Sen. Rachel Ventura

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning kindergartens, provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each school board must establish a kindergarten with full-day attendance (instead of allowing a school board to establish a kindergarten with half-day attendance or with full-day attendance); makes related changes. Repeals another provision concerning kindergartens on July 1, 2023. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person is not legally accountable for the conduct of another, unless the statute defining the offense provides otherwise, if he or she was subjected to specified and credible coercion, compulsion, or duress related to domestic abuse as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that a person is not guilty of an offense (deletes other than an offense punishable by death) by reason of conduct that he or she performs under the compulsion of threat or menace of the imminent infliction of death or great bodily harm, if he or she reasonably believes death or great bodily harm will be inflicted upon him or her, or upon his or her spouse or child, if he or she does not perform that conduct. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Includes in the relief from judgment provisions if the allegations in the petition establish each of the following by a preponderance of the evidence: (1) the movant was convicted of a forcible felony; (2) the movant's participation in the offense was related to experiencing or the effects of gender-based violence; (3) no substantial evidence or incomplete evidence of gender-based violence against the movant was presented at the movant's sentencing hearing; and (4) the evidence of gender-based violence against the movant is material and noncumulative to other evidence offered at the sentencing hearing, or previous hearing filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and is of such a conclusive character that it would likely change the sentence imposed by the original trial court. Defines "gender-based violence".

Amends the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act. Provides that the membership of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall include 3 individuals who report having been incarcerated in a Department of Corrections facility and 3 members of the general public (instead of 6 members of the general public). Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of lewd sexual display in a penal institution. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she is in the custody of a penal institution and knowingly engages in any of the following acts while he or she is confined in a penal institution: engages in a lewd exposure of the body or sex organs, anus, or breast, for the purpose or effect of intimidating, harassing, or threatening one whom he or she believes to be in the presence or view of such acts. Excludes from the definition of "penal Institution" a facility of the Department of Juvenile Justice or a juvenile detention facility. Provides that lewd sexual display in a penal institution is a Class A misdemeanor, except that a person convicted of a third or subsequent violation is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Provides that the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall compile certain data provided to it and provide an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1 of each year. Provides that the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority may include findings or recommendations in its published annual report. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that "sex offense" under the Act includes a third violation of lewd sexual display in a penal institution committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act and before January 1, 2030. Provides that a person convicted of a third violation of lewd sexual display in a penal institution, committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act and before January 1, 2030, who is required to register under the Act shall be required to register for a period of 10 years after conviction or adjudication if not confined to a penal institution, hospital, or any other institution or facility, and if confined, for a period of 10 years after parole, discharge, or release from any such facility. Repeals the Sections creating the offense of and reporting requirements regarding lewd sexual display in a penal institution on January 1, 2030.

Creates the Digital Forgeries Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery has a cause of action against any person who, without the consent of the depicted individual, knowingly distributes a digital forgery, creates a digital forgery with intent to distribute, or solicits the creation of a digital forgery with the intent to distribute: (1) in order to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; (2) with reckless disregard for whether such a creation, distribution, reproduction, or manipulation will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; or (3) in order to incite violence or interfere with an official proceeding. Allows a prevailing plaintiff to be awarded damages, costs, and additional relief. Allows the court to grant injunctive relief maintaining the confidentiality of a plaintiff using a pseudonym.

Creates the Tenants Radon Protection Act. Provides that, before a lease is signed, a landlord shall provide each tenant in a dwelling unit with any records or reports that pertain to radon concentrations within the dwelling unit and that indicate a radon hazard exists and shall furnish each prospective tenant with a prescribed radon hazard disclosure form. Provides that, if a tenant performs a radon test, the tenant shall provide the test results to the landlord within 10 days after receiving them. Provides that nothing in the Act implies an obligation for a landlord or tenant to conduct any radon testing. Provides that a lease may be terminated under specified circumstances involving radon hazards. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Radon Awareness Act. Repeals a provision requiring landlords to give certain disclosures to tenants. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the State Employment Records Act. Provides that State agencies when collecting and reporting data on employment records must include specified data on persons who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Strengthening and Transforming Behavioral Health Crisis Care in Illinois Act. Requires the Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, to use an independent third-party expert to conduct a cost analysis and determine actuarially sound costs associated with developing and maintaining a statewide initiative for the coordination and delivery of the continuum of behavioral health crisis response services in the State, including crisis call centers, mobile crisis response team services, crisis receiving and stabilization centers, and other acute behavioral health services. Contains provisions concerning recommendations on multiple sources of funding that could potentially be utilized to support a sustainable and comprehensive continuum of behavioral health crisis response services; a behavioral health crisis workforce; an action plan; a stakeholder working group to develop recommendations to coordinate programming and strategies to support a cohesive behavioral health crisis response system; and other matters. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Expands the definition of "protected person" in provisions prohibiting certain deceptive tactics during custodial interrogation to include persons with severe or profound intellectual or developmental disabilities (rather than only minors who, at the time of the commission of the offense, were under 18 years of age).