Rep. Suzanne Ness

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires every driver who applies for employment with a transportation provider under contract with the Department of Children and Family Services to have his or her fingerprints submitted to the Illinois State Police in an electronic format that complies with the form and manner for requesting and furnishing criminal history record information as prescribed by the Illinois State Police. Provides that such fingerprints shall be transmitted through a live scan fingerprint vendor licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and shall be checked against the fingerprint records filed in the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases, including, but not limited to, civil, criminal, and latent fingerprint databases. Requires the Illinois State Police to charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check that does not exceed the actual cost of the records check. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification, records of Illinois convictions and shall forward the national criminal history record information to the Department of Children and Family Services. Requires every driver to submit, as a condition of employment, a signed written statement certifying that he or she has consented to and completed a fingerprint-based criminal history records check in accordance with the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Native American Employment Plan Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice under the Act to knowingly mail or send a postcard or letter to a recipient in the State if the postcard or letter does not disclose or disclaim any and all affiliations or lack thereof. Provides that all disclosures and disclaimers appearing on a postcard or letter must be conspicuously located at the top of the postcard or letter, be easily readable in clear and unambiguous language, and be printed in at least 14-point bold-face font in a black-outlined box. Prohibits mail that requests that the recipient contact the sender by mail, telephone, email, website, or other prescribed means without specified disclosure requirements. Makes other changes.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education, beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year and continuing for not less than 2 years, to make available to public institutions of higher education a model program of study, for credit, that incorporates the training and experience necessary to serve as a direct support professional. Requires the Board, by July 1, 2024, to submit recommendations developed in consultation with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, organizations representing community-based providers serving children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and elementary and secondary education practitioners, including, but not limited to, teachers, administrators, special education directors, and regional superintendents of schools, to the Department of Human Services for the training that would be required in order to complete the model program of study.

Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force Act. Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois while creating new educational and tourism opportunities for the State. Establishes the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall provide administrative and technical support to the Task Force. Provides that all members of the Task Force shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Task Force shall review available research, existing infrastructure and projects, best practices, and effective interventions to formulate recommendations. Provides that the Task Force shall prepare a report detailing the Task Force's findings and recommendations and needed resources. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before July 1, 2024. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on January 1, 2025.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions relating to bullying prevention and the definition of "policy on bullying", provides that bullying shall also include bullying based on physical appearance, socioeconomic status, academic status, pregnancy, parenting status, homelessness. Provides that a bullying prevention policy must include procedures for informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying within 24 hours after the school's administration is made aware of the incident (instead of procedures for promptly informing parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged incident of bullying). Provides that the bullying prevention policy shall also require all individual instances of bullying, as well as all threats, suggestions, or instances of self-harm to be reported to the parents or legal guardians of those involved under the guidelines provided. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a template for a model bullying prevention policy. Provides that schools shall develop the bullying prevention policy for the school based on the model provided by the State Board of Education. Provides that school districts shall collect, maintain, and submit to the State Board of Education non-identifiable data regarding allegations and instances of bullying within the school district. Provides that upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a school district within the State, the State Board of Education must provide non-identifiable data of the number of bullying allegations and incidents in a given year at the school district to the requesting parent or legal guardian. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Makes other changes.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that if gas or electricity is used as the only source of space cooling or to control or operate the only space cooling equipment at a residence, then a utility may not terminate gas or electric utility service to a residential user for nonpayment of bills: (1) on any day when the National Weather Service forecast for the following 24 hours covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located includes a forecast that the temperature will be 85 degrees (rather than 95 degrees) Fahrenheit or above; (2) on any day preceding a holiday or weekend when the National Weather Service for the following 24 hours covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located includes a forecast that the temperature will be 85 degrees (rather than 95 degrees) Fahrenheit or above during the holiday or weekend; or (3) when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat watch, heat advisory, or excessive heat warning covering the area of the utility in which the residence is located.

Amends the Eminent Domain Act. Provides that quick-take proceedings may be used for a period of one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act by: Menard County for the acquisition of certain described property for the purpose of reconstructing the Athens Blacktop corridor; and McHenry County for the acquisition of certain described property for the purpose of the Randall Road Corridor Improvement Project. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that townships with less than 3,000 inhabitants (instead of 1,000 inhabitants) shall elect multi-township assessors.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a New Directions for Nursing Home Resident Care Task Force to develop a 5-year plan to deinstitutionalize individuals who require long-term care consistent with the federal requirements of community integration. Provides that the Task Force shall create a plan so that every nursing-home eligible individual who can be cared for in the community at the same or lesser cost than the individual's care in a nursing home has programs available to allow them to choose such community care. Provides that the Task Force shall also identify the costs and service needs related to expanding the Task Force's plan to include that part of the nursing facility population that would be more expensive to house in the community. Provides for membership, compensation, and administrative support of the Task Force. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall constitute the Task Force no later than 3 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that within 6 months of the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Task Force shall create a proposal for providing housing assistance payments to individuals receiving benefits under Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act who are facing placement in a facility or are unable to leave such a facility unless the individuals' have access to such a housing subsidy.