Sen. Javier Cervantes

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Provides that an employer who furnishes a pay stub to an employee over the age of 65 shall provide the employee with a paper pay stub at the request of the employee. Provides that an employer who requires an employee over the age of 65 to record the hours the employee worked on an electronic device shall provide the employee a method to record the hours on a non-electronic device. Sets forth notice requirements. Provides that any employee who is subject to a violation the provisions may recover in a civil action against the employer the amount of $500 per violation and reasonable costs and attorney's fees. Defines terms.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. In the provision concerning parole review of persons under the age of 21 at the time of the commission of an offense, provides that any date after serving the minimum term of years to become eligible for parole review or up to 3 years prior to becoming eligible for parole review, the eligible person may file his or her petition for parole review with the Prisoner Review Board. Provides that within 30 days of receipt of this petition, the Prisoner Review Board shall determine whether the petition is appropriately filed, and if so, shall set a date for parole review 3 years from receipt of the petition or the date the person is eligible for parole review, whichever date is sooner, and notify the Department of Corrections within 10 business days. Provides that in no such circumstance shall the hearing be scheduled sooner than one year from the date of the determination that the petition is appropriately filed.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "leader follower attenuator truck" as a driverless vehicle that is led by a human-driven vehicle that controls its position, speed, and heading data to the driverless vehicle while maintaining a set gap distance and is be equipped with sensors that can detect obstacles to stop the driverless vehicle if necessary. Allows the Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to use leader follower attenuator trucks on State highways to increase safety of workers in construction and maintenance zones.

Amends the Cemetery Care Act. Defines "average fair market value", "total return percentage", and "net income". Provides that a trustee may apply to the Comptroller to establish a master trust fund in which deposits are made. Allows a cemetery authority to take distributions from its fund either by distributing ordinary income or total return distribution. Requires an application for the implementation of the total return distribution method to be submitted to the Comptroller at least 120 days before the effective date of the election to receive total return distribution. Allows, where no receiver is available, a circuit court to order a willing local municipality, township, county, or city to take over the cemetery. Repeals a provision regarding the use of care funds. Makes other changes.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that it is a mitigating factor in sentencing that the defendant is convicted of a felony and is a combat veteran who is a qualified service-disabled veteran who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Amends the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act. Provides that if a combat veteran who is a resident of Illinois is a qualified service-disabled veteran and is believed to have committed an offense or is in need of assistance as a result of a suspected incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder, a peace officer or an ambulance service shall transport the veteran to a Department of Veterans Affairs' hospital to be evaluated by a physician, psychiatrist, or clinical psychologist, or other medical professional that the hospital deems qualified to determine whether the veteran is a danger to himself, herself, herself, or others. Provides that if it is determined by the hospital staff who evaluated the veteran that the veteran is not a danger to himself or others, the person shall be released unless that person is subject to law enforcement agency custody for commission of an offense that requires pretrial detention under the Pretrial Release Article of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. If the veteran requires detention, the veteran shall be released to law enforcement agency custody. Provides that if a combat veteran who is a qualified service-disabled veteran is charged with a criminal offense, the case shall be tried by a veterans and servicemembers court located in the veteran's county of residence, or if the veteran's county of residence does not have a veterans and servicemembers court located in that county, the case shall be tried in a veterans and servicemembers court located in the nearest county of the veteran's residence.

Amends the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act. Provides that if a veteran with a service-connected disability is arrested for or charged with a criminal offense and there is prima facie evidence that the veteran was suffering from an episode of post-traumatic stress disorder or a related mental health condition during the commission of the offense, there is a rebuttable presumption that the veteran is eligible to participate in a veterans and servicemembers court program, and after the arrest or charge, the following procedures shall take place: (1) the veteran shall be evaluated and treated as soon as practicable by a qualified medical professional for post-traumatic stress disorder and any other mental health condition or disorder; and (2) the court shall order a screening and clinical needs assessment and risk assessment and a mental health and substance use disorder screening and assessment. Provides that if a veteran with a service-connected disability is charged for the first time with a criminal offense, including a felony, except certain offenses that would make him or her ineligible to participate in a veterans and servicemembers court program, and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or a related mental health condition during the commission of the offense, then, upon successful completion of the terms and conditions of a court program, the court shall dismiss the original charges against the veteran or successfully terminate the veteran's sentence or otherwise discharge the veteran from any further proceedings against the participant in the original prosecution. Establishes certain procedures to be followed when a combat veteran who is a disabled veteran has an episode of post-traumatic syndrome disorder and needs assistance.

Creates the Ensuring Essential Services Act. Provides that the purpose of the Act is to ensure the State meets its obligation to provide certain essential services for individuals with developmental disabilities at consistent quality levels in accordance with its waiver agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, all while allocating scarce taxpayer resources. Provides that any contract entered into between the Department of Human Services and an agency shall include a provision assuring the State of the uninterrupted delivery of the contracted-for services. Provides that such assurance shall provide that the agency has entered into a binding labor peace agreement with any labor organization that is the exclusive representative of the agency's frontline and direct support staff or, where no exclusive representation has been established, that the agency has or will enter into an agreement with any labor organization that seeks to become the agency's frontline and direct support staff's exclusive representative. Provides that the assurance shall become a condition of any contract entered into, renewed, or amended on or after the effective date of the Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to, no later than 90 days after the effective date of the Act, apply to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a waiver or State Plan amendment to allow implementation of the contracting requirements. Requires the Department of Human Services, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the Act, to adopt rules implementing the requirements of the Act. Contains provisions on contract requirements for Department of Human Services' contracts; enforcement of contractual assurances; remedial actions for noncompliance; and other matters. Effective June 1, 2025.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Defines "evidence-based practices" as any procedures, practices, or methods of supervision that have been studied and reviewed with an emphasis on such practices that enable probation officers to improve the outcomes when applied in their supervision of offenders and defendants.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that funds available from the Probation and Court Services Fund may be used for vehicles used to support evidence-based probation practices and computers and computer equipment and supplies necessary to carry out evidence-based probation practices and data collection and storage.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a "disruption event" includes any planned or unplanned work on or damage to a fire hydrant. Changes the term "health care facility list" to "disruption notification list". Requires a public water distribution entity to also notify all affected fire departments and all affected dispatch centers on the public water supply's disruption notification list not less than 14 days before any known, planned, or anticipated disruption event or that are served by the public water supply and affected by any unplanned disruption event in the public water supply's water distribution system. Requires a fire department and a dispatch center to designate an email address to receive electronic notifications from the public water distribution entity concerning planned or unplanned disruption events.