Rep. Sharon Chung

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a grant program to support the educator licensure of paraprofessionals with bachelor's degrees. Provides that the State Board shall distribute grants to qualified school districts. Provides that the school districts shall distribute funds to paraprofessionals. Sets forth requirements for school districts to qualify. Sets forth requirements for paraprofessionals to qualify. Sets forth requirements for the grant application, selection of paraprofessionals, restrictions of funds, priority to award grant assistance, program evaluation, and rulemaking.

Declares June 4, 2023 as Cancer Survivors Day in the State of Illinois in order to recognize and celebrate the valuable, dynamic population of cancer survivors in Illinois.

Encourages Illinois' institutions of higher education to embrace the neurodiversity paradigm and adopt a statement of inclusivity of neurodivergent individuals that appreciates and embraces the fact that every student is different and should be encouraged to reach their full potential.

States that Illinois hospitals should be required to report instances of preterm birth, infant mortality, and maternal mortality within reporting under the Hospital Report Card Act, including racial and ethnic information about the mother and the disparity of these occurrences across racial and ethnic groups. Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health to work with the review committees to implement policy and corrective actions to address causes of preventable maternal death.

Declares March 14, 2023 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the State shall not expend or invest any public funds in any organization, nonprofit organization, religious organization, or any other entity that performs conversion therapy. Provides that any public funds owed by the State to an organization performing conversion therapy shall be withheld from such organization, and any contract between the State and that organization shall be void.

Recognizes the month of May 2023 as National Foster Care Awareness Month.

Urges schools across the state to pursue starting Future Teachers of America clubs.

Declares the month of September 2023 as River Clean Up Month. Encourages chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, local economic development organizations, area groups and associations, and local schools and colleges to organize and coordinate local cleanup activities along portions of rivers and waterways in their area. Encourages the State of Illinois to promote September as River Clean Up Month.