Rep. Norma Hernandez

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Adds to the definition of "community college benefit recipient" a person who is receiving retirement income from a self-managed plan account under the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code and who meets other requirements. Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In the definition of "retire" and "retirement", provides that a participant in the self-managed plan retires, and the participant's retirement begins, when the participant is eligible for retirement under the Article, and the Retirement System Reciprocal Act (Article 20 of the Code) if applicable, and the participant begins receiving retirement income from the participant's self-managed plan account.

Amends the Illinois Freedom to Work Act. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2026, no employer shall enter into a covenant not to compete or a covenant not to solicit with any employee. Provides that a covenant not to compete or a covenant not to solicit entered into on or after January 1, 2026 is illegal and void regardless of where and when the covenant not to compete or a covenant not to solicit was entered into. Provides that an employer or former employer shall not attempt to enforce a contract that is void and unenforceable under the Act regardless of whether the contract was signed and the employment was maintained outside of the State. Repeals provisions concerning the legitimate business interest of the employer; ensuring employees are informed about their obligations; and reformation of covenants not to compete and covenants not to solicit. Makes changes to definitions. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Deletes provision that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with the qualified vendor who proposes the lowest per minute rate not exceeding 7 cents per minute for debit, prepaid, collect calls and who does not bill to any party any tax, service charge, or additional fee exceeding the per minute rate, including, but not limited to, any per call surcharge, account set up fee, bill statement fee, monthly account maintenance charge, or refund fee as established by the Federal Communications Commission Order for state prisons in the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, Second Report and Order, WC Docket 12-375, FCC 15-136 (adopted Oct. 22, 2015). Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall contract with a qualified vendor for telephone services in which the cost of the service is not based on the number of telephone calls made. Provides that a committed person is entitled to make free telephone calls from the correctional institution or facility. Provides that neither the Department of Corrections nor its agents may adopt rules that charge a committed person per telephone call made. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules determining the length of each call made by a committed person, how many times each day a committed person may make telephone calls, and may prohibit calls for illegal purposes.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a mechanism to collect research and data regarding overdose prevention sites (OPSs) and prepare a report for the General Assembly within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the report shall contain information on (1) current research on the effectiveness of an OPS as an overdose prevention strategy; (2) OPS best practices for staffing, placement, and activities; and (3) the benefits and challenges of different OPS models - structures and settings. Requires the Department, in collaboration with people with lived experience, to develop a pilot service, subject to available funding, aimed at saving the lives of people who use substances that shall include the establishment of at least one OPS. Requires the pilot OPSs to offer people, who are most likely to use drugs in public, unobserved, high-risk, and unsanitary locations, a safe space to use pre-obtained substances and connect to community supports or other existing treatment and recovery programs, harm reduction services, and health care. Contains provisions concerning certain principles pilot OPSs must abide by; OPS staffing and location requirements; pilot OPS services; and other matters. Permits the Department to approve an entity to operate a pilot program in one or more jurisdictions. Grants criminal and civil immunity to persons who use pilot OPSs services; pilot OPS staff; and any real property owner upon which the OPS site is located or operates. Contains provisions on public awareness outreach; OPS reporting requirements; home rule exemption; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act. Prohibits the State or a unit of local government from creating or enforcing policies or ordinances imposing fines or criminal penalties against people experiencing unsheltered homelessness for occupying or engaging in life-sustaining activities on public property. Provides exceptions to maintain access to property or address risks to public health and safety. Creates a necessity defense for charges alleging violation of laws criminalizing life-sustaining activities while the individual was experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Defines terms. Limits the exercise of concurrent home rule powers.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that disbursements shall be made from the Public Aid Recoveries Trust Fund for the payment of contingency fees to third-party entities that the Office of Inspector General authorizes to conduct payment recapture audits and other specified audits under the medical assistance program.

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority has the power to establish a special pay supplement for those positions of employment that require that a person employed in that position speak or write a language other than English. Provides that such paid positions may be eligible for a bilingual pay supplement to attract bilingual individuals, to encourage present employees to become proficient in languages other than English, or to retain qualified bilingual employees. Provides that a bilingual pay supplement shall be processed within 30 calendar days after the employee presents to the Authority a certification from either the designated testing program process selected by the Authority or a State community college confirming that language skill proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking has been satisfied by the employee.

Amends the Illinois TRUST Act. Provides that law enforcement may not: (i) retain information regarding the citizenship or immigration status or place of birth of any individual; (ii) give any immigration agent access, including by telephone or other communication medium (rather than only including by telephone), to any individual who is in that agency's custody; (iii) permit immigration agents' use of agency facilities or equipment, including any agency electronic databases not available to the public (rather than permit immigration agents use of agency facilities or equipment, including any agency electronic databases not available to the public, for investigative interviews or other investigative or immigration enforcement purpose); or (iv) provide information to any immigration agent regarding any individual in the agency's custody (rather than provide information in response to any immigration agent's inquiry or request for information regarding any individual in the agency's custody). Provides that law enforcement may not enter into or maintain any agreement regarding direct access to any electronic database or other data-sharing platform maintained by a law enforcement agency, or otherwise provide such direct access to a federal entity enforcing civil immigration law or any third parties unless such third parties certify that the information will not be used for civil immigration purposes or knowingly disseminated for any purpose related to civil immigration enforcement. Adds provisions from the Keep Illinois Families Together Act to the Illinois TRUST Act. Changes reporting requirements. Removes certain provisions from the legislative purpose. Changes definitions. Repeals the Keep Illinois Families Together Act. Effective immediately.

Congratulates Union Pacific Railroad's Chicago Service Unit, General Manager Cerwin Fleming, and all team members on earning the 2025 Safety Bell Award.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the award of certain contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, provides that a contract for goods, services, or management in the operation of a school's food service entered into between a school board and a food service management company shall (1) be for a duration of no longer than one year, with options for yearly renewal of the contract not exceeding 4 additional years and (2) include a termination clause whereby either party may cancel for cause after a 60-day notification. Provides that all competitive bids for a contract for goods, services, or management in the operation of a school's food service entered into between a school board and a food service management company are subject to standardized evaluation criteria created by the State Board of Education for scoring that have been published on the State Board's website in advance. Provides that the school board shall maintain a record of the evaluation scoring, to be disclosed to all bidders within 10 days after the date of the award of the contract.