Sen. Mike Simmons-Gessesse

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall direct and assist healthcare facilities that provide labor and delivery services, including teaching hospitals, with the development of a plan (i) to deal with airway emergencies when an individual experiences respiratory failure during childbirth, (ii) to maintain at those facilities equipment to deal with difficult or failed intubation during childbirth, and (iii) to provide notices and training to facility staff on the coordination of care as necessary to prevent respiratory emergencies during childbirth. Effective immediately.

Creates the End Youth Solitary Confinement Act. Provides that the use of room confinement at a juvenile or correctional facility for discipline, punishment, retaliation, or any reason other than as a temporary response to a juvenile's behavior that poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any individual, including the juvenile, is prohibited. Provides that a covered juvenile (any person under 18 years of age incarcerated in a correctional facility, jail, or detention facility of any kind operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, a county, or a municipality) may be placed on an administrative hold and confined when temporarily being housed in a particular juvenile detention center or for administrative or security purposes as personally determined by the chief administrative officer. Provides that whenever a covered juvenile is on an administrative hold, the Department shall provide the covered juvenile with access to the same programs and services received by covered juveniles in the general population. Provides that any restrictions on movement or access to programs and services shall be documented and justified by the chief administrative officer. Provides that if a covered juvenile poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any individual, including the juvenile, before a staff member of the facility places a covered juvenile in room confinement, the staff member shall attempt to use other less restrictive options, unless attempting those options poses a threat to the safety or security of any minor or staff. Provides that if a covered juvenile is placed in room confinement because the covered juvenile poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to himself or herself, or to others, establishes when the covered juvenile shall be released. Defines terms.

Creates the Law Enforcement Gang Database Information Act. Defines terms. Provides requirements for the use of gang databases and shared gang databases. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in all criminal cases, evidence which indicates the mere presence that the person was or is on a gang database or a shared gang database is not admissible. Effective immediately.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In provisions regarding safety education, provides that allergen safety for students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 shall be included in the definition of "safety instruction". Provides that the allergen safety instruction shall include instruction on recognizing signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis; steps to take to prevent exposure to allergens, and safe emergency epinephrine administration.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Resources shall partner with the State Board of Education to provide technical assistance for the provision of mental health care during school days with the goal of increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health resources for students. Provides that the Department shall report to the General Assembly on the implementation of the technical assistance provision no later than July 1, 2025. Provides for rulemaking by the Department and the State Board of Education.

Amends the Security Deposit Return Act. Removes language that requires a lessor of residential real property who is restricted from withholding any part of a security deposit from a lessee without furnishing an itemized statement to the lessee to be a lessor of a residential real property containing 5 or more units.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation, because of immigration status, to: refuse to engage in a real estate transaction or otherwise make unavailable or deny real property; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of a real estate transaction; refuse to receive or fail to transmit a bona fide offer in a real estate transaction from a person; refuse to negotiate a real estate transaction with a person; represent to a person that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease, fail to bring a property listing to a person's attention, or refuse to permit a person to inspect real property; make, print, circulate, post, mail, publish, or cause such actions, any notice, statement, advertisement, or sign, use a form of application for a real estate transaction, or make a record or inquiry in connection with a prospective real estate transaction that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on immigration status, or an intention to make such preference, limitation, or discrimination; offer, solicit, accept, use, or retain a listing of real property with knowledge that discrimination based on immigration status in a real estate transaction is intended; refuse to engage in loan modification services; alter the terms, conditions, or privileges of loan modification services; discriminate in making loan modification services available; solicit for sale, lease, listing, or purchase any residential real estate on the grounds of loss of value due to the present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person of any particular immigration status; distribute or cause to be distributed, written material or statements designed to induce any owner of residential real estate to sell or lease property because of any present or prospective changes in the immigration status of residents in the vicinity of the property involved; or intentionally create alarm by transmitting communications to induce any owner of residential real estate to sell or lease property because of any present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person of any particular immigration status. Provides that nothing prohibits inquiry into or the use of immigration status if the inquiry or use is otherwise required by federal law. Makes other changes.

Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that public transportation benefits provided to a person with a disability by the Regional Transportation Authority or the Service Boards shall automatically renew unless discontinued by the person with a disability. Provides that benefits provided may not be suspended or discontinued pending a reevaluation of eligibility for those benefits.

Amends the Illinois Affordable Housing Act. Requires all housing financed under the Illinois Affordable Housing Program to meet a minimum standard of living requirement. Provides that in order for a program applicant to be eligible to receive funding to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, develop, operate, insure, or retain affordable single-family or multi-family housing, the applicant must demonstrate that each housing unit can provide and meet certain quality standards, as applicable. Requires housing to have cooling and dehumidification systems that are capable of being operated independently from the heating system and that can operate when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees. Requires newly constructed housing to have permanent air conditioning. Requires the heating in all housing, during the months of October through May, unless a unit of government has standards that require a higher temperature of heat, to register at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Requires any tenant complaints about heating to be rectified within 24 hours. Requires windows to open and close with safety mechanisms installed and to be inspected on a regular basis. Provides certain standards concerning the maintenance and upkeep of the premises of the single-family or multi-family housing; accessible laundry facilities for senior residents and residents with disabilities; control for insects, rodents, and pests; standard turnaround times for property manager or maintenance personnel to respond to tenant requests; and compliance checks and tenant reviews for property management companies. Effective immediately.

Creates the Community Land Trust Task Force Act. Establishes the Community Land Trust Task Force to collect data regarding the current use of community land trusts in Illinois and opportunities for expansion statewide, in addition to other specified duties. Includes provisions about membership, compensation, and vacancies; meetings; and administrative support. Requires the Community Land Trust Task Force Act to submit a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly making specific recommendations of legislative and budgetary action that supports the mission of community land trusts to foster affordable housing and homeownership. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved and the Act is repealed on December 31, 2024. Effective immediately.