HB 4246 appropriates $5.5 million from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for a grant to YouthBuild Illinois, effective July 1, 2026. This bill provides direct funding to support YouthBuild Illinois' programs, which assist youth in education and workforce development, with no additional policy provisions or eligibility requirements specified in the text.
Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a full-time firefighter or firefighter/paramedic employed by a city, village, incorporated town, or township that meets certain requirements is not eligible to participate in a retirement fund created under the Downstate Firefighters Article of the Code, then he or she is eligible to participate, as a sheriff's law enforcement employee, under the IMRF Article of the Code. Specifies survivor and occupational disease disability benefits that are available to the qualifying firefighters. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Health Care Violence Prevention Act. Makes changes to defined terms. In provisions concerning workplace safety, provides that a health care worker may not be discouraged from contacting law enforcement or the Department of Public Health regarding workplace violence and a health care provider may not hold a policy that limits such contact. Adds additional requirements to the workplace violence prevention program, including reporting requirements and identifying the need for additional security and alarms, adequate exit routes, monitoring systems, barrier protections, lighting, entry procedures, and systems to identify and flag persons who have previously committed violent acts in the health care provider space. Sets forth provisions concerning violent incident investigations and recordkeeping and reporting requirements for health care providers regarding violent incidents. Establishes penalties for failure to comply with the Act. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from public disclosure workplace violence records maintained by health care providers as required under a specified provision of the Health Care Violence Prevention Act.
Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Keeping Sex Workers Safe Act. Creates the Sex Workers' Bill of Rights Act. Provides that sex workers shall not be subject to criminal prosecution for engaging in consensual sex work. Provides that law enforcement agencies are prohibited from arresting, charging, or prosecuting individuals solely for performing or engaging in sex work. Provides that sex workers, whether employed, contracted, or self-employed, shall be afforded the same rights and protections as other workers under Illinois law, including, but not limited to: (1) minimum wage and hour protections; (2) protection against discrimination, harassment, and unsafe working conditions; (3) access to workers' compensation and health benefits if applicable; and (4) protection of privacy and freedom from surveillance. Provides that employers, clients, or those benefiting from the services of sex workers must ensure safe working conditions, including protection from violence, exploitation, and human trafficking. Provides that sex workers operating as independent contractors shall be treated as legitimate sole proprietors or businesses under Illinois law. Provides that sex workers have the right to control their work, negotiate fair contracts, and receive payment for their services without interference or exploitation. Provides that sex workers shall not be discriminated against in access to housing, public services, financial services, or healthcare based on their occupation. Provides that all laws protecting workers from discrimination on the basis of sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics shall apply equally to sex workers. Defines "sex work" and "sex worker". Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Repeals the offenses of prostitution and patronizing a prostitute. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Establishes reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for all group or individual policies of accident and health insurance or managed care plans that are amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 or for any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer. Requires a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 or any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer to cover certain medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. Provides that, if the Department of Insurance determines that an insurer or a contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer has violated a provision concerning mental health and substance use parity, the Department shall by order assess a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation. Excludes certain health care plans serving Medicaid populations who are enrolled under the Illinois Public Aid Code or under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act from provisions concerning mental health and substance use parity. Requires the Department to review the impact of the proposed mental health and substance abuse mandate on network adequacy for mental health and substance use disorder treatment and access to affordable mental health and substance use care. Permits the Department to examine out-of-network utilization and out-of-pocket costs for insureds for mental health and substance use treatment and services for all plans to compare with in-network utilization. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, and the School Code to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In the Downstate Firefighter Article, includes in the definition of "firefighter", a person employed in a municipality's or fire protection district's fire service as a de facto firefighter. Defines "de facto firefighter". Provides that the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Article 20 of the Code) is adopted and made a part of the Downstate Firefighter Article and the Chicago Firefighter Article, but only with respect to a person who, on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, is entitled to begin receiving a retirement annuity or survivor's annuity and who elects to proceed under the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act. In the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article, authorizes sheriff's law enforcement employee (SLEP) status for a person who is not eligible to participate in a downstate firefighter fund and is employed on a full-time basis by a participating municipality to perform duties as a paramedic, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), or advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT); but only if the governing authority of that municipality has approved sheriff's law enforcement employee status for such employees by adoption of an affirmative resolution. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Employees Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that any person who rendered contractual services to a member of the General Assembly as a worker providing constituent services to persons in the member's district may establish creditable service for up to 8 years of those contractual services by making a specified contribution and applying to the System by no later than one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
This bill proposes the appointment of Jane Flanagan to serve as a Member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.
Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. In provisions concerning the suspension of retirement annuities for certain reemployment, provides that the provisions do not apply to an annuitant for any period of service on or after March 9, 2020 during which the annuitant returns to employment under the Article to perform a critical operation during a state of emergency or disaster that is declared by the Governor. Provides that, if an annuitant returns to employment for an employer under the Article during such a period, the annuitant is eligible to receive compensation from an employer for that service and benefits for prior service under the Article, but employee and employer contributions under the Article during that period of reemployment are not required. Provides that service and compensation earned for such reemployment shall not be used to recalculate the annuitant's benefits under the Code. For reemployment to perform a critical operation during a state of emergency or disaster declared by the Governor and that occurred on or after on or after March 9, 2020 and before the effective date of the amendatory Act: requires the System to pay to the annuitant the amount of the suspended or cancelled pension benefits with interest at the effective rate from the date of the suspension or cancellation of the benefit to the date of payment; and, if an annuitant repaid benefits to the System under the provisions, requires the System to pay to the annuitant the amount of that repayment with interest at the effective rate from the date of the annuitant's repayment of benefits to the date of the System's repayment to the annuitant. Provides that an annuitant's benefits shall not be suspended if the annuitant made an employment-related decision having reasonably relied on a statement or statements by a representative or representatives of the System that benefits would not be suspended if such a decision were made. Provides that the amendatory Act applies without regard to whether the annuitant was in service on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
Creates the Rooftop Safety for First Responders Act. Requires the installation of a parapet, extended masonry, or guard for low-sloped roofs. Sets forth requirements for skylights and other openings located in the plane of a low-sloped roof. Requires municipalities to complete a survey of buildings in their jurisdiction. Requires sharing the results of the surveys with local police and fire departments. Defines terms.
