Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the Code shall not apply to procurement expenditures by the State Board of Education related to media marketing campaigns, one-year sole sources, and emergency purchases.
Sen. Christopher Belt
Sponsored bills
Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a board-certified child abuse pediatrician for a medical opinion. Provides that the board-certified child abuse pediatrician must explain to the parent or guardian of the child, whenever the pediatrician has direct contact with the child or the family of the child, that the pediatrician is completing the examination of the child at the request of the Department for the purpose of providing an opinion to the Department regarding whether the mechanism of injury is suspicious for child maltreatment. Provides that the parent or guardian of the child of the center of an investigation shall: (i) be informed of the referral and his or her right to request and receive a copy of the opinion; (ii) be notified that the parent or guardian of the child has the right to obtain, at his or her own expense, and submit to the Department a second medical opinion at any time; (iii) be informed that any second medical opinion submitted to the Department prior to the Department rendering a final determination in the investigation will be considered as inculpatory or exculpatory evidence; and (iv) be notified of the Department's time frames for the investigative process. Requires the Department to annually prepare and make available on the Department's Reports and Statistics webpage a report on the number of children or families referred by the Department to a board-certified child abuse pediatrician as part of an investigation of abuse or neglect by the Department. Sets forth the information that must be contained in the annual reports. Provides that the first report must be posted within 9 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
Expresses strong support for the initiative to reprogram USDA funds allocated to Puerto Rico toward purchasing locally grown items in Puerto Rico. Urges the United States Congress to endorse and implement this initiative in recognition of its potential to foster economic growth, promote sustainability, enhance resilience, and enrich cultural heritage.
Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall require all school districts to undertake a ventilation verification assessment of all mechanical ventilation systems in the school district performed by a certified assessor or a mechanical engineer and shall be based on physical measurements made during the assessment. Provides that if an assessment is performed by a certified assessor, the assessment report shall be reviewed by a mechanical engineer. Provides that the ventilation verification assessment shall verify whether the existing mechanical ventilation system is operating in accordance with design parameters and meets the requirements of any applicable building codes. Provides that the ventilation verification assessment for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system shall follow specified standards. Provides that the verification assessment report from the mechanical engineer shall include appropriate corrective actions needed for the mechanical ventilation system or the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning infrastructure, including installation of appropriate filters, installation of carbon dioxide sensors and additional maintenance, repairs, upgrades, or replacement. Provides that the State Board shall require all school districts to make the appropriate corrective actions identified in the ventilation verification assessment. Sets forth requirements for corrective actions, standards, and verification of work.
Creates the Firefighter Paid Family Leave Act. Provides that a firefighter shall receive 6 weeks of paid family leave that may be used: (1) for the birth of a child in order to care for the child; (2) to care for a newly adopted child under 18 years of age, a newly placed foster child under 18 years of age, or a newly adopted or placed foster child older than 18 years of age if the child is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability; and (3) to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Provides that the paid family leave requirements shall be provided to a firefighter regardless of the employer's leave policies and shall be provided to a firefighter who has been employed by the employer for at least one year. Provides that a firefighter may voluntarily waive his or her right to paid family leave. Provides that the Department of Labor may adopt any rules necessary to implement the Act.
Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources may lease land on property of which the Department has jurisdiction for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system or a clean energy project. Provides that the lease shall be for a period not longer than 25 years. Provides that, if practical, the Department shall require that any land or property over which the Department has jurisdiction and that is used for the purpose of creating, operating, or maintaining a commercial solar energy system shall have implemented on it and maintained management practices that would qualify the land or property as a beneficial habitat under the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act. Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "clean energy". Provides that the Department may provide for at least one electric vehicle charging station, as defined in the Electric Vehicle Act, at any State park or other real property that is owned by the Department where electrical service will reasonably permit. Provides that the Department is authorized to charge user fees for the use of an electric vehicle charging station. Amends the State Parks Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Exempts certain expenditures by the Department of Natural Resources from the Code.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends state laws governing public libraries in Illinois to prohibit limiting access to or purchasing books based on their depiction of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or human rights activism. It directly affects public library boards, staff, and library systems by establishing new rules that prevent censorship of specific subject matters while allowing restrictions for public safety or age-appropriateness. The legislation ensures that library collections remain inclusive by explicitly forbidding bans on biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs that cover these topics.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Early Childhood Education Act to establish a framework for early childhood education in Illinois. A specific provision within the legislation ensures that the rights, benefits, and employment status of state employees and their agencies remain unchanged by the new act. It explicitly states that the law does not affect existing personnel codes, labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, or pension plans. The bill was signed into law and became effective on June 25, 2024, with some provisions taking effect on July 1, 2026.
Creates the Small Business Truth in Lending Act. Sets forth provisions concerning disclosure requirements for sales-based financing, closed-end commercial financing, open-end commercial financing, factoring transactions, renewal financing, and other forms of financing. Provides that all commercial financing shall include a clear and conspicuous notice on how to file a complaint with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the Department may adopt rules. Provides that upon a finding by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation that a provider has violated the provisions or rules, the provider shall be ordered to pay the Department a civil penalty for each violation of the provisions or any rule not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, or if a violation is willful, $20,000 for each violation. Sets forth provisions concerning cease and desist orders, injunctions, investigation and examination, civil actions, violations, and registration. Provides that a violation of the provisions constitutes an unlawful practice in violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Defines terms. Makes a conforming change in the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the senior citizens homestead exemption, permanently removes the requirement to reapply for the exemption in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants (currently, that requirement was eliminated only for taxable years 2019 through 2023). In counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, provides that, if the county board passes a resolution removing the requirement to reapply for the exemption, the chief county assessment official shall conduct, by no later than December 31 of the first year of each reassessment cycle, an audit of all senior citizen homestead exemptions granted for the preceding reassessment cycle.