Sen. Celina Villanueva

Creates the Drug Education and Youth Overdose Prevention Act. Provides that the State Board of Education shall collaborate with the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Opioid Crisis Response Advisory Council to develop improved K-12 health education standards. Provides that the improved K-12 health education standards shall be comprehensive, reality-based, safety-focused, and evidence-based standards that reduce substance use risk factors and promote protective factors. Provides that the State Board of Education shall update state-mandated K-12 health education standards. Sets forth other requirements for the updated standards.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that in a county having a population of 3,000,000 or more, the county sheriff shall establish with other law enforcement agencies a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their installed existing global positioning systems, collaborate with vehicle manufacturers and dealers to provide information and assistance to law enforcement officers in the investigation of vehicle theft, and ensure that consumers are provided with information concerning the hotline and any new or used vehicle manufactured with a global positioning system by publishing the information in a conspicuous location on the county sheriff's website. Provides that the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall establish a hotline available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies exclusively for the purposes of law enforcement information sharing and the electronic tracking of vehicles stolen in vehicular hijacking incidents or that have been used in the commission of kidnapping, aggravated battery with a firearm, attempted homicide, or homicide. Provides that the manufacturer's hotline shall relay vehicle location information, including real-time vehicle location information whenever possible, to the 9-1-1 call center or designated dispatch center for the responding agency, to the best of the manufacturer's technical capability. Requires State, county, and local law enforcement agencies to use their respective 9-1-1 system call centers or designated dispatch centers for the purpose of verification of law enforcement officers' identities and bona fide incident report numbers related to incidents. Requires manufacturers to prepare written statements detailing tracking and disabling system capabilities and make them available to State, county, and local law enforcement agencies upon request. Requires that, if a vehicle is not subscribed to the manufacturer's tracking service, the manufacturer of any vehicle sold in this State shall waive all fees associated with initiating, renewing, reestablishing, or maintaining the location, disabling, or alert service with which the vehicle is equipped during a law enforcement response or investigation of specified offenses.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that a hospital shall screen each uninsured patient for eligibility in State and federal health insurance programs, financial assistance offered by the hospital, and other public programs that may assist with health care costs and provide information about those programs. For an insured patient, requires the hospital to screen the patient for discounted care in specified circumstances. Provides that the screenings and all follow-up assistance must be culturally competent, in the patient's primary language, in plain language, and in an accessible format. Requires a hospital to implement an operational plan and trainings relating to screenings. Prohibits hospitals from pursuing collection actions against uninsured patients if they have not completed the screening requirements. Includes a prohibition on the sale of medical debt, limitations on collection actions, penalties for violating the Act's provisions, and defenses against collection actions pursued in violation of the provisions. Makes other changes. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that a patient declining to apply for a public health insurance program on the basis of concern for immigration-related consequences shall not be grounds for denying financial assistance under a hospital's financial assistance policy.

Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago may implement an electronic reporting system that will allow notices, orders, and other documents to be sent directly by email to persons or entities registered with the sanitary district and, in the discretion of the District, to allow those persons or entities registered with the District to view, modify, or submit documents using the electronic reporting system. Allows for email service of documents usually required to be served by U.S. first-class mail, U.S. certified mail, or personal service for persons or entities registered with the electronic reporting system. Provides that the District shall adopt rules, as approved by ordinance, to ensure service of process by email is properly effectuated upon the registered persons and entities. Effective immediately.

Creates the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act. Prohibits a limited services pregnancy center from using or employing any deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, or misrepresentation, or the concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact, with the intent that others rely upon the concealment, suppression or omission of such material fact: to interfere with an individual seeking to gain entry or access to a provider of abortion or emergency contraception; to induce an individual to enter or access the limited services pregnancy center; in advertising, soliciting, or otherwise offering pregnancy-related services; or in conducting, providing, or performing pregnancy-related services. Allows the Attorney General to enforce the Act when: it appears to the Attorney General that a limited services pregnancy center has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in any practice declared to be unlawful by the Act; the Attorney General receives a written complaint of the commission of a practice declared to be unlawful under the Act; or the Attorney General believes it to be in the public interest that an investigation should be made to ascertain whether a limited services pregnancy center has engaged in, is engaging in, or is about to engage in, any practice declared to be unlawful by the Act. Establishes the remedies available under the Act for violation of the Act, including preliminary or permanent injunction and a civil penalty not to exceed $50,000. Allows any party aggrieved by a violation of the Act to bring an action against any limited services pregnancy center that has committed such a violation, in which the court may award actual damages and any other relief the court deems proper. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the provisions concerning community schools apply beginning with the 2024-2025 (rather than 2009-2010) school year. Makes changes to the legislative findings, including replacing a description of a community school. Provides that grants for community schools are subject to the availability of State or federal funding (rather than the availability of funding). Removes certain grant proposal provisions. Changes the requirements to qualify for a grant. Effective June 1, 2024.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that subsequent endorsements may be granted to employees licensed under the Educator Licensure Article of the Code through entitlement by the school district for specific content areas and grade levels, and authorizes the school district to entitle educators for subsequent endorsements on Professional Educator Licenses issued to applicants who meet all of the requirements for the endorsement or endorsements, including passing any required content area knowledge tests. Sets forth provisions concerning professional development sequences. Effective immediately.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall require a hospital licensed under the Act to annually notify the hospital staff of the staffs' rights under the Nurse Staffing Improvement Act. Provides that notification shall provide a phone number and an email for staff to report noncompliance of the staff’s rights as described in the Nurse Staffing Improvement Act. Provides that notification should be provided via email and the United States Postal Service. Provides that the Department shall monitor and enforce the notification requirements.

Amends the Illinois Affordable Housing Act. Requires all housing financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program to meet a minimum standard of living requirement. Provides that in order for a program applicant to be eligible to receive funding to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, develop, operate, insure, or retain affordable single-family or multi-family housing, the applicant must demonstrate that each housing unit can provide and meet certain quality standards, as applicable. Requires housing to have cooling and dehumidification systems that are capable of being operated independently from the heating system and that can operate when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees. Requires newly constructed housing to have permanent air conditioning. Requires the heating in all housing, during the months of October through May, unless a unit of government has standards that require a higher temperature of heat, to register at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Requires any tenant complaints about heating to be rectified within 24 hours. Requires windows to open and close with safety mechanisms installed and to be inspected on a regular basis. Provides certain standards concerning the maintenance and upkeep of the premises of the single-family or multi-family housing; accessible laundry facilities for senior residents and residents with disabilities; control for insects, rodents, and pests; standard turnaround times for property manager or maintenance personnel to respond to tenant requests; and compliance checks and tenant reviews for property management companies. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that any entity may make contributions to an ABLE account. Makes changes concerning privacy of ABLE account information. Provides that the ABLE Account Program may also be referred to as the Senator Scott Bennett ABLE Program. Effective immediately.