Rep. Chris Welch

Recognizes that there are significant disparities in college degree completion rates for low-income and first generation college students and students of color at institutions across the State. Commits to closing statewide racial and socioeconomic degree attainment gaps and institutional achievement gaps and encourages institutions of higher education to implement and expand existing student success efforts that have evidence of improving educational outcomes for low-income and first generation college students and students of color. Urges the State's P20 Council is to update the State's 60 by 25 goal to include equity-focused targets aimed at closing institutional racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps.

Congratulates the Proviso East High School and Proviso West High School girls and boys track & field teams on making their presence felt during IHSA state finals competitions.

Creates the Industrial Hemp Act. Provides that a person desiring to grow, cultivate, or process industrial hemp or industrial hemp products must be licensed by the Department of Agriculture. Provides that the application for a license shall include the name and address of the applicant and the legal description of the land area, including Global Positioning System coordinates, to be used to cultivate industrial hemp. Provides that the Department may determine, by rule, the duration of a license and the requirements for license renewal. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Noxious Weed Law. Provides that "noxious weed" does not include industrial hemp. Amends the Cannabis Control Act. Provides that "cannabis" does not include industrial hemp. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Enforcement Title of the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall cause investigations to be made as a result of the Agency's own investigation or knowledge. Provides that in all cases in which an alleged violation may have a continuing effect on the environment, the Agency shall promptly notify the Attorney General and the State's Attorney for the county in which the alleged violation is occurring. Provides that in all cases the Agency shall refer to the Attorney General and the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred information regarding the violation if a violation is continuing to occur or a penalty for past violations may be appropriate. Makes corresponding and other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Presumptively Void Transfers Article of the Probate Act of 1975. Includes a civil union partner within the scope of the term "family member" and includes a transfer on death instrument within the scope of the term "transfer instrument". Makes changes regarding the rebuttable presumption that a transfer instrument is void if the transferee is a caregiver and the fair market value of the transferred property exceeds $20,000. Provides that if the property in question is an interest in real property, a bona fide purchaser or mortgagee for value shall take the subject property free and clear of the action challenging the transfer instrument if the transfer to the bona fide purchaser or mortgagee for value occurs prior to the recordation of a lis pendens for an action challenging the transfer. Sets forth conditions under which a financial institution or similar entity is not liable for distributing or releasing property when the transfer is challenged. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall allow an applicant to provide his or her individual taxpayer identification number as an alternative to provide a social security number when applying for a license. Provides that no applicant shall be denied a license solely based on his or her immigration status or citizenship status. Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Removes language providing that an applicant for a registered pharmacist license shall provide evidence indicating that he or she is a United States citizen or legally admitted alien.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2018, and quarterly thereafter, the Department of Human Services shall submit to the General Assembly a written report providing, at minimum, for each State-operated mental health center and State-operated developmental center: (1) the number of employees; (2) the number of patient or resident initiated workplace violence incidents which occurred, including the number which were a direct assault on staff and the number which were a violent incident to which staff responded; (3) the number of employees impacted in each incident; and (4) the rate of workplace violence that quarter expressed as total number of employees impacted to total number of employees. Effective immediately.

Creates the Bridge Program for Underrepresented Students Act. Defines terms. Provides that each public university in this State may establish a Bridge Program for underrepresented students. Specifies program requirements. Provides that a public university that establishes a Bridge Program shall, on or before September 1, 2019 and on or before September 1 of each subsequent year, publish on its website and make available to the public a report on the Program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Makes post-secondary education tuition and fee waivers available to youth for whom the Department of Children and Family Services has court-ordered legal responsibility, youth who aged out of care at age 18 or older, or youth formerly under care who have been adopted and were the subject of an adoption assistance agreement or who have been placed in private guardianship and were the subject of a subsidized guardianship agreement. Requires applicants to have earned a high school diploma from an accredited institution or a high school equivalency certificate or have met the State criteria for high school graduation before the start of the school year for which they are applying for the waivers. Limits the tuition and fee waivers to persons under the age of 26 and provides that waivers shall be available to a student for at least the first 5 years the student is enrolled in a community college, university, or college maintained by the State. Provides that the age requirement and 5-year cap on tuition and fee waivers shall be waived and eligibility extended for applicants or students who were unable to enroll in a qualifying post-secondary school or complete an academic term because the student: (i) was called into active duty with the United States Armed Forces; (ii) was deployed for service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; or (iii) volunteered in the Peace Corps or the AmeriCorps. Permits the Department to provide the student with a stipend to cover maintenance and school expenses during the academic years to supplement the student's earnings. Requires the Department to develop outreach programs to ensure qualifying youths are aware of the availability of the tuition and fee waivers.