Sen. Kimberly Lightford

Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Prohibits an employer from: (i) screening job applicants based on their wage or salary history, (ii) requiring that an applicant's prior wages satisfy minimum or maximum criteria, and (iii) requesting or requiring as a condition of being interviewed or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment that an applicant disclose prior wages or salary. Prohibits an employer from seeking the salary, including benefits or other compensation or salary history, of a job applicant from any current or former employer. Limits defenses. Provides for penalties and injunctive relief.

Urges the State of Illinois and the federal government to work towards including underserved communities in collaborative research, science, technology, and innovation projects and to promote investments to enhance public knowledge and to achieve sustainable participation.

Amends the Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act. Provides that "policy" includes a policy that has lapsed or been terminated. Requires insurers to, at no later than the date of policy delivery or the establishment of an account, and upon any change of insured or beneficiary, request information sufficient to ensure that all benefits or proceeds are distributed to the appropriate persons upon the death of the insured. Allows insurers to contact insureds in certain circumstances for the information. Provides that the Act applies to policies, annuity contracts, and retained asset accounts in force at any time on or after January 1, 1996 (rather than on or after the effective date of the Act). Provides that the Act does not apply to a lapsed or terminated policy with no benefits payable that was compared against the Death Master File within the 18 months following the date of the lapse or termination of the applicable policy. Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that any information contained in the vital records shall be made available at no cost to the State Treasurer for purposes related to the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act. Amends the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act. Removes provisions concerning certain fees and charges for unclaimed property. Provides that no person or company shall be entitled to a fee for discovering presumptively unclaimed property during the period beginning on the date the property was presumed abandoned and ending 24 months after the payment or delivery of the property to the State Treasurer (rather than until it has been in the custody of the State Treasurer for at least 24 months). Makes other changes.

Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Excludes from the definition of "employee" an employee employed as a player who is 28 years old or younger, a manager, a coach, or an athletic trainer by a minor league professional baseball team not affiliated with a major league baseball club, if (A) the minor league professional baseball team does not operate for more than 7 months in any calendar year or (B) during the preceding calendar year, the minor league professional baseball team's average receipts for any 6-month period of the year were not more than 33 1/3% of its average receipts for the other 6 months of the year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title of the Act.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to conduct and regularly update a study on the early childhood workforce at least once every 3 years. Provides that the study shall: (i) describe the professional development system for the early childhood workforce and characteristics of the workforce; (ii) determine compensation levels that are sufficient to attract, support, and retain a workforce of high-quality child care providers; (iii) make recommendations to help create an accessible and well-supported career advancement pathway and estimate the providers' costs of implementing training and professional development, including the compensation levels identified in item (ii); and (iv) describe how the Department can set provider payment rates sufficient to allow providers to achieve the compensation levels. Provides that the Department shall conduct the study required by carrying out a cost of quality study or survey that the Department is currently conducting, as a requirement of its State plan under a specified provision of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, and utilize the information to set base payment rates.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to identify and flag all college students who are potentially eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Provides that the factors to be used to determine potential SNAP eligibility shall be prescribed by the Department of Human Services by rule, but at a minimum the Department shall consider income information reported on a college student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Requires ISAC to develop a notice available electronically to institutions of higher education that includes, at a minimum, college student SNAP eligibility criteria, the Application for Benefits Eligibility's website address, and the Illinois Hunger Coalition's Hunger Hotline. Requires Illinois institutions of higher education that participate in the Monetary Award Program to provide the notice in writing to all students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment and are identified by ISAC as potentially SNAP eligible and, if possible, to designate a public benefits liaison or single point person to assist students in taking the necessary steps to obtain public benefits if eligible. Contains provisions concerning: SNAP Employment and Training program requirements; protocols to identify and verify all potential exemptions to an eligibility rule described in a specified federal regulation and to identify and verify a student's participation in educational programs; and other matters. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement specified provisions on or before October 1, 2017. Effective immediately.

Mourns the death of Charlie "Chuck" Smith Jr. of Chicago.

Mourns the death of Shirley Wade.

Creates the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that administrators and insurers, prior to going to market, must file with the Department of Insurance for review and approval a description of the services to be offered through a network plan, with certain criteria included in the description. Provides that the network plan shall demonstrate to the Department, prior to approval, a minimum ratio of full-time equivalent providers to plan beneficiaries and maximum travel and distance standards for plan beneficiaries, which shall be established annually by the Department based upon specified sources. Provides that the Department shall conduct quarterly audits of network plans to verify compliance with network adequacy standards. Establishes certain notice requirements. Provides that a network plan shall provide for continuity of care for its beneficiaries under certain circumstances and according to certain requirements. Provides that a network plan shall post electronically a current and accurate provider directory and make available in print, upon request, a provider directory subject to certain specifications. Provides that the Department is granted specific authority to issue a cease and desist order against, fine, or otherwise penalize any insurer or administrator for violations of any provision of the Act. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2018.