Sen. Patricia Van Pelt

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that a taxpayer who may claim a qualifying student as a dependent is allowed a credit of up to $2,000 for qualified tuition and fee expenses paid by the taxpayer. Provides that the term qualifying student means a person who (i) is a resident of the State, (ii) is under the age of 24 at the close of the school year for which a credit is sought, and (iii) during the school year for which a credit is sought, is a full-time student enrolled in a program at a qualifying college or university.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall waive all application fees and examination fees for active military personnel and their spouses. Provides that nothing in the provisions waives the requirement that the person or spouse meet all other licensing requirements, including other fees required during the licensing process.

Amends the Community Services Act. Removes language requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a Family Support Services Voucher Pilot Program and instead requires the Department to coordinate and fund the Voucher Respite Program. Provides that the Voucher Respite Program shall be a subset of specified programs with the exception that administration of the Program shall not be limited to agencies that provide respite services. Provides that the purpose of the Program is to increase the number of families who are able to access respite services; provide families with greater flexibility over services; and prevent or delay the need for more intensive long-term care and support. Makes other conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2020.

Amends the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. Provides that "grantor agency" includes the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation when it makes grants under the Access to Justice Act or the Illinois Equal Justice Act. Amends the Access to Justice Act. Provides that grants or distributions made under the Act by (rather than to) the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation are subject to the requirements of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the certified training programs in crisis intervention established by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall include addressing transportation of people with mental illnesses. Provides that the training includes understanding procedures for an involuntary transportation of people with mental illnesses to an evaluation setting.

Amends the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. In a provision requiring an employer to reimburse an employee for all necessary expenses or losses incurred by the employee within the employee's scope of employment, requires the employer to reimburse the employee within 30 days after receipt of the necessary expenditures or losses. Provides that an employer is not liable unless the employer required (rather than authorized or required) the employee to incur the necessary expenditure or the employer failed to comply with its own written expense reimbursement policy. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code, the Unified Code of Corrections, and the County Jail Act. Provides that the Cook County Department of Corrections, the Illinois Department of Corrections, and the county sheriffs shall provide training relating to medical and mental health care issues applicable to pregnant prisoners to: (1) each correctional officer employed by the respective Department or sheriff at a facility in which female prisoners are confined; and (2) any other Department or sheriff employee whose duties involve contact with pregnant prisoners. Provides that the Department or sheriff shall develop and provide to each pregnant prisoner educational programming relating to pregnancy and parenting. Provides that the Department or sheriff shall ensure that, for a period of 72 hours after the birth of an infant by a prisoner: (1) the infant is allowed to remain with the prisoner, unless a medical professional determines doing so would pose a health or safety risk to the prisoner or infant; and (2) the prisoner has access to any nutritional or hygiene-related products necessary to care for the infant, including diapers. Provides that the Department or sheriff may not place in administrative segregation a prisoner who is pregnant or who gave birth during the preceding 30 days unless the Director or sheriff or the Director's or sheriff's designee determines that the placement is necessary based on a reasonable belief that the prisoner will harm herself, the prisoner's infant, or any other person or will attempt escape. Provides that the Department or sheriff may not assign a pregnant prisoner to any bed that is elevated more than 3 feet above the floor. Effective January 1, 2021.

Amends the Illinois Plumbing License Law. Provides that each park authority or its designee shall test each source of potable water in each of its public buildings and parks and notify the public of the results. Provides requirements for testing and notification. Provides requirements for requests seeking waiver of testing. Provides that the Director of Public Health shall conduct hearings and impose civil penalties in relation to violations of the provisions concerning lead testing in parks. Provides that schools constructed on or before January 1, 2014 shall conduct testing for lead in water and submit samples to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Amends the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall accept and analyze drinking water samples collected under those provisions of the Illinois Plumbing License Law. Provides that the Agency shall collect a fee for each sample accepted for analysis.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to operate and maintain the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education for the care and education of educable young adults (rather than children) with one or more physical disabilities and provide in connection therewith nursing and medical care and academic, occupational, and related training to such young adults (rather than children). Provides that any Illinois resident under the age of 22 (rather than 21) years who is educable but has such a severe physical disability or other cause that he or she is unable to take advantage of the system of free education in the State of Illinois, may be admitted to the Center or other specified facilities. Defines "Director" and deletes the definition of "vocational rehabilitation administrator". Amends the School Code. Provides that if the child is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or diagnosed with an orthopedic impairment or physical disability and he or she might be eligible to receive services from the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education, the school district shall notify the parents, in writing, of the existence of the school and the services provided and shall make a reasonable effort to inform the parents of the existence of other, local schools that provide similar services and the services that these other schools provide.

Amends the Employee Sick Leave Act. Removes language exempting from coverage under the Act an employee of an employer subject to the provisions of Title II of the federal Railway Labor Act.