Amends the Downstate Teacher and Chicago Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that none of the benefits provided for in those Articles shall be paid to any person who is convicted of any crime under the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code of 2012 or of a crime that requires registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that none of the benefits shall be paid to a person during a criminal investigation for acts that constitute a crime under the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code of 2012 or to a person during a criminal proceeding for a violation of Article 11 of the Criminal Code of 2012. If criminal charges under the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code of 2012 are dismissed with prejudice or the person is acquitted of those criminal charges, then the right to benefit payments shall resume. Provides that none of the benefits shall be paid to a person during an investigation by an inspector general in connection with acts of sexual misconduct committed against a student. Provides that, if the inspector general finds that the allegations of sexual misconduct are substantiated, then none of the benefits shall be paid to that person. Provides that, if the inspector general finds that the allegations of sexual misconduct against a student are without merit, unsubstantiated, or unfounded, then the right to benefit payments shall resume. Specifies that provisions concerning the forfeiture of benefits apply without regard to whether the person resigned or was terminated from employment. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply only to a person who first becomes a teacher on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes other changes.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish reimbursement rates that build toward livable wages for front-line personnel in residential and day programs and service coordination agencies serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Provides that for community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, subject to federal approval, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2025 shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $2.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2025 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support professionals, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for ID/DD facilities and MC/DD facilities, the rates taking effect for services delivered on or after July 1, 2025, shall be increased sufficiently to: (i) provide a minimum $2.00 per hour wage increase over the wages in effect on June 30, 2025 for front-line personnel; and (ii) provide wages for all other residential non-executive direct care staff, excluding direct support professionals, at the U.S. Department of Labor's average wage as defined, by rule, by the Department. Requires the same increase for front-line personnel employed at community-based providers serving persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Departments of Human Services and Healthcare and Family Services emergency rulemaking authority. Effective immediately.
Amends the Chicago Police Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a policeman has an application for an ordinary disability benefit denied by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees of the Fund or has a duty disability benefit, ordinary disability benefit, or occupational disability benefit terminated by a majority vote of the Board and brings an action for administrative review challenging the termination or denial of the disability benefit and the policeman prevails in the action in administrative review, then the prevailing policeman shall be entitled to recover from the Fund court costs and litigation expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, as part of the costs of the action. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Prohibits a school from threatening to disclose the actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status of an employee, a student, or a person associated with an employee or student to an external party; knowingly disclosing, without consent, anything related to the perceived citizenship or immigration status of an employee, a student, or a person associated with an employee or student to an external party if the school does not have direct knowledge of the employee's, student's, or associated person's actual citizenship or immigration status; knowingly disclosing, without consent, anything related to the actual citizenship or immigration status of an employee, a student, or a person associated with an employee or student to any other person or nongovernmental entity if the school has direct knowledge of the employee's, student's, or associated person's actual citizenship or immigration status; or designating immigration status, citizenship, place of birth, nationality, or national origin as directory information. Requires a school to develop procedures for reviewing and authorizing requests from law enforcement agents attempting to enter a school's campus by January 1, 2026. Requires a school to provide information on its website about who employees and students should contact if a law enforcement agent seeks to enter the school campus, enters the school campus, or engages in nonconsensual interactions with members of the school community by January 1, 2026. Prohibits a school from impeding students or employees from offering, attending, or participating in training on constitutional rights and immigration-related guidance. Allows aggrieved parties to bring a civil lawsuit. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act. Provides that the accounts established under the Secure Choice Savings Program shall be IRAs, into which enrollees contribute funds that are invested in investment options established by the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Board. Provides that a separate account shall be established for each enrollee and the accounts shall be owned by the enrollee. Provides that the savings accounts established under the Program shall be portable and allow for an enrollee to make contributions from multiple employers into a single account. Provides that an enrollee in the Program may have both a Roth IRA and a Traditional IRA through the Program. Provides that the Board shall have the duty to assess the feasibility of agreements with other governmental entities, including other states and their agencies and instrumentalities, to achieve greater economies of scale through shared resources and to enter into those agreements if determined to be beneficial. Provides that an employer who fails without reasonable cause to enroll an employee in the Program within the time provided and fails to remit their contributions (rather than fails without reasonable cause to enroll an employee in the Program within the time provided) shall be subject to a penalty. Makes changes in provisions concerning employer and employee information packets. Effective immediately.
