Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall be accessible by owners and operators who intend to remove underground storage tanks installed over 30 years before removal if the eligibility requirements of specified provisions are satisfied and (1) neither the owner nor the operator is the United States Government; (2) the tank does not contain fuel which is exempt from the Motor Fuel Tax Law; (3) the costs were incurred as a result of removing an underground storage tank installed over 30 years prior to removal; (4) the owner or operator registered the tank and paid all fees in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Gasoline Storage Act; (5) the owner or operator notified the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the State Fire Marshal of the owner's or operator's intent to remove the underground storage tank; and (6) the costs have not already been paid to the owner or operator under a private insurance policy, other written agreement, or court order.

Amends the School Code. Provides that when registering or seeking recognition status with the State Board of Education, a nonpublic elementary or secondary school shall include assurances that the school will not prohibit religious hairstyles, hair-related religious practices, or facial hair worn in accordance with a student's or employee's sincerely held religious beliefs, observance, or practice. Provides that a school uniform or dress code policy adopted by a school board or local school council may not include or apply to religious hairstyles, hair-related religious practices, or facial hair worn in accordance with a student's sincerely held religious beliefs, observance, or practice. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Changes the name of the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired to the Illinois School for the Blind. Makes conforming changes to the Personnel Code, the School Code, the School Safety Drill Act, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, and the MRSA Prevention, Control, and Reporting Act.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual plan of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 shall provide coverage for medically prescribed seizure detection devices. Requires all covered seizure detection devices to be approved for use by individuals, and for the choice of device to be made based upon the individual's circumstances and medical needs in consultation with the individual's medical provider. Sets forth provisions prohibiting prior authorization and cost-sharing, as specified. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under the provisions of those Acts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Living Facilities Licensing Act, the MC/DD Act, the ID/DD Community Care Act, the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act, and the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires the State agencies responsible for licensing facilities under those Acts to adopt, by December 31, 2026, rules requiring a facility to disclose upon initial application for licensure and on a quarterly basis thereafter, whether the facility, its subsidiaries, affiliates, parent companies, or contractual service providers are owned, managed, or contained within a fund owned or managed by an asset management company; and if so, to make certain disclosures about the asset management company's assets, the facility's debt, and other matters. Requires the State agencies to also adopt rules requiring such a facility to provide written notice of transactions and copies of agreements which would (i) sell or otherwise dispose of a material amount of the facility's assets or (ii) transfer control, responsibility, or governance of a material amount of the facility's assets or operations. Prohibits facilities owned or managed by an asset management company from engaging in certain transactions or actions that would result in the facility issuing debt-funded dividends or perform any other similar action causing the facility to become financially distressed. Provides that a violation of these requirements and prohibitions constitutes an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Requires the State agencies to publish disclosures, written notices, and copies of agreements submitted by facilities on the agencies' public websites. Imposes similar requirements and prohibitions on adult day service providers serving individuals with developmental disabilities under the Illinois Act on the Aging and providers of adult developmental training services under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Language Equality Acquisition for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind Children Act. Provides that the State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission and the Department of Human Services, shall establish a language assessment program for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind children, and select language developmental milestones. Sets forth provisions concerning the scope and purpose of the program and the development of a resource for use by parents and guardians. Provides that the State Board, in cooperation with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission and the Department of Human Services, shall select tools or assessments for educators that can be used to assess the language and literacy development of all deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind children. Sets forth provisions concerning the tools or assessments. Provides that beginning on July 1, 2026, a language assessment shall be given to each child who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind and who is less than 6 years of age. Sets forth provisions concerning the assessment. Provides that an advisory committee on language assessment programs shall be established by the State Board, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, and the Department of Human Services. Sets forth the membership and duties of the advisory committee. Provides that on or before July 1, 2026, the State Board, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, and the Department of Human Services shall publish a joint action plan and may propose legislation and rules necessary to implement the recommendations of the advisory committee. Sets forth provisions concerning reporting and rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Instructs the Department of Public Health to require a health care practitioner who is treating a patient diagnosed with epilepsy and at elevated risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient for epilepsy, other than a health care practitioner treating that patient in an emergency situation, to provide that patient with certain written information regarding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Requires the Department to provide that written information to health care practitioners and post the information on the Department's website. Requires the Department to ensure that the information is culturally and linguistically appropriate for all recipients. Allows a local or national organization that provides education or services related to epilepsy conditions to request that the Department include on its website the organization's informational material and contact information. Requires the Department to provide guidance to health care practitioners in determining whether a patient is at elevated risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Requires the Department to adopt rules. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, and the Physician Assistance Practice Act to require licensees under the Acts to comply with the amendatory provisions in the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law. Provides that certain licensees under the Acts who violate the amendatory provisions shall be issued a warning by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and shall suffer no further penalty or discipline for a first offense if the violation was not committed willfully or knowingly. Provides that certain licensees under the Acts who commit a subsequent violation of the amendatory provisions shall pay a civil penalty, as determined by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, of no more than $10,000 to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for each subsequent violation. Makes other changes.

Amends the Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall inform a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse of the right to request that any interview or statement be conducted in the presence of a law enforcement officer of a particular sex or gender, if one is reasonably available. Provides that if a law enforcement officer of the requested sex or gender is not reasonably available, the interview or statement shall proceed without unnecessary delay.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, by January 1, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program, shall establish an efficient process by which information about the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program is disseminated through the State Board to students, parents and guardians, transition planning and services coordinators at school districts, special education joint agreements, and other relevant educational agencies. Effective immediately.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Requires direct service workers employed by the Department of Human Services, or an agency contracted with the Department, to provide services under the Home Services Program to complete at least 2 hours of dementia training at the start of their employment and annually thereafter. Requires the training to cover subjects concerning Alzheimer's disease and dementia, safety risks, and communication and behavior. Requires the Department to provide contractors with dementia training curriculum on the required subjects. Provides that any other laws or rules that impose more rigorous dementia training for direct service workers under the Home Services Program shall apply. Exempts from the training requirements direct service workers who provide proof that they obtained equivalent dementia training in compliance with another law or rule. For personal assistants covered by a collective bargaining agreement, requires the Department to establish, in consultation with the joint training committee created under the collective bargaining agreement, different parameters and specific topics for curriculum covering dementia training.