Sen. Kimberly Lightford

Mourns the death of Rev. Thomas Phillips.

Mourns the death of Dr. Deenadayal "Deen" Gaddam.

Mourns the passing of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough.

Mourns the death of Georgia Grace Saffo.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law. Creates the Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment. Provides that the Office shall assist minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and other underserved communities and constituencies through targeted programs, resources, and outreach and promotional activities. Provides that the Office may engage in or conduct promoting and conducting outreach efforts to ensure access to State and federal funding opportunities, and assisting minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities and other underserved communities and constituencies in applying for and receiving loan funds in the State. Provides that the Office may engage in other specified workshops, public forums, and other functions that assist minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and other underserved communities and constituencies.

Mourns the passing of Cook County Clerk Karen A. Yarbrough.

Creates the Hemp Consumer Products Act. Creates a hemp consumer product retailer license and a hemp consumer products processor license. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; applications; licensure; marketing and sale of hemp consumer products; labeling; transportation of hemp; testing requirements; penalties; the administration and enforcement of the Act and rulemaking, including emergency rulemaking, by the Department of Agriculture; and other matters. Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Creates the Intoxicating Hemp-Derived THC Consumer Products Safety Committee. Requires the Committee to produce a report with recommendations on appropriate consumer safety standards and requires certain Departments to provide legislative recommendations to establish a regulatory and enforcement framework for hemp-derived THC products. Authorizes the issuance of an additional 50 Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses and an additional 50 Conditional Infuser Organization Licenses. Provides that a violation of provisions concerning unlicensed practice is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Sets forth penalties for unlicensed practice as a cultivation center, infuser, or craft grower. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, the Industrial Hemp Act, and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. In the definition of "excluded offense", specifies that the registering Department shall (instead of may) waive the restriction if the person demonstrates to the registering Department's satisfaction that his or her conviction was for the possession, cultivation, transfer, or delivery of a reasonable amount of cannabis intended for medical or recreational use (instead of medical use). Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall follow specified requirements of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act regarding the administration of cultivation center agent identification cards. Repeals provisions regarding cultivation center agent identification cards and dispensing organization agent identification cards. Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act and the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act to permit a dispensing organization to offer curbside pickup or drive-through pickup for cannabis and cannabis-infused products. Further amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act to provide that that the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall issue all agent identification cards under the Act via an online application portal. Provides that all notifications of acceptance or denial for applications under specified provisions shall be sent directly to the agent applicant. Provides that an agent who holds a valid agent identification card shall be allowed access to any facility owned or operated by a dispensing organization, cultivating organization, infusing organization, or transportation organization. Makes other changes.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that a person is eligible for a diaper allowance in the amount of $70 per month per eligible child if all of the following conditions are met: (1) the person's household income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and (2) the person is responsible for the welfare of an eligible child. Defines "eligible child" to mean any child who is 3 years of age or younger and whose primary residence is the State of Illinois. Provides that the diaper allowance may be used only to purchase diapers. Provides that the diaper allowance shall be distributed in a form and manner prescribed by the Department of Human Services. Provides that the diaper allowance shall not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility or the amount of assistance for any public aid benefit provided under State law. Requires applicants for the diaper allowance to apply to the Department in a form and manner prescribed by the Department. Effective July 1, 2023.

Creates the Task Force on Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren to conduct public hearings throughout the State regarding services needed by and available to grandparents raising their grandchildren. Provides that the Task Force shall be comprised of 10 appointed members of the General Assembly who shall serve without compensation. Requires the Department on Aging, in collaboration with the Departments of Children and Family Services, Healthcare and Family Services, and Human Services and any other relevant agencies, to issue a report to the Task Force by July 1, 2023 that assesses existing State and federal assistance programs that include the following: (1) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other available support provided to grandparents through the Department of Children and Family Services' foster care program, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance program, and other relevant programs; (2) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other available support provided to grandparents through the Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and other relevant programs; (3) a review of all other means of grandparent-related support provided by State-funded and federally funded programs; and (4) the estimated cost to the State if grandparents were not willing to or refused to take custody of and raise their grandchildren. Requires the Task Force to submit a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2024 that makes recommendations on changes that should be made to services provided to grandparents raising their grandchildren through the foster care and TANF "child-only" grant programs. Effective immediately.