Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a public body shall take all reasonable steps to provide records in a format that is readable by the requester, including, but not limited to, making the record available in any format that is available to the public body and requested by the requester. Effective immediately.
Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Provides that high volume breeders shall comply with specified requirements for each dog that is kept, housed, and maintained by the breeder, including enclosure size and standards, food and water standards, medical care standards, and exercise and enrichment standards. Requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules that require high volume breeders to keep and maintain a record of veterinary care for each dog kept, housed, and maintained by the high volume breeder. Requires a dog broker or pet shop operator that seeks to purchase a dog from a high volume breeder, or an out-of-state dog breeder that would be a high volume breeder if located in this State, to request the breeder to sign a specified document stating that the breeder is in compliance with the standards applicable to high volume breeders. Defines terms. Makes other changes.
Amends the Employment Article of the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that "citizenship status" includes, among other things, the status of being a person who is authorized by the federal government to work in the United States. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an employer, for purposes of complying with federal employment eligibility requirements, to refuse to honor work authorization based upon the specific status or term of status that accompanies the authorization to work. Effective immediately.
Creates the No Representation Without Population Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall collect and maintain an electronic record of the legal residence, outside of any correctional facility, and other demographic data for each person entering its custody after January 1, 2019. Provides for the minimum records that the Department shall maintain. Requires the Department to provide certain information to the Secretary of State after the decennial census. Requires the Secretary of State to request similar information from agencies that operate federal incarceration facilities. Requires the Secretary of State to prepare redistricting data to reflect the incarcerated persons at their residential address, rather than the address of the facility in which the person is incarcerated. Provides that for persons for whom a legal residence is unknown or not in the State, and for all persons reported in the census as residing in a federal correctional facility for whom a report was not provided, the Secretary of State to allocate the person to a State unit not tied to a specific determined geographic location, as other residents with unknown addresses are allocated. Requires the data collected to only be used as a basis for determining Legislative and Representative Districts. Prohibits the use of the data for the distribution of State or federal aid. Contains severability provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires services provided by community midwives, doulas, and breastfeeding peer counselors to be covered and reimbursed under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance. Effective immediately.
Creates the Chicago Official Recall Act (referred to as the Laquan McDonald Law). Establishes procedures for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago, an alderman of the City of Chicago, and the Cook County State's Attorney. Effective immediately.
Creates the Right to Garden Act. Allows the State or a unit of local government to regulate gardens on residential property unless the statute or regulation has the practical effect of precluding gardens on residential property entirely. Defines the terms "garden" and "residential property". Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides that no local elected official may engage in lobbying if he or she accepts compensation specifically attributable to such lobbying, other than that provided by law or ordinance for local elected officials. Provides that nothing prohibits a local elected official from lobbying without compensation. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides for dyslexia screening guidelines and rules. Requires the State Board of Education to employ at least 5 dyslexia specialists or dyslexia therapists with a minimum of 5 years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related disorders to provide technical assistance and training. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through second (and in higher grades under certain circumstances) for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener approved by the State Board. Sets forth what the screening must include. Provides for additional screening for a student who is determined to be at risk, or at some risk, for dyslexia to determine if a student has the characteristics of dyslexia. Requires the use of a multi-tiered system of support framework if screening indicates that a student has some risk factors for dyslexia or has the characteristics of dyslexia. Sets forth provisions concerning exceptions to screening, dyslexia intervention services, and reporting. Effective July 1, 2020.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2021, persons aged 19 and older who are eligible for medical assistance but for their immigration status, and who have income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level plus 5% for the applicable family size as determined under applicable federal law and regulations. Provides that persons eligible for medical assistance under the amendatory Act shall receive coverage identical to the coverage for the Health Benefits Service Package as that term is defined under the Code.
