Sen. Ram Villivalam

Creates the Freelance Worker Protection Act. Provides that freelance workers must be compensated by hiring parties for their services in a timely manner. Provides that whenever a hiring party retains the services of a freelance worker, the contract between the hiring party and the freelance worker shall be reduced to writing. Provides that no hiring party shall threaten, intimidate, discipline, harass, deny a work opportunity to, or discriminate against a freelance worker, or take any other action that penalizes a freelance worker for, or is reasonably likely to deter a freelance worker from, exercising or attempting to exercise any right guaranteed under the Act. Contains provisions concerning complaints to the Director of Labor; the powers and duties of the Director; civil actions brought by freelance workers; civil actions brought by the State; the scope of freelance worker contracts; a public awareness campaign; and surveys, information collection, and reporting requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In provisions regarding security improvements that assist a not-for-profit organization in preventing, preparing for, or responding to acts of terrorism, requires the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to determine that an organization is at high risk of being subject to threats, attacks, or acts of terrorism based on the organization's profile, ideology, mission, or beliefs in order to be eligible for assistance under the provisions. Requires the Agency to post specified information on its website. Throughout the provisions, refers to threats, attacks, or acts of terrorism (rather than just acts of terrorism). Makes other changes.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Education Equity Committee shall include a member from an organization that works for economic, educational, and social progress for Native Americans and promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to convene a Native American Curriculum Advisory Council. Creates the Native American Curriculum Task Force. Provides that the unit of instruction on the Holocaust and genocides shall include instruction on the Native American genocide in North America. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the Native American experience and Native American history within the Midwest and the State since time immemorial. Provides that the teaching of the history of the United States shall include the study of the role and contributions of Native Americans and teaching about Native Americans' sovereignty and self-determination. Effective immediately.

Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act. Provides that an applicant may use an examination alternative to allow the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to ascertain the qualifications and fitness of candidates for a license to engage in the independent practice of clinical social work. Provides that the examination alternative shall consist of at least 2 years of supervised professional experience subsequent to obtaining the degree as established by rule. Provides that the examination alternative supervised professional experience shall be in addition to any other supervised clinical professional experience required for licensure. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, an applicant acquiring the examination alternative supervised professional experience must be a licensed social worker or licensed in this State for the practice of school social work prior to acquiring the supervised professional experience. Provides that the Department shall require that a qualified licensed clinical social work supervisor to complete at least 6 hours of continuing education training. Makes corresponding changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. In a provision concerning kindergartens, provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each school board must establish a kindergarten with full-day attendance (instead of allowing a school board to establish a kindergarten with half-day attendance or with full-day attendance); makes related changes. Repeals another provision concerning kindergartens on July 1, 2023. Effective immediately.

Creates the Digital Forgeries Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery has a cause of action against any person who, without the consent of the depicted individual, knowingly distributes a digital forgery, creates a digital forgery with intent to distribute, or solicits the creation of a digital forgery with the intent to distribute: (1) in order to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; (2) with reckless disregard for whether such a creation, distribution, reproduction, or manipulation will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm to an individual falsely depicted; or (3) in order to incite violence or interfere with an official proceeding. Allows a prevailing plaintiff to be awarded damages, costs, and additional relief. Allows the court to grant injunctive relief maintaining the confidentiality of a plaintiff using a pseudonym.

Amends the Illinois Works Job Program Act. Provides that contractors or subcontractors may be eligible to earn bid credits for employing apprentices who have completed the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program (previously bid credits were available for public works contracted by the State). Provides that contractors and subcontractors can use bid credits toward future bids for public works projects contracted or funded by the State or an agency of the State in order to increase the likelihood that the contractor and the subcontractors are selected as the contractor for the public works project. Provides that, for contracts and grant agreements executed after the effective date of the amendatory Act, of a specified goal at least half of the labor hours of each prevailing wage classification performed by apprentices shall be performed by graduates of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may grant a reduction or waiver upon a determination that the contractor or subcontractor has demonstrated that insufficient graduates of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program are available to meet the requirements. Provides that contractors and subcontractors must submit a certification to the Department and the agency that is administering the contract, or the grant agreement funding the contract, demonstrating that the contractor or subcontractor has not complied with the labor hour goals and did not receive a reduction or waiver. Provides the penalties for failing to comply with the Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Commission Article of the Illinois Human Rights Act. Removes language providing that: the Governor shall appoint a special temporary panel of commissioners comprised of 3 members; the members shall hold office until the Human Rights Commission determines that the caseload of requests for review has been reduced sufficiently to allow cases to proceed in a timely manner, or for a term of 18 months from the date of appointment by the Governor, whichever is earlier; each of the 3 members shall have only such rights and powers of a commissioner necessary to dispose of the cases assigned to the special panel; each of the 3 members appointed to the special panel shall receive the same salary as other commissioners for the duration of the panel; and the panel shall have the authority to hire and supervise a staff attorney who shall report to the panel of commissioners. Requires the Commission to appoint at the expense of the Commission a qualified interpreter (rather than a qualified sign language interpreter) whenever a hearing impaired individual or an individual who lacks proficiency in the English language is a party or witness in proceedings before the Commission (rather than at a public hearing).

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Global Scholar Certification Program shall recognize public and nonpublic high school graduates who have attained global competence (instead of public high school graduates). Amends the College and Career Success for All Students Act. Provides that beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, students earning the Illinois Global Scholar Certificate shall be accepted for no less than 4 hours of credit to satisfy degree requirements by all institutions of higher education. Provides that each institution of higher education shall determine whether credit will be granted for electives, general education requirements, or major requirements for students who earned the Illinois Global Scholar Certificate. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the State Board of Education Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall deliver a report to the General Assembly on how to incentivize dual language instruction in schools. Provides that the report shall also include: (i) expanding dual language programs and instruction, (ii) developing a strategic plan for scaling dual language programs, (iii) possible public-private partnerships to expand dual language programs, (iv) potential funding mechanisms and models, including how to leverage the use of existing State and federal resources and how to sustain funding for dual language programs, (v) how to build the supply of qualified teachers for dual language programs, including potential partnerships with private or nonprofit teacher preparation or development programs and college teacher preparation programs, potential alternative certification routes, exchange programs with other countries, and financial incentives, and (vi) standards for measuring student progress in dual language programs.