Denys the request made by Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education 4 with respect to its alternative learning opportunity program, identified in the report filed by the State Board of Education as request WM100-7343, on the basis that the request is outside the scope of the waiver process.
Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources may lease land on property of which the Department has jurisdiction for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system or a clean energy project. Provides that the lease shall be for a period not longer than 25 years. Provides that, if practical, the Department shall require that any land or property over which the Department has jurisdiction and that is used for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system shall have implemented on it and maintained management practices that would qualify the land or property as a beneficial habitat under the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act. Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "clean energy". Provides that the Department may provide for at least one electric vehicle charging station, as defined in the Electric Vehicle Act, at any State park or other real property that is owned by the Department where electrical service will reasonably permit. Provides that the Department is authorized to charge user fees for the use of an electric vehicle charging station. Amends the State Parks Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Exempts certain expenditures by the Department of Natural Resources from the Code.
Amends the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971. Defines "sign" as any outdoor sign, display, device, notice, figure painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, or other thing, which is operated or owned by a person or entity where any person or entity is paying or earning remuneration directly or indirectly for (i) the existence or placement of the outdoor sign or (ii) the placement of the message on the outdoor sign (rather than any outdoor sign which is designated, intended, or used to advertise or inform, and of which any part of the existing or intended advertising or informative content) is capable of being visible from any place on the main-traveled way of any portion of any Interstate or primary highway and which is within 660 feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way of such highway. Provides that for purposes of the definition of "erect", attaching a vinyl substrate medium to a sign structure or wall surface shall constitute normal maintenance or repair of a sign or sign structure. Defines "remuneration". Removes the definitions of "on premise sign", "off premise sign", and "real estate sign". Removes language providing that registration must be made of each sign and shall be accompanied by a registration fee of $5. Removes provisions concerning directional and other official signs, real estate signs, on premise signs, off premise signs, and signs affixed by public utilities. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Early Childhood Education Act to establish a framework for early childhood education in Illinois. A specific provision within the legislation ensures that the rights, benefits, and employment status of state employees and their agencies remain unchanged by the new act. It explicitly states that the law does not affect existing personnel codes, labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, or pension plans. The bill was signed into law and became effective on June 25, 2024, with some provisions taking effect on July 1, 2026.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Includes in offense of threatening a public official or human service provider, threatening a library employee. Provides that the threat to a public official, human service provider, or library employee includes a threat made electronically or via social media. Defines "library employee". In the offense of threatening a public official, human service provider, or library employee, includes in the definition of "public official" an employee of any State of Illinois constitutional office, State agency, or the General Assembly. Provides that the offense of disorderly conduct includes transmitting or causing to be transmitted threats or false reports electronically or via social media. Provides that disorderly conduct includes the knowing transmission of or causing to be transmitted in any manner, including electronically or via social media, a lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene message to a public official. Provides that making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat includes making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat by any means of communication, including electronically or via social media. Makes other changes.
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning block grants for school districts other than the Chicago school district.
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.
Authorizes the Director of Natural Resources to execute and deliver a quitclaim deed to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for specified real property located in DeKalb County, subject to specified conditions. Effective immediately.
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.
