Sen. Mike Porfirio

Creates the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act. Establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois. Describes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall convene at the call of the chairperson and meet as frequently as necessary to carry out its duties. Provides that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. Provides that commissioners shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027, with annual addenda thereafter. Provides that the Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved if 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated, with certain requirements. Defines terms.

Amends the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a physician assistant may prescribe, dispense, order, administer, and procure drugs and medical devices without delegation of authority by a physician. Provides that a physician assistant may practice without a written collaborative agreement. Provides that a physician assistant who files with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation a notarized attestation of completion of at least 250 hours of continuing education or training and at least 2,000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining national certification shall not require a written collaborative agreement to practice. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; physician assistant title; collaboration requirements; written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority, and physician assistants in hospitals, hospital affiliates, or ambulatory surgical treatment centers; inactive status; limitations; and grounds for disciplinary action. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to make corresponding changes.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides for a temporary permit, which is a 3-year, non-renewable authorization to practice in this State, for active duty military members, military spouses, and veterans. Provides eligibility and application requirements for a temporary permit. Provides that temporary permits are valid for 3 years from the date of issuance and shall not be renewed. Provides that a temporary permitholder may practice within the scope of the permitholder's out-of-state license if the permitholder complies with all State laws, rules, regulations, and standards of practice applicable to the permitholder's profession. Provides that a temporary permit shall not be issued for a profession requiring emergency or public safety certifications unless the issuance of the temporary permit is authorized by the licensing board of the profession. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; permanent licensure; and rulemaking. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Community Housing Reintegration Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund may be used to provide housing-related costs for eligible persons who are either (i) transitioning out of congregate long-term care settings into less restrictive independent and community-based housing or (ii) facing impending placement in a congregate long-term care facility due to lack of affordable accessible housing. Amends the Property Tax Code. Increases the real estate transfer tax from $0.50 per $500 of valuation to $0.75 per $500 in valuation. Provides that a portion of the proceeds from the real estate transfer tax shall be deposited into the Community Housing Reintegration Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, at least 5 days prior to a career-related event being held, a school district, other than the Chicago school district, must notify the nearest military recruiter about the career-related event. Provides that the notification requirement is satisfied if, at the beginning of the school year, the school district sends a calendar of career-related events being held during the school year to the military recruiter. Provides that if a military recruiter provides at least 2 days' notice to a school district that the military recruiter intends to attend a career-related event, the school district or a school shall provide accommodations to the military recruiter that include a prominent location at the career-related event either in the facility or on the grounds where the career-related event is being held. Provides that if a military recruiter sends an advertisement for military careers and opportunities to a school district for display, the school district shall require each school to display the advertisement in the school counselor's office or in the main office of the school. Provides that if a school or school district does not comply with the requirements, a military recruiter may send notice of noncompliance to the regional office of education with jurisdiction over the school or school district. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Law. In a provision concerning members serving on the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Program Advisory Council, provides that such members may be reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses and in compliance with the Secretary of State's travel rules for attendance at meetings.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Creates emergency rulemaking procedures for the student teaching stipend program. Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Authorizes a person to establish optional credit for periods of service as a student teacher under a specified provision of the Board of Higher Education Act. In provisions requiring an additional employer contribution for certain salary increases greater than 6%, provides that the System shall exclude any stipends paid to an eligible cooperating teacher under the Board of Higher Education Act. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Creates the student teaching stipend program. Defines terms. Provides that an educator preparation program shall notify the Board of Higher Education of all eligible students and eligible cooperating teachers who qualify for the stipend program. Creates requirements for the disbursement of stipend funds under the program. Provides that an educator preparation program may not prohibit an eligible student from participating in the stipend program or from receiving a stipend from the stipend program. Requires an eligible cooperating teacher who receives a stipend to complete specific training. Requires the Board to issue a report in collaboration with the State Board of Education evaluating the impact of the stipend program. Permits the Board to adopt emergency rules regarding the administration of the stipend program in certain circumstances subject to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Global Hospital Budget Authority Act. Defines terms. Established the Global Hospital Budget Authority as a Division of the Department of Public Health. Provides that the powers and duties of the Authority shall be vested in and exercised by the Global Hospital Budget Board, which shall have the sole power to employ staff, including an executive director, legal counsel, consultants, or any other staff deemed necessary by the Board to effectuate the purposes of the Act. Provides that individuals employed by the Board shall not be employees of the State for any purpose, including for purposes of compensation, pension benefits, or retirement. Sets forth provisions concerning membership requirements; powers and duties of the Board; roles of participating payers; roles of participant hospitals; data collection and retention; confidentiality of data, contracts, and agreements; and the Global Hospital Budget Fund. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that, in reviewing and issuing permits and licenses, the Department shall accept, as factors that satisfy staffing and service-line presence requirements, one or a combination of the following alternative mechanisms if the Department finds that patient safety and continuity of care are maintained: (i) on-site staffing by appropriately licensed clinicians; (ii) written and operative affiliation agreements meeting standards adopted by the Department that provide timely specialty coverage; (iii) documented telemedicine coverage that meets certain standards; or (iv) a waiver issued under certain provisions for a rural or critical access hospital. In provisions concerning requirements for the employment of physicians, provides that employing entities may employ physicians to practice medicine in all of its branches if employment, privileging, and oversight requirements are met. Amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; certificates of exemption for change of ownership of a health care facility; applications for permit for discontinuation of a health care facility or category of service; and the powers and duties of State Board. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.