Sen. Julie Morrison

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no individual or group policy of accident and health insurance shall amend, deliver, issue, or renew a policy in a way that changes an insured's eligibility or coverage during a contract period. During a contract period, an insured shall have the protection and continuity of his or her providers, his or her medication, his or her covered benefits, and the formulary during the contract period.

Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Changes the duration of a plenary order in the discretion of the court to not less than 2 years nor more than 10 years (now, not to exceed 2 years). Provides that failure to state the termination date on the face of the form of a plenary order creates a plenary order with a duration of 2 years from the date of issuance.

Amends the Forestry Development Act. Specifies that, before the Department of Natural Resources may approve a forest management plan under the Act, the timber grower must obtain approval of the plan from the corporate authorities of the municipality in which the affected land is located or, in the case of land located in an unincorporated area, from the county board. Provides that the Department may not approve a proposed forest management plan unless and until it receives a resolution or ordinance from the corporate authorities of the municipality or county, as the case may be, assenting to the adoption of the plan. Specifies that these requirements also apply to reapprovals of forest management plans.

Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Marjorie Ettlinger of Highland Park.

Declares March 12, 2024 as "Equal Pay Day". Encourages the citizens of this State to learn about the pay gap that women experience in society and to learn about these various dates that bring attention to the pay gap that specific groups experience.

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, March 07, 2024, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 12, 2024, or to the call of the President; and when the House of Representatives adjourns on Thursday, March 07, 2024, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 12, 2024, or to the call of the Speaker.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Sets forth the General Assembly's intentions. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules to implement the motor vehicle emission standards of the State of California and the advanced clean cars II program. Permits the rules to incorporate by reference the California motor vehicle standards established in the final regulations issued by the California Air Resources Board pursuant to Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations and adopted under the authority of Division 26 of the California Health and Safety Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that if a child is placed with a relative or fictive kin, then the relative or fictive kin must apply for licensure under the Child Care Act of 1969 within 3 months after the child is placed with the relative or fictive kin. Provides that foster care payments shall be made only to: (i) licensed foster family homes; and (ii) a relative or fictive kin with whom the child is placed if the relative or fictive kin applied to be a licensed foster family home (rather than only licensed foster family homes). Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall remove a child placed with a relative or fictive kin if the relative or fictive kin does not apply for a license as a foster family home within 3 months of the child being placed with the relative or fictive kin. Provides that the Department shall remove a child placed with a relative or fictive kin if the relative's or fictive kin's application to be a licensed foster family home is declined by the Department. Provides that the Department must inform the relative or fictive kin with whom a child is placed of the reason the Department declined to grant the person a license as a foster family home. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that for a relative or fictive kin who applies for a license as a foster family home, the Department shall: (1) require less training time than what is required for other applicants applying for a foster family license; (2) require training on child care only as it relates to the child placed with the relative or fictive kin; (3) require training that includes information about the foster system and the expectations of a foster parent; and (4) require training on trauma and how trauma presents in children. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that a law enforcement officer is "in uniform" only when primarily assigned to respond to law enforcement-related encounters or activities. Adds a definition for "no expectation of privacy". Provides that, on and after January 1, 2026, an officer no longer needs to provide notice of recording to a person that has no reasonable expectation of privacy. Provides that recordings made on officer-worn cameras must be retained by the law enforcement agency or by the camera vendor used by the agency on a recording medium for a minimum period of 90 days and no longer than 2 years unless flagged (rather than for a period of 90 days). In provisions relating to exceptions to destruction of camera recordings if a recording has been flagged, provides that an encounter is deemed to be flagged when a formal investigation or informal inquiry has commenced (rather than a formal or informal complaint has been filed). Modifies when recordings may be used to discipline law enforcement officers. Provides that recordings are only subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act when a recording is flagged due to the filing of a complaint, discharge of a firearm, use of force, arrest or detention, or resulting death or bodily harm and the subject of the encounter has a reasonable expectation of privacy at the time of the recording (removing other exceptions). Provides that only the subject of the recording or the subject's legal representative may obtain the portion of the recording containing the subject if they provide written authorization to release the video. Makes other changes. Amends the Law Enforcement Camera Grant Act. Provides that grant funds may be used for the entire costs of the officer-worn body camera program and contract, including hardware, video management, software and licenses, accessories, storage, maintenance costs warranty, training, charging docks and data transfer devices and systems, and mobile data costs. Removes a requirement to include criminal and other violations and civil proceedings in which the cameras were used in reports that must be provided by a law enforcement agency receiving a grant for in-car video cameras or for officer-worn body cameras. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and Freedom of Information Act making conforming changes. Effective immediately.