Rep. Suzanne Ness

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, by no later than the beginning of a student's third year of high school or by the student's 16th birthday, whichever occurs first, the transition planning process must include a consideration of whether the student is a candidate for graduation. Requires this process to involve discussions with the student's individualized education program team, including the parent and the student. Provides that the discussions must address the implications of graduating with a regular diploma, particularly how it affects the student's right to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Effective immediately.

Creates the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. Provides that all operators of a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the effective date of the Act for each existing warehouse or, for warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective date of the Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse becomes operational. Provides that each plan shall be specific to the warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated at least once per year or upon any significant change to the operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or accuracy of the information in the plan. Specifies what the plan must contain. Requires each warehouse facility to have designated or constructed sufficient shelter space for at least 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, such as delivery drivers. Requires each warehouse to maintain specified emergency supplies in its tornado shelter. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes changes to a provision concerning initial Department of Human Services investigations of a facility employee's alleged abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a recipient of mental health or developmental disability services. Expands the provision to include allegations of material obstruction of an investigation, physical abuse, sexual abuse, non-de minimis financial exploitation (such as financial exploitation totaling a cumulative value equal to or greater than $100), or egregious neglect. Adds provisions concerning Department investigations where a facility employee is the perpetrator of, at most, neglect, de minimis financial exploitation (such as financial exploitation totaling a cumulative value of less than $100), or mental abuse.

Amends the County Department of Corrections Division of the Counties Code, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the County Jail Act. Provides that, upon the release of a prisoner or committed person from a county correctional institution, county jail, or Department of Corrections correctional institution or facility, the sheriff, warden, or Department shall provide the prisoner or committed person with an opioid antagonist if the prisoner was incarcerated for drug-related charges or was identified as having a substance abuse disorder.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county recorder may not impose a fee for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant (currently a county recorder may impose a fee for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant in an amount not to exceed $10). Provides that a county recorder may not charge a fee for any copies of records necessary for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant.

Creates the Local Government Billing Act. Provides that the corporate authorities of a unit of local government shall bill for any utility service, including previously unbilled service, within 12 months (for residential customers) or 24 months (for non-residential customers) after the provision of the utility service. Provides exceptions to the time limits for billing when the customer prevented the utility from accurately reading the meter. Provides that the corporate authorities shall not intentionally delay billing beyond the normal billing cycle, shall label amounts attributed to previously unbilled service as such, shall prorate previously unbilled service amounts to reflect varying rates during the unbilled time, and shall provide the customer with a payment arrangement option for previously unbilled service amounts. Provides that customers may be billed for unpaid amounts that were billed to a customer before the effective date of the Act for service that was supplied to the customer before January 1, 2026. Provides that customers may be billed for unpaid amounts if the customer was notified that there is an unpaid amount before the effective date of the Act for service that was supplied to the customer before January 1, 2026. Provides that there is no time limit for the corporate authorities of a unit of local government to collect previously unbilled service attributed to tampering, theft of service, fraud, or the customer preventing the utility's recorded efforts to obtain an accurate reading of the meter.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse. Provides that an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority who is certified as a nurse midwife or a physician. Provides that, for an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife, the clinical experience shall be in collaboration with a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority. Makes conforming changes in provisions concerning written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority under a written collaborative agreement, and full practice authority.

Amends the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that "facility" includes stadiums, arenas, or other structures for the holding of athletic contests and other events and gatherings, including, without limitation, professional women's sports. Provides that a person may not, on the basis of sex, be prohibited from participating in or receiving any of the benefits of programs or activities at facilities funded under the Act, including facilities established or supported by bonds issued under the Act. Requires the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on any male or female professional sports projects brought to the Authority by a professional sports team in the State. Provides that the Authority shall notify the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and Minority Leader of the Senate of the proposal within 2 weeks of receiving a formal request or inquiry. Provides that, before the General Assembly authorizes the issuance of additional bonds under the Act to fund facilities for professional men's sports teams, each chamber of the General Assembly may hold a hearing to publicly review any proposal submitted to the Authority. Repeals provisions relating to a dissolved advisory board. Effective immediately.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall maintain a human trafficking unit to coordinate services, initiate prevention efforts, and provide access to resources for case-management staff to serve youth in care who have been determined to be victims of human trafficking or assessed to be at high risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking, as well as ensure a prompt response by the Department to recover youth in care in the custody of law enforcement. Provides that the Department shall incorporate services for all child trafficking victims into the community-based services provided by the Department. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall develop a strategic plan, in consultation with advocates and survivors, to establish a statewide system of identification and response to survivors of human trafficking and recommended levels of funding for phase-in of comprehensive victim-centered, trauma-informed statewide services for victims of human trafficking, including adults and children, and to sex and labor trafficking victims and require victim-centered, trauma-informed human trafficking training for caseworkers, treatment providers, investigators, foster parents, and residential home personnel. Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall develop a strategic plan to improve victim-centered, trauma-informed law enforcement response to victims of human trafficking across the State. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall work with the Illinois State Police, local law enforcement, victim-centered, trauma-informed human trafficking service providers, and survivor leaders to develop, curriculum standards for training on victim-centered, trauma-informed detection, investigation, and response to human trafficking victims certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. Amends various other Acts concerning various agencies responsibilities of addressing human trafficking. Effective January 1, 2026.

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.