Rep. Will Guzzardi

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Provides that an applicant may use an examination alternative to allow the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to ascertain the qualifications and fitness of candidates for a license to engage in the independent practice of clinical social work. Provides that the examination alternative shall consist of at least 2 years of supervised professional experience subsequent to obtaining the degree as established by rule. Provides that the examination alternative supervised professional experience shall be in addition to any other supervised clinical professional experience required for licensure. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, an applicant acquiring the examination alternative supervised professional experience must be a licensed social worker or licensed in this State for the practice of school social work prior to acquiring the supervised professional experience. Provides that the Department shall require that a qualified licensed clinical social work supervisor to complete at least 6 hours of continuing education training. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that a person who engages in the practice of telemedicine without a license issued under the Act shall be subject to the penalties provided in provisions concerning unlicensed practice. Provides that for purposes of the Act, telemedicine means the performance of acupuncture provided via technology or telecommunication methods. Provides that the standard of care shall be the same whether a patient is seen in person, through telehealth, or another method of electronically enabled health care. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall, by rule, determine the appropriate acupuncture services allowed via telemedicine in consultation with the Board of Acupuncture. Provides that whenever the Department has reason to believe that a person has violated the provisions concerning telemedicine, the Department may issue a rule to show cause why an order to cease and desist should not be entered against that person. Provides that an out-of-state person providing a service allowed under the provisions to a patient residing in the State through the practice of telemedicine submits himself or herself to the jurisdiction of the Department and the courts of the State. Amends the Telehealth Act. Changes the definition of "health care professional" to include acupuncturists. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning kindergartens, provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each school board must establish a kindergarten with full-day attendance (instead of allowing a school board to establish a kindergarten with half-day attendance or with full-day attendance); makes related changes. Repeals another provision concerning kindergartens on July 1, 2023. Effective immediately.

Creates the Faith Behind Bars Act. Provides that a person committed to a correctional institution or facility has a constitutional right to practice his or her faith in the correctional institution or facility absent harm and without undue burden to the State's correctional system. Provides that a committed person belonging to a faith group in a correctional institution or facility shall have access to pastoral and spiritual care absent harm and without undue burden to the State's correctional system. Provides that a correctional institution or facility shall provide reading materials for diverse faith groups, including, but not limited to, spiritual, religious texts, prayer manuals, prayer mats, and other requested material from committed persons. Provides that all correctional institutions and facilities in the State shall provide committed persons the ability to pray by facilitating time and clean location, fast by allowing a committed person to abstain from food when appropriate, and respect for dietary restrictions absent harm and without undue burden to the State's correctional system. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make a conforming change.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person is not legally accountable for the conduct of another, unless the statute defining the offense provides otherwise, if he or she was subjected to specified and credible coercion, compulsion, or duress related to domestic abuse as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a person is not guilty of an offense (deletes other than an offense punishable by death) by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Includes in the relief from judgment provisions if the allegations in the petition establish each of the following by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) the movant was convicted of a forcible felony; (2) the movant's participation in the offense was related to experiencing or the effects of gender-based violence; (3) no substantial evidence or incomplete evidence of gender-based violence against the movant was presented at the movant's sentencing hearing; and (4) the evidence of gender-based violence against the movant is material and noncumulative to other evidence offered at the sentencing hearing, or previous hearing filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and is of such a conclusive character that it would likely change the sentence imposed by the original trial court. Defines "gender-based violence".

Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act. Provides that the membership of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall include 3 individuals who report having been incarcerated in a Department of Corrections facility and 3 members of the general public (instead of 6 members of the general public). Effective immediately.

Amends the Gender Violence Act. Defines "employee", "employer", "work environment", and "workplace". Changes the definition of "gender-related violence" to include domestic violence. Provides that an employer shall be liable only for gender-related violence committed in the work environment by an employee or agent of the employer. Provides specific instances in which an employer is liable for gender-related violence. Provides that no person shall have the power to waive any provisions of the Act as part of a dissolution of marriage agreement, dissolution of civil union agreement, dissolution of domestic partnership agreement, or custody agreement. Makes corresponding changes.

Creates the Tenants Radon Protection Act. Provides that, before a lease is signed, a landlord shall provide each tenant in a dwelling unit with any records or reports that pertain to radon concentrations within the dwelling unit and that indicate a radon hazard exists and shall furnish each prospective tenant with a prescribed radon hazard disclosure form. Provides that, if a tenant performs a radon test, the tenant shall provide the test results to the landlord within 10 days after receiving them. Provides that nothing in the Act implies an obligation for a landlord or tenant to conduct any radon testing. Provides that a lease may be terminated under specified circumstances involving radon hazards. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Radon Awareness Act. Repeals a provision requiring landlords to give certain disclosures to tenants. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Requires, in various situations, a complainant to notify the Department of Human Rights that a complaint has been filed by serving a copy of the complaint on the chief legal counsel of the Department on the same date that the complaint is filed in circuit court. Requires a complainant who chooses to file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission without the Department's assistance to notify the Department that a complaint has been filed by serving a copy of the complaint on the chief legal counsel of the Department on the same date that the complaint is filed with the Commission. Makes conforming changes.