Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

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 Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, the Stalking No Contact Order Act, and the Civil No Contact Order Act. Allows a petition for a stalking no contact order or civil no contact order to be filed: by a member of the Illinois National Guard or any reserve military component serving within the State who is a victim of non-consensual sexual conduct who has also received a Military Protective Order; or by the Staff Judge Advocate of the Illinois National Guard or any reserve military component serving within the State on behalf of a named victim who is a victim of non-consensual sexual conduct who has also received a Military Protective Order only after receiving consent from the victim, and requires the petition to include a statement that the victim has consented to the Staff Judge Advocate filing the petition. Provides that nothing in the Civil No Contact Order Act precludes any Illinois court from enforcing a valid protective order issued by a military tribunal. Provides that a violation of a civil no contact order, when issued by a military tribunal, shall be enforced by a criminal court when the respondent commits the crime of violation of a civil no contact order. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In a provision concerning expedited licensure for service members and spouses, provides that a department shall waive any application, examination, or licensure fee for a service member or the service member's spouse. Removes references to fees.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially.

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.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that a public body may hold closed meetings to consider evidence or testimony presented to a school board regarding denial of admission to school events or property, provided that the school board prepares and makes available for public inspection a written decision setting forth its determinative reasoning. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Extends the date that the Municipal Water and Wastewater Funding Study Committee is required to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to September 30, 2023 (from January 31, 2023). Effective immediately.

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the definition of "public works" also includes the removal, hauling, and transportation of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue from a water treatment plant or facility and the disposal of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue removed from a water treatment plant or facility at a landfill.

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).

Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. In a provision requiring a public safety employer to pay the entire premium of its health insurance plan for a public safety employee, the employee's spouse, and the employee's dependent children after the employee suffers a fatal or catastrophic injury in the line of duty, requires the employer to offer any individual who qualifies for such premium payments the choice of any health insurance plan available to currently employed full-time public safety employees.