Sen. Willie Preston

Creates the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission Act. Establishes the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission. Provides that the purpose of the Commission shall be to explore, research, and commemorate the journeys of freedom seekers and the sites and landmarks in the State that became the networks of the Underground Railroad. Provides that the Commission shall implement educational, landmark preservation, and grant programs. Sets forth provisions concerning membership; terms; compensation; administrative support; and staff. Provides that the Commission shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly. Effective immediately.

Amends the Family Military Leave Act. Changes the name of the Act to the "Military Leave Act". Provides that an employee may use up to 8 hours per calendar month to participate in a funeral honors detail, up to a total of 40 hours per calendar year, or more if authorized by the employer or if provided for in a collective bargaining agreement. Provides for requirements to take leave for funeral honors details. Provides that an employee that takes leave may do so in lieu of, and without having exhausted, his or her vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory leave, or any other leave that may be granted to the employee, including sick leave and disability leave. Defines terms. Provides that the employer of an employee that takes leave must pay the employee his or her regular rate of pay for the leave taken to participate in a funeral honors detail. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that a school shall provide written notice to the parents or guardian of a child with disabilities that the parents or guardian have the right to have an individualized education program (IEP) advocate present at any meeting regarding the child's current or prospective individualized education program and that the parents or guardian have the right to ask for an IEP facilitator for the child's IEP. Provides that the school may provide the written notification as a part of other provided documentation, including, but not limited to, admission and enrollment documents.

Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to make reasonable efforts to develop a youth-driven transition plan for each youth in care aged 18 and over for whom the court has set a permanency goal of independence or home environment not appropriate. Requires the plan to address, at a minimum, the youth's housing, mental and physical health and well-being, financial stability, employment, education, connections to supportive adults and peers, transition to adult services, if applicable, and child care and parenting supports, if applicable. Requires the Department to make reasonable efforts to assist the youth in accomplishing the plan and to ensure the youth is aware of any post-case closure supports and services and how to access such supports and services. Requires the Department to assist a youth in care in obtaining a list of persons, with contact information, who are willing to provide the youth with support. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Require the court to conduct Successful Transition to Adulthood Review hearings for minors who are 18 years old and older for whom the court has entered a goal of independence or home environment not appropriate. Lists certain information the Department shall provide the court 14 days prior to the hearing as well as certain Department actions that are subject to the court's review. Provides that if the court finds the Department has failed to make reasonable efforts to assist the minor in developing a plan toward independence, the court may enter such orders it deems necessary to ensure the minor is prepared to achieve the goal of independence when the minor turns 21 years of age. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. Authorizes grants to be provided under the Act for financing shoreline restoration and protection projects on behalf of counties and park districts.

Creates the Rooftop Safety for First Responders Act. Requires the installation of a parapet, extended masonry, or guard for low-sloped roofs. Sets forth requirements for skylights and other openings located in the plane of a low-sloped roof. Requires municipalities to complete a survey of buildings in their jurisdiction. Requires sharing the results of the surveys with local police and fire departments. Defines terms.

Creates the Safe Gun Storage Act. Provides that a firearm owner shall not store or keep any firearm in any premises where the firearm owner knows or reasonably should know a minor without the lawful permission of the minor's parent, guardian, or person having charge of the minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, properly engaged so as to render the firearm inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. Provides that if the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user, then the firearm is deemed lawfully stored or kept. Provides that a violation of the Act is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500, except (i) if any person knows or reasonably should know that a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to a firearm belonging to or under the control of that person, and a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains the firearm, the civil penalty shall not exceed $1,000 and (ii) if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and uses it to injure or cause the death of a person or uses the firearm in connection with a crime, the civil penalty shall not exceed $10,000. Provides that the court may order a person who is found in violation of the Act to perform community service or pay restitution in lieu of the civil penalties imposed under this Section if good cause is shown. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to preclude civil liabilities for violations of the Act. Provides that a violation of the Act is prima facie evidence of negligence per se in any civil proceeding if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and causes personal injury to the death of oneself or another or uses the firearm in the commission of a crime. Provides that an action to collect a civil penalty under the Act may be brought by the Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred. Provides that any money received from the collection of a civil penalty under the Act shall be deposited in the Mental Health Fund. Defines terms. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that upon recovering a firearm that was (i) unlawfully possessed, (ii) used for any unlawful purpose, (iii) recovered from the scene of a crime, (iv) reasonably believed to have been used or associated with the commission of a crime, or (v) acquired by the law enforcement agency as an abandoned, lost, or discarded firearm, a law enforcement agency shall use the best available information, including a firearms trace (deletes when necessary), to determine how and from whom the person gained possession of the firearm and to determine prior ownership of the firearm. Provides that law enforcement shall use the National Tracing Center of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' eTrace platform or successor platform in complying with this provision. Provides that law enforcement shall participate in the National Tracing Center of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' eTrace platform or successor platform's collective data sharing program for the purpose of sharing firearm trace reports among all law enforcement agencies in this State on a reciprocal basis. Defines "peace officer" for the purpose of the investigation of specified offenses shall include investigators of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code to create the Consumer Protection from Surprise Health Care Billing Act. Provides that, on or after July 1, 2025, notwithstanding any other applicable provision, when a beneficiary, insured, or enrollee receives services from a nonparticipating ground ambulance service provider, the health insurance issuer shall ensure that the beneficiary, insured, or enrollee shall incur no greater out-of-pocket costs than the beneficiary, insured, or enrollee would have incurred with a participating ground ambulance service provider. Provides that any cost-sharing requirements shall be applied as though the services provided by the nonparticipating ground ambulance service provider had been provided by a participating ground ambulance service provider. Sets forth provisions concerning payment for ground ambulance services; calculating the recognized amount; limitations for the cost sharing amount for any occurrence in which a ground ambulance service is provided to a beneficiary; appeals for payments made by health insurance issuers; the maximum allowable payment amounts, by individual service types, for nonparticipating ground ambulance service providers owned, operated, or controlled by a private organization; and payments to nonparticipating ground ambulance service providers owned, operated, or controlled, by a unit of government which participates in the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation program administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Makes conforming changes. Provides that the failure by a health insurance issuer to comply with the specified requirements constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and enforcement authority is granted to the Attorney General. Amends the Health Maintenance Organization Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make corresponding changes. Effective July 1, 2025.