Rep. Lilian Jiménez

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that owners and operators of CCR surface impoundments at electric generating plants that are bordering Lake Michigan shall close the CCR surface impoundment by removal by off-site disposal, pursuant to specified provisions and requirements. In additional provisions, requires an owner or operator to remove from his or her site, for off-site disposal, all CCR generated by a facility that is not disposed of, treated, stored, or abandoned in a CCR surface impoundment, and remediate all soil and groundwater impacted by that CCR, in accordance with specified requirements. Requires owners or operators to submit specified plans and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency. Provides that an owner or operator shall post with the Agency a performance bond or other security for the purpose of ensuring removal and remediation in accordance with the provisions. Provides that the Agency may enter into such contracts and agreements as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of the provisions. Provides that neither the State, nor the Director of the Agency, nor any State employee shall be liable for any damages or injuries arising out of or resulting from any action taken under the provisions. Contains other provisions. Contains a severability provision. Effective immediately.

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that a qualified school that accepts scholarship students must comply with the provisions of federal and State laws and rules applicable to public schools pertaining to special education and instruction of English learners; the provisions of the School Code concerning charter schools; the provisions of the Illinois Humans Rights Act concerning public accommodations and educational institutions; and the provisions of the School Code concerning pregnancy and breastfeeding-related accommodations. Effective immediately.

Urges the President of the United States to authorize the DHS Secretary to establish a program to evaluate parole and work authorization on a case-by-case basis for long-term immigrant workers who are undocumented and residing in Illinois to address this State's critical need for labor and to secure the family life for tens of thousands of mixed status families in Illinois. Urges the Governor to work with federal partners to urge, by all possible means, the establishment of such a parole and work authorization program for the long-term immigrant population who are undocumented and residing in Illinois.

Expresses strong support for the initiative to reprogram USDA funds allocated to Puerto Rico toward purchasing locally grown items in Puerto Rico. Urges the United States Congress to endorse and implement this initiative in recognition of its potential to foster economic growth, promote sustainability, enhance resilience, and enrich cultural heritage.

Expresses support for the right of the people of Puerto Rico to pursue self-determination. Expresses opposition to the Puerto Rico Status Act due to concerns over its inadequacy in facilitating a fair and democratic process for Puerto Ricans to determine their future given the lack of critical information over status definitions, the controlling language of government operations, transitions, taxes, Puerto Rico's separate Olympic representation, citizenship, and other key matters. Endorses the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act as a constructive approach towards enabling the people of Puerto Rico to explore and decide upon their future political status through a democratic and participatory process. Encourages our federal representatives to support legislation and initiatives that align with the principles of self-determination and democracy for Puerto Rico.

Urges the State Board of Education to conduct a study on the number of schools, school districts, and other public school associations across the State that currently utilize Native American names, logos, and mascots. Urges the State Board of Education, through conversations with local schools and school districts, to collect findings on what the cost would be for these individual schools and districts to remove and change Native American names, mascots, and logos. Urges the State Board of Education to include its findings in a written report to the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2024. Urges schools, school districts, and other public school associations to consider and plan for changing these harmful Native American names, mascots, and logos. Urges the State Board of Education to use all tools available to work towards the immediate end of the practice of using racial slurs as team names in Illinois schools.

Appropriates $578,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Corrections for costs and administrative expenses associated with the Creating Healing of Inside Community Educators program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Appropriates $519,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Corrections for cost and administrative expenses associated with the Healing Beyond Harm program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to continue taking appropriate action to facilitate equitable access to adolescent and adult vaccinations, including establishing appropriate programs and initiatives to raise public awareness on the importance of adolescent and adult vaccinations. Urges the IDPH to continue working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in-state healthcare providers, and patients to implement an effective and actionable state immunization strategy that includes adult immunizations. Urges the IDPH to continue increasing community resilience to communicable and other emerging disease threats. Urges the IDPH to continue determining goals on which to center the immunization plan. Urges the IDPH to continue exploring federal funding opportunities and partnerships to support vaccine awareness and access programs aligned with the goals established in the state immunization strategy.

Amends the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Good Food Purchasing Law. Repeals provisions regarding procurement goals for local farm or food products. Provides that, no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, each State agency and State-owned facility that purchases food, including, without limitation, facilities for persons with mental health and development disabilities, correction facilities, and public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, shall have a timely plan for undergoing a Good Food Purchasing Program baseline assessment, conducted by the Center for Good Food Purchasing, to determine current alignment with Good Food Purchasing Program core values and Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability and how better to meet Good Food Purchasing Program core values and Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability. Provides that, no later than one year after completion of the baseline assessment, each State agency and State-owned facility shall develop and adopt a multi-year action plan with benchmarks to align food purchasing processes with Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability and food purchases with Good Food Purchasing Program core values. Sets forth other provisions regarding the Program. Provides that the Good Food Purchasing Task Force created by House Joint Resolution 33 of the 102nd General Assembly is reestablished and shall continue with its study of current procurement of food within the State and to explore how good food purchasing can be implemented to maximize the procurement of healthy foods that are sustainably, locally, and equitably sourced. Provides that the Good Food Purchasing Fund is established as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the Department of Agriculture to administer the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Makes other changes. Amends the State Finance Act and the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act to make conforming changes.