Sen. Willie Preston

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that a State agency shall not require as a condition of eligibility for hire to a position in State employment that an applicant have a baccalaureate degree. Provides that the provisions shall not apply the knowledge, skills, or abilities required for the position for which an applicant is applying can only reasonably be obtained, as determined by the appointing authority, through a course of study in pursuit of, and culminating in the award of, a baccalaureate degree or advanced degree. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 3144 amends the Judicial Privacy Act. This bill expands the definition of "judicial officer" to include administrative law judges. By doing so, it extends the privacy protections currently afforded to other judicial officers under the Act to administrative law judges.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, all 9-1-1 telecommunicators who provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions shall be required to be trained, utilizing the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines, in high-quality telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). Defines telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the purposes of the provisions.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county recorder may not impose a fee for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant (currently a county recorder may impose a fee for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant in an amount not to exceed $10). Provides that a county recorder may not charge a fee for any copies of records necessary for filing a restrictive covenant modification to an unlawful restrictive covenant.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that no law enforcement agency shall make an offer of employment for the position of probationary police officer, probationary part-time police officer, full-time law enforcement officer, or part-time law enforcement officer without requiring the execution of a signed release from the applicant, directing any and all entities that previously employed the individual to produce or make available for inspection all employment records, including background investigation materials collected in connection with making an offer of employment, duty-related physical and psychological fitness-for-duty examinations, work performance records, criminal, civil, or administrative investigations of conduct, arrests, convictions, findings of guilt, pleas of guilty, or pleas of nolo contendere. Provides that, with specified exceptions, all records shall be produced without any redaction and no nondisclosure, separation, or settlement agreement shall prevent the production of these records. Provides that the provisions do not apply to the extent that they would impair an existing collective bargaining agreement. Sets forth provisions concerning: (i) the procedures for requesting employment records; (ii) the deadlines for providing the records; (iii) the penalties for failing to produce the records in accordance with the provisions; and (iv) an example of an acceptable release form. Requires the receipt of a written release for an entity to have immunity for the release of information. Makes other changes to immunity-related provisions. Amends the Sheriff's Merit System Law of the Counties Code. Provides that the county board of any county having a population of at least 75,000 must adopt and implement, by ordinance, the merit system provided by the Sheriff's Merit System Law. Provides that the county board of any county having a population of less than 75,000 (rather than 1,000,000) which does not have a merit board or merit commission for sheriff's personnel may adopt and implement, by ordinance, the merit system provided by the Sheriff's Merit System Law. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that no person shall conduct a carbon sequestration activity within a sequestration facility that overlies, underlies, or passes through a sole-source aquifer. Specifies that this provisions does not deprive the Environmental Protection Agency of the authority to deny a carbon sequestration permit. Defines "sole-source aquifer".

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 create a professional development course that addresses racial disparities in maternal health treatment and the impact of racial disparities on non-Hispanic Black and American Indian women. Provides that the course shall have a length of at least one hour. Requires the course to include education on (i) current statistics about pregnancy-related death for all racial and ethnic groups, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (ii) potential risk factors associated with women that are a part of a marginalized racial or ethnic group that has increased maternal mortality rates, and (iii) medical care plans and programs that have been demonstrated to successfully decrease maternal mortality rates and complications before and after pregnancy. Provides that the Department shall require health care professionals to complete the professional development course.

Creates the Farmland Transition Commission Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall establish a Farmland Transition Commission to examine current barriers individuals ages 21 through 40 face when trying to purchase or access farmland, review current incentives and policies to encourage the transfer of farmland to current or prospective farmers between the ages of 21 through 40, and to make recommendations on possible incentives or policies to assist these individuals in purchasing or accessing farmland. Specifies membership of the Commission. Provides that Commission members shall serve without compensation. Provides that the Commission shall meet at least on a quarterly basis. Provides that the Commission shall file a report annually with the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1 of each year on its recommendations for possible incentives to assist young farmers between the ages of 21 and 40 in acquiring access to farmland in the State. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission as needed. Provides that the Commission is dissolved and this provision is repealed on December 31, 2031.

Amends the Illinois Library System Act. In provisions concerning State grants, provides that the grants shall include, among other things, planning and construction grants to library systems and public libraries that are members of a library system (rather than planning and construction grants to public libraries and library systems) and grants to improve or enhance security of libraries.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision regarding operator certification for sewage works, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional wastewater operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional wastewater operator under a provisional wastewater operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Amends the Public Water Supply Operations Act. In a provision regarding community water supply operator certification, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional community water supply operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional community water supply operator under a provisional community water supply operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules.