Rep. Camille Lilly

Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act. Defines "Ebony Alert" as a notification system designed to issue and coordinate alerts with respect to Black youth, including young women and girls, who are reported missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, who are reported missing and are at risk, who are reported missing and are developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired, or who have been abducted. Provides for procedures for law enforcement agencies to request activation of an Ebony Alert by the Illinois State Police if the law enforcement agency determines that an Ebony Alert would be an effective tool in the investigation of missing or abducted Black youth, including listing factors for the agency to consider. Allows use of a changeable message sign under specified circumstances. Provides that radio, television, cable, satellite, and social media systems are encouraged, but not required, to cooperate with disseminating the Ebony Alert or the information contained in an Ebony Alert. Amends the Video Gaming Act. Provides that the Illinois Gaming Board, in its discretion, may require video gaming terminals to display Amber Alert and Ebony Alert (rather than only Amber Alert) messages if the Board makes a finding that it would be economically and technically feasible and pose no risk to the integrity and security of the central communications system and video gaming terminals.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act. Provides that the KIND Act creates the statutory vision and authority for the Department of Children and Family Services to execute a kin-first approach to service delivery and directs the juvenile courts to provide necessary oversight of the Department's obligations to maintain family connections and promote equitable opportunities for youth and families to thrive with relational permanence. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Contains provisions concerning Department rules on relative, kinship, and licensed foster care; grants to subsidized guardians of hard-to-place children; a requirement on the Department to make reasonable efforts to place a child with a relative; documentation of the Department's reasons for failing to secure a relative placement; foster care maintenance payments for relatives who qualify for certification as a kinship caregiver home; subsidized guardianship support services for children and their guardians; certification and background checks on relative caregivers; annual reports regarding relative and kinship care placements; performance audits; and other matters. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires the Department to adopt standards for certifying kinship caregiver family homes that are different from licensing standards used for non-relative foster family homes. Contains provisions concerning background screenings of prospective kinship caregivers; a requirement that the Department assist relatives and prospective kinship caregivers with completing the steps required for approval as a kinship caregiver home; orientation activities for prospective kinship caregivers; Guardianship Assistance Program payments and services for relative caregivers; and other matters. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes changes to provisions concerning "best interest" determinations; emergency placement of a minor with a willing relative pending a temporary custody hearing; court assessments on the Department's effort to place a minor with a relative; court ordered family-finding efforts; required notification to a minor's located relatives that the minor has been removed from the custody of the minor's parents; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Comprehensive Lead Education, Reduction, and Window Replacement Program Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that "day care homes" means family homes which receive more than 3 and up to a maximum of 14 children (instead of 12) for less than 24 hours per day.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Designates the twenty-first day of February of each year as John Lewis Day, to be observed throughout the State as a day to remember the accomplishments of the civil rights icon and to honor his legacy and dedication to public service.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Removes provisions specifically excluding academic programs for incarcerated students from the definitions of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution". In provisions concerning the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program, removes the restriction that the applicant must not be incarcerated.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a minor technical correction to the official short title of a section within the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. It does not create new laws, change existing policies, or directly affect any individuals or organizations. The change was approved by both the House and Senate and has been sent to the Governor for final approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates December 19, 2024, as Illinois ABLE Day to honor the tenth anniversary of the federal legislation that created state-run savings accounts for people with disabilities. The resolution recognizes the Illinois ABLE program, which allows eligible individuals to save money for qualified disability expenses like education, healthcare, and transportation without losing federal benefits. By acknowledging the program's growth and impact, the bill aims to highlight the financial independence it provides to Illinoisans with disabilities and their families.

Amends the Community Benefits Act. Provides that a hospital shall make the annual hospital community benefits plan report submitted to the Attorney General available to the public by publishing the information on the hospital's website. Provides that information made available to the public shall include specified items. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall award a nursing in correctional facilities scholarship to each qualified applicant in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of the eligible institution at which the recipient is enrolled, with specified limits. Provides that scholarship recipients shall also receive a stipend, the amount of which shall not exceed $10,000, to cover other costs of attendance, including, but not limited to, reasonable living expenses. Sets forth provisions concerning eligibility, scholarship terms, the total amount of assistance, application for the program, repayment, compliance with State and federal laws, a report, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2025.