Rep. Rita Mayfield

Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act. Requires a law enforcement agency to attempt to obtain a biological sample from closely related family members of the missing person or a personal item of the missing person beginning 30 days after the date of the missing person report (rather than within 30 days after receipt of a report). Provides that a law enforcement agency may not establish or maintain a policy that requires the observance of a waiting period before accepting a missing person report. Modifies the circumstances under which a law enforcement agency may not refuse to accept a missing person report. Requires a law enforcement agency to notify a person responsible for the missing person's welfare, or other specified individuals, about specified efforts to locate a missing person. Provides that, if a person remains missing for 30 days after the date of report, the law enforcement agency shall immediately (rather than may) generate a report of the missing person within NamUs, and the law enforcement agency shall (rather than may) attempt to obtain specified information and materials that have not been received. Modifies the follow-up action required by a law enforcement agency after creation of a missing person report. Modifies the definition of "high-risk missing person". Upon receipt of a missing person report (rather than immediately), requires the responding local law enforcement agency to enter all collected information relating to the missing person case in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System and the National Crime Information Center. Makes other changes to reporting requirements. Modifies requirements for submission of fingerprints from unidentified remains for analysis as well as other requirements relating identified human remains. Provides that an assisting law enforcement agency, a medical examiner, a coroner, or the Illinois State Police may not close an unidentified person case until the individual has been identified and must keep the case active. Requires the coroner, medical examiner, or assisting law enforcement agency (rather than the coroner or medical examiner) to obtain a biological (rather than DNA) sample from an individual whose remains are not identifiable, and modifies how the sample may be analyzed and labeled. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. In provisions regarding the emergency management powers of the Governor, adds mobile support teams (MSTs) to provisions that include emergency services and disaster agencies, and changes other provisions. In provisions regarding MSTs, adds provisions with respect to mutual aid, powers of the Governor or the Director of Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Provides that the MSTs may be reimbursed and political subdivisions or body politics may (rather than shall) be reimbursed for certain expenses. Makes changes to provisions regarding the oath of office. Adds and changes definitions.

Amends the School Code. Prohibits a child from being denied a free public education through secondary school while in the State based on the child's or associated person's perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status. Prohibits a school from excluding a child, or associated person, from participation in or denying a child, or associated person, the benefits of any program or activity on the grounds of that child's, or associated person's, actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status. Provides that a school must not use criteria, measures, or methods of administration that have the effect of excluding from participation or denying the benefits of any program or activity because of a child's, or associated person's, actual or perceived immigration status. Prohibits a school from threatening to disclose information regarding or relating to the actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status of a child, or associated person, or actually disclosing information based on perceived or unverified citizenship or immigration status, to any other person, entity, or any immigration or law enforcement agency. Provides that a school must not allow an immigration agent to enter a school site or school district facility for any purpose without providing valid identification, a written statement of purpose, and a valid judicial warrant, and, to the extent possible, receiving approval from the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the charter school, and their legal counsel. Provides that a school district or school must not detain any individual solely on the basis of any formal or informal request, or immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant from an immigration agent. Requires a school district or school to adopt a policy for complying with the amendatory Act. Allows any party aggrieved by a violation of the provisions to bring a civil lawsuit no later than 2 years after the violation occurred. Provides that if the court finds that a violation has occurred, the court may award to the plaintiff 3 times actual damages or $17,000, whichever is greater. Makes other changes.

Amends the Eviction Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Requires dismissal of a complaint in its entirety against all defendants if the complaint names a defendant who is a minor at the time of filing or was a minor at the time that the lease agreement at issue was entered. Provides that such an action shall be immediately sealed. Provides that, in addition to any other remedies available to the minor, a minor named as a defendant in violation of the Act is entitled to reasonable attorney's fees, actual damages, and liquidated damages in the amount of $1,000. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a party from refiling an action against any defendants who otherwise may be properly named. Provides that, upon dismissing the case, the court may not waive any fees associated with refiling the action against defendants otherwise properly named.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. With respect to impartial due process hearings, provides that no mediation agreement, resolution agreement, or settlement agreement may include, as a condition of settlement, that a parent, a student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated), or the designated representative of a student who is at least 18 years of age prospectively waive a free, appropriate public education or prospectively waive the right to assert claims for the nonimplementation of a free, appropriate public education. Provides that any mediation agreement, resolution agreement, or settlement agreement containing such prospective waivers is unenforceable in an administrative proceeding or in a State or federal court. Effective immediately.

Amends the Electric Vehicle Charging Act. Exempts any tiny home for veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and in need of secure, long-term affordable housing, if that tiny home is constructed by a specified nonprofit organization that exclusively funds and administers tiny homes for veterans. Provides that every county and municipality that has the power to issue building permits and otherwise control the construction of buildings shall require by ordinance that an applicant seeking a building permit to construct tiny homes for at-risk veterans must include with the permit application a completed and signed affidavit stating that all buildings constructed under the permit are designated for the exclusive use of qualifying veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and in need of secure, long-term affordable housing. Prohibits a county or municipality, including a home rule unit, from adopting any building code or ordinance that requires EV-capable parking spaces for tiny homes constructed for the purpose of providing affordable housing for at-risk veterans under the provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to analyze the use of grant fund requests for a consolidation analysis or consolidation expenses in relation to the School District Reorganization Feasibility Studies. Requires the State Board to create a list of overlapping or bordering school districts with the most similar operating tax rates and percentage of adequacy funding per pupil. Requires the State Board to communicate to the superintendents and school boards of those school districts on the list that the State Board's analysis makes the school district a good candidate for the grant funds. Requires the school board to hold a public hearing to review the State Board's written communication and decide whether to apply for the grant funds. Requires the State Board to report to the General Assembly as to whether the school districts on the list applied for the grant funds, whether a grant was awarded, and what, if any, State Board action was taken in response to the grant-funded consolidation analysis. Requires the State Board to also provide to interested school districts a list of neutral parties to conduct an independent consolidation analysis with the grant funds.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that no law enforcement agency shall make an offer of employment for the position of probationary police officer, probationary part-time police officer, full-time law enforcement officer, or part-time law enforcement officer without requiring the execution of a signed release from the applicant, directing any and all entities that previously employed the individual to produce or make available for inspection all employment records, including background investigation materials collected in connection with making an offer of employment, duty-related physical and psychological fitness-for-duty examinations, work performance records, criminal, civil, or administrative investigations of conduct, arrests, convictions, findings of guilt, pleas of guilty, or pleas of nolo contendere. Provides that, with specified exceptions, all records shall be produced without any redaction and no nondisclosure, separation, or settlement agreement shall prevent the production of these records. Provides that the provisions do not apply to the extent that they would impair an existing collective bargaining agreement. Sets forth provisions concerning: (i) the procedures for requesting employment records; (ii) the deadlines for providing the records; (iii) the penalties for failing to produce the records in accordance with the provisions; and (iv) an example of an acceptable release form. Requires the receipt of a written release for an entity to have immunity for the release of information. Makes other changes to immunity-related provisions. Amends the Sheriff's Merit System Law of the Counties Code. Provides that the county board of any county having a population of at least 75,000 must adopt and implement, by ordinance, the merit system provided by the Sheriff's Merit System Law. Provides that the county board of any county having a population of less than 75,000 (rather than 1,000,000) which does not have a merit board or merit commission for sheriff's personnel may adopt and implement, by ordinance, the merit system provided by the Sheriff's Merit System Law. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Reorganizes and expands the training overseen by the Division of the Academy and Training. Provides that functions of the Division of Forensic Services include issuing reports for certain drug tests, overseeing training in entering medical and dental information into certain databases, and providing information to local law enforcement agencies about best practices for handling death scene investigations. Requires the Illinois State Police to make a report containing the number of juvenile records that the Illinois State Police received in that quarter (rather than requiring the Illinois State Police to submit the report to the General Assembly). Provides that the Illinois State Police may receive revenue and real and personal property from any legal source, grants, pass-through grants, donations, and lawful appropriations. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a State Missing Persons Clearinghouse as a resource to promote an immediate and effective community response to missing children. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, the Governor shall designate the chair of the Illinois Forensic Science Commission for a 2-year term. Changes references to districts to troops in the Volunteer Firefighting Unit Use Act. Amends the Statewide Organized Gang Database Act. Defines "LEADS" as the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System, which is a statewide communication and processing system that permits law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to have direct access to centralized data. Replaces references to "SWORD" with "LEADS". Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Police Training Act. Replaces "Division of Investigation" with "Division of Criminal Investigation" in the Intergovernmental Drug Laws Enforcement Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact. Provides that an employer who employs nurses, as defined in the Article, shall provide the nurses under its employment with the opportunity to obtain the required continuing education hours. Requires that nurses subject to the Nurse Licensure Compact complete 20 hours of approved continuing education per every 2-year license renewal cycle. Provides that the Nurse Licensure Compact does not apply to an advanced practice registered nurse. Adds provisions concerning employer attestations.