Creates the Highway Work Zone Safety Act. Establishes the Highway Work Zone Speed Control Pilot Program. Provides that the Program's purpose is to enforce the speed limits established for construction or maintenance speed zones. Requires the Department of Transportation to install and operate an automated traffic control system only when highway construction and maintenance is occurring and when workers are present. Requires the Department to conduct a public safety campaign and post signage to inform drivers about the use of an automated traffic control system that detects speeds in excess of a work zone speed limit. Requires an automated traffic control system used in the Program to undergo an annual calibration check performed by an independent calibration laboratory. Provides that the Department shall employ automated traffic control system operators to operate an automated traffic control system at a construction or maintenance speed zone. Enumerates the duties and training requirements of an automated traffic control system operator. Limits the use of a photograph or recorded image captured by an automated traffic control system. Creates a presumption that the owner of a motor vehicle that is the subject of a photograph or recorded image was operating the motor vehicle when the photograph or recorded image was obtained through an automated traffic control system. Allows the presumption to be rebutted if specified conditions are met. Grants rulemaking authority to the Department. Defines terms. Repeals the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act. Makes conforming changes.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act. Defines the term "transportation protection agreement". Provides that the Illinois Insurance Code does not apply to any transportation protection agreement sold by any seller. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be deemed to apply to (1) merchandise that is delivered within 30 days of purchase, (2) a transportation protection agreement, or (3) pre-need cemetery sales (currently only pre-need cemetery sales) under the Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act. Makes a change to a provision concerning payments under pre-need contracts.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Establishes that a municipality that operates an automated speed enforcement system shall set aside 10% of the net proceeds from each system that generates more than $500,000 in revenue for the respective school district or park district in which the automated speed enforcement system is located. Provides that the set aside proceeds may be allocated for any purpose designated by the school district or park district. Set forth home rule provisions.
Creates the Natural Organic Reduction Regulation Act. Provides that any person doing business in this State, or any cemetery, crematory, funeral establishment, corporation, partnership, joint venture, voluntary organization, or any other entity, may erect, maintain, and operate a natural organic reduction facility in the State and provide the necessary appliances and facilities for the natural organic reduction of human remains in accordance with the Act. Provides that an individual or a person, cemetery, crematory, funeral establishment, corporation, partnership, joint venture, voluntary organization, or other entity may reduce human remains only in a natural organic reduction facility operated by a disposition authority licensed for this purpose and only under the limitations provided in the Act. Provides for: grounds for denial or discipline; surrender of a license; license, display, transfer; authorizing agent; authorization for natural organic reduction; performance of natural organic reduction services, training; recordkeeping; natural organic reduction procedures; disposition of reduced human remains; limitation of liability; hazardous implants; penalties; failure to file an annual report; injunctive action, cease and desist order; service of notice; investigations, notice and hearing; compelling testimony; administrative review, venue, certification of record, costs; and preneed of natural organic reduction arrangements.
Amends the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Act. Provides that a local government that has submitted a distressed location project as defined by Department of Natural Resources rule shall be eligible for assistance up to 100% for the acquisition of open space lands and for capital development and improvement projects on distressed location projects. Provides that no less than 10% of the amount appropriated under the Act in any fiscal year shall be made available as grants to distressed communities.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities, subject to federal approval of any relevant Waiver Amendment, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025 shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide a $3 per hour wage rate increase for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings, with at least $1.50 of those funds to be provided as a direct increase to base wages and the remaining $1.50 to be used flexibly for base wage increases. Provides that the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025 shall include an increase sufficient to provide wages for all residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the federal Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage as defined by rule by the Department of Human Services. Provides that for facilities licensed by the Department of Public Health under the ID/DD Community Care Act as ID/DD facilities and under the MC/DD Act as MC/DD facilities, subject to federal approval of a State Plan Amendment, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2025, shall include a $3 per hour wage rate increase for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings, with at least $1.50 of those funds to be provided as a direct increase to all aide base wages and the remaining $1.50 to be used flexibly for base wage increases to the rate methodology for aides. Provides that for residential services delivered on or after January 1, 2025, the rates shall include an increase sufficient to provide wages for all residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding aides, at the federal Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage as determined by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt rules, including emergency rules, to implement the amendatory Act.
Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision requiring the Department on Aging to require an annual audit from all personal assistant and home care aide vendors contracting with the Department, provides that the annual audit shall assure that each audited vendor's procedures are in compliance with the Department's financial reporting guidelines requiring an 80% or higher employee wage and benefits cost split and an administrative cost split of no more than 20% (rather than an administrative and employee wage and benefits cost split as defined in administrative rules). Provides that subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2025, rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $32.75 to sustain a minimum wage of $20 per hour for direct service workers. Provides that rates in subsequent State fiscal years shall be no lower than $32.75 upon federal approval. Requires providers of in-home services to be required to certify to the Department that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases. Provides that subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2025, the Department shall pay a rate add-on under the Community Care Program to those in-home service provider agencies that attest and document their direct service workers attend paid, quarterly, in-person training sessions to fulfill the in-service training requirements. Provides that the add-on shall be 1% of the homemaker services rate. Requires the Department to adopt rules.
Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall implement and administer a program to make New Arrival Student Grants available to school districts to support the needs of students who are newly arriving immigrant students, regardless of immigration status. Provides that to receive a grant under this program, a school district shall submit an application to the State Board of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the State Board of Education may reasonably require. Provides that in awarding funds under this program, the State Board of Education may consider (i) the number of new arrival students enrolled in preschool, elementary school, and secondary school within the school district, (ii) the needs of new arrival students in the school district, and (iii) the ability of the school district to meet the needs of new arrival students. Effective July 1, 2023.
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.
Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Knight-Silas Act. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that aggravated battery, other than by the discharge of a firearm, includes a battery committed by a person who, at the time of the commission of the offense, is 21 years of age or older and the battery was committed upon an individual whom the person committing the offense knows to be a person working under the Adult Protective Services Program or an Ombudsman under the State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program of the Department on Aging, or a Department of Children and Family Services employee: (1) performing his or her official duties; (2) battered to prevent performance of his or her official duties; or (3) battered in retaliation for performing his or her official duties. Provides that a violation is a Class 2 felony, except if the battery causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to an individual, a violation is a Class 1 felony. Defines "Department of Children and Family Services employee" and "ombudsman".