Sen. Cristina Castro

Mourns the death of Nancy Hogan of Girard.

Amends the Public Construction Bond Act. Provides that public construction bonds are required only for those public work construction contracts that are valued over $5,000,000. Authorizes any official, board, commission, agent of the State, or any political subdivision of the State to create a self-insured risk pool for contracts of $5,000,000 or less. Defines "self insured risk pool".

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the amount transferred from the General Revenue Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Employee Classification Act. Changes the definition of "performing services" to include the movement by truck of property, goods, materials, or equipment, including, but not limited to, construction related materials on the job site to or from the job site. Defines "truck" as any motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, goods, materials, or equipment in furtherance of a commercial or industrial enterprise.

Creates the Digital Forgeries Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery has a cause of action against any person who, without the consent of the depicted individual, knowingly distributes a digital forgery, creates a digital forgery with intent to distribute, or solicits the creation of a digital forgery with the intent to distribute: (1) in order to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; (2) with reckless disregard for whether such a creation, distribution, reproduction, or manipulation will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; or (3) in order to incite violence or interfere with an official proceeding. Allows a prevailing plaintiff to be awarded damages, costs, and additional relief. Allows the court to grant injunctive relief maintaining the confidentiality of a plaintiff using a pseudonym.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows a delinquent adjudicated in juvenile court and subsequently imprisoned for one or more felonies by the State which he or she did not commit to file a petition for certificate of innocence in the circuit court of the county in which the delinquent was adjudicated. In a provision regarding the facts that a petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence to obtain a certificate of innocence, when proving that the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct cause or bring about (rather than voluntarily cause or bring about) his or her own conviction, provides that a guilty plea or confession does not alone constitute bringing about one's conviction. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program Act. Establishes the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services to help expand the availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised, or processed foods for Illinois' emergency food system. Provides that the program shall (1) acquire and distribute agricultural products from Illinois agricultural entities or aggregators to Illinois' emergency food system, and (2) provide grants to improve capacity of the emergency food system to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or distribution of agricultural products to underserved areas. Provides that the program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs produced in Illinois. Provides that foods shall be surplus, seconds, or market-grade quality levels and must be safe for consumption. Provides that the program is subject to appropriation and shall dedicate no less than 75% of available funds to acquisition and distribution of food. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to engage a not-for-profit entity from Illinois' emergency food system to administer the program. Requires the administering entity to have statewide reach and represent multiple food banks that source and distribute food to Illinois food pantries and soup kitchens under the same authorities and standards as the Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the Department. Contains provisions concerning the duties of the administering entity. Creates the Farm to Food Bank Advisory Council to provide support to the program through facilitating relationship-building and partnerships between the Illinois agricultural sector and the emergency food system and other matters. Provides that the program may distribute food to those food banks with the infrastructure to accept, store, and distribute foods through the emergency food system and with the capacity to serve significant geographic areas within Illinois. Provides that the program shall distribute capacity-building grants for facility upgrades, equipment, or other investments necessary to support the objectives of the program. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules. Effective immediately.

Creates the Justice40 Oversight Committee Act. Establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice. Requires the Justice40 Oversight Committee to submit reports delineating the Oversight Committee's findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the General Assembly by specified dates. Contains requirements for the appointment of voting and nonvoting members of the Oversight Committee. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that all school buses that are newly purchased, leased, or contracted after January 1, 2028, shall be an electric vehicle. Provides that all school buses that provide transportation for enrolled students operating primarily within an equity investment eligible community or primarily serving students living in an equity investment eligible community after January 1, 2030, shall be an electric vehicle. Provides that all school buses that provide transportation for enrolled students in the State after January 1, 2035, shall be an electric vehicle. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Changes the name of the Equal Pay Registration Fund to the Equal Pay Fund. Amends the Personnel Record Review Act. Provides that an employer shall, upon the employee's written request, email or mail a copy of a requested record to the employee. Repeals provisions concerning copies of personnel records. Amends the Minimum Wage Law, the Equal Pay Act of 2003, the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, and the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act. Provides that every employer with employees who do not regularly report to a physical workplace, such as employees who work remotely or travel for work, shall provide specified information by email to its employees or conspicuous posting on the employer's website or intranet site, if such site is regularly used by the employer to communicate work-related information to employees and is able to be regularly accessed by all employees, freely and without interference. Repeals the Wages of Women and Minors Act. Makes other changes.