Sen. Mattie Hunter

Creates the Government Contract Retainage Act. Defines terms, including that "retainage" means a portion of money withheld from the payment of a contract for a specified period of time to ensure that a contractor or subcontractor finishes a construction project completely and finishes in the manner specified in the contract. Provides that interest shall accrue monthly on the first day of each month on retainage withheld by a governmental unit at a specified rate set by the State Treasurer. Requires retainage withheld by a governmental unit to be paid not more than 60 days after being retained, including interest accrued, unless the retainage was withheld on the last pay period of a project shall, which shall be paid not more than 120 days after being retained. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that positions that are paid in accordance with prevailing wage laws, as well as beauticians and teachers of beauty culture and teachers of barbering, are exempt from jurisdiction B (currently, jurisdictions A, B, and C). Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the Code does not apply to procurement expenditures related to efforts to recruit candidates to State employment. Effective immediately

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In provisions concerning the Community Care Program (program), removes from the list of program services clearinghouse information provided by senior citizen home owners who want to rent rooms to or share living space with other senior citizens. In a provision requiring the Department on Aging to perform certain actions to increase the effectiveness of the program, removes a requirement that the Department ensure the determination of need tool is accurate in determining program participants' level of need. In a provision concerning pre-service certification for in-home workers who provide housekeeping or home aide services, requires employing agencies to pay wages to in-home workers for pre-service and in-service training. Provides that the Department may authorize (rather than shall delay) program services until an applicant is determined eligible for medical assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes a provision requiring the Department to implement co-payments under the program. Requires the Department to make annual (rather than quarterly) reports on care coordination unit performance and adherence to service guidelines. Removes expired rate levels. Requires the Department to pay an enhanced rate under the Community Care Program to those in-home service provider agencies that offer health insurance coverage as a benefit to their direct service worker employees. Provides that all final administrative decisions of the Department are subject to judicial review. Makes other changes.

Appropriates $50,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for grants to community learning centers under the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $209,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for costs associated with the Healthy School Meals for All Program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Appropriates $2,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a board-certified child abuse pediatrician for a medical opinion. Provides that the board-certified child abuse pediatrician must explain to the parent or guardian of the child, whenever the pediatrician has direct contact with the child or the family of the child, that the pediatrician is completing the examination of the child at the request of the Department for the purpose of providing an opinion to the Department regarding whether the mechanism of injury is suspicious for child maltreatment. Provides that the parent or guardian of the child of the center of an investigation shall: (i) be informed of the referral and his or her right to request and receive a copy of the opinion; (ii) be notified that the parent or guardian of the child has the right to obtain, at his or her own expense, and submit to the Department a second medical opinion at any time; (iii) be informed that any second medical opinion submitted to the Department prior to the Department rendering a final determination in the investigation will be considered as inculpatory or exculpatory evidence; and (iv) be notified of the Department's time frames for the investigative process. Requires the Department to annually prepare and make available on the Department's Reports and Statistics webpage a report on the number of children or families referred by the Department to a board-certified child abuse pediatrician as part of an investigation of abuse or neglect by the Department. Sets forth the information that must be contained in the annual reports. Provides that the first report must be posted within 9 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Repeals provisions prohibiting ordinances penalizing tenants who contact the police or other emergency services. Adds provisions prohibiting a county or municipality from enacting a program, ordinance, resolution, or other regulation that: (1) penalizes landlords or tenants, guests, or others for contact with a law enforcement agency; (2) requires or encourages landlords to evict or penalize tenants or household members for contact with a law enforcement agency, a criminal conviction, or alleged unlawful conduct, including through cooperating agreements with law enforcement agencies; (3) requires or promotes the use of criminal background checks of prospective and current tenants; (4) defines nuisance behavior to include contact with a law enforcement agency; (5) requires tenants to secure certificates of occupancy as a condition of leasing rental housing or turning on utilities; (6) creates or promotes the use of a registry of individual tenants for the purpose of discouraging landlords from renting to those tenants or otherwise excluding such individuals from rental housing within the subject jurisdiction; (7) penalizes tenants, guests, or others for contact made to police or other emergency services; or (8) requires or promotes the use of a lease addendum that penalizes tenants, guests or others for any of the above-listed conditions or is contrary to or inconsistent with requirements under federal law. Provides that a program, ordinance, resolution, or other regulation that violates the provisions is void and must be repealed no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Allows for legal action to enforce the provisions. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Amends the Housing Authorities Act to make similar changes for housing authorities. Effective immediately.

Expresses strong support for the initiative to reprogram USDA funds allocated to Puerto Rico toward purchasing locally grown items in Puerto Rico. Urges the United States Congress to endorse and implement this initiative in recognition of its potential to foster economic growth, promote sustainability, enhance resilience, and enrich cultural heritage.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 1, 2024, as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Day in Illinois to honor the organization's history and ongoing advocacy work. The resolution recognizes the sorority's long-standing mission to support women and girls through service projects and political engagement, noting its significant presence with 44 active chapters across the state. It also highlights the involvement of several current Illinois state officials who are members of the sorority and its partner fraternity. By officially naming this date, the state acknowledges the group's contributions to community issues such as health, education, and racial equity.