Sen. Emil Jones

Amends the School Code. Provides that, when hiring physical education, music, and visual arts educators, school districts must prioritize the hiring of educators who hold a teaching license and endorsement in those content areas. Provides that, if a school district is unable to hire a qualified candidate, the district may then hire a candidate who holds a valid professional educator license on a short-term basis. Provides that the professional educator license applicant must pass the content area test for which they are assigned to teach within one calendar year of the employment start date. Provides that, in order to retain employment for subsequent school years, the employee must complete 18 hours of course work in the content area in which they are teaching within 3 calendar years of their employment start date. Provides that in case of a reduction in force, districts may follow their local contract language for filling positions.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may investigate complaints concerning drone use by a law enforcement agency. Provides that if a pattern of willful and wanton violations is confirmed, the law enforcement agency shall take actions to prevent future violations through specified means. Provides that if the agency fails to take actions to address the violations and prevent future violations from occurring, then the Board may restrict the agency's ability to use its drones for a period not to exceed 3 months per incident. Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Drones as First Responders Act. Defines "permitted special event". Adds various exemptions allowing the use of drones. Permits records of drone usage, including flight path data, metadata, or telemetry information of specific flights, to be disclosed subject to the Freedom of Information Act and rules adopted under that Act. Provides that the information relating to infrastructure inspections conducted at the request of a local governmental agency may be disclosed to that local governmental agency or, in the case of traffic and parking evaluations conducted at school, it may also be disclosed to the school or any engineering staff involved in the process. Provides that nothing in the Act prevents the disclosure of information through a court order or subpoena in connection with a criminal proceeding or if the disclosure is in regard to a completed traffic crash investigation. Changes drone usage reporting requirements of law enforcement agencies to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Makes other changes, and amends the School Code to make conforming changes. Provides that a drone may not be used over a school unless the parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to the use of the drone.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Amends the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act. Provides that a day and temporary labor service agency must provide an application receipt to applicants who seek a work assignment. Provides that a day or temporary laborer has the right to refuse an assignment to a place where a strike, a lockout, or other labor trouble exists. Provides that a day or temporary laborer who is assigned to work at a third party client for more than one week shall be paid not less than the average rate of pay and equivalent benefits as directly hired employees of the third party client performing the same or substantially similar work. Provides for a right of action by interested parties for civil penalties against a day and temporary labor services. Provides for protections against abusive contracts. Makes changes in provisions concerning recordkeeping; wage payment and notices; work restrictions; registration; violations; enforcement; penalties; third party clients; retaliation; and private rights of action. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $29.64 beginning July 1, 2023 to sustain a minimum wage of $18 per hour for direct service workers. Requires rates in subsequent State fiscal years to be no lower than the rates in effect on July 1, 2023. Requires providers of in-home services to be required to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases described in the amendatory Act. Effective July 1, 2023.

Mourns the death of Paul Donovan Johnson.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires health care professionals who have continuing education requirements to complete cultural competency training, which shall include information on sensitivity relating to and best practices for providing affirming care to people in the person's preferred language, people with disabilities, documented or undocumented immigrants, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 5 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a person licensed or registered by the Department under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 10 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that these continuing education hours may count toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. Provides for rulemaking. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that a petitioner may file a petition to vacate and expunge certain felony possession violations under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the States Attorney's office of each county shall report annually to the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council certain information regarding each person whose case was disposed under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act, and the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that notwithstanding any provision of the statute prohibiting the knowing manufacture, delivery, or intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance to the contrary, this provision does not apply to possession with intent to deliver an amount of a controlled or counterfeit substances or controlled substance analogs for which possession is classified as a Class A misdemeanor. Reduces the penalties for the knowing manufacture or delivery, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, or possession of certain specified controlled substances. Reduces the penalties for the knowing possession of certain specified controlled substances. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections and the Code of Civil Procedure to make conforming changes.

Amends the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority shall, no later than July 1, 2022, establish a program, similar to the U-Pass program, for allowing persons 18 or younger to use the Authority's buses and trains for transportation to youth programs or youth services. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement from the State. Effective immediately.

Creates the Access to Public Health Data Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services shall, at the request of a local health department in Illinois, make any and all public health data related to residents of that local health department's jurisdiction available to that local health department for the purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. Provides that the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may adopt any rules necessary to implement the Act. Exempts specified information from inspection and copying under the Freedom of Information Act and makes a conforming change in that Act. Contains other provisions. Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that no rule adopted by the Department of Public Health shall be construed as restricting access to vital records by any municipality, county, multicounty, public health district, or regional health officer recognized by the Department for the purposes described in specified provisions.