Rep. Dee Avelar

Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that when a future entrant who is not subject to the compulsory retirement age withdraws from service and is at least age 63, his or her age and service annuity shall be fixed as of the age he or she withdraws from service. Makes conforming changes. In a provision concerning contribution refunds, removes an age limitation on eligibility for a refund. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, in order to further the prevention of accidents, the Department of Transportation shall conduct a traffic study following the occurrence of any accident involving a fatality that occurs on a State highway. Provides that the study shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of alternative geometric design improvements, traffic control devices, and any other improvements that the Department deems necessary. Provides that the Department shall make the results of the study available to the public on its website.

Amends the Higher Education Veterans Service Act. With regard to the requirement to advertise the office location and phone number of and Internet access to the Coordinator of Veterans and Military Personnel and Student Services, provides that the advertisement must also include the website and any social media accounts of the public college or university. Requires each public college and university to annually report to the Board of Higher Education on the efforts of the public college or university in attracting, recruiting, and retaining veterans and military personnel. Effective immediately.

Amends the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act. Adds student loan borrowers to the definition of "consumer". Adds to the definition of "debt settlement provider" any person or entity engaging in, or holding itself out as engaging in, or any person who solicits for or acts on behalf of such person or entity engaging in or holding itself out as engaging in, the business of student loan debt relief services in exchange for any fee or compensation assessed against or charged to a consumer. Excludes institutions of higher education from the definition of "debt settlement provider". Defines other terms. Requires a specified notice and disclosure to student loan borrowers to be included in advertising and marketing communications concerning student loan debt relief services. Requires providers of student loan debt relief services to provide a specified notice and disclosure before a student loan borrower signs a contract. Provides that any fees charged to a student loan borrower in exchange for student loan debt relief shall comply with a provision concerning fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Adds reference to: 225 ILCS 429/145 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: Provides that "debt settlement service" does not include the services of any other originator, guarantor, or servicer of federal education loans or private education loans (rather than federal education loans). Provides that "student loan borrower" includes a parent, grandparent, or other family member who has received or agreed to pay a student loan for a family member receiving the education or any co-signer who has agreed to share responsibility for repaying a student loan with the person receiving the education. Further amends the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act. Provides that a debt settlement provider shall not advise or represent, expressly or by implication, that consumers should stop communicating with their creditors, lenders, loan servicers, loan guarantors, or attorneys or government entities (rather than creditors). Provides that a debt settlement provider shall not advise or represent, expressly or by implication, that consumers should stop making payments to their creditors, lenders, loan servicers, loan guarantors, or attorneys or government entities (rather than creditors). Provides that a debt settlement provider shall not access or obtain a consumer's or student loan borrower's federal student aid information in violation of federal law. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that within 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Pollution Control Board shall adopt amendments to the rules adopted under specified provisions to require groundwater monitoring at all clean construction or demolition debris fill operations and all uncontaminated soil fill operations. Provides that the groundwater monitoring requirements adopted under specified provisions shall be designed to detect and prevent any exceedance of the Board's Class I groundwater quality standards and meet specified requirements. Provides that groundwater monitoring shall be required for all clean construction or demolition debris fill operations and all uncontaminated soil fill operations unless, before the effective date of the amendatory Act, the owner or operator has completed post-closure maintenance and, for clean construction or demolition debris fill operations, received specified notice from the Environmental Protection Agency, or, for uncontaminated soil fill operations, submitted specified information to the Agency. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 415 ILCS 5/22.51 415 ILCS 5/22.51a Adds reference to: 415 ILCS 5/22.51b Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions regarding fees for permitted facilities accepting clean construction or demolition debris or uncontaminated soils, changes specified fees in specified amounts. Provides that all fees, taxes, and surcharges collected under the provisions shall be used for, among other things, environmental safety purposes.

Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. With respect to the exceptions to the compulsory attendance requirement, provides that absence for cause by illness shall include the mental or behavioral health of a student for up to 5 days for which the child need not provide a medical note, in which case the child shall be given the opportunity to make up any school work missed during the mental or behavioral health absence. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the child, after the second mental health day used, may be referred to the appropriate school support personnel.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Relocates a provision regarding special immigrant minors from the Abused, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article to the General Provisions Article. Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that a petition for guardianship of the person of a minor who is 18 years of age or older, but who has not yet attained 21 years of age, may be filed by a parent, relative, or nonrelative person over the age of 21. Provides that a court making determinations concerning such a petition shall consider the best interest of the minor. Provides that an appointed guardian shall have responsibility for the custody, nurture, and tuition of the minor, and shall have the right to determine the minor's residence based on the minor's best interest. Provides that a minor who is the subject of a petition for guardianship or for extension of guardianship may be referred for psychological, educational, medical, or social services under certain circumstances. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 755 ILCS 5/11-5.6 new Adds reference to: 755 ILCS 5/11-5.5 Relocates the changes to the Probate Act of 1975 into a Section related to special immigrant minor findings. Provides that with the consent of the minor, the court shall appoint the petitioner as the guardian (rather than "shall appoint a guardian") of the person for a minor who is 18 years of age or older, but who has not yet attained 21 years of age, in connection with a motion for special findings.

Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college district to make feminine hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in the bathrooms of facilities or portions of facilities that (i) are owned or leased by the board or over which the board has care, custody, and control and (ii) are used for student instruction or administrative purposes. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill, but replaces the term "feminine hygiene products" with the term "menstrual hygiene products". Effective immediately.

Creates the Feminine Hygiene Products for the Homeless Act. Provides that feminine hygiene products, including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons, and panty liners, shall be available free of charge at all homeless shelters that provide temporary housing assistance to women or youth. Provides that a homeless shelter's obligation to satisfy this requirement is subject to the availability of funds in the homeless shelter's general budget.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules that permit recipients of benefits provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to use their benefits to purchase menstrual hygiene products. Requires the Department to apply for any waiver or State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that implementation shall be contingent on federal approval. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that if the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service creates and makes available to the states a waiver permitting recipients of benefits provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to use their benefits to purchase diapers or menstrual hygiene products such as tampons, sanitary napkins, and feminine wipes, then the Department of Human Services shall apply for the waiver. Provides that if the United States Department of Agriculture approves the Department of Human Services' waiver application, then the Department of Human Services shall adopt rules and make other changes as necessary to implement the approved waiver.