Sen. Javier Cervantes

Urges all stakeholders and policymakers to collaborate and consider how to best upgrade public works law in 2024 from retention's across-the-board, capital-draining policy of taking money from all contractors on all projects to a more efficient, nuanced, and tailored approach that protects agencies without forcing cash-strapped contractors to go into debt by providing no interest loans to their government. clients

Amends the Childhood Hunger Relief Act. Provides that for all schools operating a school breakfast program, the State Board of Education shall collect information about whether the school is operating a breakfast after the bell program and, if so, what breakfast after the bell model the school operates, including breakfast in the classroom, second chance breakfast, and grab and go breakfast. Provides that the State Board of Education shall make this data publicly available annually. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall award grants of up to $7,000 per school site on a competitive basis to eligible schools, school districts, or entities approved by the State Board of Education for nonrecurring expenses incurred in initiating a school breakfast after the bell program. Sets forth what the grants may be used for and who gets preference for a grant.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides for the election (rather than appointment) of the board of trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago beginning with the 2025 consolidated election. Provides that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by the General Assembly for seats on the board of trustees, in addition to one at-large trustee. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that all agency rules establishing procedures for contested cases may include procedures for requesting language assistance. Provides that, in a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an opportunity for an administrative hearing after reasonable notice in the preferred spoken language of the parties, if known by the agency. Provides that notice for the administrative hearings shall include instructions at the top of the notice, written in, at a minimum, English, Spanish, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Tagalog, for assistance in translating the contents of the notice, and a statement written in those languages. Defines "language assistance". Provides that the administrative law judge has the duty to inquire and determine if a participant in the hearing needs language assistance to participate in or understand the hearing. Provides that if an individual for whom English is a second language knows some English, it should not prohibit that individual from being allowed to receive language assistance. Provides that the examination of the individual believed to be in need of language assistance must be done on the record, and the conclusion of the administrative law judge must be stated on the record. Provides that any party or witness has the right to request language assistance to participate in or understand the hearing at any time during the course of the hearing. Creates qualifications for the certification of administrative hearing interpreters.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the minimum standards for child care licensing include regulations to allow for staffing flexibility of qualified early childhood assistants to enable the early childhood assistants to supervise a classroom outside of the core developmental hours of the day, which shall not exceed more than 3 consecutive hours.

Amends the Government Electronic Records Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the month of September of each year is designated as Alopecia Awareness Month to be observed throughout the State to bring awareness to the disease of alopecia.

Amends the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. In provisions regarding the compulsory school age, provides that a student absent from a school in which the student is regularly enrolled shall be considered as being in attendance if the reason for such absence is to participate in scheduled Future Farmers of America Organization and 4-H programs as part of organized competitions or exhibitions. Provides that the student and parent or legal guardian shall be responsible for obtaining assignments missed while the student was participating in such an activity from the student's teacher.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the effect of Article, Part, and Section headings.

Creates the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce Act. Establishes the GROW Illinois Program, in which public institutions of higher education award incentive loans to applicants. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may, each year, administer applications for assistance under the GROW Illinois Program. Sets forth qualifications for recipients, degrees, and jobs. Provides for loan repayment and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (GROW) Illinois Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.