Rep. Dan Swanson

Amends the Local Journalism Task Force Act. Adds additional members to be appointed by the Governor to the Local Journalism Task Force within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 4102/5 Amends the High-Speed Railway Commission Act. Provides that the following members of the High-Speed Railway Commission shall be appointed by the Governor: a representative of a labor organization representing rail workers; a representative of a trade organization related to the rail industry; a representative of the Metropolitan Mayors and Managers Association; a representative from the Illinois Railroad Association; a representative from the University of Illinois System; a representative from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning; a representative of the Illinois Municipal League; a representative of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District; a representative of the Region 1 Planning Council; a representative of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission; and a representative of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Provides that the initial appointments shall be made by January 1, 2023 (rather than January 1, 2022). Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adds an immediate effective date. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 4108/25 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts provisions of the engrossed bill. Amends the High-Speed Railway Commission Act. Adds the Chairperson of the Commuter Rail Board as member to the High-Speed Railway Commission. Removes the Chairperson of the Directors of Metra as a member of the High-Speed Railway Commission. Amends the Local Journalism Task Force Act. Provides that the Task Force shall submit its findings and recommendations for legislation to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than July 1, 2023. Makes other conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes provision that it is an affirmative defense to a charge of solicitation of a sexual act with a person who is under the age of 18 or who is a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability that the accused reasonably believed the person was of the age of 18 years or over or was not a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability at the time of the act giving rise to the charge. Provides that solicitation of a sexual act from a person who is under the age of 18 or whom the solicitor of the sexual act reasonably believes to be under the age of 18 is a Class 4 felony. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as introduced but deletes provision that solicitation of a sexual act from a person whom the solicitor of the sexual act reasonably believes to be under the age of 18 is a Class 4 felony.

Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 405 ILCS 20/0.1 from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 300.1 Adds reference to: 410 ILCS 50/3.2 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Removes language providing that nothing in the Act shall restrict the ability of a health care facility to regulate the hours of visitation, the number of visitors per patient or the movement of visitors within the facility. Provides that, during a period for which the Governor has issued a proclamation declaring that a disaster exists or in the event of an outbreak or epidemic of a communicable disease in the community in which the health care facility is located, a health care facility shall ensure an opportunity for at least one visitor, not counting a clergy person, to visit a resident or patient of the health care facility. Requires visitation to be subject to the guidelines, conditions, and limitations of the health care facility's visitation policy and any rules or guidelines established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides that visitors may be required by the health care facility to submit to health screenings necessary to prevent the spread of infectious disease. Provides that a health care facility may restrict a visitor who does not pass its health screening requirement and require a visitor to adhere to infection control procedures. Provides that a health care facility may deny visitation under the Act if the situation demands. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Authorizes a skilled nursing home, extended care facility, or intermediate care facility to prohibit an individual from visiting a resident or patient of the nursing home or facility if specific facts demonstrate that the individual would endanger his or her physical health or safety or the health or safety of a resident, patient, or health care worker of the nursing home or facility. Requires such a denial to be in writing and provided to the individual and the resident or patient with whom the individual was denied visitation. Requires each skilled nursing home, extended care facility, and intermediate care facility to inform each resident of the nursing home or facility (or that individual's representative) of the resident's visitation rights and the facility's visitation-related policies and procedures. Specifies that these nursing homes and facilities must not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Requires the nursing homes and facilities to ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges, consistent with the residents' preferences.

