Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that each public institution of higher education shall pay on behalf of a refugee or reimburse a refugee for payment of any transcript evaluation fees that are required by the public institution of higher education to be paid during the admission process. Effective immediately.
Creates the Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall prepare and maintain a comprehensive Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant plan for the preservation and enhancement of forests, prairies, and wetlands in Illinois. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to the comprehensive plan and subject to appropriation, shall establish and administer a Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program to restore degraded forest lands and native prairies, and to promote the growth of native vegetation that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help to mitigate the impact of climate change. Provides that units of local government are eligible to submit a grant proposal in a format and at a time prescribed by the Department of Natural Resources. Provides that grants may be used by units of local government to fund: (1) local projects restoring or expanding forests, wetlands, prairies, or other natural landscapes demonstrated to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; (2) education and marketing regarding local projects or steps community members may take to promote the growth of native vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and (3) any other purpose approved by the Department of Natural Resources that advances the State goal that there be no overall net loss of the State's existing forest, prairie, or wetland acres or their functional value due to State-supported activities. Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.
Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Large Event Recycling and Composting Law. Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2025, an owner or operator of an event facility that has a maximum legal capacity or occupancy of at least 3,000 persons and that receives funding from the State of Illinois shall participate in the recycling program established by the county in which the event facility is located and shall send recyclable materials to a recycling center. Defines "event facility".
Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning charitable exemptions granted to limited liability companies, removes a requirement that the limited liability company must be a disregarded entity for federal and Illinois income tax purposes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Personnel Record Review Act. Provides that every employer shall, upon an employee's request which the employer may require be in writing on a form supplied by the employer, permit the employee to inspect his or her pay stubs. Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Provides that employers shall keep records of names and addresses of all employees and of wages paid each payday, and shall furnish each employee with a pay stub for each pay period (rather than shall furnish each employee with an itemized statement of deductions made from the employee's wages for each pay period). Provides that an employer shall maintain a copy of an employee's pay stub for a period of not less than 3 years after the date of payment, whether the pay stub is provided electronically or in paper form, and the employer shall furnish the pay stub to the employee or former employee upon the employee or former employee's request. Provides that an employer who furnishes electronic pay stubs in a manner that is restricted to the employer's current employees must, upon an employee's separation from employment, furnish the employee or former employee with a paper or emailed electronic record of all of the employee's or former employee's pay stubs for up to 3 years prior to the date of separation, in the method specified by the employee or former employee. Provides that an employer who fails to furnish an employee with a pay stub or commits any other violation of this Act, except for specified violations, shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500 per violation payable to the Department of Labor. Defines "pay stub".
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve training programs in autism-informed responses, procedures, and techniques, including specified examples of training program subjects. Requires the Board to conduct or approve the autism-informed training program no later than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires all permanent and part-time law enforcement officers and permanent and part-time corrections officers to complete the autism-informed training program within 12 months after it was first offered or approved by the Board and every 24 months thereafter as part of the officer's in-service training. Provides that the Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Police, specifying training requirements for the programs.
Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital having custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal death occurring during or after a gestation period of at least 20 completed weeks must notify the gestational parent of the parent's right to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that after each fetal death that occurs in the State after a gestation period of at least 20 (rather than 26) completed weeks, or in cases where gestational age is uncertain, where the fetus weighs at least 350 grams, the person who files a fetal death certificate shall also prepare a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. Requires the person who files a fetal death certificate to notify the gestational parent of the stillborn of that parent's right to request and receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act. Provides that the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation shall retain qualified persons to design and conduct one or more disparity studies to prepare and report findings and conclusions to the Secretary to: (1) identify and delineate geographies in Illinois exhibiting significant disparities by protected characteristics with respect to: access to financial products or services, including, but not limited to, physical branches of covered financial institutions; and lending and investments by covered financial institutions; and (2) identify policies, procedures, patterns, or practices that have or may have disparate impact or discriminatory effects. Provides that the Secretary shall implement the findings, conclusions, and other results from the study into the examination process as detailed in rule. Provides that the Secretary shall update the disparity studies at least every 4 years, but may require it to be updated more frequently at the Secretary's discretion. Provides that the Secretary may use specified fees to pay for the disparity studies, as necessary. Defines the term "protected characteristic". Effective immediately.
Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services may establish or authorize a program for dispensing and distributing fentanyl test strips. Provides that the Department may acquire fentanyl test strips, train individuals in the use of fentanyl test strips, and distribute fentanyl test strips. Provides that the Department may award grants for the purchasing and distributing of fentanyl test strips. Requires every law enforcement agency and fire department that responds to emergency medical calls to possess fentanyl test strips and to distribute fentanyl test strips to the public at no charge. Permits law enforcement agencies and relevant fire departments to apply to the Department for grants to fund acquisition of fentanyl test strips and related training programs. Requires every health care facility to possess fentanyl test strips and to make available fentanyl test strips to the public. Amends the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act. Adds fentanyl test strips to the needle and hypodermic syringe access program.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Defines "research" to have the meaning that is ascribed to it in HIPAA and the Code of Federal Regulations. Changes the consent form to delete the requirement that the signature of the person giving consent or revocation of a consent does not have to be witnessed by a person who can attest to the identity of the person signing. Provides that records and communications may be disclosed for research in accordance with the requirements set forth under HIPAA and the Code of Federal Regulations.
