Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after January 1, 2024 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $4.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support personnel, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.

Declares June 4, 2023 as Cancer Survivors Day in the State of Illinois in order to recognize and celebrate the valuable, dynamic population of cancer survivors in Illinois.

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.

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.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Appropriates $9,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for grants to the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for expenses of free and charitable clinics. Provides that the funds shall be used to provide care or make referrals for uninsured or underinsured people living with acute and chronic health issues. Provides for reappropriations to the Department of Public Health. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to annually review and update the underlying data for, and use of, indicators used to determine whether a community is designated as an environmental justice community and to establish a process by which communities not designated as environmental justice communities may petition for such a designation. Provides that an applicant for a permit for the construction of a new source that will become a major source subject to the Clean Air Act Permit Program to be located in an environmental justice community or a new source that has or will require a federally enforceable State operating permit and that will be located in an environmental justice community must conduct a public meeting prior to submission of the permit application and must submit with the permit application an environmental justice assessment identifying the potential environmental and health impacts to the area associated with the proposed project. Provides requirements for the environmental justice assessment. Provides that a supplemental fee of $100,000 for each construction permit application shall be assessed if the construction permit application is subject to the requirements regarding the construction of a new source located in an environmental justice community. Contains provisions regarding public participation requirements for permitting transactions in an environmental justice community. Provides that, if the Agency grants a permit to construct, modify, or operate a facility that emits air pollutants and is classified as a minor source, a third party may petition the Pollution Control Board for a hearing to contest the issuance of the permit. Contains provisions regarding environmental justice grievances. Defines terms. Contains other provisions.

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 Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Provides that all State agencies and local governments shall consider whether compost products can be utilized in the land maintenance activity project when soliciting and reviewing bids for land maintenance activity projects. Provides that, if compost products can be used in the project, the State agency or local government must use compost products unless the compost products: (1) are not available within a reasonable period of time; (2) do not comply with existing purchasing standards; or (3) do not comply with federal or State health and safety standards. Provides that State agencies and local governments are encouraged to give priority to purchasing compost products from companies that produce compost products locally, are certified by a nationally recognized organization, and produce compost products that are derived from municipal solid waste compost programs.

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.