Sen. Mattie Hunter

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. In a provision requiring workers to be appropriately trained to provide services under the Community Care Program, provides that only training curriculum approved by the Department on Aging may be used to fulfill training requirements for workers who provide in-home services. Requires the curriculum to consist of 24 hours of pre-service training and 12 hours of annual in-service training. Provides that the Department shall only approve training curriculum that (i) has been developed with input from consumer and worker representatives, and (ii) requires comprehensive instruction by qualified instructors on the required competencies and training topics. Provides that changes to the competencies, curriculum topics, or instructor qualifications shall be made only with input and approval of the Home Care Worker Training Subcommittee of the Community Care Program Advisory Committee. Provides that no person may perform in-home services under a program authorized under the Act unless that person has received pre-service training and remains current on his or her annual in-service training. Provides that pre-service training hours and in-service training hours shall be paid at the worker's regular rate of pay. Provides that starting no later than July 1, 2024, workers who have met the requirements to perform in-home services and the records of trainings they have completed shall be placed on the Health Care Worker Registry maintained by the Department of Public Health. Creates the Home Care Worker Training Subcommittee within the Community Care Program Advisory Committee. Provides that the purpose of the Subcommittee is to address the challenges of recruiting, training, and retaining the home care workforce needed to meet growing demand. Sets forth the Subcommittee's membership and its responsibilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that, for the purpose of making up any deficiency in the appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, there is appropriated, on a continuing annual basis in each fiscal year, from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims, the amount, if any, by which the total appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for the fiscal year is less than the amount required for the payment of claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for that fiscal year. Provides that the amount of any continuing appropriation used by the Court of Claims under the amendatory Act for a given fiscal year shall be charged against the unexpended amount of any appropriation for line of duty awards to the Court of Claims for that fiscal year that subsequently becomes available. Requires the Court of Claims to report to the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on any continuing appropriation that is used at the conclusion of a fiscal year. Amends the Line of Duty Compensation Act. Provides that if a claim is made within 2 years (rather than one year) of the date of death of a law enforcement officer, civil defense worker, civil air patrol member, paramedic, fireman, chaplain, or State employee killed in the line of duty, compensation shall be paid to the person designated by the law enforcement officer, civil defense worker, civil air patrol member, paramedic, fireman, chaplain, or State employee. Effective immediately.

Amends the Historic Preservation Tax Credit Act. Extends the sunset of the credit to December 31, 2028 (currently, December 31, 2023). Provides that, in each calendar year beginning on or after January 1, 2024 and ending on or before December 31, 2028, the State Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Natural Resources is authorized to allocate $75,000,000 (currently, $15,000,000) in tax credits under the Act. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Provides that the Department of the Lottery shall offer a joint special instant scratch-off game for the benefit of the special causes of: the Carolyn Adams Ticket For The Cure; the Scratch-off for Illinois veterans; the Scratch-out Multiple Sclerosis scratch-off game; the Quality of Life scratch-off game; the Go For The Gold scratch-off game; the Scratch-off for State police memorials; the Scratch-off for homelessness prevention programs; the Scratch-off for school STEAM programs; and the Scratch-off for Alzheimer's care, support, education, and awareness. Provides that once the joint special instant scratch-off game is used to fund a special cause, the game shall be used to fund the special cause for the remainder of the existence of the special cause per the cause's respective provision of the Act. Provides that new specialty instance scratch-off games authorized by this Act to fund a special cause shall be funded by the joint special instant scratch-off game. Provides that new specialty instant scratch-off games authorized after June 1, 2023 must have a sunset date. Provides that the Department shall be limited to supporting no more than 10 special causes in total at any given time. Provides that the net revenue received from the sale of the joint special instant scratch-off game for the purposes of the provision concerning the joint special instant scratch-off game shall be divided equally among the special causes it benefits. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act. In the definition of "claim of torture": provides that it also means a third party was tortured into implicating a person for the crime for which the person was convicted; provides that it also means a witness statement was used to obtain the conviction; and removes language providing that the allegations of torture occur within a county of more than 3,000,000 inhabitants. Defines "torture" as: any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person; any pain or suffering that is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from that person a confession or information about a third party; any pain or suffering that is intentionally inflicted on a person for purposes of punishing a suspected act by that person; or any intimidation or coercion for any reason based on discrimination of any kind. Requires the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission to determine the resources necessary to assess the credibility or lack thereof of each claim within 2 years after the date upon which the claim was received, and to make a report of its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly. Repeals a provision providing that the Act applies to claims of torture filed not later than 10 years after the effective date of the Act (August 10, 2009). Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Act. Requires the Department of Employment Security to establish and administer a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program that provides family and medical leave insurance benefits to eligible employees. Sets forth eligibility requirements for benefits under the Act. Contains provisions concerning disqualification from benefits; premium payments; the amount and duration of benefits; the recovery of erroneous payments; hearings; defaulted premium payments; elective coverage; employment protection; coordination of family and medical leave; defined terms; and other matters. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Account Fund. Provides phase-in periods for the collection of money and making of claims for benefits under the Act. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that registered professional nursing practice is a scientific process founded on a professional body of knowledge. It is a learned profession based on the understanding of the human condition across the life span and environment, includes all nursing specialties, and means the performance of any nursing act based upon professional knowledge, judgment, and skills acquired by means of completion of an approved professional nursing education program. Provides that registered professional nurses may delegate nursing interventions and tasks (rather than nursing interventions) to other registered professional nurses and licensed practical nurses based on a comprehensive nursing assessment. Provides that registered professional nurses may delegate tasks to unlicensed personnel based on a comprehensive nursing assessment. Provides that a registered professional nurse is prohibited from delegating work requiring nursing knowledge, assessment, judgment, inference, decision making (including medication administration), the development of a plan of care, and the evaluation of a plan of care to unlicensed non-nurse personnel. Removes provisions concerning delegation of nursing interventions and administration of medications in community-based or in-home care settings. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2023.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. In a provision concerning personal care services under the Home Services Program, includes a program recipient's guardian, kin, or siblings to the list of persons the Department of Human Services shall allow to serve as a program recipient's provider of personal care or similar services. In a provision concerning wages to personal assistants, provides that wages and other benefits for personal assistants shall not count against benefits that guardians receive as outlined in the Guardians for Adults with Disabilities Article of the Probate Act of 1975.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that if the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service creates and makes available to the states a waiver permitting recipients of benefits provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to use their SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods at grocery stores, the Department of Human Services shall apply for the waiver. If the U.S. Department of Agriculture approves the Department of Human Services' waiver application, then the Department of Human Services shall adopt rules and make other changes as necessary to implement the approved waiver.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Repeals the general recidivism provisions of the Code. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a movant may present a meritorious claim for relief from judgment if the allegations in the petition establish the following by a preponderance of the evidence that, prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act, the movant was sentenced to natural life imprisonment under the general recidivism provisions of the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that nothing in this provision prevents a movant from applying for any other relief under the relief from judgments provision or any other law otherwise available to him or her.