Creates the College Insurance Program Task Force to study the College Insurance Program and present policy and legislative recommendations to the General Assembly to ensure the program remains a viable and healthy benefit.
Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Declares the week of September 18 to September 24, 2023 as "Diaper Need Awareness Week".
Declares March 29, 2023 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day in the State of Illinois.
Urges the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to support the state goal of increasing the number and diversity of Illinois' educator workforce by collaborating with the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to develop and launch a state-wide teacher recruitment system internally, possibly with the support from an outside vendor, that will be available to the public by July 1, 2024 and will support interested candidates statewide to apply to, enroll in, and complete Illinois' Teacher Preparation Programs and succeed in their eventual job placement.
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. Specifies that among the conditions of employment that may be included in arbitration decisions involving peace officers are residency requirements for municipalities with a population under 1,000,000 (now, for municipalities with a population under 100,000). Specifies that residency requirements for municipalities with a population under 1,000,000 (now, for municipalities with a population under 100,000) are not a condition of employment that may be included in an arbitration decision for a peace officer. Effective immediately.
Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of employees, a school board or the governing board of a joint agreement shall pay to employees an hourly rate of not less than (i) $20 for the 2024-2025 school year, (ii) $21 for the 2025-2026 school year, and (iii) $22 for the 2026-2027 school year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each school year thereafter shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Provides that "employee" means any employee of a school district or joint agreement who provides educational support services to the district or joint agreement, including, but not limited to, custodial employees, transportation employees, food service providers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, or paraprofessional educators. Provides that an employee's salary shall include any amount paid by the school district or joint agreement on behalf of the employee, as employee contributions, to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Effective immediately.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any person engaged in the business of selling or offering to sell goods or services at retail to the public with an individual accepting in-person payments at a physical location shall not: (1) refuse to accept cash as a form of payment for sales of less than $2,000 made at the physical location; (2) post a sign on the premises stating that cash payment is not accepted; or (3) charge a higher price to customers paying with cash compared to the price charged to customers not paying with cash. Provides for specified exceptions. Provides that any person who violates the provisions commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act. Effective January 1, 2024.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall award a grant to a statewide association of public pension funds affiliated with a public institution of higher education to develop and deliver an in-person financial literacy training program for public employees. Provides that the program shall consist of in-person training regarding retirement income, including pension benefits, Social Security benefits, and employer-sponsored deferred compensation and retiree healthcare savings plans and shall also include instruction in financial planning and important elements of consumer finance, such as debt, educational savings, budgeting, and related subjects. Provides that the program shall include recorded programs to assist public employees who work on nontraditional shift assignments.
Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall create a Network Adequacy Unit within the Department for the purpose of investigating insurers for compliance with the Act and enforcing its provisions. Provides that the Director of Insurance may hire and retain insurance analysts, managers, actuaries, and any other staff necessary to operate the Network Adequacy Unit. Provides that the Director may, in the Director's sole discretion, publicly acknowledge the existence of an ongoing network adequacy market conduct examination before filing the examination report. Effective July 1, 2023.
