Sen. Rachel Ventura

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act for a person to advertise, display, or offer a price for goods or services that does not include all mandatory fees and charges other than: (1) taxes or fees imposed by a unit of government on the transaction; and (2) postage or carriage charges that will be reasonably and actually incurred to ship the physical goods to the consumer. Provides that specified transactions are excluded from the provision.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that a facility shall not take any retaliatory action against a resident of the facility because the resident (1) complains, discloses, or threatens to disclose to a supervisor, a public body, or any other person an activity, inaction, policy, or practice implemented by a facility that the resident reasonably believes is in violation of a law or rule, or regulation or that the resident believes to be problematic; (2) provides information to or testifies before any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into any violation of a law, rule, or regulation by a nursing home administrator; (3) assists or participates in a proceeding to enforce the provisions of the Act; (4) seeks assistance for himself or herself or others to transition to independent living or another setting outside of their current nursing home; (5) makes a request of the facility related to the resident's care; (6) becomes a member of a resident council, resident union, or similar organization; or (7) takes any other good faith action in support of any other right or remedy provided by law. Describes remedies that may be awarded to a resident of a facility for a violation of these requirements. Authorizes a claim of retaliation under the Act to be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction or any administrative hearing process conducted by the State and its agencies or departments with jurisdiction to hear complaints by employees or residents against nursing homes.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a minor technical adjustment to the short title within the Illinois Forestry Development Act. It does not change any laws, regulations, or policies affecting forestry operations or conservation efforts. The primary effect is to update the name used to refer to the legislation, with no impact on daily activities or legal obligations.

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that in accordance with the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act, genetic information derived from reference specimens of DNA from: (1) a victim of a sexual assault crime or alleged sexual assault crime; (2) known reference samples of DNA from any individual that were voluntarily provided for the purpose of exclusion: and (3) any profiles developed from those samples, may be used only for purposes directly related to the investigation of the sexual assault crime or alleged sexual assault crime through which the victim's genetic information was obtained. Amends the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act. Establishes procedures for the use by law enforcement of known reference specimens of DNA from a victim of a sexual assault crime or alleged sexual assault crime, and to known reference samples of DNA from any individual that were voluntarily provided for the purpose of exclusion, and to any profiles developed from those samples. Adds various definitions to the Act.

Amends the State Designations Act. Provides that the mushroom calvatia gigantea, commonly known as the "giant puffball", is designated the official State mushroom of the State of Illinois. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a nonpublic school may not engage in slapping or paddling a student, the prolonged maintenance of a student in a physically painful position, or the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student.

Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act. Provides that if a landlord uses a third-party payment portal to collect rental payments from tenants and if a transaction fee or other charge is imposed through the portal on rental payments made by e-check or other means, then the landlord shall allow the tenant to make rental payments by delivering a paper check to the landlord or the landlord's business office or by means that do not require the tenant to pay the transaction fee or other charge.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning fentanyl education, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, provides that in at least one unit in the State-required health courses for grades 6 through 8 a school district shall provide instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes the names of the offenses of unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, and unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone. Provides that if any person before the effective date of the amendatory Act has been arrested, charged, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced for unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, or unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, the changes of the names and the defendants to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, shall retroactively be made in any criminal background records maintained by the Illinois State Police, law enforcement agencies, clerks of the circuit court, and any other State agencies providing criminal background information to the public under specified timelines. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. In provisions requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to submit annual reports to the General Assembly regarding youth in care waiting for placement or psychiatric hospitalization, expands the information required in the reports to include the number of youth in care who remained overnight in temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 solely because the Department cannot locate an appropriate placement for the youth. Provides that temporary living spaces not authorized under the Child Care Act of 1969 include, but are not limited to, Department or private agency offices or welcome centers. Defines "remaining overnight" to mean being present in the temporary living space at 1:00 a.m. Provides that at a minimum, the report shall include the following information regarding each youth: age, region, date of stay, length of time the youth was in the temporary living space, date and time the youth was moved from the temporary living space, the reason for the youth remaining overnight, and the type of placement or setting the youth was in immediately after leaving the temporary living space. Requires the report to reflect the number of unique youth involved, the number of episodes that occurred fitting the criteria, and the number of unique youth involved in multiple episodes. Effective immediately.