension of at least 10 days). Provides that no law enforcement agency may knowingly employ a person, or certify a retired law enforcement officer qualified under federal law to carry a concealed weapon unless the required criminal background investigation has been completed in the full Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a prisoner who is serving a sentence for first degree murder, other than serving a term of natural life imprisonment, shall receive no more than 4.5 days of sentence credit for each month of his or her sentence of imprisonment (rather than serve the entire sentence imposed by the court). Changes certain sentence credits for a prisoner from no more than 4.5 to no more than 7.5 days of sentence credit for each month of his or her sentence of imprisonment. Provides that the Director of Corrections or the Director of Juvenile Justice may award earned sentence credits if the credits do not reduce the sentence by a specified amount (rather than award up to 180 days of earned sentence credit for prisoners serving a sentence or incarcerating of less than 5 years, and up to 365 days of earned sentence credit for prisoners serving a sentence of 5 years or longer). Provides that the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice shall award sentence credit accumulated prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act in an amount specified to an inmate serving a sentence for an offense committed on or after June 19, 1998, if the Department determines that the inmate is entitled to this sentence credit based upon specified documentation.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person shall not distribute, or enter into an agreement with another person to distribute, materially deceptive media if: (1) the person knows the media falsely represents a depicted individual; (2) the distribution occurs within 90 days before an election; (3) the person intends the distribution to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election and the distribution is reasonably likely to cause that result; and (4) the person intends the distribution to change the voting behavior of electors in an election by deceiving the electors into incorrectly believing that the depicted individual in fact engaged in the speech or conduct depicted, and the distribution is reasonably likely to cause that result. Sets forth exceptions to the provision and penalties for violations of the provision. Effective immediately.

Creates the Work Without Fear Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to engage in, or to direct another person to engage in, immigration-related retaliation against any person or his or her family member or household member for the purpose of, or with the effect of, retaliating against any person for exercising any right protected under State employment laws or by any local employment ordinance. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Allows the Attorney General to initiate or intervene in a civil action to obtain appropriate relief if the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person has violated the Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to prevent any person from making complaint or prosecuting his or her own claim for damages caused by retaliation. Allows a person who is the subject of retaliation prohibited by the Act to bring a civil action for: (1) back pay, with interest, and front pay, or, in lieu of actual damages, liquidated damages of $30,000; (2) a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $10,000; (3) reasonable attorney's fees and court costs; and (4) equitable relief as the court may deem appropriate and just. Provides that a person that violates any provision of the Act shall be subject to an additional civil penalty in an amount of $25,000 for each violation, or $50,000 for each repeat violation within a 5-year period. Sets forth license suspension penalties for violations of the Act. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Defines terms. Provides that it shall be the goal of this State that at least 20% of all food and food products purchased by State agencies and State-owned facilities shall be local farm or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers. Provides for a preference in the awarding of State contracts to socially disadvantaged farmers. Requires State agencies to develop a system of tracking the purchase of farm fresh produce and food products as provided.

Creates the Farmer Equity and Innovation Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, creates the Farmer Equity and Innovation Center at the University of Illinois Extension. Provides that the Farmer Equity and Innovation Center shall: (1) ensure the continued economic viability of small-scale and moderate-scale diversified farms and ranches by creating a coordinated, statewide program to support the operators of those farms and ranches, prioritizing limited resource farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; (2) establish a Farmer Equity and Innovation Program administered by the Center; (3) utilize the University of Illinois Small Farm Advisors, and require the University to increase its Small Farm Advisor positions to 6 in number; (4) include applied research on specified subjects concerning farming and ranching in Illinois, outreach regarding those subjects, and informational services on assistance provided by or through the Center or nonprofit organizations designated by the Center; (5) authorize the Program to include special training for new and beginning farmers and ranchers, with priority given to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and (6) conduct a study to determine and issue an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly containing a demographic breakdown of farmers and ranchers who participate in the Program.