Rep. Camille Lilly

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Creates the Air Quality in Schools Task Force. Provides that the purpose of the task force is to study and make recommendations to the General Assembly on air quality goals for elementary, middle and high schools, processes to assess current ventilation systems in schools, processes to improve ventilation after assessment, and potential State and federal funding sources to improve school school air quality in the State. Sets forth members of the task force. Provides that the State Board shall provide administrative assistance and necessary staff support services. Provides that the task force shall issue a report on air quality goals for elementary, middle and high schools, processes to assess current ventilation systems in schools, processes to improve ventilation after assessment, and potential State and federal funding sources to improve school air quality in the State.

Makes an appropriation of $717,765,720 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for early childhood education. Makes various appropriations from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for early intervention, for grants and administration expenses associated with the Maternal and Child Home Visiting Program, for grants and administrative expenses associated with the Healthy Families Program, and for grants and administrative expenses associated with child care services, including prior year costs. Effective July 1, 2023.

Appropriates $ 20,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services to implement Public Act 102-522 and provide grants to local school districts and community organizations for comprehensive personal health and safety education in kindergarten through the 5th grade and comprehensive sexual health education in the 6th through 12th grades. Effective July 1, 2023 .

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning pap tests and prostate cancer screenings, provides that required coverage includes an annual cervical smear or Pap smear test for all (rather than female) insureds. Provides that required coverage includes an annual prostate cancer screening for insureds (rather than male insureds) upon the recommendation of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches for specified individuals. Provides that required coverage includes an annual prostate cancer screening for insureds who are age 40 and over with a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer.

Amends the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Act. Provides that up to a $2,500 grant may also be awarded to a certified alcohol and other drug counselor and a certified recovery support specialist. In a provision concerning eligibility for the grant, provides that an applicant may also work for at least 12 consecutive months for an organization that provides community based substance abuse disorder treatment or mental health services in an underserved or rural federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in this State.

Amends the Student Debt Assistance Act. Provides that an institution of higher education shall provide an official transcript of a current or former student to the current or former student under specified conditions (instead of providing that an institution of higher education must provide an official transcript of a current or former student to a current or potential employer, even if the current or former student owes a debt). Provides that an institution of higher education may adopt a more lenient policy on providing an official transcript to a current or former student who owes a debt. Provides that beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, each institution of higher education shall adopt a policy that outlines the process by which a current or former student may obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld from the student because the student owes a debt. Provides for minimum requirements for the policy. Provides that the institution of higher education does not need to institute a new policy if the institution's current policy meets the minimum requirements. Provides that on or before July 1, 2024 and on or before each July 1 thereafter, each institution of higher education shall report to the Board of Higher Education information regarding financial-based transcript and registration holds. Provides that complaints from current or former students who have had an unofficial or official transcript withheld may be filed with the Attorney General's student loan ombudsperson. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act. Requires a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that makes certain documentation submitted by an enrolled or admitted student sufficient to establish that the student is an individual with a disability. Requires the policy to be transparent and explicit regarding information about the process by which the public institution of higher education determines eligibility for accommodations for an individual with a disability. Provides that each public institution of higher education shall disseminate such information to students, parents, and faculty in accessible formats and make the information readily available on a public website of the institution. Allows a public institution of higher education to establish less burdensome criteria to establish whether an enrolled or admitted student is an individual with a disability. Requires a public institution of higher education to engage in an interactive process to establish a reasonable accommodation for an individual pursuant to the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Amends the Native American Employment Plan Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force Act. Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois while creating new educational and tourism opportunities for the State. Establishes the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall provide administrative and technical support to the Task Force. Provides that all members of the Task Force shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Task Force shall review available research, existing infrastructure and projects, best practices, and effective interventions to formulate recommendations. Provides that the Task Force shall prepare a report detailing the Task Force's findings and recommendations and needed resources. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before July 1, 2024. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on January 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, when hiring physical education, music, and visual arts educators, school districts must prioritize the hiring of educators who hold a teaching license and endorsement in those content areas. Provides that, if a school district is unable to hire a qualified candidate, the district may then hire a candidate who holds a valid professional educator license on a short-term basis. Provides that the professional educator license applicant must pass the content area test for which they are assigned to teach within one calendar year of the employment start date. Provides that, in order to retain employment for subsequent school years, the employee must complete 18 hours of course work in the content area in which they are teaching within 3 calendar years of their employment start date. Provides that in case of a reduction in force, districts may follow their local contract language for filling positions.