Sen. Emil Jones

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that a license under the Act shall be automatically granted to an individual who has graduated from an approved program of professional nursing education or an approved program of practical nursing education, as applicable to the license being granted; passed a criminal background check with the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation; and completed and passed an examination specific to State laws that regulate the nursing profession as an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or registered nurse. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt rules.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance issued, amended, delivered, or renewed after January 1, 2026 that provides dependent coverage shall make that dependent coverage available to the parent or stepparent of the insured if the parent or stepparent meets the definition of a qualifying relative under specified federal law and lives or resides within the accident and health insurance policy's service area. Exempts specialized health care service plans, Medicare supplement insurance, hospital-only policies, accident-only policies, or specified disease insurance policies from the provisions. Defines "dependent".

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act, and the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act. Provides that an applicant for an original license to practice who meets the prima facie requirements for licensure may be issued a temporary license to practice while the application is pending. Provides that a person who notifies the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, in writing on forms prescribed by the Department, may place the person's license on inactive status and shall be excused from the payment of renewal fees until the person notifies the Department in writing of the intention to resume active practice. Provides that the Department shall immediately, upon application, restore the license of any individual whose license has expired or is on inactive status for 5 years or less if the individual does not have a history of disciplinary action taken against the person's license. Provides that the Department shall establish and maintain a resident endorsement schedule, which shall be a comprehensive list of jurisdictions whose licensing requirements for licensees are substantially equivalent to the requirements imposed on residents of this State. Makes conforming and other changes.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Act. Eliminates the provision that provided for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2025. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Includes "catalytic converter" in the definition of "essential parts". Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Excludes catalytic converter from the definition of "recyclable metals". Requires transactions involving a catalytic converter to include the identification number of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed and the part number or other identifying number of the catalytic converter that was removed. Provides that, in a transaction involving a catalytic converter, the recyclable metal dealer must also require a copy of the certificate of title or registration showing the seller's ownership in the vehicle. Makes it unlawful for any person to purchase or otherwise acquire a used, detached catalytic converter or any nonferrous part thereof unless specified conditions are met. Provides that a used, detached catalytic converter does not include a catalytic converter that has been tested, certified, and labeled for reuse in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act. Defines terms. Makes technical changes.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that "clinical observation" means the ongoing observation of a patient's medical or mental health condition by a licensed health care professional utilizing a medical skill set while continuing assessment and care. Provides that the EMS Medical Directors on the EMT Training, Recruitment, and Retention Task Force may be active or retired. Provides that an education plan within a resource hospital may include classes performed outside of the region in which the resource hospital is located. Provides that "paramedic" means a person who has successfully completed a course in advanced life support care as approved by the Department of Public Health or accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP), is licensed by the Department, and practices with an Advanced Life Support EMS System. Provides that the Department shall have the authority to adopt rules governing the curriculum, practice, and necessary equipment applicable to emergency medical responders and shall allow curriculum in addition to the National Registry curriculum. Provides that a fee for EMS personnel examination, licensure, and license renewal shall be reasonable. Provides that a lead instructor is permitted to oversee a paramedic with at least 3 years of experience to teach EMT classes in high schools with a licensed teacher. Provides that pass rates for classes taught in high schools shall not adversely impact the lead instructor or affiliated EMS system, resource hospital, or provider. Provides that the Department may not include any additional criteria for approval of a staffing waiver utilizing an EMR other than the criteria outlined. Provides that the EMR pilot program shall not be implemented before Department approval which must be granted upon EMS System Medical Director approval.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. In the definition of "conviction", provides that "conviction" means a judgment of conviction and sentence entered upon a plea of guilty or upon a verdict or finding of guilty of an offense, rendered by a legally constituted jury or by a court of competent jurisdiction authorized to try the case without a jury (rather than a judgment of conviction or sentence). Provides that if judgment is withheld, the plea, verdict, or finding of guilty is not a conviction under Illinois law unless and until judgment is entered. Amends the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, and the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Provides that for the first-time offender provisions of those Acts, a sentence under those provisions shall not be considered a conviction under Illinois law unless and until judgment is entered for a violation of the terms of the probation. Provides that a sentence (rather than discharge and dismissal) is not a conviction for purposes of disqualification or disabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime unless and until judgment is entered. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Makes the same changes with respect to the Second Chance Probation Program and the First Time Weapon Offense Program.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires that upon approaching an emergency scene, a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or a construction or maintenance area or zone, a person who drives a vehicle shall, proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision and leaving a safe distance until safely past the stationary authorized emergency vehicle, or construction or maintenance area or zone. Provides that if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway to avoid a collision, or until safely past the construction or maintenance area or zone.

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Provides that a license to practice under the Act shall not be denied an applicant because of the applicant's real or perceived immigration status. Provides that every application for an original license under the Act shall include the applicant's Social Security Number or individual taxpayer identification number. Provides that the Social Work Examining and Disciplinary Board may grant additional examination time to an applicant for whom English is the applicant's second language. Provides that to qualify for consideration, the applicant must submit a request for additional time stating that English is the applicant's second language, and provide additional information. Sets forth what additional information may be provided. Provides that if approved, the applicant shall be allotted extra time when taking the required board-administered examination. Provides that the allowance of the extra time for a required national examination is subject to availability from the exam-administering entity. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may not revoke, suspend, summarily suspend, place on prohibition, reprimand, refuse to issue or renew, or take any other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action against a license or permit issued under the Act based solely upon an immigration violation by the licensed clinical social worker. Provides that the Department may not revoke, suspend, summarily suspend, place on prohibition, reprimand, refuse to issue or renew, or take any other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action against the license or permit issued under the Act to practice as a licensed clinical social worker based upon the licensed clinical social worker's license being revoked or suspended, or the licensed clinical social worker being otherwise disciplined by any other state, if that revocation, suspension, or other form of discipline was based solely upon an immigration violation by the licensed clinical social worker. Amends the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing Act and Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act to make similar changes.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Creates a process that Illinois residents may use to seek an Illinois judicial order making findings of fact to change a government-issued document from another state or country so that they may petition the issuing jurisdiction to change such a document.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act for a consumer reporting agency: (1) to make, create, or furnish any consumer report or credit report containing, incorporating, or reflecting any adverse information that the consumer reporting agency knows or should know relates to medical debt incurred by the consumer or a collection action against the consumer to collect medical debt; and (2) to maintain in the file on a consumer any information relating to medical debt incurred by a consumer or a collection action against the consumer to collect medical debt.