Sen. Graciela Guzmán

Reaffirms the State's steadfast commitment to promoting a person-centered, community-based mental health and substance use treatment system that is evidence-backed and recognizes each person's dignity, humanity, and autonomy in determining the best course of care in the least restrictive environment in compliance with the Constitution and laws of the State of Illinois.

Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2027 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits an individual from performing surgical technology services if the individual is acting within the scope of the individual's license or registration or is a student or intern under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Land Conservation Incentives Act. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, there is a tax credit of up to $200,000 with respect to qualified real property interest conveyed for conservation and preservation purposes as the qualified donation by the taxpayer, with certain requirements. Provides that any taxpayer claiming this tax credit may not claim a credit under any similar law for costs related to the same project. Provides that any tax credits from the donation of an interest in land made by a pass-through tax entity such as a trust, estate, partnership, limited liability corporation or partnership, limited partnership, S corporation, or other fiduciary shall be used either by such entity if it is the taxpayer on behalf of such entity or by the member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary, as the case may be, in proportion to their interest in such entity if the income, deductions, and tax liability passes through such entity to such member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary, and that such tax credits may not be claimed by both the entity and the member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary for the same donation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Revenue to adopt rules. Defines terms. Makes findings.

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Affordability Crisis in Housing Act. Amends the Financial Institutions Act. Requires that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation establish, maintain, and publish on its website a registry of nominees of mortgagees. Amends the Counties Code. Requires each county board to adopt revisions to its predictable fee schedule to include an additional $150 fee for a nominee of a mortgagee to record a mortgage, including an assignment, extension, amendment, or subordination, beginning no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Creates an exception for the recording of a release of mortgage by the nominee of the mortgagee. Provides that of the additional $150, $120 is to be collected by the county as an additional Rental Housing Support Program State surcharge and deposited into the Rental Housing Support Program Fund, and $30 is to be collected by the county as a county fee with $25 to be used by the county for development and maintenance of its affordable housing capacity and $5 to be deposited into the recorder's special funds created to defray the cost of providing electronic or automated access to the county's property records. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a lien is not created if a nominee of a mortgagee fails to provide the recorder with the cover sheet required to accompany a mortgage under the Conveyances Act. Amends the Conveyances Act. Requires that all mortgages or assignments of mortgage recorded by or for a nominee must be recorded with a cover sheet explaining any fees that are charged, the identity of the nominee of the mortgagee, and the process that may be used by the mortgagor to track the mortgage.

Amends the Election Code. Creates the Ranked-Choice Voting Article. Provides that a unit of local government may allow for any local primary election, general election, or special election to be conducted by ranked-choice voting. Sets forth provisions concerning ranked choice voting elections. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Protective Medical Equipment Freedom Act. Provides that all individual in the State have the right to wear protective medical equipment in any place of public accommodation where they have a lawful right to be without obligation to disclose health status or any other protected information, and no person, entity, or authority shall deny, restrict, or infringe upon this right. Provides that operators and public officials shall not discriminate against or penalize medical device wearers for exercising their right to wear protective medical equipment. Provides that discrimination under the Act includes, but is not limited to: denial of service; eviction from premises; any form of harassment to remove or refrain from wearing such equipment for any amount of time; specified actions taken by employers; and provision of unequal goods, services, facilities, advantages, or accommodations. Sets forth provisions concerning the protection against retaliation, the exceptions for security requirements, operational safety, age and identity restricted products, and financial institution customer identification, and an undue hardship exemption. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to file an amendment to the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities that shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide for a wage rate of 150% of the statewide, regional, or local minimum wage for services delivered on or after January 1, 2027, for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel who are not subject to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average wage increases and who work in residential and community day services settings. Provides that for services delivered on or after January 1, 2027, the rates shall include adjustments to employment-related expenses as defined by rule by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt rules, including emergency rules, to implement the rate increases. Contains provisions on benchmark rates for therapy and counseling for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; tiered rates for community day services; community integration supports for community day services; and benchmark rates for CILA transportation cost and for the supported employment program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit a Title XIX State Plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that shall include an increase in the rate methodology sufficient to provide for a wage rate of 150% of the statewide, regional, or local minimum wage for services delivered on or after January 1, 2027, for all direct support personnel and all other frontline personnel at ID/DD and MC/DD facilities. Provides that the State Plan amendment shall provide wage increases for all residential non-executive direct care staff. Effective immediately.

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board Act. Sets forth findings and defines terms. Establishes the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board within the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for the purpose of advising and making recommendations to the Department regarding the provision of psilocybin and psilocybin services. Sets forth requirements for members of the Board. Provides that, within 3 months after the effective date of the Act, the Governor, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the House, and the Minority Leader of the Senate shall appoint certain individuals to the Board. Provides that, between January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2029, the Board shall meet at least once every 2 calendar months at a time and place determined by the chairperson or a majority of the voting members of the Board and that, after January 1, 2029, the Board shall meet at least once every calendar quarter. Provides that the Board shall perform certain duties, including publishing an annual report describing the Board's activities and making recommendations concerning (i) the safety and efficacy of psilocybin and other substances, (ii) potential requirements for providing psilocybin services to clients, (iii) a potential code of ethics and possible training requirements for facilitators, and (iv) public health considerations. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Provides that, unless otherwise required by federal law or regulation, a housing authority shall not establish or implement any rules, policies, or procedures that impose time limits or work requirements as a condition of initial or continued eligibility for any rent subsidy or assistance provided to qualifying tenants of the housing authority or to qualifying individuals through any rent subsidy or other housing assistance program administered by the housing authority. Permits a housing authority to establish, implement, or encourage an applicant or recipient of a rent subsidy or assistance to participate in a voluntary employment or job training program if the program: (1) does not impact the applicant's or recipient's initial or continued eligibility for the rent subsidy or assistance; and (2) has one of the specified goals for program participants, including, but not limited to, (i) increasing personal income, (ii) homeownership, or (iii) expanding employment options. Effective immediately.