Sen. Mary Edly-Allen

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Sandra J. Booker, a nurse and community volunteer from Lake County, Illinois, who passed away in August 2024. The bill formally acknowledges her life's work serving youth, teen mothers, and seniors through her career in public health and her long-term volunteer efforts. It also recognizes the ongoing impact of the Sandra J. Booker Foundation, which continues her legacy by providing financial aid and support programs to local residents. The resolution concludes by expressing the Senate's condolences to her family and friends.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning radon testing, provides that every school building of a school district that is occupied or will be occupied shall be tested by January 1, 2029 and shall be retested every 5 years thereafter for radon (instead of recommending that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon). Provides that all new schools of a school district shall be built using radon resistant new construction techniques in accordance with the American National Standards Institute/American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists CC-1000, Soil Gas Control Systems in New Construction of Multifamily, School, Commercial and Mixed-Use Buildings standard or a successor standard (instead of recommending that new schools of a school district be built using radon resistant new construction techniques, as shown in the United States Environmental Protection Agency document, Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and Other Large Buildings). Removes a provision allowing a person to perform radon screening tests without a license. Makes changes concerning the exemption. Provides that if radon is found to exceed specified levels, then the school district shall (instead of may) hire a licensed radon professional to perform confirmatory measurements (instead of to perform measurements before any mitigation decisions are made). Sets forth provisions concerning mitigation. Provides that a school district may use life safety funds, if available, for radon testing and mitigation. Preempts home rule powers.

Amends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transit Innovation, Integration, and Reform Act. Provides that the member appointed to the Committee to represent individuals with disabilities shall either be an individual with a disability or an individual who has demonstrated experience advocating for and advancing the accessibility and transportation needs of individuals with disabilities. Amends the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act. Provides that one of the members of the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority shall be a person with a disability who lives within the Authority's service area and uses the services provided by the Authority. Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that one of the Directors of the Board of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority shall be a person with a disability with expertise in transportation and shall be appointed with the advice and recommendation of a disability advocacy organization serving the Metropolitan Region. Provides that one of the directors of the Suburban Bus Board shall be the Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (rather than appointed by the Mayor of Chicago). Provides that one of the directors of the Commuter Rail Board shall be a person with a disability who uses the services provided by the Commuter Rail Division and appointed with the advice and recommendation of a disability advocacy organization serving the Metropolitan Region. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority, the Suburban Bus Board, and the Commuter Rail Board shall each establish and maintain an ADA Advisory Committee to advise the Chicago Transit Authority, the Suburban Bus Board, or the Commuter Rail Board on accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as it relates to fixed route and paratransit service.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. In the Abused, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article of the Act, provides that an environment is injurious to the minor's welfare if conditions in the child's environment create a real, significant and imminent likelihood of harm to the child's health, well-being, or welfare and the parent or caretaker blatantly disregarded his or her parental responsibility to prevent or mitigate such harm consistent with the health, safety, and best interests of the minor to remain in the custody of a parent, guardian, or custodian who experienced domestic violence unless the court determines the parent, guardian, or custodian who experienced domestic violence has committed acts or omissions unrelated to domestic violence against that parent, guardian, or custodian resulting in a determination of abuse or neglect under the Act. Provides that in making a custody determination, the court shall presume that it is consistent with the health, safety, and best interests of the minor to remain in the custody of a parent, guardian, or custodian who experienced domestic violence, unless the court has determined that the parent, guardian, or custodian who experienced domestic violence has committed acts or omissions unrelated to domestic violence against that parent, guardian, or custodian that is sufficient to independently support a determination of abuse or neglect under the Act. Defines "domestic violence".

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of "hard-to-staff school" to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny a National Board certified teacher a retention bonus solely because the public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a school report card.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that the Prescription Monitoring Program does not apply to testosterone, mifepristone, misoprostol, GnRH analogues, or estrogen. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall purge from the records of the Prescription Monitoring Program all existing information concerning the prescribing or dispensing of testosterone, including any such information contained in the central repository or database, on or before January 1, 2027, and shall ensure that no further records concerning the prescribing and dispensing of testosterone are created or maintained by the Prescription Monitoring Program. Provides that the Department shall update and adopt rules consistent with the provision no later than January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Pesticide Act. Provides that, except as expressly authorized under specific provisions of the Act, no person shall distribute, sell, offer for sale, or use in the State any herbicide product containing paraquat dichloride or any other chemical form of paraquat. Requires all persons that use, distribute, or sell paraquat in this State to report certain information to the Department of Agriculture. Directs the Department of Agriculture to adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer these provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Requires the Department on Aging, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to provide updated resources related to scam calls and robocalls on the Department's public website. Provides that the resources shall include, but not be limited to, (1) information on predatory scam calls that utilize AI to mislead the call recipient and (2) access to a scam call hotline number where call recipients may report predatory calls.

Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2028 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that health care facilities located in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area, as determined by the federal government, shall be exempt as provided but shall have a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from nationally accredited surgical technology programs and are certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a person licensed in the State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which the person is licensed, including, but not limited to, a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a nurse performing surgery-related tasks within the scope of the nurse's license or registration; or a student or intern from performing surgical technology services under direct supervision, as defined in the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning a school board's suspension or expulsion of pupils, provides that a student who is determined to have initiated sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent, a sexual assault, or an attempted sexual assault at a school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or an activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not less than one year. Provides that (i) a student initiates sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent if the student uses force or a threat of force to make the other individual perform a nonconsensual sexual act; (ii) a student initiates a sexual assault if the student commits an act of sexual penetration and uses force or a threat of force; and (iii) a student initiates an attempted sexual assault if, with the intent to commit a sexual assault, the student commits an act that constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of a sexual assault. Allows the expulsion requirement to be modified by the superintendent of the school district and the superintendent's determination to be modified by the school board on a case-by-case basis. Provides that the expulsion shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and a student who is subject to expulsion may be eligible for a transfer to an alternative school program. Effective immediately.