Rep. Chris Welch

Maddy summarySB 497 amends the Illinois Election Code to clarify the procedures for handling objections to candidate nominations and public policy petitions. The bill requires electoral boards to notify relevant parties within 24 hours and hold hearings between three and five days after receiving objection petitions. It grants these boards the authority to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents, adopt rules for evidence presentation, and presume the accuracy of random signature samples unless challenged with new evidence. This legislation directly affects electoral boards, candidates, petition proponents, and objectors by standardizing the timeline and powers used to resolve disputes over ballot access.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends an existing law regarding the Legislative Printing Unit's ability to produce and distribute newsletters and brochures for state legislators. It establishes specific blackout periods during primary and general elections when these materials cannot be printed or mailed, with a temporary exception for the 2022 primary election cycle. The only allowed mailings during these times are direct responses to constituent inquiries, and the content of all materials is restricted from including campaign information, economic benefits, or unrelated family news. Ultimately, the legislation aims to limit the official use of state printing resources for political campaigning during election seasons.

Congratulates the Honorable Michael Christopher Fountain, Honorary Consul of the Consulate of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Chicago for the Midwestern United States, on serving as a crucial link to the bilateral relationship between The Bahamas and the United States for over a decade. Wishes him continued success while conducting his consular duties.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Provides the Illinois Gaming Board shall: allow sworn law enforcement personnel employed by the Board who retire in good standing to keep their previously issued Board identification cards; or issue photographic identification cards to sworn law enforcement personnel employed by the Board who retire in good standing that indicate their separation from service and identify the person as having been employed by the Board as sworn law enforcement personnel. Provides that if a Board-issued identification card is lost or stolen, the Board shall immediately reissue a replacement identification card upon written request by the retired sworn law enforcement personnel. Effective immediately.

Amends the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Good Food Purchasing Law. Repeals provisions regarding procurement goals for local farm or food products. Provides that, no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, each State agency and State-owned facility that purchases food, including, without limitation, facilities for persons with mental health and development disabilities, correction facilities, and public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, shall have a timely plan for undergoing a Good Food Purchasing Program baseline assessment, conducted by the Center for Good Food Purchasing, to determine current alignment with Good Food Purchasing Program core values and Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability and how better to meet Good Food Purchasing Program core values and Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability. Provides that, no later than one year after completion of the baseline assessment, each State agency and State-owned facility shall develop and adopt a multi-year action plan with benchmarks to align food purchasing processes with Good Food Purchasing Program equity, transparency, and accountability and food purchases with Good Food Purchasing Program core values. Sets forth other provisions regarding the Program. Provides that the Good Food Purchasing Task Force created by House Joint Resolution 33 of the 102nd General Assembly is reestablished and shall continue with its study of current procurement of food within the State and to explore how good food purchasing can be implemented to maximize the procurement of healthy foods that are sustainably, locally, and equitably sourced. Provides that the Good Food Purchasing Fund is established as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the Department of Agriculture to administer the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Makes other changes. Amends the State Finance Act and the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act to make conforming changes.

Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Program Act. Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Program within the Department of Agriculture to support current Black farmers and to encourage the growth of Black farmers into the field of agriculture. Creates the Black Farmer Restoration Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Fund shall consist of gifts, grants, donations, and appropriations which must be made to support the Program. Provides that expenditures from the Fund must be used exclusively to pay costs, fees, and expenses necessary to administer the Program. Establishes requirements and limitations for the Program. Establishes the Farm Conservation Corps to provide training in an on-field environment for socially disadvantaged residents. Provides that the Director shall make publicly available annual reports describing data on the recipients of the Department programs, including assistance from farm subsidy programs, and the amounts of the assistance, delineated by the race, ethnicity, and gender of the recipients. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $ 5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of making grants to socially-disadvantaged farmers to provide funding for startup capital and for costs associated with farming operations and equipment. Effective July 1, 2023.

Creates the Distressed Farmers Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall fund and administer programs to address the needs of distressed farmers. Provides for a tax credit for distressed farmers. Amends The Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, each taxpayer who is a distressed farmer and who incurs qualified farming expenses during the taxable year is entitled to a tax credit in an amount equal to 100% of those qualified farming expenses, not to exceed $50,000 per taxpayer in any taxable year. Provides that qualified farming expenses include: (1) repairing tractors, trailers, and other vehicles; (2) purchasing, repairing, or constructing greenhouses and other covers for agricultural products; (3) purchasing tractors with tillers and other attachments; and (4) planting or harvesting food that will be delivered to an underserved community.

Creates the Worker Freedom of Speech Act. Provides that an employer or the employer's agent, representative, or designee may not discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize, or take any adverse employment action against an employee: (1) because the employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to receive or listen to communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; (2) as a means of inducing an employee to attend or participate in meetings or receive or listen to communications; or (3) because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of the Act. Provides for a private right of action to enforce the provisions of the Act. Sets forth the duties and powers of the Department of Labor under the Act. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the Act, an employer shall post and keep posted a notice of employee rights under the Act where employee notices are customarily placed. Provides for exceptions under the Act.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that a network plan shall, at least annually, audit (instead of audit periodically) at least 25% of its provider directories for accuracy, make any corrections necessary, and retain documentation of the audit. Provides that the network plan shall submit the audit to the Department of Insurance (instead of to the Director of Insurance upon request). Provides that the Department shall make the audit publicly available. Provides that a network plan shall include in the print format provider directory (i) a detailed description of the process to dispute charges for out-of-network providers or facilities that were incorrectly listed as in-network prior to the provision of care and (ii) a telephone number and email address to dispute those charges. Makes changes to the information that must be provided in a network plan's electronic and print directory. Requires the Director to conduct random audits of the accuracy of provider directories for at least 10% of plans each year. Provides that a consumer who incurs a cost for inappropriate out-of-network charges for a provider, facility, or hospital that was listed as in-network prior to the provision of services may file a verified complaint with the Department, and the Department shall conduct an investigation of the verified complaint and determine whether the complaint is sufficient. Provides that, upon a finding of sufficiency, the Director shall have the authority to levy a fine for not less than the cost incurred by the consumer for inappropriate out-of-network charges for a provider, facility, or hospital that was listed in-network. Provides that the fines collected by the Director shall be remitted to the consumer.