Sen. Celina Villanueva

Amends the Election Code. Provides that each election authority shall collaborate with the county jail within the jurisdiction of the election authority to facilitate voting by mail for voters eligible to vote in the county who are confined or detained in the county jail. Provides that in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the election authority in the county shall establish a temporary branch polling place in the county jail. Provides that a refusal by an eligible voter to participate in the voting process must be documented by the voter or witnessed by a pollwatcher. Provides that individuals who facilitate a vote by mail process must receive training on the process, responsibilities, and requirements of implementing a vote by mail program. Contains additional provisions concerning the temporary branch polling place in the county jail. Prohibits certain individuals from from being election judges in a temporary branch polling place in a county jail. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that each election authority shall collaborate with the county jail within the jurisdiction of the election authority to facilitate voter registration for voters eligible to vote in that county who are confined or detained in the county jail. Provides that a county jail shall provide a voter registration application to any person in custody at the jail who requests an application and is eligible to vote. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that upon release of a person who is eligible to vote, the Department of Corrections shall provide the person with a specified form that informs him or her that his or her voting rights have been restored. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections and Counties Code. Provides that upon discharge from a county jail or release from the Department of Corrections, a person shall be provided with a voter registration form. Provides that the Department, each county jail, and each county probation office shall provide an individual in its custody with specified information on voting rights. Makes other changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the introduced bill with the following changes: In provisions amending the Election Code, removes language that requires a refusal by an eligible voter to participate in the voting process to be documented by the voter or witnessed by a pollwatcher. Removes language that prohibits active law enforcement officers, employees of the Department of Corrections, or employees of the head sheriff of the facility where voting occurs from being election judges in a temporary branch polling place in a county jail.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that "employer" includes any person employing one (instead of 15) or more employees within Illinois during 20 or more calendar weeks within the calendar year of or preceding the alleged violation. Provides that "employer" does not include any place of worship with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by the place of worship of its activities. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds an effective date of July 1, 2020.

Creates the Asian American Family Commission Act. Creates the Asian American Family Commission. Provides for the appointment of members to the Commission and terms of membership. Provides that members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for Commission-related expenses. Provides for the appointment of liaisons from specified State agencies to serve as ex officio members of the Commission. Provides that the Office of the Governor, in cooperation with the State agencies appointing liaisons to the Commission, shall provide administrative support to the Commission. Provides for funding to the Commission. Requires the Commission to annually report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires an accident and health insurer to develop a maternal mental health program designed to promote quality and cost-effective outcomes. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, and the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that licensed physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician's assistants who provide prenatal and postpartum care for a patient shall ensure that the mother is offered screening or is appropriately screened for mental health conditions. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 215 ILCS 5/370c.2 new 225 ILCS 60/24.5 new 225 ILCS 65/65-31 new 225 ILCS 95/7.8 new Adds reference to: 215 ILCS 5/370c from Ch. 73, par. 982c Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning mental and emotional disorders, provides that "mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition" includes any mental health condition that occurs during pregnancy or during the postpartum period and includes, but is not limited to, postpartum depression. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall ensure that all hospitals require specified employees to complete educational training on the management of severe maternal hypertension and postpartum hemorrhage. Provides that hospitals must demonstrate completion of the training of new hires with a course certificate from the Department. Provides that the Department shall ensure that all hospitals conduct continuing education yearly for specified employees. Provides that the continuing education shall include yearly simulations or drills regarding management of severe maternal hypertension and obstetric hemorrhage for all employees that care for pregnant or postpartum women. Provides that hospitals must demonstrate compliance with the education and training requirements. Defines "hospital". Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that the Department of Public Health shall ensure that all hospitals require all current and new obstetrical staff, emergency department staff, and any other staff, including residents and fellows in training, who provide care for pregnant or postpartum women to receive implicit bias training and education in cultural competency in interactions between patients and providers. Provides that the Department shall provide support for the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative to develop an initiative to improve birth equity and reduce peripartum racial and ethnic disparities, modeled using the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health and the California Maternal Quality Collaborative's pilot work on improving birth equity. Provides that the Department shall support the initiation of a statewide perinatal quality improvement initiative in collaboration with Illinois birthing hospitals to implement strategies to reduce peripartum racial and ethnic disparities and to address implicit bias in the health care system. Provides that the Department shall ensure that all hospitals develop protocols for timely identification of all pregnant and postpartum women in the emergency department and for appropriate and timely consultation of an obstetric provider to provide input on management and follow up. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall ensure that all birthing facilities conduct continuing education yearly for providers and staff of obstetric medicine and of the emergency department and other staff that may care for pregnant or postpartum women. Requires the continuing education to include yearly educational modules regarding management of severe maternal hypertension and obstetric hemorrhage for units that care for pregnant or postpartum women. Requires birthing facilities to demonstrate compliance with the education and training requirements. Provides that the Department shall collaborate with the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative or its successor organization to develop an initiative to improve birth equity and reduce peripartum racial and ethnic disparities. Provides that the Department shall support the initiation of a statewide perinatal quality improvement initiative. Provides that the Department shall make available to all birthing facilities best practices for timely identification of all pregnant and postpartum women in the emergency department and for appropriate and timely consultation of an obstetric provider to provide input on management and follow-up. Effective January 1, 2020.

Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that the term "student" within the definition of "educational employee" or "employee" as used in the Act excludes (rather than includes) graduate students who are research assistants primarily performing duties that involve research, graduate assistants primarily performing duties that are pre-professional, graduate students who are teaching assistants primarily performing duties that involve the delivery and support of instruction, or any other graduate assistants. Effective immediately. Correctional Note (Dept of Corrections) There is no fiscal or population impact on the department. Judicial Note (Admin Office of the Illinois Courts) This legislation would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the State of Illinois. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) HB 253 amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act in a way that does not affect any pension system. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) This bill would not change the amount of authorization for any type of State-issued or State-supported bond, and, therefore, would not affect the level of State indebtedness. Fiscal Note (Dept of Labor) This legislation has no fiscal impact on the Department of Labor. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in this bill; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. Housing Affordability Impact Note (Housing Development Authority) This bill will have no effect on the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning, or selling a single-family residence. State Mandates Fiscal Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not create a State mandate Home Rule Note (Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity) This bill does not pre-empt home rule authority. Balanced Budget Note (Office of Management and Budget) Please be advised that the Balanced Budget Note Act does not apply to this bill, as it is not a supplemental appropriation that increases or decreases appropriations. Under the Act, a balanced budget note must be prepared only for bills that change a general funds appropriation for the fiscal year in which the new bill is enacted. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Changes the effective date of the Act to January 1, 2020 (rather than effective immediately).

Amends the Homelessness Prevention Act. Changes certain types of assistance grantees shall offer households to prevent homelessness as follows: (1) payment of a rent or mortgage arrearage (rather than payment of a rent or mortgage arrearage in an amount established as necessary to defeat the eviction or foreclosure, but shall in no event be greater than 3 months of rental or mortgage arrears); (2) payment of a security deposit (rather than payment of a rent deposit or security deposit and payment of not more than 2 months rent or mortgage payments); and (3) payment of rent or mortgage. Provides that in no case shall the total assistance for a household be greater than the equivalent of 6 months of rent or mortgage payments. Provides that, on an annual basis, a grantee's administrative costs and case management expenses shall not exceed 15% of the grant amount it receives.

Amends the University of Illinois Trustees Act. Provides that in order to determine residency status of a potential or current student trustee, the student must provide evidence of the student's Illinois domicile for at least the previous 6 months and either (i) evidence of the student's current, valid Illinois driver's license or Illinois Identification Card or (ii) evidence of the student's valid Illinois voter registration (instead of having evidence of the student's Illinois domicile, Illinois driver's license, and Illinois voter registration positively demonstrate residency). Effective January 1, 2020.

Amends the Chicago Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. For school years beginning on or after July 1, 2019, increases to 120 days (instead of 100 days) the amount of days a service retirement pensioner who is re-employed as a teacher may work without having his or her pension cancelled. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Jury Act. Provides that except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no person who is qualified and able to serve as a juror may be excluded from jury service in any court of this State on the basis of, among other things, sexual orientation.