Amends the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the Board of Nursing shall review and make a recommendation for the approval or disapproval of a program by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation based on, among other criteria, a measurement of program effectiveness based on a passage rate of all graduates over the 3 most recent calendar years without reference to first-time test takers. Provides that a graduate who does not take an examination for licensure within the first 90 days after graduation and a graduate who has failed the exam will be required to return to the institution of higher education for remediation prior to repeating or taking the exam. Provides that a graduate may retake the exam only after the institution of higher education provides approval once remediation has been successfully completed. Provides that institutional approval to retake expires 6 months after issuance of the approval to retake. Provides that a graduate with an expired approval is required to repeat the remediation and reapproval process.
Creates the Higher Education in Prison Act. Provides that on or before September 1 of the year following the effective date of the Act and each subsequent September 1, the Department of Corrections shall release a report, to be published on the Department of Corrections's Internet website, detailing certain information pertaining to higher education within Department institutions and facilities. Requires the report to be filed with the Governor and General Assembly. Provides that the data provided in the report shall include an aggregate chart at the Department level and individual reports by each correctional institution or facility of the Department of Corrections. Provides that on or before September 1 of the year following the effective date of the Act and each subsequent September 1, each college and university that provides academic programs for committed persons shall report to the Board of Higher Education on enrollment, retention, completion, and student demographics, including race, ethnicity, age, and gender of committed students. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall compile the information and, within 60 days after receipt of such information, issue a report reflecting the information for each institution required to report. Provides that the report must be filed with the Governor and General Assembly and made publicly available on the Board of Higher Education's Internet website.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer with 15 or more employees to fail to include the pay scale for a position in any job posting. Provides that if an employer with 15 or more employees engages a third party to announce, post, publish, or otherwise make known a job posting, the employer shall provide the pay scale to the third party and the third party shall include the pay scale in the job posting. Defines "pay scale". Makes conforming changes to provisions concerning violations of the Act and fines and penalties. Effective immediately.
Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Provides that a hospital subject to the Act shall disregard household income received through participation in a guaranteed income program reported by an uninsured patient who applies for financial assistance. Defines "guaranteed income program" to mean a publicly or privately funded program that provides one-time or recurring unconditional cash transfers or payments, or gifts to individuals or households, for a defined number of months or years for the purposes of reducing poverty, promoting economic mobility, or increasing the financial stability of Illinois residents. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for purposes of determining eligibility and the amount of assistance under the Code, the Department of Human Services and local governmental units shall exclude from consideration any financial assistance, including cash transfers or gifts, that is provided to a person through a guaranteed income program (rather than the Department of Human Services and local governmental units shall exclude from consideration, for a period of no more than 60 months, any financial assistance, including wages, cash transfers, or gifts, that is provided to a person who is enrolled in a program or research project that is not funded with general revenue funds and that is intended to investigate the impacts of policies or programs designed to reduce poverty, promote social mobility, or increase financial stability for Illinois residents if there is an explicit plan to collect data and evaluate the program or initiative that is developed prior to participants in the study being enrolled in the program and if a research team has been identified to oversee the evaluation). Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that at least one designated employee in every public school shall ensure the opportunity to enroll in the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database is made available during annual individualized education program meetings.
Amends the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act. Changes references from "Indian" to "Native American" and "Historic Preservation Agency" to "Department of Natural Resources". Provides that the Director of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Illinois State Museum, may create a cemetery on existing State lands for the reburial of repatriated Native American remains and materials. Provides that the cemetery shall not be used by the public and shall be protected by the State of Illinois. Provides that the Director of Natural Resources shall cooperate with the State Archaeologist and the Illinois State Museum to coordinate reinterment in the cemetery.
Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a home visiting program to support communities in providing intensive home visiting programs to pregnant persons and families with children from birth up to elementary school enrollment. Provides that services shall be offered on a voluntary basis to families. Provides that, in awarding grants under the program, the Department shall prioritize populations or communities in need of such services, as determined by the Department, based on data including, but not limited to, statewide home visiting needs assessments. Provides that eligibility under the program shall also take into consideration requirements of the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program to ensure appropriate alignment. Provides that the overall goals for these services are to: (1) improve maternal and newborn health; (2) prevent child abuse and neglect; (3) promote children's development and readiness to participate in school; and (4) connect families to needed community resources and supports. Contains provisions concerning grants to community-based organizations to implement home visiting and family support services; services provided under the home visiting program; infrastructure supports for grantees such as professional development for the workforce, technical assistance and capacity-building, and infant and early childhood mental health consultation; collaboration between the Department and other specified agencies to implement the home visiting services to ensure service alignment with services provided through the Early Childhood Block Grant and the State's Medical Assistance Program; and the establishment of an advisory committee. Grants the Department rulemaking authority.
Creates the Freelance Worker Protection Act. Provides that freelance workers must be compensated by hiring parties for their services in a timely manner. Provides that whenever a hiring party retains the services of a freelance worker, the contract between the hiring party and the freelance worker shall be reduced to writing. Provides that no hiring party shall threaten, intimidate, discipline, harass, deny a work opportunity to, or discriminate against a freelance worker, or take any other action that penalizes a freelance worker for, or is reasonably likely to deter a freelance worker from, exercising or attempting to exercise any right guaranteed under the Act. Contains provisions concerning complaints to the Director of Labor; the powers and duties of the Director; civil actions brought by freelance workers; civil actions brought by the State; the scope of freelance worker contracts; a public awareness campaign; and surveys, information collection, and reporting requirements. Effective immediately.
