Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Removes the repeal date for the short-term substitute teacher training program. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning short-term substitute teacher licenses, removes the June 30, 2023 expiration date for issuing short-term substitute teacher licenses. Removes the licensing fees for short-term substitute teacher, substitute teaching, and professional teaching licenses.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that, Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall distribute grants to early childhood education and care nonprofit organizations that are established as a Section 501(c)(3) organization and that are dedicated to providing early childhood education and care services to children and families to provide transportation services to families that have trouble affording transportation to early childhood education and care centers. Creates the Early Childhood Education and Care Transportation Fund. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop an application process for this grant program. Provides that grant funds be distributed annually. Provides that the application process shall require that early childhood education and care nonprofit organizations detail how many families and children would receive transportation assistance from the program, the amount of funding needed per child in their area to fund adequate transportation for the year, and how the funding will be used to provide transportation for each family in the application. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require that any early childhood education and care nonprofit organizations that receive funding shall report the amount of money used for transportation during the State's previous fiscal year and return unused funds to the Early Childhood Education and Care Transportation Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that property that has been granted the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities is exempt from taxation under the Code if the veteran has a service connected disability of 60% or more (currently, 70%). Effective immediately.

Amends the Children With Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that for individual students with disabilities who attend tier 1 or 2 schools whose program costs exceed 3 times the district's per capita tuition rate, the costs in excess of 3 times the district's per capita tuition rate shall be paid by the State Board of Education from unexpended IDEA discretionary funds originally designated for room and board reimbursement (instead of for individual students with disabilities whose program costs exceed 4 times the district's per capita tuition rate, the costs in excess of 4 times the district's per capita tuition rate shall be paid by the State Board of Education from unexpended IDEA discretionary funds originally designated for room and board reimbursement). Provides that for individual students with disabilities who attend Tier 3 or 4 schools whose program costs exceed 4 times the district's per capita tuition rate, the costs in excess of 4 times the district's per capita tuition rate shall be paid by the State Board of Education from unexpended IDEA discretionary funds originally designated for room and board reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that, for a group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State after the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a covered individual obtains, from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a recommendation approving the covered individual to seek in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, or zygote intrafallopian tube transfer based on any of the following: the covered individual's medical, sexual, and reproductive history; the covered individual's age; physical findings; or diagnostic testing, then the procedure shall be covered without any other restrictions or requirements.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the issuance of a Montessori educator license to qualified individuals to teach using the Montessori method in public school programs that use the Montessori method as the primary method of instruction. Sets forth the requirements that an individual must satisfy to be issued a Montessori educator license, which include requiring the applicant to have (i) graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor's degree, (ii) a Montessori certificate or credential issued by an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, by the American Montessori Society, or by the Association Montessori Internationale, and (iii) successfully completed required testing. Makes related changes to provisions concerning educator testing and fees.

Amends the School Code. Provides that on or before October 1, 2024, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team, the Office of the Governor, and relevant stakeholders as needed shall release a strategy that includes a tool for measuring capacity and readiness to implement universal mental health screening of students. Provides that the State Board of Education shall issue a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on school district readiness and plan for phased approach to universal mental health screening of students on or before April 1, 2025. Repeals the Wellness Checks in Schools Program Act. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall implement guidance to managed care organizations and similar care coordination entities contracted with the Department, so that the managed care organizations and care coordination entities respond to lead indicators with services and interventions that are designed to help stabilize the child. Amends the Children's Mental Health Act. Provides that the Children's Mental Health Partnership shall advise the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative on designing and implementing short-term and long-term strategies to provide comprehensive and coordinated services for children from birth to age 25 and their families with the goal of addressing children's mental health needs across a full continuum of care, including social determinants of health, prevention, early identification, and treatment. Provides that the Department of Public Health (rather than the Department of Healthcare and Family Services) shall provide technical and administrative support for the Partnership. Deletes requirements that the Partnership shall employ an Executive Director and set the compensation of the Executive Director and other such employees and technical assistance as it deems necessary to carry out its duties. Amends the Interagency Children's Behavioral Health Services Act. Provides that the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team in collaboration with the Department of Human Services shall develop a program to provide one-on-one in-home respite behavioral health aids to youth requiring intensive supervision due to behavioral health needs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on and after January 1, 2025, the rates paid for sedation evaluation and the provision of deep sedation and intravenous sedation for the purpose of dental services shall be increased by 33% above the rates in effect on December 31, 2024. Provides that the rates paid for nitrous oxide sedation shall not be impacted by the amendatory Act and shall remain the same as the rates in effect on December 31, 2024. Effective January 1, 2025.

Amends the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Includes persons employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the positions of sign hanger and sign hanger foreman in the definition of "State highway maintenance worker". Provides that a person who is employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the position of sign hanger or sign hanger foreman may elect to convert service credit earned to eligible creditable service under the alternative annuity formula by filing a written election with the Board and paying a specified amount to the System. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". Effective immediately.

Amends the Right of Publicity Act. Grants additional enforcement rights and remedies to recording artists. Provides for the liability of any person who materially contributes to, induces, or otherwise facilitates a violation of a specified provision of the Act by another party after having reason to know that the other party is in violation. Defines "artificial intelligence" and "generative artificial intelligence". Changes the definition of "commercial purpose" and "identity".