Sen. Elgie Sims

Amends the Illinois Affordable Housing Act. Requires all housing financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program to meet a minimum standard of living requirement. Provides that in order for a program applicant to be eligible to receive funding to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, develop, operate, insure, or retain affordable single-family or multi-family housing, the applicant must demonstrate that each housing unit can provide and meet certain quality standards, as applicable. Requires housing to have cooling and dehumidification systems that are capable of being operated independently from the heating system and that can operate when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees. Requires newly constructed housing to have permanent air conditioning. Requires the heating in all housing, during the months of October through May, unless a unit of government has standards that require a higher temperature of heat, to register at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Requires any tenant complaints about heating to be rectified within 24 hours. Requires windows to open and close with safety mechanisms installed and to be inspected on a regular basis. Provides certain standards concerning the maintenance and upkeep of the premises of the single-family or multi-family housing; accessible laundry facilities for senior residents and residents with disabilities; control for insects, rodents, and pests; standard turnaround times for property manager or maintenance personnel to respond to tenant requests; and compliance checks and tenant reviews for property management companies. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that during the first 180 days following a person's release from a penal institution, a court shall not order the person to pay any outstanding fines, taxes, or costs arising from a criminal proceeding involving the person.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Permits the Department of Children and Family Services to establish and maintain locally held funds to be individually known as the Youth in Care Support Fund. Provides that moneys in these funds shall be used for purchases for the immediate needs of youth in care or for the immediate support needs of youth, families, and caregivers served by the Department. Provides that moneys paid into these funds shall be from appropriations made to the DCFS Children's Services Fund; and that any funds remaining in any Youth in Care Support Fund must be returned to the DCFS Children's Services Fund upon dissolution. Provides that any warrant for payment to a vendor for the same product or service for a youth in care shall be payable to the Department to reimburse the immediate payment from the Youth in Care Support Fund.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish a competitive grant program to support the development or enhancement of computer science programs in the K-12 schools. Provides that eligible entities are regional offices of education, intermediate service centers, State higher education institutions, schools designated as laboratory schools, and school districts. Provides that approved entities shall be responsible for ensuring appropriate facilities are available and educators are appropriately trained on the use of any technologies or devices acquired for the purposes of the grant. Sets forth requirements to use the grant, renewal provisions, and rulemaking.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that in the development of the individualized education program for a student, if the student needs extra accommodation during emergencies, including natural disasters or an active shooter situation, then that accommodation shall be taken into account when developing a student's IEP plan.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, as part of transition planning, a school district shall provide a student and the parent or guardian of the student (instead of just the student) with information about the district's career and technical education opportunities. Provides that a student and the parent or guardian of the student shall be provided with information about dual credit courses offered by the school district. Provides that if the student is enrolled in a dual credit course for dual credit or for high school credit only, the student's participation in the course shall be included as part of the student's transition Individualized Education Program activities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Hospice Program Licensing Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Task Force Act. Creates the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be composed of 12 appointed members and the State's Chief Behavioral Health Officer, or the Officer's representative. Provides that the 2 Task Force co-chairs shall appoint experts to contribute and participate in the Task Force as nonvoting members. Provides for meetings of the Task Force and responsibilities relating to examination of the first year of implementation and use of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Illinois. Requires the development of an action plan with specified recommendations to be filed with the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2023. Includes legislative findings. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2025. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $10,000,000, or so much of that amount as may be necessary, from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to deposit into the Workforce, Technology, and Economic Development Fund for the purpose of making a grant to the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association for all costs and expenses associated with the Employer Training Investment Program. Effective July 1, 2023.

Creates the Tickborne Disease Prevention and Protection Act. Presents legislative findings. Requires the Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the medical entomology lab of the Prairie Research Institute's Illinois Natural History Survey and a statewide association representing physicians, to develop protocols and best practices for identifying, diagnosing, and treating tickborne diseases in Illinois and a mandatory accredited continuing medical education course that describes those protocols and best practices. Provides that the Department shall require health care professionals and laboratories to report cases of tickborne disease to each other and the Department. Directs the Department to train local health departments to respond to tickborne disease-related inquiries. Requires the Department to prepare a report of all efforts undertaken by the Department under the Act.