Rep. Joyce Mason

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, as part of transition planning, a school district shall provide a student and the parent or guardian of the student (instead of just the student) with information about the district's career and technical education opportunities. Provides that a student and the parent or guardian of the student shall be provided with information about dual credit courses offered by the school district. Provides that if the student is enrolled in a dual credit course for dual credit or for high school credit only, the student's participation in the course shall be included as part of the student's transition Individualized Education Program activities. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois State Police for its FY24 ordinary and contingent expenses. Effective July 1, 2023.

Creates the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Task Force Act. Creates the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be composed of 12 appointed members and the State's Chief Behavioral Health Officer, or the Officer's representative. Provides that the 2 Task Force co-chairs shall appoint experts to contribute and participate in the Task Force as nonvoting members. Provides for meetings of the Task Force and responsibilities relating to examination of the first year of implementation and use of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Illinois. Requires the development of an action plan with specified recommendations to be filed with the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2023. Includes legislative findings. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2025. Effective immediately.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Provides for the repeal of the Illinois Public Accounting Act on January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2024). Amends the Illinois Public Accounting Act. Provides that all applicants and registrants shall: (1) provide a valid address and email address to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which shall serve as the address of record and email address of record, respectively, at the time of application for registration or renewal of a registration and (2) inform the Department of any change of address of record or email address of record within 14 days after such change either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department's licensure maintenance unit. Provides that a license application shall have an applicant's federal individual taxpayer identification number. Provides that all CPA firms or sole practitioners required to undergo a peer review shall submit to the Department peer review reports; letters of response, if applicable; acceptance letters; letters signed by the reviewed CPA firm accepting the peer review documents with the understanding that the CPA firm agrees to take certain actions, if applicable; and letters notifying the reviewed CPA firm that certain required actions have been completed, if applicable. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation shall appoint a full-time CPA Coordinator. Provides that the hearing officer shall report the hearing officer's findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations to the Committee (rather than to the Committee and the Secretary). Removes a provision providing that exhibits shall be certified without cost. Makes corresponding and other changes. Specifies that the changes made to the Regulatory Sunset Act take effect immediately.

Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Appropriates $1,083,650 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for a grant to the University Center of Lake County for capital improvements. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Landscape Architecture Registration Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may adopt rules of continuing education for persons registered under the Act. Provides that the Department shall consider the recommendations of the Registered Landscape Architecture Registration Board in establishing the guidelines for the continuing education requirements. Provides that these requirements apply to any person seeking renewal or restoration under provisions concerning registration, renewal, and restoration of the Act.

Supports home-visiting and Early Intervention programs as an essential component of our State's multifaceted approach to the opioid crisis, helping remediate many of its corrosive impacts on young children, their parents, and families, while also assisting efforts at preventing children from future struggles with substance use disorders of their own. Affirms these vital birth-to-3 services are a top priority for increased public resources, to strengthen their quality and extend their reach to more of the children, parents, and families who could benefit from them, particularly in communities of greatest need and those hit hardest by the opioid epidemic. Affirms home-visiting and Early Intervention services are an appropriate and necessary use for some of the hundreds of millions of funding coming to Illinois from the settlement of lawsuits against opioid makers and distributors, initiatives that can help meet the settlements' stated aims of boosting opioid remediation, treatment, and prevention.

States Illinois should place a minimum limit of tires that must be recycled each year or a percentage of total tires disposed must be sent to recycling facilities.

Declares March 2023 as Red Cross Month and March 22, 2023 as Red Cross Giving Day. Urges everyone to join in this commitment to give to others and encourages all citizens of Illinois to support the noble efforts of the Red Cross.