Amends the Technology Advancement and Development Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 700/1001 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 505/21.6 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a child protective investigator is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, such as mace, pepper mace, or pepper gas, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the child protective investigator has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Illinois State Police. Requires the Illinois State Police to establish a training program for child protective investigators on the proper use of personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide funding for the training program. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that a front-line staff member is authorized to carry and use personal protection spray devices, as defined, for self-defense purposes while investigating a report of child abuse or neglect if the front-line staff member has been trained on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices by the Department of Children and Family Services, in consultation with the Illinois State Police. Provides that by January 1, 2023, the Department, in consultation with the Illinois State Police, shall (i) identify a list of approved personal protection spray devices and (ii) jointly develop and approve a training curriculum and program for front-line staff members on the proper use of such personal protection spray devices for self-defense purposes. Requires the Department to provide funding for the training program. Sets forth specific circumstances under which a front-line staff member may use a personal protection spray device including if the front-line staff member: (i) reasonably believes that use is necessary to protect the staff member from an imminent physical assault posed by another person; (ii) uses the device to incapacitate a person attempting a physical assault in order to avoid imminent physical harm and to facilitate escape from danger when there is no other alternative available to the front-line staff member; and (iii) except in exigent circumstances, has issued a verbal warning to persons in close proximity to the spray area. Provides that a front-line staff member's use of personal protection spray devices during the performance of his or her professional duties in any manner other than as expressly authorized under the amendatory Act shall be prohibited by Department policy. Provides that whenever a front-line staff member discharges a personal protection spray device, the front-line staff member shall complete an incident report. Provides that, following the discharge of a personal protection spray device that results in exposure, the front-line staff member shall notify his or her supervisor and, if appropriate, call 9-1-1 for emergency response or responders as soon as reasonably practical and when safe to do so. Requires the Department to annually report and publish on its website, beginning January 1, 2024, the number of front-line staff members trained to carry personal protection spray devices, the number of front-line staff members reporting personal protection spray devices and the make or model of the devices, and the number of reported uses of personal protection spray devices by service region. Provides that, in addition, the Department shall report each incident involving the deployment of a personal protection spray device that occurred during the preceding calendar year, including: (1) the estimated age, gender, and race of the intended target of the personal protection spray device; (2) whether there were injuries to the intended target resulting from the deployment of the personal protection spray device; (3) the age, gender, and race of the front-line staff member who utilized the personal protection spray device; and (4) whether there were injuries to the front-line staff member resulting from the incident. Requires the Department to also report yearly data on the number of personal protection spray device deployments found to be against Department policy. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In a provision that requires an employer to make an additional contribution to the State Universities Retirement System for certain salary increases greater than 6%, provides that the System shall exclude any earnings increase paid in an academic year beginning on or after July 1, 2020 (instead of any earnings increase) resulting from overload work performed in an academic year subsequent to an academic year in which the employer was unable to offer or allow to be conducted overload work due to an emergency declaration limiting such activities. Makes other changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes definition of qualified applicant. Provides that a qualifying condition requires that the person applying must have received an honorable discharge after leaving federal active duty service (instead of received an honorable discharge after leaving each period of federal active duty service). Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 110 ILCS 805/6-4 from Ch. 122, par. 106-4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that if a person is on active duty (instead of active military duty) or is entitled to veterans' education assistance (instead of is receiving veterans' education benefits), then the board of trustees of a community college district shall deem that person an in-district (instead of Illinois) resident for tuition purposes for any academic quarter, semester, or term, as applicable. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Removes provisions requiring a veteran who has served as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or reserves of the United States Armed Forces to apply in person for a fishing license at a regional office of the Department of Natural Resources. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall establish by administrative rule the documentation that qualifies as acceptable verification of service; defines "acceptable verification" of service. Makes related changes to the Wildlife Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. Expands the list of rights under the Foster Children's Bill of Rights to include: (i) the right to participate in a formal intake process immediately after placement in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services during which the youth will be instructed on inappropriate acts of affection, discipline, and punishment by guardians, foster parents, foster siblings, or any other adult responsible for the youth's welfare; (ii) the right to have access to intervention and counseling services within the first 24 hours after removal from the home in order to assess whether the youth is exhibiting signs of a post-traumatic stress disorder, special needs, or mental illness; (iii) the right to have monthly assessment visits with a staff member of the Department's Division of Child Protection to determine the youth's well-being and emotional health following placement, to determine the youth's relationship with his or her guardian or foster parent or with any other adult responsible for the youth's welfare, and to determine what forms of discipline, if any, the youth's guardian or foster parent or any other responsible adult uses to correct the youth; (iv) the right to be gradually transitioned out of foster care and not systematically aged out of State care; (v) the right to be enrolled in an independent living program prior to his or her transition out of foster care where the youth will receive phased in classes and instruction on independent living and self-sufficiency in the areas of employment, finances, meals, and housing as well as help in developing life skills and long-term goals; and (vi) the right to be assessed by a third-party entity or agency prior to enrollment in any independent living program in order to determine the youth's readiness for a transition out of foster care based on the youth's individual needs, emotional development, and ability, regardless of age, to make a successful transition to adulthood. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act. Expands the list of rights under the Foster Children's Bill of Rights to include the following: (1) The right to participate in an age and developmentally appropriate intake process immediately after placement in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services, during which, the Department shall: (i) provide the youth a document describing inappropriate acts of affection, discipline, and punishment by guardians, foster parents, foster siblings, or any other adult responsible for the youth's welfare; and (ii) review and discuss the document with the child. (2) The right to participate in appropriate intervention and counseling services after removal from the home of origin in order to assess whether the youth is exhibiting signs of traumatic stress, special needs, or mental illness. (3) The right to receive a home visit by an assigned child welfare specialist, per existing Department policies and procedures, on a monthly basis or more frequently as needed. (4) The right to be enrolled in an independent living services program prior to transitioning out of foster care where the youth shall receive classes and instruction, appropriate to the youth's age and developmental capacity, on independent living and self-sufficiency in the areas of employment, finances, meals, and housing as well as help in developing life skills and long-term goals. (5) The right to be assessed by a third-party entity or agency prior to enrollment in any independent living program in order to determine the youth's readiness for a transition out of foster care based on the youth's individual needs, emotional development, and ability, regardless of age, to make a successful transition to adulthood.

Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Provides that each year prior to the start of the school year, a school board shall file its threat assessment procedure and a list identifying the members of the school district's threat assessment team or regional behavior threat assessment and intervention team with (i) a local law enforcement agency and (ii) the regional office of education or, with respect to the Chicago school district, the State Board of Education. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adds reference to: 5 ILCS 140/7 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from disclosure any threat assessment procedure under the School Safety Drill Act and any information contained in the procedure from inspection and copying. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Adds a special education cooperative that dissolves or reorganizes to provisions concerning the continued employment of educational support personnel employees in a new, annexing, or receiving school district. Provides that with respect to a special education cooperative reorganization, the contractual continued service status of a teacher transfers to the new or different board. Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer to demote an employee because of the exercise of his or her rights or remedies under the Act. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 820 ILCS 305/4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Makes corresponding changes concerning the addition of a special education cooperative that dissolves or reorganizes to provisions concerning the continued employment of educational support personnel employees in a new, annexing, or receiving school district and in provisions specifying that, with respect to a special education cooperative reorganization, the contractual continued service status of a teacher transfers to the new or different board. Provides that, in the case of a special education cooperative that dissolves or reorganizes, the districts that are parties to the joint agreement shall follow specified procedures. Removes changes to the Workers' Compensation Act. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 In provisions concerning contractual continued service, provides that if, by reason of a special education cooperative reorganization or dissolution (rather than by reason of a special education cooperative reorganization), the position held by any teacher having a contractual continued service status is transferred from one board to the control of a new or different board, then the contractual continued service status of the teacher is not thereby lost.