Urges the President and Congress of the United States to reauthorize the Older Americans Act and restore funding to Fiscal Year 2010 levels adjusted for inflation.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may issue special registration plates designated as Defense Superior Service license plates to recipients awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal by a branch of the armed forces of the United States. Provides that no registration fee shall be charged for the issuance or renewal of a Defense Superior Service plate.
Mourns the death of Martha Alice Nelson-Pugh.
Creates the Healthy Workplace Act and amends the State Finance Act. Requires employers to provide specified paid sick days to employees. Sets forth the purposes for and manner in which the sick days may be used. Contains provisions regarding employer responsibilities, unlawful employer practices, and other matters. Provides that an employee who works in the State who is absent from work for specified reasons is entitled to earn and use a minimum of 40 hours of paid sick time during a 12-month period or a pro rata number of hours of paid sick time under the provisions of the Act. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer to interfere with, restrain, deny, change work days or hours scheduled to avoid paying sick time, or discipline an employee for the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right provided under or in connection with the Act, including considering the use of paid sick time as a negative factor in an employment action that involves hiring, terminating, evaluating, promoting, disciplining, or counting the paid sick time under a no-fault attendance policy. Provides that any employer that the Department of Labor or a court finds by a preponderance of the evidence to have knowingly, repeatedly, or with reckless disregard violated any provision of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act is subject to a civil money penalty to be paid to the employee not to exceed $2,500 for each separate offense. Provides that the Department of Labor shall administer the Act. Authorizes individuals to file civil actions with respect to violations. Creates the Healthy Workplace Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.
Creates the Employee Background Fairness Act. Provides that an employer may not refuse to hire an individual and may not discharge an individual because of the individual's criminal history unless the individual has one or more convictions and there is a direct relationship between one of more of an individual's convictions and the specific employment sought. Prohibits retaliation for exercising rights under the Act. Provides that an individual denied or discharged from employment because of his or her criminal history in violation of the Act may recover from the employer in a civil action: (1) damages in the amount of $2,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater; (2) costs and reasonable attorney's fees as allowed by the court; and (3) any other appropriate relief, including punitive damages. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning in State fiscal year 2020, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 200% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Effective July 1, 2019.
Amends the School Code. With respect to school discipline improvement plans, makes changes to how the State Board of Education determines the top 20% of school districts, when notification is given that a plan must be submitted, which school districts are required to submit a plan, the timeframe for school board approval of a plan and submission of that plan to the State Board, and when additional annual progress reports are required. Establishes the Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Grant Program and grants under the program. Sets forth requirements for grant applicants and provisions for the distribution of funds appropriated for the program. Requires the State Board of Education to issue a yearly report on the results of the program in cooperation with school districts participating in the program. Provides that the State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the program. Effective immediately. Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.176 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. With regard to the student discipline report, provides that the report must include data on the total number of school days missed by a student due to an out-of-school suspension or expulsion and data on the number of arrests made by law enforcement officers of students on school grounds, in school vehicles, at school activities or school-sanctioned events, or as a result of referrals by school officials. Provides that the report must be disaggregated by whether a student qualifies for services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the total number of school days missed by the student, and the incident type that caused the suspension, expulsion, or removal to an alternative setting. Provides that, in compiling the report, the State Board of Education must use the same disclosure avoidance standards used by the United States Department of Education in its public reporting of data submitted by each school district as part of the Civil Rights Data Collection and must also ensure that cross-tabulation by the various categories of disaggregation is possible. Makes other changes.
Amends the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of teachers, a school board shall pay those who serve on a full-time basis a rate not less than (i) $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year, (ii) $34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year, (iii) $37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year, and (iv) $40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year. Provides that the minimum salary rate for each school year thereafter, subject to review by the General Assembly, shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Provides that, on or before January 31, 2020, the Professional Review Panel must submit a report to the General Assembly on how State funds and funds distributed under the evidence-based funding formula may aid the financial effects of the changes made by the amendatory Act. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/24-8 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/27A-10 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code to allow a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations to be issued to an applicant who, among other qualifications, has passed a paraprofessional competency test (instead of allowing the endorsement to be issued only if the applicant holds an associate's degree or a minimum number of higher education credits). Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to implement the test. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the Code to require charter school employees in instructional positions to have passed a content area knowledge test. Makes changes concerning obsolete language. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning jury trials.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.