Sen. Graciela Guzmán

Amends the School Code. Prohibits a child from being denied a free public education through secondary school while in the State based on the child's or associated person's perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status. Prohibits a school from excluding a child, or associated person, from participation in or denying a child, or associated person, the benefits of any program or activity on the grounds of that child's, or associated person's, actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status. Provides that a school must not use criteria, measures, or methods of administration that have the effect of excluding from participation or denying the benefits of any program or activity because of a child's, or associated person's, actual or perceived immigration status. Prohibits a school from threatening to disclose information regarding or relating to the actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status of a child, or associated person, or actually disclosing information based on perceived or unverified citizenship or immigration status, to any other person, entity, or any immigration or law enforcement agency. Provides that a school must not allow an immigration agent to enter a school site or school district facility for any purpose without providing valid identification, a written statement of purpose, and a valid judicial warrant, and, to the extent possible, receiving approval from the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the charter school, and their legal counsel. Provides that a school district or school must not detain any individual solely on the basis of any formal or informal request, or immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant from an immigration agent. Requires a school district or school to adopt a policy for complying with the amendatory Act. Allows any party aggrieved by a violation of the provisions to bring a civil lawsuit no later than 2 years after the violation occurred. Provides that if the court finds that a violation has occurred, the court may award to the plaintiff 3 times actual damages or $17,000, whichever is greater. Makes other changes.

Amends the PFAS Reduction Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in this State the following products if the product contains intentionally added PFAS: (1) cookware, (2) cosmetics, (3) dental floss, (4) juvenile products, (5) menstrual products, (6) intimate apparel, or (7) food packaging or food contact products. Defines terms.

Amends the Livestock Management Facilities Act. Provides that, within 7 days after receiving a form giving notice of intent to construct (i) a new facility that would be a medium CAFO or a large CAFO (rather than a new facility serving 1,000 or more animal units) and that does not propose to utilize a lagoon or (ii) a new facility that does propose to utilize a lagoon, the Illinois Department of Agriculture shall send a copy of the notice form to the county board of the county in which the facility is to be located and shall publish a public notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the county. Provides that, after receiving a copy of the notice form from the Department, the county board may, at its discretion and within 60 days (rather than 30 days) after receipt of the notice, request that the Department conduct an informational meeting concerning the proposed construction. Provides that (i) a new facility that would be a medium CAFO or a large CAFO and that does not propose to utilize a lagoon or (ii) a new facility that does propose to utilize a lagoon may not begin construction if the county board recommends to the Department that the provisions of the Act have not been met for failing to satisfy specified criteria. Makes conforming and other changes.

Declares March 25, 2025 as Equal Pay Day in the State of Illinois. Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that if the minor has multiple delinquency petitions filed against him or her, remaining petitions pending against the minor respondent shall be adjudicated within 120 (rather than 160) days from the date on which a finding relative to the first petition prosecuted is rendered. Restructures the provisions concerning alleged delinquent minors and pretrial detention of alleged delinquent minors. Provides that if the court determines that the State, without success, has exercised due diligence to timely obtain the results of DNA testing that is material to the case, and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the results may be obtained at a later date, the court may extend the period of detention of the minor to not more than 70 days, only for any matter for which the minor may be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Provides that nothing in the trial and pretrial detention provisions of the Act prevents the minor from exercising the minor's rights to waive the time limits set forth in these provisions. Deletes provision that time needed to prepare a defense to a State motion such as an extended juvenile jurisdiction petition or a transfer petition shall not be considered a delay occasioned by the minor. Makes technical changes in the trial and pretrial detention provisions of the Act.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall not consider as an expense of any public utility company, for the purpose of determining any rate or charge: (1) any amount expended for contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties, political or legislative committees, or any committee or organization working to influence referendum petitions or elections or contributions to a trade association or a chamber of commerce; or (2) any amount expended by a public utility company for director and officer liability insurance and fiduciary liability insurance. Provides that, in determining whether other types of insurance purchased by the public utility are recoverable, the Commission shall consider whether the insurance provides a financial benefit to ratepayers of the public utility or the public utility's shareholders. Provides that, if the Commission determines the insurance purchased by the public utility provides a financial benefit to the public utility's shareholders, then the amount expended shall not be a recoverable expense. In provisions concerning advertising, provides that goodwill or institutional advertising shall not be a recoverable expense. Provides that any amount expended by a public utility to compensate attorneys or technical experts to prepare and litigate a general rate case filing is a nonrecoverable expense. Provides that, in any general rate increase requested by any gas, electric, water, or sewer utility company under the provisions of the Act, the Commission shall hold at least one public hearing for members of the public to provide input on the requested rate increase. Provides that a public hearing shall be held in the service territory of the utility that is requesting the general rate increase, at a time and location to be determined by the Commission.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Changes the sentence credits of committed persons serving a term of imprisonment in the Department of Corrections for various offenses. Provides that the sentence credit allotments shall apply to committed persons incarcerated before the effective date of the amendatory Act, and the Department of Corrections shall award sentence credit for periods of incarceration prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act accordingly. Provides that committed persons who wish to receive sentence credit for educational, vocational, substance abuse, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, re-entry planning, and correctional industry programs accumulated prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act in an amount specified in the provision to a committed person serving a sentence for an offense committed after June 19, 1998, if the Department determines that the committed person is entitled to this sentence credit, based upon: (1) documentation provided by the Department that the committed person engaged in any full-time substance abuse programs, correctional industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by the standards of the Department during the committed person's current term of incarceration; or (2) the committed person's own testimony in the form of an affidavit or documentation, or a third party's documentation or testimony in the form of an affidavit that the committed person likely engaged in any full-time substance abuse programs, correctional industry assignments, educational programs, behavior modification programs, life skills courses, or re-entry planning provided by the Department and satisfactorily completed the assigned program as determined by the standards of the Department during the committed person's current term of incarceration. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a medical professional. Defines "medical professional". Requires the medical professional to explain to the parent or guardian of the child, whenever the medical professional has direct contact with the child or the family of the child, that the medical professional is involved for the purpose of providing an opinion to the Department regarding whether the child's injury or condition is suspicious for child maltreatment. Requires the Department to inform the parent or guardian of his or her right to: (i) request and receive a copy of the medical professional's opinion; (ii) obtain, at his or her own expense, and submit to the Department a second medical opinion for consideration in the investigation; (iii) that any second medical opinion submitted to the Department prior to the Department rendering a final determination in the investigation will be considered as inculpatory or exculpatory evidence; and (iv) of the Department's time frames for the investigative process. Contains provisions concerning annual reports on the number of investigations in which a medical professional has provided a written opinion to the Department. Sets forth the data that must be included in the Department's reports.

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish and convene the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations on how to ensure public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future school years from available State and local resources. Sets forth provisions concerning the members of the Task Force, support for the Task Force, and other Task Force recommendations. Repeals these provisions on December 31, 2027. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that medical creditors and debt collectors are prohibited from communicating with a patient regarding unpaid charges for the purpose of seeking to collect the charges and initiating a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding against the patient regarding the unpaid charges while an appeal of a health insurance decision is pending or was pending within 180 days. Sets forth provisions concerning medical debt interest under a reasonable payment plan, the applicable interest rate for judgments on medical debt, the effect of medical debt forgiveness on the contractual relationship between the medical creditor and the insurer or payor, and the applicability of the provisions.