Sen. Lakesia Collins

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines terms. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2025, a retail establishment may not sell or distribute in this State a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam. Exempts specified entities from the prohibition until one year after the amendatory Act's effective date. Effective immediately.

Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Provides that, beginning 18 months after the amendatory Act's effective date, (1) no store or food service business shall provide or sell a single-use plastic carryout bag to a customer and (2) no grocery store shall provide or sell a single-use paper carryout bag to a customer. Preempts home rule. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes certain changes concerning estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir" to provide that a decedent's brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or first cousin is also included.

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 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 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.

Makes changes concerning the powers and duties of the Illinois State Museum. Repeals a provision which specifies that the Board of the Illinois State Museum is the governing board for the State Museum. Replaces the Board of the Illinois State Museum with an advisory board. Describes the duties of the advisory board. Repeals a provision which states that the Department of Natural Resources may set, by administrative rule, an entrance fee for visitors to the Illinois State Museum. 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".