Sen. Julie Morrison

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall establish an online portal that allows units of local government to submit forms electronically to the Department. The online portal shall provide a tracking feature for the submission as well as a point of contact at the Department of Transportation.

Maddy summaryHB 871 amends the Attorney General Act. It makes a technical change to a section concerning the short title of the act.

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 School Code. Provides that the depreciation allowance included under the amount of the tuition for a child from a home for orphans, dependent, abandoned, or maladjusted children shall exclude depreciation of assets paid from federal or donated funds.

Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the Fire Marshal to develop clear and definitive guidelines to school districts, private schools, and first responders as to how to develop threat assessment procedures, rapid entry response plans, and cardiac emergency response plans. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to cooperate to adopt rules to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Grants emergency rulemaking powers to the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act for a period not to exceed 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the State Board of Education to provide school districts with standards outlining what steps or consideration shall be included within the school district's threat assessment procedure. Makes a corresponding change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the PFAS Reduction Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, any person, firm, association, partnership, corporation, organization, joint venture, importer, or domestic distributor of firefighting agents or firefighting equipment that sells firefighting personal protective equipment containing PFAS chemicals to any person, local government, or State agency shall provide written notice to the purchaser at the time of sale which shall state: (i) that the firefighting personal protective equipment contains PFAS chemicals; and (ii) the reason PFAS chemicals are added to the equipment. Requires the seller and the purchaser of the equipment to retain a copy of the required notice on file for at least 3 years from the date of the purchase. Provides that, upon the request of the Agency, the seller shall furnish the notice, or written copies, and associated sales documentation to the Agency within 60 days of such request. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2027, a person that sells firefighting personal protective equipment to any person, local government, or State agency shall not manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in the State any firefighting personal protective equipment containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals. Defines terms.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that coursework related to psychology shall count toward the semester hours that an early childhood teacher must obtain to be qualified as an early childhood teacher. Provides that, before July 1, 2026, the Department of Children and Family Services shall publish and maintain on its website a full and complete list of courses that qualify toward the attainment of the required qualifications for a child care teacher. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2026, the Department of Early Childhood shall publish and maintain on its website a full and complete list of courses that qualify toward the attainment of the required qualifications for a child care teacher.

Amends the School Code. Provides that beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a school district shall provide informational materials about the Illinois Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account program (rather than the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account program) annually to the parent or guardian of a student who has a section 504 Plan under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, using the same distribution methods employed for other communications related to the student's section 504 Plan. Removes language providing that a school may transmit the informational material to a parent or guardian in the same manner as other documents and information related to an Individualized Education Program meeting are provided to the parent or guardian. Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act and the Early Intervention Services System Act. In provisions requiring individualized family service plans for children receiving early intervention services, provides that during the initial development of an individual family service plan and at each review meeting of the service plan, the regional intake offices shall provide the parent or guardian with informational materials about the Illinois (ABLE) account program. Requires the informational materials to include an overview of the Illinois ABLE account program, eligibility criteria, and other necessary enrollment information. Requires the Office of the State Treasurer to prepare and deliver the informational materials about the Illinois ABLE account for distribution to regional intake offices which shall subsequently disseminate the informational materials to parents and guardians in the same manner as they transmit other documents to families. Makes technical changes to the State Treasurer Act to change the name of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account program to the Illinois Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account program.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall include in its handbook regarding dyslexia guidelines on the administration of universal screeners for a risk of reading difficulties and secondary reviews, the interpretation of data from these screeners and reviews, and the resulting appropriate intervention within a multi-tiered system of support framework. Requires the State Board to adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener. Provides that a student shall be screened: (1) if the student is enrolled in a public school in any of grades kindergarten through 3; (2) if the student is in any of grades kindergarten through 3, transfers to a new public school, and has not been screened twice previously during the school year; (3) if the student is in grade 4 or higher and the student's teacher, parent, or guardian requests that the student be screened for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener; or (4) if the student is from another state and enrolls for the first time in any of grades kindergarten through 3 in a school district in the State. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each school district must screen students, no less than twice each school year, in grades kindergarten through 3 for a risk of reading difficulties using a universal screener approved by the State Board. Provides for intervention. Requires a report to the State Board. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Law. Provides that the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange shall allow a special enrollment period for an uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, if the uninsured taxpayer requested health insurance benefit information through the easy enrollment program under the Illinois Income Tax Act and the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, are eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through the Exchange. Establishes notification requirements for the Exchange. Provides that the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's dependents shall have 60 days from the date of the letter to select and enroll in a qualified health plan. Provides that coverage shall be effective the first day of the month that follows the plan selection. Grants the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services rulemaking authority to implement an easy enrollment special enrollment period. Effective immediately.