Rep. Dan Swanson

Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Provides that employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply to volunteer emergency workers participating in required training, including a prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than only termination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee to take vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to an emergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not apply to any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more (currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act. Provides that a fee of $25 for a commission as an electronic notary public shall be waived for a period of 2 years. Provides that a bond of $25,000 for a commission as an electronic notary shall be waived for a period of 2 years, except that a bond of $5,000 shall still be required. Effective immediately.

Creates the Servicemember Education Rights Veneration Act. Requires institutions of higher education (institution) to accommodate service member student's academic military leave and grant prompt readmission when the service member student has not exceeded a cumulative academic military leave period beyond 5 years, provides advance notice of academic military leave to the institution, and provides notice of intent to return to the institution. Requires the institution to readmit a service member student on academic military leave into the next class, classes, or academic year division following the receipt of the notice of intent to return in accordance with the terms of the accommodation. Contains provisions on exemptions to readmission and related reporting requirements on service member students; investigations by the Attorney General's appointed ISERRA Advocate on whether a readmission exemption exists; and other matters. Requires service member students to provide advance notice of pending military service and prohibits institutions from imposing conditions for academic military leave not otherwise imposed under the Act. Contains provisions on military accommodation; academic obligations of service member students; reimbursement for school expenses; academic withdrawal due to military service; rejection of accommodation and the institution's burden of proof; a 5-year military service limitation; records documentation; advance notice requirements on service member students; notice of intent to return; anti-discrimination protections; academic leave for the spouses of servicemembers; Attorney General enforcement authority; remedies; rulemaking authority; and other matters.

Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Military Affairs has the authority to make grants from the Military Affairs Trust Fund for the purpose of incentivizing recruitment into the Illinois National Guard. Provides that the Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program (JEEP) is established for the purpose of increasing recruitment through peer-to-peer referrals, fostering esprit de corps, and promoting cross-component cooperation between the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard. Permits the Department to provide grants under the JEEP program to current members of the Illinois National Guard who are not assigned as recruiters, are in good standing, and serve as JEEP lead generators by supporting or facilitating the enlistment or accession of soldiers or airmen into the Illinois National Guard. Requires the State Treasurer to accept and deposit into the Military Affairs Trust Fund all gifts, grants, transfers, appropriations, and other funds from any lawful public or private source that are designated for deposit into the Fund. Requires the Department to establish eligibility criteria, grant conditions, and administrative requirements for the JEEP program by rule.

Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that any athletic team or sport that is under the jurisdiction of an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and student must be expressly designated as (i) a male athletic team or sport, (ii) a female athletic team or sport, or (iii) a coeducational athletic team or sport. Provides that an athletic team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex. Requires a school district or nonpublic school to obtain a written statement signed by a student's parent or guardian or the student verifying the student's age, biological sex, and that the student has not taken performance enhancing drugs; provides for a penalty for false or misleading statements. Prohibits a governmental entity or an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and students from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a school district or nonpublic school for maintaining athletic teams or sports in accordance with these provisions.

Repeals the provisions of Public Act 102-1116 that make amendatory changes to the Firearms Restraining Order Act that provide that a petitioner for a firearms restraining order may request a plenary firearms restraining order of up to one-year, but not less than 6 months (restores the 6 months provision). Repeals provisions that the firearms restraining order may be renewed for an additional period of up to one year. Repeals amendatory provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012 making it unlawful, beginning January 1, 2024, for any person within the State to knowingly possess an assault weapon, assault weapon attachment, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge, with exemptions. Repeals provisions that make it unlawful for any person within the State to knowingly manufacture, deliver, sell, purchase, or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, or purchased a large capacity ammunition feeding device, with specified exemptions. Repeals amendatory provisions of the Criminal Code of 2012 that prohibit the manufacture, possession, sale, or offer to sell, purchase, manufacture, import, transfer, or use any device, part, kit, tool, accessory, or combination of parts that is designed to and functions to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm above the standard rate of fire for semiautomatic firearms that is not equipped with that device, part, or combination of parts. Repeals amendatory provisions of the Freedom of Information Act that exempt from disclosure under the Act certain information concerning assault weapons endorsements received by the Illinois State Police. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act. Allows a speech-language pathologist to diagnose autism spectrum disorders if: (1) the child is under 3 years of age; and (2) the speech-language pathologist is trained in autism diagnostic evaluation methods as part of the curriculum of an approved program, through worksite training, or through continuing education. Provides that if a diagnosis requires a plan of care that includes elements that are outside the scope of practice of a speech-language pathologist, the speech-language pathologist must refer the patient to the appropriate medical personnel for further evaluation or management. Makes conforming changes in the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code, and provisions of the Illinois Insurance Code concerning autism spectrum disorders. Effective July 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 4438 designates the Black-and-Gold Bumblebee (*Bombus auricomus*) as Illinois' official state bee under the State Designations Act. This symbolic bill directly affects all Illinois residents by adding a new state symbol, similar to existing designations like the state flower or bird. The key provision simply amends the State Designations Act to include this specific bumblebee species in official state references. The bill has no regulatory or financial impact, as it is purely a ceremonial designation. It was introduced in January 2026 and referred to the Rules Committee.

In addition to any amounts heretofore appropriated for Community-Based Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and for Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled and Alternative Community Programs, appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services to fund transition grants awarded under the Section 14(c) transition program to assist community agencies with active or pending 14(c) certificates transition away from subminimum wages for workers with disabilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the amount transferred from the General Revenue Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund. Effective immediately.