Rep. Laura Faver Dias

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Adds 5 administrative or faculty members of community colleges to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. For a Professional Educator License: provides that the requirements to successfully complete specified coursework are only required until July 1, 2027 or the date that the revised test for a particular content area is implemented, whichever is later; and exempts persons seeking a school support personnel or chief school business official endorsement from the requirement that a person must successfully complete specified coursework. Requires, by July 1, 2027, the State Superintendent of Education to begin incorporating specified topics into revised examinations for individuals seeking a Professional Educator License endorsed in teaching or administration, excluding a chief school business official endorsement. Exempts, for educator licenses, applicants seeking a school support personnel endorsement who hold an active and valid professional license in the same subject matter as the endorsement sought from being required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. Creates the Teacher Performance Assessment Advisory Committee to aid in operationalizing and creating a pilot, State-developed, teacher performance assessment. Establishes the Paraprofessional to Teacher Pathway Program to provide an expedited pathway for paraprofessionals to earn a Professional Educator License in a specific content area. Sets forth the Program criteria, the requirements for individuals for entry into the Program, and the adoption of rules by the State Board of Education. Provides that an institution of higher education approved to offer educator preparation programs may enter into a partnership agreement with a community college to offer an approved educator preparation program leading to educator licensure for individuals who already hold a bachelor's degree. Makes other changes.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall create a professional development course that addresses racial disparities in maternal health treatment and the impact of racial disparities on non-Hispanic Black and American Indian women. Provides that the course shall have a length of at least one hour. Requires the course to include education on (i) current statistics about pregnancy-related death for all racial and ethnic groups, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (ii) potential risk factors associated with women that are a part of a marginalized racial or ethnic group that has increased maternal mortality rates, and (iii) medical care plans and programs that have been demonstrated to successfully decrease maternal mortality rates and complications before and after pregnancy. Provides that the Department shall require health care professionals to complete the professional development course.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to identify days during the year when there may be a portion of the student body absent or unable to participate in a major school event due to cultural, religious, or other observances and, by February 1 of each year, to prominently post on its website and distribute to school districts a nonexhaustive list of the corresponding days and dates of potential cultural, religious, or other observances in the upcoming school year. Allows a school district to include additional days and dates based on community feedback or demographics. Requires the State Board to distribute the list by February 1 each year to regional offices of education, the Department of Early Childhood, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois High School Association, and other relevant associations or entities as determined by the State Board. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a course and certification program for certified therapy dog teams consisting of officers employing the use of therapy dogs in relation to crisis and emergency response.

Creates the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish an Illinois Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) program that is family-driven, youth-guided, and trauma-informed, and includes youth and family involvement in all aspects of care planning. Requires the Department to submit a State Plan Amendment, by January 1, 2026, to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish coverage of federally authorized, medically necessary inpatient psychiatric services delivered by a certified PRTF to medical assistance beneficiaries under 21 years of age. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the PRTF program that at a minimum shall include: (i) certification and participation requirements for PRTF providers in compliance with all applicable federal laws, regulations, requirements, and policies; (ii) monitoring and oversight of PRTF services; (iii) a limit on allowable beds at any one PRTF, not to exceed 40 total beds; and other matters. Requires the Department to establish, and update as needed, a methodology for completing a statewide PRTF capacity analysis for the purposes of identifying capacity needs for PRTF services under the Illinois Medical Assistance Program. Requires the Department to establish a PRTF Advisory Committee responsible for reviewing and providing guidance on the Department's policies and implementations of the PRTF program. Requires the Department to publish on its website counts of reported emergency safety interventions and serious occurrences by State fiscal year and quarter. Makes conforming changes to the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the Child Care Act of 1969, and other various Acts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for medically necessary general anesthesia, regardless of the duration, for any procedure covered by the policy, and that medical necessity shall be determined by the attending anesthesiologist or licensed anesthesia provider. Provides that an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance is prohibited from denying payment or reimbursement for anesthesia services solely because the duration of care exceeded a preset time limit. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Township Open Space Article of the Township Code. Reduces the acreage that constitutes open land or open space under the Article to 25 acres (currently, 50 acres). Provides, in the definition of "open space purposes", that development includes development for agricultural purposes. Provides that, after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a township board may lease open space that is a part of the township's open space program for a period not longer than 25 years from the date of the lease to an individual, a nonprofit organization, the federal government, a state government, or a local government for specified purposes consistent with open space purposes. Provides that, upon expiration of a lease of land that was leased after the effective date of the amendatory Act, title to all structures on the leased land shall be vested in the township. Provides that leased open space may be used for agricultural purposes. Provides that a township board may lease open space for open space purposes and buildings and facilities on the open space to an individual, a nonprofit organization, the federal government, a state government, or a local government. Provides that the township board may not sell, convey, donate, or otherwise dispose of open space without referendum approval by the majority of the voters of the township at a regular election, and provides that the board may certify the question of disposition of property to the appropriate election authority only if the board approves the question by at least a two-thirds majority of the board members. Provides that, if a township dissolves or is consolidated or merged or the boundaries of the township are altered, any affected open space shall continue to be used for open space purposes unless the open space is disposed of is approved by a two-thirds vote of the board of the unit of local government in control of that open space and after referendum of the voters of the unit of local government.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if a permanently disabled applicant is issued registration plates or a parking decal or device under the Code, the applicant shall submit proof of the applicant's permanent disability once every 5 years. Defines "proof of the applicant's permanent disability".

Amends the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, the Conveyances Act, the Joint Tenancy Act, and the Rights of Married Persons Act. Inserts gender neutral descriptions showing marital status.

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital.