Commends Maria Castro on her service to women in need as founder and CEO of her nonprofit, Love Purse. Wishes her continued success in her philanthropic endeavors.
Rep. Barbara Hernandez
Sponsored bills
Creates the Transparent, Inclusive, and Competitively Neutral Energy Policy Act. Sets forth findings. Provides that the energy procurement process shall be transparent, inclusive, and competitively neutral and shall provide due consideration to the unique advantages of each developer from all segments of the energy sector and recognize that more inclusive procurements result in greater competition among developers and lower costs for consumers.
Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services to adopt rules that permit a licensed child care institution or group home that provides residential developmental disability services to youth under the age of 22 to request an age waiver to allow such youth to continue to receive residential developmental disability services at the facility beyond their 22nd birthday. Requires the rules to include waiver application requirements, waiver renewals, and criteria a youth must meet to qualify for extended residential developmental disability services. Provides that a licensed child care institution or group home that receives Department approval of its waiver application shall not be issued any notice of violation or citation for providing extended residential developmental disability services to a youth within the terms of the approved waiver application. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services' Division of Developmental Disabilities to ensure that the rates determined for extended residential developmental disability services authorized under an approved age waiver are on parity with the rates determined for residential developmental disability services provided to youth under the age of 22. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act shall be construed to reduce the level or type of services and supports provided to a youth beyond their 22nd birthday under an approved age waiver application.
Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2025. Commits to protecting, supporting, and affirming trans and non-binary siblings and neighbors each and every day of the year.
Creates the Safe Gun Storage Act. Provides that a firearm owner shall not store or keep any firearm in any premises where the firearm owner knows or reasonably should know a minor without the lawful permission of the minor's parent, guardian, or person having charge of the minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, properly engaged so as to render the firearm inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. Provides that if the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user, then the firearm is deemed lawfully stored or kept. Provides that a violation of the Act is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500, except (i) if any person knows or reasonably should know that a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to a firearm belonging to or under the control of that person, and a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains the firearm, the civil penalty shall not exceed $1,000 and (ii) if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and uses it to injure or cause the death of a person or uses the firearm in connection with a crime, the civil penalty shall not exceed $10,000. Provides that the court may order a person who is found in violation of the Act to perform community service or pay restitution in lieu of the civil penalties imposed under this Section if good cause is shown. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to preclude civil liabilities for violations of the Act. Provides that a violation of the Act is prima facie evidence of negligence per se in any civil proceeding if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and causes personal injury to the death of oneself or another or uses the firearm in the commission of a crime. Provides that an action to collect a civil penalty under the Act may be brought by the Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred. Provides that any money received from the collection of a civil penalty under the Act shall be deposited in the Mental Health Fund. Defines terms. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.
Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that the appointing authorities of the Legislative Ethics Commission shall (rather than may) appoint at least one commissioner from the general public. Allows the Legislative Inspector General to issue subpoenas without the advance approval of the Commission. Provides that within 60 days after the Legislative Ethics Commission's receipt of a summary report and response from the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head regarding a potential violation of this Act or potential wrongful acts within the jurisdiction of the Legislative Inspector General, the Legislative Inspector General (rather than the Commission) shall make available to the public the report and response or a redacted version of the report and response. Provides that the Legislative Inspector General (rather than the Commission) may make available to the public any other summary report and response of the ultimate jurisdictional authority or agency head or a redacted version of the report and response without prior approval from the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall adopt no rule requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the Commission's advance approval before publishing summary reports. Provides for the redaction of summary reports by the Legislative Inspector General and related requirements. Makes conforming and other changes.
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. In a provision involving ethical principles for legislators in the event of a conflict situation, defines conflict situation as any circumstance that (i) involves a legislator, the legislator's immediate family, or a business in which the legislator or the legislator's immediate family holds a direct or indirect economic interest, (ii) is related to a specific matter pending before the legislator, and (iii) may result in a private pecuniary benefit to the legislator, the legislator's immediate family, or one or more businesses in which the legislator is involved. Provides that, upon discovery of a conflict situation, the legislator shall disclose the conflict by notifying the Office of the Legislative Inspector General. Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Directs the Legislative Inspector General to examine any conflict situation notice filed by a member, as well as each bill that is related to the conflict situation and that has been filed and approved for consideration, and to either (i) provide the member with an informal advisory opinion or (ii) refer the notice to the Commission for a formal advisory opinion and an opportunity to respond. Requires the Legislative Ethics Commission to examine any conflict situation notice filed by a member and referred to the Commission by the Office of the Legislative Inspector General, as well as each bill that is related to the conflict situation and that has been filed and approved for consideration, and to provide such a member with a formal advisory opinion and an opportunity to respond to the Office of the Legislative Inspector General.
Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district that maintains any of grades 9 through 12 and offers school facilitated employment, career pathways, or internship experiences shall provide to students participating in the program (rather than may include in its high school curriculum): (1) instruction on workplace preparation that covers legal protections in the workplace; and (2) protection against sexual harassment and racial and other forms of discrimination.
Proposes to amend the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution. Removes a provision that provides that a tax on income shall be measured at a non-graduated rate. Provides that the General Assembly shall provide by law for the rate or rates of any tax on or measured by income imposed by the State (currently, there may be no more than one such tax imposed by the State on individuals and one such tax so imposed on corporations). Provides that the highest rate of tax imposed on corporations may not exceed the highest rate imposed on individuals by more than a ratio of 8 to 5. Effective upon being declared adopted.
Amends the University of Illinois Act. Provides that the Board of Trustees shall direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to not invest the assets of any endowment fund in the stocks, securities, or other obligations of any fossil fuel company or any subsidiary, affiliate, or parent of any fossil fuel company. Provides that this does not preclude the de minimis exposure of any funds held by the endowment fund to the stocks, securities, or other obligations of any fossil fuel company or any subsidiary, affiliate, or parent of any fossil fuel company. Requires the Board of Trustees to direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to not invest in any prime commercial paper or corporate bonds issued by a fossil fuel company. Provides that, beginning one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Board of Trustees, subject to an affirmative determination of prudence and in accordance with sound investment criteria and consistent with its fiduciary obligations, shall direct the University of Illinois System to ensure that any endowment fund does not have any indirect investments; defines "indirect investment". Provides that the Board of Trustees shall direct the University of Illinois System, in addition to the Office of Investments and external investment managers, to adopt updates to its written investment policies, if necessary, to meet the requirements of these provisions and publish a copy of those updated policies within 90 days after the adoption of the updated policies. Effective immediately.