Rep. Will Guzzardi

Amends the School Code. Provides that prior to approving a contract for any district-administered assessment, except those assessments developed by district teachers or administrators, that will be used to measure student progress at an attendance center within the school district, a school board must hold a public hearing at a regular or special meeting of the school board, in which the terms of the proposal must be substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public comments must be provided. Provides that notice of such public hearing must be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by specified methods. Effective immediately.

Amends the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Defines "electronic smoking device". Changes the definition of "retail tobacco store" to include references to "electronic smoking devices". Provides that "smoke" or "smoking" includes the use of an electronic smoking device.

Creates the Transportation Benefits Program Act. Requires all covered employers to provide a program that allows a covered employee to elect to exclude from taxable wages and compensation the employee's commuting costs incurred for the purchase of a transit pass to use public transit or for the purchase of qualified parking, up to a maximum level allowed by federal tax law. Provides that all transit agencies shall market the existence of this program and the Act to their riders in order to inform affected employees and their employers. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be deemed to interfere with, impede, or in any way diminish the right of employees to bargain collectively with their employers or affect the validity or change the terms of bona fide collective bargaining agreements in force on the effective date of the Act. Defines terms. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, unless some other speed restriction is established under the Code, the maximum speed limit on a highway with a designated bicycle lane is 25 miles per hour.

Creates the Justice40 Oversight Committee Act. Establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice. Requires the Justice40 Oversight Committee to submit reports delineating the Oversight Committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the General Assembly by specified dates. Contains requirements for the appointment of voting and nonvoting members of the Oversight Committee. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that a hospital shall screen each uninsured patient for eligibility in State and federal health insurance programs, financial assistance offered by the hospital, and other public programs that may assist with health care costs and provide information about those programs. For an insured patient, requires the hospital to screen the patient for discounted care in specified circumstances. Provides that the screenings and all follow-up assistance must be culturally competent, in the patient's primary language, in plain language, and in an accessible format. Requires a hospital to implement an operational plan and trainings relating to screenings. Prohibits hospitals from pursuing collection actions against uninsured patients if they have not completed the screening requirements. Includes a prohibition on the sale of medical debt, limitations on collection actions, penalties for violating the Act's provisions, and defenses against collection actions pursued in violation of the provisions. Makes other changes. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that a patient declining to apply for a public health insurance program on the basis of concern for immigration-related consequences shall not be grounds for denying financial assistance under a hospital's financial assistance policy.

Amends the Illinois Sustainable Investing Act. Provides that, effective January 1, 2024, every investment manager shall comply with annual disclosure requirements that will require the investment manager to provide a description of the process through which the manager prudently integrates sustainability factors into its investment decision-making, investment analysis, portfolio construction, due diligence, and investment ownership in order to maximize anticipated financial returns, identify and minimize projected risk, and execute its fiduciary duties more effectively. Provides that the investment manager shall provide the annual disclosure to each public agency, pension fund, retirement system, or governmental unit for whom the investment manager is acting as a fiduciary or seeking selection as a fiduciary prior to acting in this capacity and at least annually thereafter. Provides that annual disclosures shall be submitted by January 31st of every year after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines "investment manager".

Creates the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act. Prohibits a limited services pregnancy center from using or employing any deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, or misrepresentation, or the concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact, with the intent that others rely upon the concealment, suppression or omission of such material fact: to interfere with an individual seeking to gain entry or access to a provider of abortion or emergency contraception; to induce an individual to enter or access the limited services pregnancy center; in advertising, soliciting, or otherwise offering pregnancy-related services; or in conducting, providing, or performing pregnancy-related services. Allows the Attorney General to enforce the Act when: it appears to the Attorney General that a limited services pregnancy center has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any practice declared to be unlawful by the Act; the Attorney General receives a written complaint of the commission of a practice declared to be unlawful under the Act; or the Attorney General believes it to be in the public interest that an investigation should be made to ascertain whether a limited services pregnancy center has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in, any practice declared to be unlawful by the Act. Establishes the remedies available under the Act for violation of the Act, including preliminary or permanent injunction and a civil penalty not to exceed $50,000. Allows any party aggrieved by a violation of the Act to bring an action against any limited services pregnancy center that has committed such a violation, in which the court may award actual damages and any other relief the court deems proper. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any person engaged in the business of selling or offering to sell goods or services at retail to the public with an individual accepting in-person payments at a physical location shall not: (1) refuse to accept cash as a form of payment for sales of less than $2,000 made at the physical location; (2) post a sign on the premises stating that cash payment is not accepted; or (3) charge a higher price to customers paying with cash compared to the price charged to customers not paying with cash. Provides for specified exceptions. Provides that any person who violates the provisions commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act. Provides that a trained overdose responder for an organization enrolled in the Drug Overdose Prevention Program administered by the Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery may dispense drug adulterant testing supplies to any person. Provides that drug adulterant testing supplies shall be stored so that they are accessible only by trained overdose responders.