Rep. La Shawn Ford

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a municipality shall receive a waiver from paying a required match to a State grant of State moneys if the municipality meets all the other requirements needed for approval of the grant and submits documentation to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, in a form and manner prescribed by the Office, that the municipality: (1) has a population under 25,000; (2) has over 13% of its residents under the federal poverty guidelines; (3) has had a negative fund balance within the past 5 years; or (4) has at least twice the debt compared to the retail market value of the municipality's real and personal property and moneys in the municipality's accounts. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Removes a provision that the Act shall not apply to any employee who is covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement with an employer that provides services nationally and internationally of delivery, pickup, and transportation of parcels, documents, and freight. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include an employee as defined in the Federal Employers' Liability Act.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insurer shall not, with regard to any motor vehicle liability insurance practice, (i) unfairly discriminate based on age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, immigration or citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, or gender expression or (ii) use any external consumer data and information sources in a way that unfairly discriminates based on age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, immigration or citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, or gender expression. Allows the Department of Insurance to examine and investigate an insurer's use of external consumer data and information sources, algorithms, or predictive models in any motor vehicle liability insurance practice. Specifies that the provisions shall not be construed to require an insurer to collect consumer's demographic data, to prohibit the use of a driver's history that has a direct relationship with risk, or to prohibit the use of or require testing of longstanding and well-established common industry practices in settling claims or traditional underwriting practices. Prohibits an insurer from canceling, refusing to renew, or increasing the premium for any policy of automobile insurance solely because an insured person has reached the age of 65 years if the insured has a valid Illinois driver's license. Defines terms.

Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Rent Control Preemption Act. Provides that the Act does not prohibit a municipality from setting rent controls for manufactured homes.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that a veteran may submit an application for the homestead exemptions for veterans with disabilities to the chief county assessment officer with respect to a specific property before the veteran purchases the property. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that when the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense, a prosecution for involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons and related offenses may be commenced at any time (rather than within 25 years of the victim attaining the age of 18 years).

Creates the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Act. Provides that the State of Illinois ratifies and approves the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. Provides that the purpose of the Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of Occupational Therapy with the goal of improving public access to Occupational Therapy services, and states that the Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. The Compact contains provisions concerning definitions; state participation in the Compact; Compact privilege; obtaining a new home state license by virtue of Compact privileges; active duty military personnel and their spouses; adverse actions; establishment of the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission; a data system; rulemaking; oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement; date of implementation of the Interstate Commission for Occupational Therapy Practice and associated rules, withdrawal, and amendment; construction and severability; and the binding effect of the Compact and other laws.

Appropriates the amount of $709,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for the administration and operation of Greencorps Chicago and Forest Preserve Experience programs within the Conservation Corps program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Mourns the death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough.