Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Commends the efforts of the members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. for their commitment to community service and recognizes their collective contributions to making their communities a better place to live, play, and work.
Appropriates the amount of $709,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for the administration and operation of Greencorps Chicago and Forest Preserve Experience programs within the Conservation Corps program. Effective July 1, 2024.
Creates the Small Business Economic Incentive Act. Provides that at least 50% of the dollar value of all economic incentives awarded to businesses by the State or by any State agency on or after January 1, 2025 shall be awarded to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Excludes from the definition of "abuse" obtaining, seeking, or facilitating lawful health care for a minor child by a parent or person in loco parentis. Requires the court to consider in determining parental responsibilities and parenting time a parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity or gender expression in a way that promotes the child's overall health and well-being. Allows a court to modify an order restricting parental responsibilities if it finds persistent, continuing interference with the child's ability to access lawful health care. Declares that a law of another state that authorizes the removal of a child from a parent or person acting as a parent based on the parent or person acting as a parent allowing a child to receive lawful health care is against the public policy of the State and shall not be enforced or applied in a case pending in a court in the State. Amends the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Provides that the presence of a child in the State for the purpose of obtaining lawful health care is sufficient to meet the jurisdiction of the State for an initial child custody determination for temporary emergency matters. Provides that the State is not an inconvenient forum if lawful health care to the child is at issue in which the law or policy of the other state that may take jurisdiction limits the ability of a parent or person acting as a parent to obtain lawful health care for the child. Effective immediately.
Mourns the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough.
Urges support for the Family Roots Genealogy Pilot Program as it provides African American descendants of enslaved individuals the opportunity to trace their roots back to their ancestral homelands, to reconnect with their ancestral heritage, and to promote their well-being.
Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a forest preserve district from prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm into any botanic garden, campground, aquatic center, grounds of an aquatic center, boat launch, boating center, athletic venue, picnic grove, nature center, grounds of a nature center, pavilion, grounds of a pavilion, golf course, parking lot, driving range, adventure course, grounds of an adventure course, zipline building, grounds of a zipline, equestrian center, grounds of an equestrian center, exercise venue, grounds of an exercise venue, any Illinois nature preserve, land and water reserve, or any public or private gathering or special event conducted on property that requires the issuance of a permit. Defines "grounds".
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.