Rep. Dan Didech

Declares April 11-17, 2025 as Black Maternal Health Week. Recognizes that Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the State of Illinois. Recognizes that the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality among Black women are unacceptable and unjust. States what the Black community needs to mitigate the effects of systemic and structural racism. States that in order to improve maternal health outcomes we must fully support and encourage policies grounded in the racial justice, reproductive justice, birth justice, and human rights frameworks that address Black maternal health inequity. States that Black women and birthing people must be active participants in the policy decisions that impact their lives. States that in order to ensure access to safe and respectful maternal health care for Black birthing people, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and other legislation rooted in human rights that seeks to improve maternal care and outcomes must be passed. States the goals of Black Maternal Health Week.

Creates the Climate Change Superfund Act. Creates the Illinois Climate Change Superfund as a special fund in the State treasury. Requires at least 40% of the Fund to be spent on projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities facing climate change impacts. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules within one year, including regarding the apportionment of liability for climate change for payments into the Fund by responsible parties, regarding qualifying expenditures from the Fund, and regarding an Illinois Climate Change Superfund Program. Requires the Agency to establish procedures to challenge its determinations of liability for climate change and provides for judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Makes findings. Defines terms. Provides that the Act is severable. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act.

Creates the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act. Establishes a firearms manufacturer licensing program in the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, with certain requirements, including that the sum of all fees for firearms manufacturer licenses shall be equal to the public health costs and financial burdens from firearm injuries and deaths. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, a manufacturer of firearms may not operate in this State without a license from the Department and that a manufacturer who violates this provision is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000,000 per month. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, a retailer may not sell a firearm to a consumer in this State from a manufacturer who does not have a license from the Department and that a retailer who violates this provision is subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, with certain requirements. Establishes the RIFL Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with certain limitations. Provides that the proceeds from fees under the licensing program shall be deposited into the RIFL Fund. Establishes a financial assistance program in the Department with moneys from the RIFL Fund for financial assistance to victims of firearms and for other purposes. Provides that the Department shall contract with a program administrator to administer the financial assistance program, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules for financial assistance to victims of firearms, with certain requirements, including regarding exemption from certain State taxes. Provides that the Department may contract with a program administrator to implement or administer any part of the Act, with certain requirements. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall report certain information to the Department. Provides that the Department may provide for other civil penalties of no more than $1,000 per violation. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce the Act. Makes other provisions. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes.

Creates the Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act. Provides that a frontier artificial intelligence model developer or large chatbot provider shall write, implement, comply with, and clearly and conspicuously publish on its website a public safety and child protection plan. Provides that the Attorney General shall establish a mechanism to be used by a large frontier developer, a large chatbot provider, or a member of the public to report a safety incident related to specified artificial intelligence models or chatbots. Sets forth provisions concerning the protection of whistleblowers; third party audits of large frontier developers; and civil penalties. Provides for rulemaking by the Attorney General. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Allows the board of trustees of a community college district to establish and offer a baccalaureate degree program and confer a bachelor's degree if specified conditions are met. Requires the board of trustees to demonstrate that the community college district has the expertise, the resources, and sufficient student demand to offer a baccalaureate degree. Sets forth the application requirements. Prohibits a community college district from using semester credit hours generated in a baccalaureate degree program for certain grants. Sets forth limitations on community college districts for establishing baccalaureate programs. Requires a community college district that offers a baccalaureate degree program to submit an annual report to the Illinois Community College Board. Requires the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education to conduct a statewide evaluation of all baccalaureate degree programs established under the amendatory Act and report the results of the evaluation on or before 5 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, in addition to being made publicly available online. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 959 makes a technical change to the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Specifically, it amends a section concerning the short title of an existing law, likely to correct or clarify its official reference.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that property leased, subleased, or rented, in whole or in part, to a taxing district and used exclusively for a bona fide taxing district purpose is exempt. Provides that the exemption applies only to the portion of the property used for bona fide taxing district purposes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Changes the definitions of "harassment" to include, among other actions, doxing, electronic tracking, and nonconsensual creation, dissemination, or threatening the dissemination of electronically generated or digitally altered content pertaining to the petitioner. Requires a county (not just counties with more than 250,000 in population) to provide remote access to a hearing on a protective order to include relevant witnesses besides the petitioner and respondent. Creates additional remedies for the court to grant in a domestic violence order of protection. Requires that any motion to extend a plenary order must be filed on or before the expiration date, and the plenary order remains in effect after filing until its original expiration date or until the motion is presented or heard, whichever is later. Requires a plenary order to be extended if the court finds that since entry of the plenary order there has been no material change in the relevant circumstances as required by law, and an extension of a plenary order may be granted for any fixed period of time or indefinitely until the plenary order is vacated or modified. Provides that if the motion to extend the plenary order is uncontested, petitioner's motion or affidavit stating that there has been no material change in relevant circumstances since entry of the order and stating the reason for the requested extension is sufficient for the court to extend the plenary order for any length of time, including indefinitely. Provides that the court may grant a contested request for an extension of the plenary order for more than 2 years for good cause. Provides that a violation of the original order or a subsequent incident of abuse is not required to grant the extension or determine the length of the extension, and compliance with the original order does not negate the basis or length of the extension. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Pesticide Act. Requires certified pesticide applicators to give written or email notice 72 hours prior to application of pesticide to schools and parks within half of a mile from the site of application. Provides other notice requirements. Defines terms.

Amends the Illinois Sustainable Investing Act. Provides that the laws of this State shall govern in any case or controversy heard in this State related to lawful sustainable investment activity. Provides that the State shall not provide any information to or expend or use any time, money, facilities, property, equipment, personnel, or other resources to assist any individual, or out-of-state officer, official, agency, entity, or department seeking to impose civil or criminal liability upon a person or entity for lawful sustainable investment activity. Creates a right of action if a person residing or domiciled in Illinois has had judgment entered against them in another state for lawful sustainable investment activity that is permitted under the laws of this State.