Sen. Ram Villivalam

Declares March 25, 2023 as Greek Independence Day in the State of Illinois.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation and the High Speed Railroad Commission to move expeditiously in preparing a Statewide Integrated Network Plan, including the identification of desired service points and key transfer stations, the construction of a theoretical rail and bus schedule with timed transfers, the creation of a ridership and revenue model for the desired network, the estimation of needed infrastructure investments, and the development of a phased implementation plan.

Creates the Substance Use Disorder Residential and Detox Rate Equity Act. Requires the General Assembly to appropriate sufficient funds to the Department of Human Services, for State Fiscal Year 2024 and for each State fiscal year thereafter, to ensure reimbursement rates will be increased and subsequently adjusted upward by an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index-U from the previous year, not to exceed 5% in any State fiscal year, for licensed or certified community-based substance use disorder treatment providers under community service grant programs for persons with substance use disorders, including, but not limited to, certain residential and withdrawal management services provided in accordance with criteria established by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the State shall not expend or invest any public funds in any organization, nonprofit organization, religious organization, or any other entity that performs conversion therapy. Provides that any public funds owed by the State to an organization performing conversion therapy shall be withheld from such organization, and any contract between the State and that organization shall be void.

Appropriates $9,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for grants to the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for expenses of free and charitable clinics. Provides that the funds shall be used to provide care or make referrals for uninsured or underinsured people living with acute and chronic health issues. Provides for reappropriations to the Department of Public Health. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the School Code. Requires each school board to provide for a program by which both halal and kosher food options are offered in public school cafeterias by request. Provides further requirements concerning the provision of halal and kosher food in public schools. Amends the Halal Food Act. Defines "State-owned or State-operated facility". Provides that any State-owned or State-operated facility that provides food services or cafeteria services for which food products are provided or offered for sale also shall offer, upon request provided with reasonable notice, halal food options at the State-owned or State-operated facility. Provides that any halal food product offered shall be certified as halal by a State-approved organization or purchased from a State-approved halal-certified vendor. Provides that any person, organization, or vendor falsely representing a food product it provides as halal or falsely representing itself as a halal-certified vendor shall be subject to penalties under the Act. Provides for the adoption of rules. Provides that the amendatory provisions shall not infringe upon or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in effect on or before the amendatory Act's effective date. Amends the Kosher Food Act. Makes substantially similar changes as to kosher food options at State facilities, defines "kosher", and provides that a violation of the provisions concerning State facility kosher food services is a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for the second and each subsequent offense. Effective June 1, 2024.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that rates for homemaker services shall be increased to $29.64 beginning July 1, 2023 to sustain a minimum wage of $18 per hour for direct service workers. Requires rates in subsequent State fiscal years to be no lower than the rates in effect on July 1, 2023. Requires providers of in-home services to be required to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Provides that fringe benefits, including, but not limited to, paid time off and payment for training, health insurance, travel, or transportation, shall not be reduced in relation to the rate increases described in the amendatory Act. Effective July 1, 2023.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, each individual who serves as a volunteer emergency worker for at least 9 months during the taxable year and does not receive compensation for his or her services as a volunteer emergency worker of more than $10,000 for the taxable year is entitled to a credit against specified taxes in an amount equal to $500. Defines "volunteer emergency worker". Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides for emergency rulemaking. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Changes the term "non-compliant identification card" to "standard identification card". Changes the definition of "limited term REAL ID compliant identification card" to include cards that have been issued to an individual who has an approved application for asylum in the United States or has entered the United States in refugee status. Allows the Secretary of State to accept, as proof of date of birth and written signature of an applicant for a standard identification card, any passport from the applicant's country of citizenship or a consular identification document validly issued to an applicant. Prohibits the Secretary from releasing highly restricted personal information or personally identifying information or disclose documents to any immigration agent unless it is necessary to comply with a lawful court order, judicial warrant, or subpoena for individual records. Prohibits the Secretary from entering into or maintaining any agreement regarding the sharing of such information or documents. Provides that no temporary visitor's driver's licenses shall be issued after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that every driver's license application shall state the social security number of the applicant; except if the applicant is applying for a standard driver's license and is ineligible for a social security number, then if the applicant has documentation authorizing the applicant's presence in the country, the applicant shall provide such documentation instead of a social security number. Provides that, if the applicant does not have documentation authorizing the applicant's presence in the country, the applicant must submit documentation establishing that the applicant has resided in the State for a period in excess of one year and a passport validly issued to the applicant from the applicant's country of citizenship. Makes conforming changes in those Acts and the Consular Identification Document Act and the Election Code. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires health care professionals who have continuing education requirements to complete cultural competency training, which shall include information on sensitivity relating to and best practices for providing affirming care to people in the person's preferred language, people with disabilities, documented or undocumented immigrants, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 5 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a person licensed or registered by the Department under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 10 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that these continuing education hours may count toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. Provides for rulemaking. Effective January 1, 2024.