Rep. Lilian Jiménez

Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Program Act. Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Program within the Department of Agriculture to support current Black farmers and to encourage the growth of Black farmers into the field of agriculture. Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Fund shall consist of gifts, grants, donations, and appropriations which must be made to support the Program. Provides that expenditures from the Fund must be used exclusively to pay costs, fees, and expenses necessary to administer the Program. Establishes requirements and limitations for the Program. Establishes the Farm Conservation Corps to provide training in an on-field environment for socially disadvantaged residents. Provides that the Director shall make publicly available annual reports describing data on the recipients of the Department programs, including assistance from farm subsidy programs, and the amounts of the assistance, delineated by the race, ethnicity, and gender of the recipients. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Creates the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act. Establishes the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board within the Department of Public Health for the purpose of advising and making recommendations to the Department regarding the provision of psilocybin and psilocybin services. Provides that the Department shall begin receiving applications for the licensing of persons to manufacture or test psilocybin products, operate service centers, or facilitate psilocybin services. Contains licensure requirements and prohibitions. Provides that a licensee or licensee representative may manufacture, deliver, or possess a psilocybin product. Provides that the Department may obtain, relinquish, or dispose of psilocybin products to ensure compliance with and enforce the Act and rules adopted under the Act. Creates the Psilocybin Control and Regulation Fund and the Illinois Psilocybin Fund and makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act. Requires the Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, and the Department of Revenue to perform specified duties. Contains provisions concerning rulemaking; taxes; fees; zoning; labeling; and penalties. Preempts home rule powers. Contains other provisions. Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that specified records shall be expunged prior to (i) January 1, 2024 (rather than January 1, 2023) and (ii) January 1, 2026 (rather than January 1, 2025). Provides for expungement of specified records concerning the possession of psilocybin and psilocin. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Removes psilocybin and psilocin from the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Amends the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012. Provides that the Tax Tribunal shall have original jurisdiction over all determinations of the Department of Revenue reflected on specified notices issued under the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Deletes language regarding the amount a court shall award to a person for time unjustly served in prison when the person imprisoned received a pardon on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he or she was imprisoned or he or she received a certificate of innocence. Provides instead that the court shall award $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully imprisoned and shall prorate that amount for a fraction of a year that the person was wrongfully imprisoned, including the number of years the person was awaiting trial. Provides that the court shall award attorney's fees in an amount not to exceed 25% of the award granted. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to all claims pending or filed on or after the effective date. Effective immediately.

Creates the Worker Freedom of Speech Act. Provides that an employer or the employer's agent, representative, or designee may not discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, or take any adverse employment action against an employee: (1) because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to receive or listen to communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; (2) as a means of inducing an employee to attend or participate in meetings or receive or listen to communications; or (3) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of the Act. Provides for a private right of action to enforce the provisions of the Act. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the Act, an employer shall post and keep posted a notice of employee rights under the Act where employee notices are customarily placed. Provides for exceptions under the Act.

Creates the Illinois Caregiver Assistance and Resource Portal Act. Requires the Department on Aging, in consultation with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Illinois Caregiver Assistance and Resource Portal (Portal). Provides that the Portal shall serve as a centralized and trusted online platform offering a wide range of resources related to caregiving, including, but not limited to: (1) information on State and federal programs, benefits, and resources on caregiving, long-term care, and at-home care for Illinois residents who are 50 years of age or older; (2) educational materials, articles, and videos on caregiving best practices; and (3) accommodations for users with different language preferences, ensuring the information is accessible to diverse audiences. Sets forth additional resources and information that the Portal may feature, such as information on caregiving resources, home and community-based services that support family caregivers, nursing home care, services and programs offered by Area Agencies on Aging, relevant health care and financial assistance programs, and local support group opportunities for caregivers. Requires the Portal to be designed to be user-friendly and accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities and to include features such as search functionality, language accessibility, and compatibility with assistive technologies to ensure that a diverse range of caregivers can use it. Contains provisions concerning required outreach and promotional campaign efforts to raise awareness of the Portal, reporting requirements, and State and federal funding for the Portal. Requires the Portal to be implemented one year after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Homelessness Prevention Act. Provides that on an annual basis, a grantee's administrative costs and case management expenses shall not exceed 30% (rather than 15%) of the grant amount it receives under the Department of Human Services' homeless prevention and assistance program.

Creates the Powering Up Illinois Act. Provides that an electrical corporation which operates in the State shall upgrade the State's electrical distribution systems in order to achieve the State's decarbonization standards. Provides that an electrical corporation shall be adequately staffed and recruit, train, and retain further staff as needed. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods. Provides that the Commission shall establish requirements for an electrical corporation to report to the Commission, at least annually, to track and improve electrical corporation performance. Provides that the Commission shall require an electrical corporation to establish a dedicated electrification team. Sets forth requirements for an electrical corporation to consider when engaging in the annual distribution planning process. Provides that, in its site evaluation and design process, the Commission shall require an electrical corporation to consider flexible interconnection to defer or mitigate energization-related grid upgrades, but, if the solutions cannot defer or mitigate an upgrade, the corporation may evaluate traditional system upgrades. Provides that an electrical corporation may recover costs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits may be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2025 unless the policy contains coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Requires such coverage to include procedures necessary to screen or diagnose a fertilized egg before implantation. Provides that coverage for in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer shall be required only if the procedures: (1) are considered medically appropriate based on clinical guidelines or standards developed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology; and (2) are performed at medical facilities or clinics that conform to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines for in vitro fertilization or the American Society for Reproductive Medicine minimum standards for practices offering assisted reproductive technologies. Makes changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to provide that infertility insurance must be included in health insurance coverage for employees. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $4,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for a grant to an organization that manages a state-wide coordinated strategy that includes, but is not limited to, the following services: data analytics, multi-channel marketing, live professional coaching, and a platform-based user experience to re-enroll State residents with some college and no credential into public higher education, apprenticeship, and workforce training programs. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act. Provides that the term "Student Permanent Record" may include reports of psychological evaluations, including information on intelligence and personality, academic information obtained through test administration, observation, or interviews, elementary and secondary achievement-level test results, special education records, and records associated with a plan developed under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. With respect to the term "Student Permanent Record", removes intelligence test scores, aptitude test scores, psychological and personality test results, teacher evaluations, and other information of clear relevance to the education of a student from the information allowed to be included. Provides that if consent is provided by a student or the student's parent or guardian, then a copy of the student's school student records shall be provided at no cost to the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, an independent service coordination agency, or Equip for Equality to establish access to adult disability services and related benefits.