Rep. Sue Scherer

Amends the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. Provides that if a public higher education institution issues student identification cards to its students, the institution must provide contact information for certain suicide prevention and mental health resources on each student identification card. Provides that if an institution does not issue student identification cards to its students, the institution must publish the contact information on its website. Effective July 1, 2022. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Requires the contact information to be provided on each student identification card issued by the public college or university after the effective date of the amendatory Act (rather than requiring the contact information to be provided on each student identification card issued by the public college or university).

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that Juneteenth National Freedom Day shall be observed on June 19 of each year as a holiday throughout the State (currently, not a holiday and is observed on the third Saturday of June of each year). Provides that when June 19 falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be held and considered the holiday. Amends the Election Code, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, and the Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act to include Juneteenth National Freedom Day as a holiday. Effective immediately. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Central Management Services) Senate Bill 1965 will not require additional resources. Salaries will be paid, whether on holiday or at work. What is lost is productivity. If that equates to the cost of salaries, then CMS Bureau of Personnel's estimate is $11.3M statewide.

Amends the School Code. With regard to teacher evaluations, provides that no later than September 1, 2022, each school district must establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is evaluated at least once in the course of the 3 school years after receipt of the rating (rather than at least once in the course of every 2 school years) and establish an informal teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is informally evaluated at least once in the course of the 2 school years after receipt of the rating. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24A-7 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7 105 ILCS 5/34-85c Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Requires a school district to implement (rather than establish) an informal teacher observation plan (rather than an informal teacher evaluation plan); makes related changes. In provisions concerning the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, provides that the Council shall meet until June 30, 2024 (instead of June 30, 2021). Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code to provide that no later than September 1, 2022, the school district must establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is evaluated at least once in the course of the 3 school years after receipt of the rating and establish an informal teacher observation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is informally observed at least once in the course of the 2 school years after receipt of the rating.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, with respect to the supporting documentation required to obtain a plate for a veteran with a disability, the Secretary of State shall allow an applicant to redact information on the documentation that pertains to the nature of the applicant's health issue. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the contents of the introduced bill, and makes the following change: provides that the Secretary of State may require an applicant to disclose information necessary to confirm that the applicant's disability is service-connected or to establish the degree of the applicant's service-connected disability. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a guidance counselor may not intentionally solicit or accept any gift from any prohibited source or solicit or accept a gift that would be in violation of any federal or State statute or rule, with exceptions; defines terms. Provides that a guidance counselor is not in violation of the prohibition if he or she promptly takes reasonable action to return the gift to the prohibited source or donates the gift or an amount equal to its value to an appropriate charity that is exempt from income taxation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Provides that a guidance counselor or prohibited source who intentionally violates the prohibition is guilty of a business offense and is subject to a fine of at least $1,001 and up to $5,000. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds promotional materials as an exception to the prohibition.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 5 ILCS 420/1-101 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 801/20-10 20 ILCS 880/5 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Deletes a provision concerning the Board of the Illinois State Museum fixing the salaries of the administrative, scientific, and technical staff of the Illinois State Museum. Deletes a provision providing that the approval of the Board of the Illinois State Museum is necessary for the appointment of the administrative, scientific, and technical staff of the Illinois State Museum and for the making of any change in the salary of any person on that staff. Amends the Illinois Conservation Foundation Act. Provides term length and appointment length. Provides that if a member fails to attend 2 or more meetings in one year without being excused, then the Chair of the Board of Directors may ask the appointing officer to consider removing the member and making a new appointment. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as engrossed, with the following changes: Deletes language providing that if a member fails to attend 2 or more meetings in one year without being excused, then the Chair of the Board of Directors may ask the appointing officer to consider removing the member and making a new appointment. Also deletes language providing that if the appointing officer considers reappointing the same individual, that reappointing officer shall consider the member's attendance and commitment to the Foundation's purpose.

Creates the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is authorized to institute the water and sewer assistance program. Provides that any person who is a resident of the State of Illinois and whose household income is not greater than an amount determined annually by the Department may apply for assistance. Provides that in determining the amounts of assistance to be provided to or on behalf of a qualified applicant, the Department shall ensure that the highest amounts of assistance go to households with the greatest need for financial assistance in relation to household income by considering specified factors. Provides that each water or sewer provider shall assess each of its customer accounts a monthly Water and Sewer Assistance Charge to be deposited into the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that specified water or sewer utilities shall be allowed to offer a financial assistance program designed for bill payment assistance for low-income customers in accordance with the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the costs of a financial assistance program offered by a water or sewer utility shall be reimbursed from the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, in its use of federal funds under the Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may not cause a disproportionate share of those federal funds to benefit customers of water or sewer providers that do not assess the Water and Sewer Assistance Charge. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes: In provisions creating the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act, provides that in setting the annual eligibility level to receive financial assistance under the Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may not set a limit higher than the eligibility limit for assistance under the Energy Assistance Act (rather than 150% of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Provides that the process to allow a water or sewer provider to discontinue imposing assessments shall include review by the Illinois Commerce Commission of any water or sewer provider subject to the Public Utilities Act. Removes provisions concerning program eligibility for residents of rental properties. In provisions amending the Public Utilities Act, provides that the Commission shall render its decision within 90 days (rather than 60 days) after receiving a petition from a water or sewer utility to offer a financial assistance program. Removes language requiring the Commission to annually review and reconcile any amounts collected through tariffs to recover the costs of the financial assistance program. Makes corresponding changes.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision concerning home-delivered meal services to Illinois residents who qualify under the federal Older Americans Act, provides that, subject to appropriation, all home-delivered meals shall contain informational fact sheets on diabetes, elder abuse, elder neglect, elder financial exploitation, Social Security benefits, and Medicare. Permits the Department on Aging to enter into agreements with area agencies on aging or Department designees to print and distribute the informational materials to home-delivered meal providers, which shall in turn ensure that an informational fact sheet is included with the first home-delivered meal at the start of a recipient's subscription period and annually thereafter. Effective immediately. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Requires the informational fact sheets to be included in all home-delivered meals on a quarterly basis (rather than annually). Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends provisions of the Illinois Act on the Aging concerning home-delivered meal services to Illinois residents who qualify under the federal Older Americans Act. Provides that, on an annual basis, each recipient of home-delivered meals shall receive a fact sheet developed by the Department on Aging with a current list of toll-free numbers to access information on various health conditions, elder abuse, and programs for persons 60 years of age and older. Provides that the fact sheet shall be written in a language that the client understands, if possible. Provides that each recipient of home-delivered meals shall receive updates on any new program for which persons 60 years of age and older may be eligible. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Makes the amendatory changes contained in Senate Amendment No. 1 subject to appropriation.

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.

Amends the School Code. To ensure that the content available on any third party online curriculum that is made available to enrolled students or the public by a school district through the Internet is readily accessible to persons with disabilities, provides that the State Board of Education shall require that the third party online curriculum comply with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.182 new Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.75 new 105 ILCS 5/34-18.67 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the introduced bill, but provides that a school district must require (rather than the State Board of Education shall require) that the Internet website or web service comply with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Adds an effective date of August 1, 2022.