Rep. Litesa E. Wallace

Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. In addition to other specified rights, provides that it is the policy of the State that every child and adult in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services who is placed in foster care shall have the right to be placed in the least restrictive and most family-like setting available and in close proximity to his or her parent's home consistent with his or her health, safety, best interests, and special needs.

Amends the School Code. Requires a school district to make feminine hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in the bathrooms of school buildings. Provides that this requirement also applies to charter schools.

Amends the Emancipation of Minors Act. Removes language pertaining to homeless minors from provisions governing: purpose and policy; jurisdiction; rights and responsibilities of an emancipated minor; petitions; and hearings. Repeals the definition of "homeless minor" and "youth transitional housing program". Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that services provided by youth transitional housing programs may include a service assessment, individualized case management, and life skills training. Provides that a homeless minor is eligible if certain criteria are met. Provides that if a homeless minor voluntarily leaves or is dismissed from a youth transitional housing program prior to reaching the age of majority, the youth transitional housing program agency shall contact the comprehensive community based youth services agency that provided crisis intervention services to the eligible homeless minor to assist in finding an alternative placement for the minor. Provides that nothing in the new provisions shall be construed to require an eligible homeless minor to acquire the consent of a parent, guardian, or custodian to consent to a youth transitional housing program. Provides that an eligible homeless minor is deemed to have the legal capacity to consent to receiving housing and services from a licensed youth transitional housing program. Contains a statement of purpose.

Amends the Jury Act. Provides that, except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be excluded from jury service in any court of this State on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from military service.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person also commits hate crime when, by reason of the actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin of another individual or group of individuals, regardless of the existence of any other motivating factor or factors, he or she commits intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, or transmission of obscene messages. Provides that independent of any criminal prosecution or the result of a criminal prosecution, any person suffering intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, disorderly conduct, transmission of obscene messages, harassment by telephone, or harassment through electronic communications may bring a civil action for damages, injunction or other appropriate relief. Provides that the Attorney General may bring an action for civil damages for a hate crime in the name of the People of the State. Provides that the court shall impose a civil penalty of $25,000 for each violation of the hate crime statute.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a violation for an employer to impose as a condition of obtaining or retaining employment any term or condition that requires a person to violate or forgo a sincerely held practice of his or her religion including the wearing of any attire, clothing, or facial hair in accordance with the requirements of his or her religion. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that when the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense, a prosecution for criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, or criminal sexual abuse may be commenced at any time regardless as to whether corroborating physical evidence is available or an individual who is required to report an alleged or suspected commission of any of these offenses under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act fails to do so. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

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

Amends the School Code. Requires in-service training for school personnel to include training on civil rights and in cultural diversity, including racial and ethnic sensitivity and implicit racial bias. Effective July 1, 2017.

Congratulates and thanks Mayor Larry Morrissey for his years of service as mayor of the City of Rockford.