Creates the COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner because of such person's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to his or her belief. Requires all health care facilities to adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that belief-based objections do not cause impairment of patients' health and that explain how belief-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient care. Provides that it is unlawful for any public or private employer, entity, agency, institution, official, or person to deny admission because of, to place any reference in its application form concerning, to orally question about, to impose any burdens in terms or conditions of employment on, or to otherwise discriminate against, any applicant, in terms of employment, admission to or participation in any programs for which the applicant is eligible, or to discriminate in relation thereto, in any other manner, on account of the applicant's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination that is against the applicant's beliefs. Provides that it is unlawful for any public official, guardian, agency, institution, or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or to condition the reception in any way of any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or in any other manner to coerce, disqualify, or discriminate against any person, otherwise entitled to such aid, assistance, or benefits, because that person refuses to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the person's belief. Allows any person injured by any public or private person, association, agency, entity, or corporation by reason of any action prohibited by the Act to bring an action. Provides that a person who brings an action shall recover threefold the actual damages, the costs of the action, and reasonable attorney's fees, but in no case shall recovery for each violation be less than $2,500 plus costs of the action and reasonable attorney's fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Christopher James Act. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a Safety Committee comprised of bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit Department employees. Provides that at least 40% of committee members shall be bargaining unit employees. Provides that the Committee shall assess the Department's compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act and any other applicable workplace health and safety laws and shall make recommendations for improvements to processes and procedures to improve workplace safety. Provides that the Committee shall prepare an annual report on the Department's workplace safety efforts and plans for the future to further promote safety in the workplace. Provides that the Committee shall prepare an annual report on the Department's workplace safety efforts and plans for the future to further promote safety in the workplace. Provides that the Director of Corrections shall appoint the non-bargaining unit members of the Safety Committee. Provides that the Director of Corrections shall appoint 60% of the Safety Committee, including the non-bargaining unit members and up to 2 members of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Provides that the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the majority of the Department of Corrections employees shall appoint the remaining 40% of the Safety Committee. Provides that the Director of Corrections shall appoint the chairperson of the Committee. Provides that the appointed chairperson of the Committee shall have a professional background and training in an environmental health and safety field. Provides that the chairperson of the Safety Committee, or the chairperson's designee, may conduct a workplace safety inspection of any property, equipment, or workplace under the control or supervision of the Department at any time and shall conduct random unannounced inspections as often as deemed necessary. Provides that the jurisdiction of the Safety Committee is strictly limited to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and any other applicable workplace health and safety laws. Provides that these provisions are subject to appropriations.
Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that grants shall not restrict the amount of money used to pay for fringe benefits. Provides that grants shall not restrict administrative costs to less than 20% of the grant award. Defines "fringe benefits".
Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that any contractor or subcontractor and any officer, employee, or agent of the contractor or subcontractor whose duty it is to file a certified payroll who willfully fails to file the certified payroll on or before the date the certified payroll is required to be filed and any person who willfully files a false certified payroll that is false as to any material fact is in violation of the Act and, in addition to being subject to penalties under the Act, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor (currently, is in violation of the Act and guilty of a Class A misdemeanor). Makes a conforming change.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the rules promulgated by the supervising authority concerning electronic monitoring and home detention shall provide that travel to and from approved employment shall not be denied based solely on the transient or mobile nature of the employment, provided that the participant gives the supervising authority sufficient notice and the employer confirms the exact routes or locations, or both, of employment at least 24 hours in advance. Provides that travel to and from approved employment shall not be denied solely for failure to provide the supervising authority with timely notice, provided that the participant gives the supervising authority sufficient notice at least 24 hours in advance of travel.
