Rep. Terra Costa Howard

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In provisions concerning the Community Care Program, provides that within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, rates for adult day services shall be increased to $16.84 per hour and rates for each way transportation services for adult day services shall be increased to $12.44 per unit transportation. Effective immediately.

Encourages Illinois' institutions of higher education to embrace the neurodiversity paradigm and adopt a statement of inclusivity of neurodivergent individuals that appreciates and embraces the fact that every student is different and should be encouraged to reach their full potential.

States that Illinois hospitals should be required to report instances of preterm birth, infant mortality, and maternal mortality within reporting under the Hospital Report Card Act, including racial and ethnic information about the mother and the disparity of these occurrences across racial and ethnic groups. Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health to work with the review committees to implement policy and corrective actions to address causes of preventable maternal death.

Declares March 14, 2023 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the State shall not expend or invest any public funds in any organization, nonprofit organization, religious organization, or any other entity that performs conversion therapy. Provides that any public funds owed by the State to an organization performing conversion therapy shall be withheld from such organization, and any contract between the State and that organization shall be void.

Declare's March 8, 2023 as International Women's Day. Reaffirms the State's commitment to pursue strategies that guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls, to promote meaningful and significant participation of women in all aspects of our society, to encourage equitable access to and healthcare for all women and girls, and to support policy initiatives that seek to achieve gender parity and empower all women.

Amends the Department of Innovation and Technology Act. Requires the Department of Innovation and Technology to develop, manage, and make available to any law enforcement agency a digital repository for the collection, storage, retention, and retrieval of any officer-worn body camera recording collected by such an agency under the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Requires recordings retained in the repository to be managed in a manner that is not inconsistent with the minimum requirements set forth in a specified provision of the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Authorizes a law enforcement agency to use the digital repository developed by the Department of Innovation and Technology for the collection, storage, retention, and retrieval of officer-worn body camera recordings. Provides that, if a law enforcement agency uses the digital repository developed by the Department of Innovation and Technology and if an encounter on such a recording is flagged, then the law enforcement agency must notify the Department in writing that the encounter has been flagged not less than 10 days before the expiration of the 90-day storage period. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides that when maintenance or child support is paid through the clerk of the circuit court in a county of 500,000 inhabitants or less, the order shall direct the obligor to pay to the clerk all fees imposed by the county board under a debt collection provision of the Clerks of Court Act.

Creates the Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage Protections Act. Provides that a sequestration operator may not exercise any authority to take or acquire any easement or title to any pore space or any portion of an area of review pursuant to the Eminent Domain Act. Provides that the sequestration operator is solely liable for any and all damage caused by the carbon dioxide transported to the sequestration facility for injection or sequestration, or otherwise under the sequestration operator's control, including damage caused by carbon dioxide released from the sequestration facility, regardless of who holds title to the carbon dioxide, the pore space, or the surface estate. Provides that in addition to any permit fees required by the Environmental Protection Act, sequestration operators and pipeline operators who transport or sequester carbon dioxide in the State must pay a fee each year to the State for deposit in the Carbon Transportation and Sequestration Readiness Fund established by this Act. Creates the Carbon Transportation and Sequestration Readiness Fund and makes a corresponding change to the State Finance Act. Provides for: training for carbon dioxide emergencies for emergency responders, medical personnel, residents, businesses, and other local entities. Makes a corresponding change to the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Public Utilities Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides for: setbacks from carbon dioxide pipelines; permitting required for carbon dioxide capture; prohibition of conducting any carbon sequestration operation without a permit; and permitting required for carbon sequestration. Provides that if the Environmental Protection Agency grants or denies a permit for capture of carbon dioxide or a permit for sequestration of carbon dioxide, any person may petition the Pollution Control Board within 35 days from the date of issuance of the Agency's decision for a hearing to contest the decision of the Agency. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Governmental Joint Purchasing Act. Provides that it may be determined that it is impractical to obtain competition because it is in the best interest of the State to award a contract to a qualified not-for-profit agency for persons with significant disabilities. Provides that when the State of Illinois is a party to a joint purchase agreement, the applicable chief procurement officer shall make a determination of whether the contract is eligible to be awarded to a not-for-profit agency for persons with significant disabilities. Provides that when an agency requests to award a contract to a not-for-profit agency for persons with significant disabilities, the chief procurement officer may authorize the award. Provides that all joint purchases made shall follow the same procedures for not-for-profit agencies for persons with significant disabilities under the Illinois Procurement Code when the chief procurement officer determines it is in the best interest of the State.