Sen. Laura Ellman

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop and post on its Internet website a document that provides information to students and residents of a school district on how to petition a school board to require that self-defense instruction be included in physical education courses.

Creates the Including Families in Mental Health Recovery Act. Provides that no later than one year after the effective date of the Act, the Department of Human Services shall adopt rules clarifying the circumstances under which, consistent with the standards governing the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information, Illinois health care providers and covered entities may disclose the protected health information of patients with a mental illness. Provides that no later than one year after the effective date of this Act, the Department of Human Services shall develop and disseminate only within Illinois: (1) a model program and materials for training health care providers (including physicians, emergency medical personnel, psychologists, counselors, therapists, behavioral health facilities and clinics, care managers, and hospitals) regarding the circumstances under which, consistent with the standards governing privacy and security of individually identifiable health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the protected health information of patients with a mental illness may be disclosed with and without patient consent; (2) a model program and materials for training lawyers and others in the legal profession on such circumstances; and (3) a model program and materials for training patients and their families regarding their rights to protect and obtain information under the standards specified in the Act.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, every public high school shall include instruction on climate change and the impacts and causes of climate change in grades 9 through 12 in specified courses. Provides that the State Board of Education shall convene a working group of students, educators, and experts in the area of climate change. Sets forth tasks for the working group concerning State learning standards. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education shall prepare and make available to school boards instructional materials and professional development training for educators that may be used as guidelines for development of the instruction. Effective immediately.

Amends the Electric Vehicle Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the warrant of arrest or summons shall command that the person against whom the complaint was made to be arrested and brought before the court issuing the warrant at a certain day, time, and courtroom number, or the nearest or most accessible court in the same county, or appear before the court at a certain time and place. Provides that if a person has a warrant in another county for an offense and the county where the warrant is outstanding fails to transport the person to the county where the warrant was issued for a hearing no later than 5 calendar days after the end of any detention issued on the charge in the arresting county, the county where the warrant is outstanding shall mark the warrant as served (rather than quash the warrant) and order the person released on the case for which the warrant was issued. Provides that if the issuing county fails to take any action within 5 calendar days, the defendant shall be released from custody on the warrant, and the circuit judge or associate circuit judge in the county of arrest shall set conditions of release and shall admit the defendant to pretrial release and shall schedule for his or her appearance before the court named in the warrant based upon the court day, time, and courtroom number listed on the warrant.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides for the re-designation of trauma centers to include Level III Trauma Centers and for designation of Acute Injury Stabilization Centers. Sets forth minimum standard requirements for trauma centers and Acute Injury Stabilization Centers. Makes conforming changes. Adds a representative from a pediatric critical care center to the members of the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. Adds a burn care medical representative to the members of the State Trauma Advisory Council. Effective immediately.

Creates the Family Home Ownership Act. Imposes a tax on certain partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, or real estate investment trusts that purchase single-family residences. Provides that the amount of the tax is equal to 100% of the fair market value of the residence. Provides that the proceeds of the tax shall be deposited into the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the purpose of providing rental and mortgage payment assistance. Requires hedge funds and other applicable taxpayers to reduce the number of single-family residences owned by the hedge fund over a 10-year period. Provides that, 10 years after the effective date of the Act, hedge funds may not own any applicable single-family residences. Provides that, 10 years after the effective date of the Act, applicable taxpayers other than hedge funds may not own more than 50 applicable single-family residences. Amends the Illinois Affordable Housing Act to make confirming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act. Restricts State money from being used to install or replace permanent outdoor lighting units unless certain conditions are met. Provides that specified lighting units that were installed prior to the effective date of the Act and that produce light pollution need not be replaced until the end of the life of the lamp. Provides that these requirements apply to all lighting on or in all newly constructed, renovated, and retrofitted State-owned, State-supported, State-funded, or State-related rights-of-way, roadways and sidewalks, spaces, facilities, properties, nonhabitable structures, monuments, and flagpoles. Sets forth exemptions. Effective January 1, 2025.