Sen. Sara Feigenholtz

Creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program Act. Establishes the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services to help expand the availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised, or processed foods for Illinois' emergency food system. Provides that the program shall (1) acquire and distribute agricultural products from Illinois agricultural entities or aggregators to Illinois' emergency food system, and (2) provide grants to improve capacity of the emergency food system to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or distribution of agricultural products to underserved areas. Provides that the program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy, and eggs produced in Illinois. Provides that foods shall be surplus, seconds, or market-grade quality levels and must be safe for consumption. Provides that the program is subject to appropriation and shall dedicate no less than 75% of available funds to acquisition and distribution of food. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to engage a not-for-profit entity from Illinois' emergency food system to administer the program. Requires the administering entity to have statewide reach and represent multiple food banks that source and distribute food to Illinois food pantries and soup kitchens under the same authorities and standards as the Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the Department. Contains provisions concerning the duties of the administering entity. Creates the Farm to Food Bank Advisory Council to provide support to the program through facilitating relationship-building and partnerships between the Illinois agricultural sector and the emergency food system and other matters. Provides that the program may distribute food to those food banks with the infrastructure to accept, store, and distribute foods through the emergency food system and with the capacity to serve significant geographic areas within Illinois. Provides that the program shall distribute capacity-building grants for facility upgrades, equipment, or other investments necessary to support the objectives of the program. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules. Effective immediately.

Creates the Business Improvement District Law. Provides for the establishment of business improvement districts by a county or municipality by ordinance after petition of a percentage of property owners or business owners, creation of a district plan, notice, and hearings. Provides that a business improvement district may impose district charges on property owners whose real properties are located within the business improvement district or on businesses within a business improvement district. Provides that the county or municipality shall contract with a district management association to administer or implement activities and improvements specified in the district plan. Contains provisions relating to district plans, formation of a district, district boundaries, issuance of bonds, terms and renewal of districts, amendment to district plans, governance of the district, reports of a district management association, dissolution, and legislative purpose. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Effective 120 days after becoming law.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation for an employer to engage in abusive conduct. Provides circumstances under which an employer is responsible for abusive conduct by nonmanagerial and nonsupervisory employees and for abusive conduct against nonemployees. Includes abusive conduct cases in provisions concerning required reporting by employers. Defines "abusive conduct" as conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer's legitimate business interests. Makes conforming changes.

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.

Creates the Pregnancy Expenses Act. Provides that the other party to a pregnancy or the other intended parent has a duty to pay 50% of the pregnant person's pregnancy expenses. Allows an action seeking the payment of pregnancy expenses to be brought during or after the pregnancy. Provides that only the pregnant person or the pregnant person's legally authorized designee in the event of death or incapacitation of the pregnant person may bring an action seeking the payment of pregnancy expenses. Allows the court to order the other party to the pregnancy or other intended parent to pay more than 50% of the pregnancy expenses. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015. Effective immediately.

Recognizes and applauds the historic significance of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. Reaffirms bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States, Illinois, and Israel and commits to strengthening these bonds. Commends the people of Israel for their remarkable achievements. Reaffirms support for Israel's right to defend itself against threats to its security and existence. Reaffirms enduring support for Israel as the country pursues peace. Extends best wishes to the State of Israel and its people for a peaceful and prosperous future.

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that, for the purpose of making up any deficiency in the appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act, there is appropriated, on a continuing annual basis in each fiscal year, from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims, the amount, if any, by which the total appropriation for the payment of claims directed pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for the fiscal year is less than the amount required for the payment of claims pursuant to the Line of Duty Compensation Act for that fiscal year. Provides that the amount of any continuing appropriation used by the Court of Claims under the amendatory Act for a given fiscal year shall be charged against the unexpended amount of any appropriation for line of duty awards to the Court of Claims for that fiscal year that subsequently becomes available. Requires the Court of Claims to report to the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on any continuing appropriation that is used at the conclusion of a fiscal year. Amends the Line of Duty Compensation Act. Provides that if a claim is made within 2 years (rather than one year) of the date of death of a law enforcement officer, civil defense worker, civil air patrol member, paramedic, fireman, chaplain, or State employee killed in the line of duty, compensation shall be paid to the person designated by the law enforcement officer, civil defense worker, civil air patrol member, paramedic, fireman, chaplain, or State employee. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that it is the policy of the State to promote and encourage the installation of distributed energy resources, such as distributed generation technology and advanced energy storage, and to limit obstacles to their use. Establishes that within 180 days of the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create and administer a grant program facilitating the implementation of an online permitting process for residential photovoltaic solar energy systems for the purpose of modernizing and reducing the cost and time to obtain building permits for distributed generation. Provides that jurisdictions requiring permits for such systems may apply for a grant of up to $20,000 from the Department. Requires the Department to allocate a minimum of $1,000,000 in eligible funds to provide grants under the program. Requires the Department to disclose in a report on its website each jurisdiction which received a grant, the amount of each grant, the anticipated implementation date of the recipient jurisdiction's automated permitting platform, and other relevant information.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Removes language repealing a provision concerning delivery and carry out of mixed drinks on January 3, 2024.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the dyslexia handbook developed by the State Board of Education shall include guidelines on the administration of a universal screener and dyslexia screening, the interpretation of data from these screeners, and the resulting appropriate instruction within a multi-tiered system of support framework. Provides that the State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to ensure that a student will be screened for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener. Sets forth guidelines for developing a universal screening. Sets forth which students are required to be screened. Provides that no later than January 1, 2025, the State Board of Education shall employ at least 5 dyslexia specialists or dyslexia therapists with a minimum of 5 years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related disorders. Provides that beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, each school district must screen students in grades kindergarten through 2 for the risk factors of dyslexia using a universal screener approved by the State Board of Education. Provides that if a student is determined to be either at risk or at some risk for dyslexia after the universal screener has been administered, the school district must administer a dyslexia screening of the student. Provides that if a student's dyslexia screening indicates that the student has characteristics of dyslexia, the dyslexia intervention services provided to the student must utilize a structured literacy approach as outlined in the State Board of Education's handbook. Makes other changes.