Sen. Lakesia Collins

Amends the Small Estates Article of the Probate Act of 1975. Allows a small estate affidavit to be used to transfer personal property in a decedent's estate if: (1) no letters of office are outstanding on the decedent's estate and no petition for letters is contemplated or pending in the State or in any other jurisdiction; and (2) the decedent's personal estate passing to any party by intestacy or under a will is limited to tangible and intangible personal property not exceeding $150,000 and motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State. Makes a corresponding change in the form for a small estate affidavit. Provides that the changes made to the Act apply to a decedent whose date of death is on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Board of Higher Education Act and the Public Community College Act. Provides that a student member who serves on the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board shall receive a scholarship award of $500 for each semester in which the student member is enrolled and serving.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that a person charged with certain weapon-related offenses under the Criminal Code of 2012 and sentenced to the First Time Weapons Offense Program under the Unified Code of Corrections or any other court-ordered diversionary program created by law or by a court of the State of Illinois may submit an application for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card before receiving a court order demonstrating completion of the program. Directs the Illinois State Police to issue a Firearm Owner's Identification Card to such a person upon receiving a court order demonstrating completion of the program, provided the person is otherwise eligible to receive a Firearm Owner's Identification Card. Specifies that a FOID application made under this provision shall be approved or denied within 10 business days of receiving a court order or written notification from a State's Attorney that the person completed a diversionary program.

Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act. Requires a law enforcement agency to attempt to obtain a biological sample from closely related family members of the missing person or a personal item of the missing person beginning 30 days after the date of the missing person report (rather than within 30 days after receipt of a report). Provides that a law enforcement agency may not establish or maintain a policy that requires the observance of a waiting period before accepting a missing person report. Modifies the circumstances under which a law enforcement agency may not refuse to accept a missing person report. Requires a law enforcement agency to notify a person responsible for the missing person's welfare, or other specified individuals, about specified efforts to locate a missing person. Provides that, if a person remains missing for 30 days after the date of report, the law enforcement agency shall immediately (rather than may) generate a report of the missing person within NamUs, and the law enforcement agency shall (rather than may) attempt to obtain specified information and materials that have not been received. Modifies the follow-up action required by a law enforcement agency after creation of a missing person report. Modifies the definition of "high-risk missing person". Upon receipt of a missing person report (rather than immediately), requires the responding local law enforcement agency to enter all collected information relating to the missing person case in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System and the National Crime Information Center. Makes other changes to reporting requirements. Modifies requirements for submission of fingerprints from unidentified remains for analysis as well as other requirements relating identified human remains. Provides that an assisting law enforcement agency, a medical examiner, a coroner, or the Illinois State Police may not close an unidentified person case until the individual has been identified and must keep the case active. Requires the coroner, medical examiner, or assisting law enforcement agency (rather than the coroner or medical examiner) to obtain a biological (rather than DNA) sample from an individual whose remains are not identifiable, and modifies how the sample may be analyzed and labeled. Makes other changes.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections annually shall collect and publish on its website specified data concerning Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that this data includes: (1) contraband found by facility; (2) substance use disorder treatment or educational programming data by facility; (3) emergency medical response and hospitalizations by facility; and (4) overdoses by facility.

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that on and after January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, distribute, or offer for sale baby food in the State that contains toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Defines "toxic heavy metal" as arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury and defines other terms. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, each manufacturer of baby food shall test a representative sample of each production aggregate of the manufacturer's final baby food product for each toxic heavy metal. Requires monthly testing. Beginning January 1, 2027, requires each manufacturer of baby food to make certain information publicly available. Provides that if a consumer believes, based on information gathered through the use of the code included on the baby food product label, that baby food is being sold in the State with toxic heavy metals that exceed limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the consumer may report that baby food to the Department of Public Health.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse. Provides that an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife may enter into a written collaborative agreement with an advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority who is certified as a nurse midwife or a physician. Provides that, for an advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse midwife, the clinical experience shall be in collaboration with a certified nurse midwife with full practice authority. Makes conforming changes in provisions concerning written collaborative agreements, prescriptive authority under a written collaborative agreement, and full practice authority.

Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that a person may commence an adoption proceeding for a youth in care only if the youth in care is placed with the petitioning person or persons by the Department of Children and Family Services at the time the petition is filed, and the Department has provided its consent to the adoption or has otherwise approved the adoption. Requires the Department to adopt rules or procedures or both as to what constitutes its approval of the adoption. Provides that a person whose rights have been terminated under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 does not have to be made a defendant in a petition for adoption. Provides that the following persons must be given notice of a petition for adoption unless the person has been determined not to be a parent of the child or has had parental rights terminated by a court of competent jurisdiction: (i) any person who is recorded on the child's birth certificate as the child's parent; (ii) any person who is openly living with the child or the child's mother at the time the proceeding is initiated and holds out the child as that person's child; (iii) any person who has been identified as the child's parent by the mother in a written, sworn statement, including an Affidavit of Identification; or (iv) any person who was married to the child's mother on the date of the child's birth or within 300 days before the child's birth, unless that person has been determined not to be the parent of the child or has had parental rights terminated by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, no Later than July 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall create educational materials that shall be posted publicly on its website and distributed to all school districts in the State that serve any grades kindergarten through 8 on the implementation of American Sign Language instruction into a school's curriculum. Includes a list of educational materials. Allows the State Board to receive assistance from outside organizations, State agencies, or individuals with expertise in American Sign Language that the State Board deems appropriate to assist with the creation of the education materials.

Amends the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that "facility" includes stadiums, arenas, or other structures for the holding of athletic contests and other events and gatherings, including, without limitation, professional women's sports. Provides that a person may not, on the basis of sex, be prohibited from participating in or receiving any of the benefits of programs or activities at facilities funded under the Act, including facilities established or supported by bonds issued under the Act. Requires the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on any male or female professional sports projects brought to the Authority by a professional sports team in the State. Provides that the Authority shall notify the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and Minority Leader of the Senate of the proposal within 2 weeks of receiving a formal request or inquiry. Provides that, before the General Assembly authorizes the issuance of additional bonds under the Act to fund facilities for professional men's sports teams, each chamber of the General Assembly may hold a hearing to publicly review any proposal submitted to the Authority. Repeals provisions relating to a dissolved advisory board. Effective immediately.