Rep. Laura Faver Dias

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution concerning the decennial redistricting of Legislative and Representative Districts. Provides that Legislative and Representative Districts shall each be drawn, in order of priority, (1) to be substantially equal in population; (2) to ensure that no citizen is denied an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of his or her choice on account of race; (3) to create, where practical, racial coalition or influence Districts; (4) to be contiguous; and (5) to the extent practicable, to be compact. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of "hard-to-staff school" to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny a National Board certified teacher a retention bonus solely because the public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a school report card.

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 Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the Social Worker and School Counselor Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a school counselor to apply for the Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall award a grant of up to $8,000 (rather than $6,500) per year for a maximum of 4 years to each qualified applicant. Provides that a grant shall be used for repayment of the recipient's educational loan instead of the Commission encouraging the recipient to use the grant to repay the recipient's educational loan. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2026.

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 Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Allows the parent or guardian of a student or a student if the student is at least 18 years of age or emancipated to request an impartial, federal Section 504 due-process hearing. Within 3 business days after receipt of the request, requires a school district, special education joint agreement, or other educational entity to appoint a qualified, impartial hearing officer and to notify the hearing officer of the appointment. Requires a hearing officer to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest to the parties. Sets forth requirements for the request, the notification of a hearing officer appointment, the response to complaints, and amendments to hearing requests. Sets forth the responsibilities of the hearing officer and the hearing procedures. Sets forth the qualification requirements to be a hearing officer. Requires the State Board of Education to create a training module for hearing officers, conduct the training, and determine whether an individual is appropriately qualified. Provides that the provisions apply to all Section 504 impartial due-process hearings requested after January 1, 2027 in cases regarding the identification, evaluation, eligibility, accommodations, or educational placement of a student who, because of a disability, is in need of or is believed to be in need of accommodations or services from a school district, special education joint agreement, or other educational entity. Provides that nothing in the provisions may be construed to require a party in a Section 504 complaint to exhaust administrative remedies prior to commencing a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits authorizing a discharge from a facility designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a major facility, shall, at a minimum, require for publicly owned treatment works, periodic sampling of influent, effluent, and biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods and, for all other facilities, periodic effluent sampling for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall require any NPDES permit application for a discharge of wastewater that has potential to contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to fully characterize the discharge through sample results for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall not issue any permit under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids unless the application includes sample results for the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that any permit issued under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids shall require, at minimum, periodic sampling of the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods.

Creates the Food Reform to Ensure Student Health Act. Requires each school district in the State to begin to eliminate ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods by July 1, 2029. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2032, a vendor may not offer to a school either an ultraprocessed food of concern or a restricted school food. Requires food vendors to report to the Department of Public Health certain information about ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods that they have sold to schools. Requires the Department, in consultation with the State Board of Education, to submit to the General Assembly and Governor annual summary reports of the data submitted to it by food vendors. Directs the Department to post these reports on its website. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules establishing definitions of the terms "ultraprocessed foods of concern" and "restricted school foods" for purposes of these requirements. Requires the Department to review those rules and, if needed, update them every 5 years. Requires the Department to consult with the State Board of Education and to provide compliance training for school food service and procurement staff. Describes the topics to be covered by the Department in the training. Provides for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2034. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Adult Protective Services Act. Expands the list of mandated reporters to include investment advisers, investment adviser representatives, dealers and salespersons, and employees of financial institutions who have direct contact with eligible adults who are clients of the financial institution and have access to the financial information of the institution's clients. Permits a financial institution to place a transactional hold on an eligible adult's account if the institution's employees have a reasonable suspicion that a transaction or disbursement from the eligible adult's account may involve, facilitate, result in, or contribute to financial exploitation of the eligible adult. Provides that transactional holds must be followed by an internal review that satisfies the internal policies of the financial institution that issued the hold. Further provides that a financial institution that uses a transactional hold must create internal policies regarding identifying and reporting financial exploitation of eligible adults and transactional holds. Contains provisions on the duration of initial transactional holds and extended transactional holds; requirements on notification to law enforcement, especially in cases involving financial fraud that is outside the Act's scope; civil immunity for any financial institution and its employees who place a transactional hold on an eligible adult's account in good faith; mandated reporter training for specified employees of a financial institution; and other matters. Makes conforming changes to the Illinois Securities Law of 1953, the Illinois Banking Act, the Savings Bank Act, Illinois Credit Union Act, and the Criminal Code of 2012. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that, with respect to a week of unemployment beginning on or after June 1, 2026, benefits shall be payable to an individual on the basis of wages for employment in other than an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity performed for an educational institution or an educational service agency, as long as the individual is otherwise eligible for benefits. Effective immediately.