Amends the School Code. Authorizes the Chicago Board of Education, by resolution, to provide for the compensation of its members.
Creates the Office of Language Equity and Access Act. Provides that the Office of Language Equity and Access is created in the Governor's Office of New Americans to ensure equitable and meaningful access to State information, services, programs, and activities for persons who have limited English proficiency. Provides that the Director of the Office shall work with State agencies and use available resources within the Office of New Americans and Office of Equity to ensure that, among other things, each State agency takes reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to services, programs, and activities by persons with limited English proficiency. Provides that the Office shall have a full-time Director who is bilingual and has experience in serving immigrant populations. Describes the duties and responsibilities of the Director. Provides that there shall be a bilingual employment plan, which would require designations of positions as bilingual and result in the hiring of qualified personnel who are bilingual. Provides that the Director shall comply with specified requirements concerning the need for interpreters and translators. Provides that the Director shall develop a template and mechanism for collecting, storing, and analyzing language access plans.
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 Chicago Municipal Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2023, an age and service or prior service annuity shall not be cancelled in the case of an employee who is re-employed by the Board of Education of the city as a paraprofessional or related service provider on a temporary and non-annual basis or on an hourly basis so long as the person: (1) does not work for compensation on more than 120 days in a school year; or (2) does not accept gross compensation for the re-employment in a school year in excess of $30,000. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the effect of Article, Part, and Section headings.
Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall collect and annually publish data on the racial and ethnic makeup of applicants who were denied licensure by the Department.
Creates the Higher Education in Prison Act. Provides that on or before September 1 of the year following the effective date of the Act and each subsequent September 1, the Department of Corrections shall release a report, to be published on the Department of Corrections's Internet website, detailing certain information pertaining to higher education within Department institutions and facilities. Requires the report to be filed with the Governor and General Assembly. Provides that the data provided in the report shall include an aggregate chart at the Department level and individual reports by each correctional institution or facility of the Department of Corrections. Provides that on or before September 1 of the year following the effective date of the Act and each subsequent September 1, each college and university that provides academic programs for committed persons shall report to the Board of Higher Education on enrollment, retention, completion, and student demographics, including race, ethnicity, age, and gender of committed students. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall compile the information and, within 60 days after receipt of such information, issue a report reflecting the information for each institution required to report. Provides that the report must be filed with the Governor and General Assembly and made publicly available on the Board of Higher Education's Internet website.
Amends the Chicago Laborer Article of the Illinois Pension Code. For Tier 1 participants: provides that if the minimum annuity applies and is greater than the annuity provided under the annuity after withdrawal while disabled provisions, then the minimum annuity shall apply; provides that the annuity for withdrawal while disabled shall be subject to automatic annual increases; provides that if the minimum widow's annuity applies and is greater than the spouse's annuity under the annuity after withdrawal while disabled provisions, then the minimum widow's annuity shall apply; and provides that any widow's annuity shall not be subject to any automatic annual increases. For Tier 2 participants: provides that an employee whose disability continues after the employee has received ordinary disability benefits for the maximum period of time and who withdraws before becoming eligible for a retirement annuity while still so disabled is entitled to receive an annuity in such amount as can be provided from the total sum accumulated to the employee's credit from employee and employer contributions, to be computed as of the employee's age on the date of withdrawal; provides that the annuity shall not be subject to any automatic annual increases and that the minimum annuity shall not apply; provides that the annuity to which the employee's spouse shall be entitled upon the employee's death shall be fixed on the date of the employee's withdrawal and shall be provided on a reversionary annuity basis; and provides that the annuity shall not be subject to any automatic annual increases and that the minimum widow's annuity shall not apply. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Universities and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that in administering the optional deferred compensation plan, the System shall require that the deferred compensation plan recordkeeper agree that, in performing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan, the recordkeeper: (i) will not use information received as a result of providing services with respect to the deferred compensation plan or the participants in the deferred compensation plan to solicit the participants in the deferred compensation plan for the purpose of cross-selling nonplan products and services, unless in response to a request by a participant in the deferred compensation plan; and (ii) will not promote, recommend, endorse, or solicit participants in the deferred compensation plan to purchase any financial products or services outside of the deferred compensation plan. Adds similar provisions with regard to the deferred compensation plan and local government deferred compensation plans under the Deferred Compensation Article. Amends the University Employees Custodial Accounts Act. Provides that in administering a defined contribution plan to provide retirement benefits, the governing board of any public institution of higher education shall require that the plan recordkeeper agree that, in performing services with respect to the plan, the recordkeeper: (i) will not use information received as a result of providing services with respect to the plan or the plan's participants to solicit the plan's participants for the purpose of cross-selling nonplan products and services, unless in response to a request by a participant in the plan; and (ii) will not promote, recommend, endorse, or solicit participants in the plan to purchase any financial products or services outside of the plan.
