Creates the Access to Justice Grant Program Act. Establishes a Program and a Panel to issue and award grants to 2 community-based organizations to increase outreach, education on legal matters, and access to legal services to low-income communities of color. Requires the organizations to act as fiscal agents. Provides for the recruitment and training of community navigators to conduct legal screenings. Requires the Governor to include a $10,000,000 appropriation for the Program in the annual State budget. Contains provisions concerning: grant application requirements; a grant review committee; financial audits; and other matters. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that, if a child is placed in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services or a child is returned to the custody of a parent or guardian and the court retains jurisdiction of the case, the Department must ensure that the child is up to date on well-child visits, including immunizations, or there is a documented religious or medical reason the child is not immunized. Requires the Department to complete, before a child's discharge from foster or substitute care, a home safety checklist regarding the child's home. Requires any aftercare services to a child and his or her family to start on the date the child is returned to the custody or guardianship of the parent or guardian. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that when a report is made by a mandated reporter and there is a prior indicated report of abuse or neglect and a prior open service case involving a member of the household, the Department must accept the report as a child welfare services referral. Requires the Auditor General to conduct performance audits on the Department. Effective immediately.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Common Interest Community Association Act. Limits the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State with respect to amendments to the community instruments and accounting practices. Amends the Condominium Property Act. Limits the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State with respect to an association's: budgeting practices; sale of property; notice requirements; contracts with board members; voting procedures; property improvement procedures; accounting practices; collection and sharing of records; amendment to the condominium instruments; and subdivision or combination of units. Effective immediately.
Amends the Worker's Compensation Act and the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Provides that specified Sections limiting recovery do not apply to injuries or death resulting from an occupational disease as to which the recovery of compensation benefits under the Act would be precluded due to the operation of any period of repose or repose provision. Provides that, as to any such injury occupational disease, the employee, the employee's heirs, and any person having the standing under law to bring a civil action at law has the nonwaivable right to bring such an action against any employer or employers. Effective immediately. State Debt Impact Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 1596 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. Pension Note (Government Forecasting & Accountability) SB 1596 amends the Worker's Compensation Act and the Worker's Occupational Diseases Act in a way that does not impact any State pension fund. Land Conveyance Appraisal Note (Dept. of Transportation) No land conveyances are included in Senate Bill 1596; therefore, there are no appraisals to be filed. 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. Correctional Note (Dept of Corrections) There is no fiscal or population impact on the Department of Corrections. 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. 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. Fiscal Note (Dept. of Central Management Services) It is not possible to calculate an exact fiscal impact of this proposed legislation due to the casespecific nature of any claims that may arise pursuant to this legislation. However, based on the average cost of a workers' compensation claim and the percentage of claims that are denied for untimely filing, the Department of Central Management Services estimates the proposed legislation would result in a cost increase of approximately $250,000 annually.
Urges an investment of $1 billion by the State for affordable housing to be included in the next capital budget.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides for a credit against withholding taxes in an amount equal to 25% of the wages or salary paid by a private employer to an Illinois employee while the employee is on organ donation leave if the employer grants all of its employees the option of taking a paid leave of absence of at least 30 days for the purpose of serving as an organ donor or bone marrow donor. Provides that the credit may not exceed $20,833.33 for each employee who takes organ donation leave. Provides that such a leave of absence must be taken without loss of pay, vacation time, compensatory time, personal days, or sick time for at least the first 30 days of the leave of absence. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Makes changes to the introduced bill to require the employer to provide medical documentation and documentation of the employer's organ donation leave policy to the Department of Revenue and to require the employee to allow medical records to be disclosed to the Department of Revenue. Provides that, if the leave taken spans into a second tax year, the employer qualifies for the credit in the later of the 2 years. Provides that the credit may be carried forward. Senate Floor Amendment No. 4 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Makes changes to update the statutory base. Reinserts the provisions of the bill as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, but provides that the credit may not exceed $1,000 in withholdings for each employee (in Senate Amendment No. 2, $20,833.33). Provides that the credit applies for reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2020. Effective immediately.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish reimbursement rates that build toward livable wages for front-line personnel in residential and day programs and service coordination agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities under the Act, including, but not limited to, intermediate care for the developmentally disabled facilities, medically complex for the developmentally disabled facilities, community-integrated living arrangements, community day services, employment, and other residential and day programs for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities supported by State funds or funding under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. Provides that on or before July 1, 2019, the Department shall increase rates and reimbursements and on or before that date, direct support persons shall earn a base wage of not less than $5.25 per hour above the highest applicable federal, State, county, or municipal minimum wage, and on or before that date, other front-line personnel shall earn a commensurate wage. Provides that on or before July 1, 2021, the Department shall increase rates and reimbursements and on or before that date, direct support persons shall earn a base wage of not less than $6.75 per hour above the highest applicable federal, State, county, or municipal minimum Wage, and on or before July 1, 2021, other front-line personnel shall earn a commensurate wage. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Requires the instruction on character education to include the teaching of respect toward a person's race or ethnicity or gender. With regard to the State Board of Education's school report card, requires data collected on curriculum information to include information on a school's instruction on character education.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, upon knowledge of an incident of sexual assault by a student against another student, a school district shall report the incident to the State Board of Education; defines "sexual assault". Provides that the State Board shall post on its website for each school year the total number of reported incidents statewide and in each school district. Provides that the State Board shall also report the data annually to the General Assembly no later than September 1 of each year.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the curriculum of a driver education course must include instruction on bicycle and pedestrian safety, which must include, but is not limited to, instruction on how to safely pass a cyclist on the road, special considerations while driving in urban areas and near bicycle lanes, how to navigate an intersection with pedestrians and cyclists, exiting a vehicle without endangering pedestrians and cyclists, and the requirement that drivers exercise due care to avoid collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian on the road. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, for the purpose of educating prospective licensees on the potential dangers caused by motor vehicles to pedestrians, bicyclists, in-line skaters, scooter riders, skateboarders, and other non-motorized vehicles, the Secretary of State shall include, in the Illinois Rules of the Road publication, information on bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Amends the Property Tax Code. With respect to the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, provides that, beginning in assessment year 2019, the taxpayer's household income shall be reduced by any amounts paid as Medicare premiums. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that the bill takes effect on January 1, 2020. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Makes changes to the introduced bill to provide that the reduction for Medicare premiums begins in taxable year 2020 (in the introduced bill, taxable year 2019). Provides that the reduction for Medicare premiums shall be made only upon proof of payment of Medicare premiums by the taxpayer.