Sen. Karina Villa

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning kindergartens, provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each school board must establish a kindergarten with full-day attendance (instead of allowing a school board to establish a kindergarten with half-day attendance or with full-day attendance); makes related changes. Repeals another provision concerning kindergartens on July 1, 2023. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person is not legally accountable for the conduct of another, unless the statute defining the offense provides otherwise, if he or she was subjected to specified and credible coercion, compulsion, or duress related to domestic abuse as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a person is not guilty of an offense (deletes other than an offense punishable by death) by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Includes in the relief from judgment provisions if the allegations in the petition establish each of the following by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) the movant was convicted of a forcible felony; (2) the movant's participation in the offense was related to experiencing or the effects of gender-based violence; (3) no substantial evidence or incomplete evidence of gender-based violence against the movant was presented at the movant's sentencing hearing; and (4) the evidence of gender-based violence against the movant is material and noncumulative to other evidence offered at the sentencing hearing, or previous hearing filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and is of such a conclusive character that it would likely change the sentence imposed by the original trial court. Defines "gender-based violence".

Amends the Gender Violence Act. Defines "employee", "employer", "work environment", and "workplace". Changes the definition of "gender-related violence" to include domestic violence. Provides that an employer shall be liable only for gender-related violence committed in the work environment by an employee or agent of the employer. Provides specific instances in which an employer is liable for gender-related violence. Provides that no person shall have the power to waive any provisions of the Act as part of a dissolution of marriage agreement, dissolution of civil union agreement, dissolution of domestic partnership agreement, or custody agreement. Makes corresponding changes.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially.

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 Property Tax Code. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall pay the assessor's additional compensation to the appropriate township or county, and the township or county shall pay the additional compensation to the assessor from those funds. Provides that the township or county shall be considered the assessor's employer for payroll purposes, including, but not limited to, State and federal income tax reporting and withholding and employer contributions under the Illinois Pension Code. Amends the Counties Code. In provisions concerning stipends paid to the county treasurer, auditor, coroner, and sheriff, provides that the Department of Revenue shall pay those stipends directly to the county, and the county shall pay the stipend to the official. Provides that the county shall be considered the assessor's employer for payroll purposes, including, but not limited to, State and federal income tax reporting and withholding and employer contributions under the Illinois Pension Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Adult Protective Services Act. Excludes from the definition of "mandated reporter" the State Long Term Care Ombudsman and the Ombudsman's representatives or volunteers when such persons are prohibited from making a report under a federal regulation.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the definition of "public works" also includes the removal, hauling, and transportation of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue from a water treatment plant or facility and the disposal of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue removed from a water treatment plant or facility at a landfill.

Amends the Life Care Facilities Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules meeting specified requirements for providers of at-home continuing care. Tasks the Department with issuing preliminary certificates of registration, certificates of registration, and renewal certificates of registration to providers of at-home continuing care. Requires providers to renew their registrations every 2 years. Allows the Department to deny, suspend, or revoke a preliminary, initial, or renewal certificate of registration for cause. Contains other provisions.