Sen. Napoleon Harris

Amends the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act. Provides that, in the procurement of architectural, engineering, and land surveying services and in the awarding of contracts for such services under the Act, not less than 30% of the total dollar amount of State contracts shall be established as an aspirational goal to be awarded to firms owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Provides that of that total amount of all State contracts awarded to firms owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities, contracts representing at least 16% shall be awarded to firms owned by minorities, contracts representing at least 10% shall be awarded to women-owned firms, and contracts representing at least 4% shall be awarded to firms owned by persons with disabilities.

Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to any subject of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services consults with and relies upon the opinion of a medically trained professional as to whether there is evidence of abuse or neglect. Provides that no child or family member of a child who is the subject of an investigation shall be required to submit to additional medical tests, for investigation purposes only, during the investigation. Requires a consulting medical professional who is employed or under contract with the Department to identify himself or herself as a forensic consultant, rather than as a member of the child's treatment team, whenever the individual has direct contact with the child or the family of the child. Provides that the subject of a report shall have the opportunity to submit a second medical opinion as to whether there is evidence of abuse or neglect. Requires the Department to annually prepare and make available on the Department's Reports and Statistics webpage a report on the number of children referred to a consulting medical professional for forensic opinion. Provides that the first report must be posted by March 31, 2024. Sets forth certain data and information that must be contained in the annual report.

Amends the Public Construction Bond Act. Provides that public construction bonds are required only for those public work construction contracts that are valued over $5,000,000. Authorizes any official, board, commission, agent of the State, or any political subdivision of the State to create a self-insured risk pool for contracts of $5,000,000 or less. Defines "self insured risk pool".

Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Provides that the Department of the Lottery shall offer a special instant scratch-off game titled "Epilepsy Quality of Life". Provides that the game commences on January 1, 2024 and shall be discontinued on December 31, 2029. Provides that the operation of the game is governed by the Act and by any rules adopted by the Department. Creates the Epilepsy Quality of Life Fund. Provides that the Department shall award grants to qualified recipients in amounts that are proportionate to the annual budget of each recipient in relation to every other recipient. Provides that during the time that tickets are sold for the Epilepsy Quality of Life game, the Department shall not unreasonably diminish the efforts devoted to marketing any other instant scratch-off lottery game. Provides that the Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement the scratch-off game. Makes a corresponding change in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Provides that as soon as practical after the effective date of the amendatory Act, but no later than January 1, 2024, a corporation that has contracts with the State shall include as part of its annual report submitted to the Secretary of State a list of its professional services suppliers by category. Provides that the list shall include the percentage of owners and employees in each category that are women or are members of a minority group. Provides that the list shall identify minority groups with specificity. Provides that corporations that submit annual supplier diversity reports to the Illinois Commerce Commission in accordance with the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act are exempt from the reporting requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Project Labor Agreements Act. Provides for project labor agreements on public works projects totaling $15,000,000 or more in costs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows a delinquent adjudicated in juvenile court and subsequently imprisoned for one or more felonies by the State which he or she did not commit to file a petition for certificate of innocence in the circuit court of the county in which the delinquent was adjudicated. In a provision regarding the facts that a petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence to obtain a certificate of innocence, when proving that the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct cause or bring about (rather than voluntarily cause or bring about) his or her own conviction, provides that a guilty plea or confession does not alone constitute bringing about one's conviction. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program Act. Establishes the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services to help expand the availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised, or processed foods for Illinois' emergency food system. Provides that the program shall (1) acquire and distribute agricultural products from Illinois agricultural entities or aggregators to Illinois' emergency food system, and (2) provide grants to improve capacity of the emergency food system to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or distribution of agricultural products to underserved areas. Provides that the program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs produced in Illinois. Provides that foods shall be surplus, seconds, or market-grade quality levels and must be safe for consumption. Provides that the program is subject to appropriation and shall dedicate no less than 75% of available funds to acquisition and distribution of food. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to engage a not-for-profit entity from Illinois' emergency food system to administer the program. Requires the administering entity to have statewide reach and represent multiple food banks that source and distribute food to Illinois food pantries and soup kitchens under the same authorities and standards as the Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the Department. Contains provisions concerning the duties of the administering entity. Creates the Farm to Food Bank Advisory Council to provide support to the program through facilitating relationship-building and partnerships between the Illinois agricultural sector and the emergency food system and other matters. Provides that the program may distribute food to those food banks with the infrastructure to accept, store, and distribute foods through the emergency food system and with the capacity to serve significant geographic areas within Illinois. Provides that the program shall distribute capacity-building grants for facility upgrades, equipment, or other investments necessary to support the objectives of the program. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules. Effective immediately.

Amends the University of Illinois Act, the Southern Illinois University Management Act, the Chicago State University Law, the Eastern Illinois University Law, the Governors State University Law, the Illinois State University Law, the Northeastern Illinois University Law, the Northern Illinois University Law, the Western Illinois University Law, and the Public Community College Act. Requires a university or community college to provide all necessary coursework materials for rental, free of charge to any student who meets all of the following qualifications: (1) the student is a resident of the State; (2) the student graduated from an approved high school in the State; (3) the student is enrolled for the upcoming semester or term at the university or community college; and (4) as applicable to a university, the student has not previously earned or received a bachelor's degree or 135 credit hours or equivalent of coursework, or, as applicable to a community college, the student has not previously earned or received an associate's degree or 60 credit hours or equivalent of coursework. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. In provisions allowing the filling or refilling of personal containers with bulk food, refers to restaurants and retailers (rather than just retailers). Allows restaurants and retailers to fill or refill a consumer-owned container with ready-made food. Allows clean consumer-owned containers provided or returned to a restaurant or retailer for filling or refilling to be filled or refilled and returned to the same consumer if the consumer-owned container is filled or refilled by either an employee of the restaurant or retailer or the owner of the consumer-owned container. Requires filled or refilled consumer-owned containers to be designed and constructed for reuse in accordance with specified federal requirements. Contains requirements for restaurants and retailers. Directs the Department of Public Health to produce materials for restaurants and retailers on or before January 1, 2024 indicating that consumer-owned containers are not prohibited for use under Illinois law and specifying best practices for food safety requirements for consumer-owned containers. Effective immediately.