Sen. Celina Villanueva

Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority has the power to establish a special pay supplement for those positions of employment that require that a person employed in that position speak or write a language other than English. Provides that such paid positions may be eligible for a bilingual pay supplement to attract bilingual individuals, to encourage present employees to become proficient in languages other than English, or to retain qualified bilingual employees. Provides that a bilingual pay supplement shall be processed within 30 calendar days after the employee presents to the Authority a certification from either the designated testing program process selected by the Authority or a State community college confirming that language skill proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking has been satisfied by the employee.

Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that any public liability claim filed against the State of Illinois or any public liability claim filed against a State employee on the basis of an occurrence in the course of the employee's State employment must be approved by the Governor, in cases of settlements exceeding $250,000 (rather than $100,000).

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish the Abortion Access Fund Grant Program to award grants from the Abortion Access Fund to support access to abortion care services throughout the State. Provides that grants awarded under the Program shall only be used to fund abortion services for which the use of federal funds is prohibited for patients who are uninsured or underinsured with respect to those services. Allows the Department to establish rules necessary to implement the Abortion Access Fund Grant Program, including eligibility criteria, grant limits, application standards, requirements for the distribution and obligation of grant funds, accounting for the use of the funds, and standards for monitoring compliance with the requirements of the Program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Abortion Access Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Amends the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Law. Requires specified health insurance issuers that have offered one or more qualified health plans through the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange to report to the Department of Insurance an accounting of receipts, disbursements, transfers of funds between accounts, total dollar claims paid, accrued interest, and the year-end balance for each reporting year for the separate allocation accounts that the issuer has established under specified provisions of federal law for abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited. Establishes further reporting requirements for health insurance issuers. Provides that, if the amount of premiums collected during the plan year for abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited exceeds total claims paid for such services rendered during the plan year, the Director of Insurance shall order the health insurance issuer to transfer funds, and the issuer shall complete the transfer, to the Abortion Access Fund. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Vital Records Act. In provisions regarding fetal death, deletes provisions referencing election in writing to arrange for burial or cremation under the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires a funeral director to file an Authorization for Disposition of Fetal Remains or a certificate of death (rather than only a certificate of death) before obtaining a permit for disposition of remains. Provides that, in the case of a fetal death that occurs after a gestation period of less than 20 weeks or in the case of an abortion, no fetal death certificate shall be required for the disposition of remains. Directs the Department of Public Health to create a form to be used by the funeral director to obtain a permit for burial, entombment, or cremation. Requires the local registrar to seal any form filed under these provisions, and prohibits a funeral director from retaining a copy. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. In provisions regarding the disposition of a fetus, provides that no fetal death certificate shall be required in accordance with the Vital Records Act. Provides that the funeral director or person acting as such who first assumes custody of fetal remains shall use the Department of Public Health form to obtain a permit for disposition of remains. Makes other conforming changes.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. In the definition of "abused child", changes the list of persons who may be considered a perpetrator of abuse to include a child's parent, a parent's paramour, or any other person 14 years of age or older who is either responsible for the child's welfare, is an immediate family member, or resides in the same home as the child. Provides that, if the Department of Children and Family Services does not accept an abuse or neglect report for investigation on the sole basis that the alleged perpetrator is another person in the household under the age of 14, then the Department shall consider if there is reasonable cause to suspect that the alleged maltreatment is the result of blatant disregard on the part of an adult or agency who is an eligible perpetrator. Provides that, if so, the Department shall accept a report alleging abuse or neglect identifying the adult or agency as the alleged perpetrator. Permits the Department to also consider whether a child welfare service referral would be appropriate.

Amends the School Code. Requires every public elementary and high school to include in its curriculum the study of the contributions made by Latin Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the requirement during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit and make recommendations for improvement. Provides that the failure by a school district or school to comply with the requirement shall result in a written warning for the first offense, and if the school district or school continues to fail to comply with the requirements, the school district or school shall face disciplinary action at the discretion of the regional superintendent. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials and professional development opportunities that may be used as guidelines for the development of a Latin American unit of study. Effective August 1, 2026.

Amends 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 Latina and Latino history, including the history of Latinas and Latinos in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Latinas and Latinos toward advancing civil rights from the 19th century onward. Provides that these events shall include the contributions made by individual Latinas and Latinos in government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as the contributions of Latina and Latino communities to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that the studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers. Establishes requirements for the State Superintendent of Education, regional superintendents, and each school board concerning instructional materials and guidelines. Permits a school to meet requirements through an online program or course.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines "CCR management unit" as any area of land at any facility with a CCR surface impoundment, on which any noncontainerized accumulation of CCR is received, is placed, or is otherwise managed, and that is not itself a CCR surface impoundment. Provides that the term "CCR management unit" does not include CCR used in a manner that meets the definition of coal combustion by-product, unless the owner or operator, or the Agency, determines that the CCR is causing or contributing to a statistically significant concentration of one or more constituents above the groundwater protection standard established by the Board. Provides that no later than February 8, 2027, the owner or operator of a CCR surface impoundment must submit to the Agency a copy of the Facility Evaluation Reports Part 1 and 2. Provides that the Board shall adopt rules establishing permit requirements, reporting, financial assurance, and closure and post-closure care requirements for CCR management units. Provides that the owner or operator of a CCR management unit shall pay an initial fee of $75,000 for each CCR management unit by July 1, 2027 and an annual fee of $25,000 for each CCR management unit that has not completed closure; and $15,000 for each CCR management unit that has not completed post-closure care, beginning July 1, 2028.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that a plaintiff may be awarded all forms of relief available in tort actions, including but not be limited to, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of a normal life. Provides that a plaintiff may also be awarded punitive damages.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Provides that disclosure of nonexempt records protected under the Act may be disclosed for research activities under the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Amends the Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Provides that staff and any designee of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, members of the Ad Hoc Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Board, and the regional domestic violence fatality review teams are entitled to receive, inspect, copy, and share HIV-related information of any person subject to a domestic violence fatality review as part of and in accordance with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Provides that the information disclosed is subject to the confidentiality requirements of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act. Effective immediately.