Kimberly Lightford D

Affirms the importance and targeted value of the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship in increasing diversity in the teacher workforce. Celebrates the support that the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship has offered to aspiring teachers to date and the scholarship's role in growing the diversity of teacher preparation in Illinois. Urges the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to continue to administer …

Adopts the Senate Rules for the 104th General Assembly.

Amends the School Code. Changes the term "foreign language" to "world language" throughout the Code. Provides that a school district may establish a counselor-guided process, with the consent of a student's parent or guardian, under which the student may be exempted from one or both years of the world language requirement to receive a high school diploma beginning with the …

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. With respect to the requirement that, beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, each pupil entering the 9th grade must, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, successfully complete 2 years of foreign language courses, requires a high school to offer 2 years of foreign-language course credit to any …

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. In the definition of "cannabis", provides that "cannabis" does not include hemp, industrial hemp, or Illinois hemp for human consumption as defined and authorized under the Industrial Hemp Act, but includes intoxicating hemp as defined under the Industrial Hemp Act. Amends the Industrial Hemp Act. Revises definitions to conform to federal law. Adds …

Amends the Industrial Hemp Act and the Cannabis Control Act. Makes changes to conform with changes in federal law. Directs the Department of Agriculture, within 12 months of the effective date of the amendatory Act, to adopt rules consistent with the changes in federal law with respect to hemp and industrial hemp reflected in the federal Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative …

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the medical assistance program to provide coverage and reimbursement for a prescribed proteomic blood test to identify and manage the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in pregnant persons. Provides that the test results shall be used to assign care management services and other appropriate interventions to manage risk, prolong pregnancy, and improve outcomes.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Defines "video programming" and "video streaming service". Provides that, on and after July 1, 2027, a video streaming service that serves consumers residing in the State shall not transmit the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany, consistent with the regulations adopted by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to the …

Creates the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Juvenile Justice Reentry Program Act. Creates a data partnership among the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and the Department of Juvenile Justice to annually gather the following information on the population of youth served …

Appropriates $250,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to be paid to the Chicago Transit Authority to pay for an ambulance equipped with advanced life-saving (ALS) capabilities and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel at the Forest Park Blue Line terminal located at 711 Des Plaines Avenue. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $2,500,000 to the State Board of Education for the purpose of a grant to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's Center for Childhood Resilience for the Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing Statewide Initiative and Resilience-Supportive Schools Illinois program. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes changes to provisions regarding disclosures. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Changes the definition of "prescription and nonprescription medicines and drugs" and "adult use cannabis", beginning on January 1, 2026. …

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows an applicant for a driver's license to submit, with the application for a driver's license, documentation confirming an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder so such information may be included on the person's driver's license. Provides that any such documentation is confidential. Defines "autism spectrum disorder" and "intellectual disability".

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county shall not require a school district organized under the School Code or a park district organized under the Park District Code to provide paid leave to the employees of the school district or park district. Limits home rule powers.

Amends the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Act. Provides that the Commission on Equity and Inclusion shall collect and publish on its websites all relevant supplier diversity reports submitted to any State agency to provide a comprehensive review of all reports for the benefit of the public, particularly diverse business owners seeking to contract with companies or organizations that administer …

Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a medical professional. Defines "medical professional". Requires the medical professional to explain to the parent …

Amends the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article of the School Code. Provides that a teacher evaluation plan shall prohibit an evaluator from using artificial intelligence tools to perform teacher evaluation tasks.

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision in the Medical Assistance Article concerning safety-net hospitals, provides that, subject to federal approval, reimbursement rates for inpatient hospital services in effect January 1, 2025 under the All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Groups system shall be increased by 10% for safety-net hospitals; and reimbursement rates for outpatient hospital services in effect January …

Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that the Business Enterprise Program shall (rather than may) establish uniform standards for calculating contract specific Business Enterprise Program goals for all State contracts and State construction contracts subject to the Act. Provides that no State agency or public institution of higher education shall maintain a policy …

Amends the School Code. In a provision regarding an optional alternative evaluative dismissal process for teacher evaluations, removes the definition of and references to "student growth components". Makes the following changes in the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article: Removes the definitions of and references to "implementation date", "Race to the Top Grant", and "School Improvement Grant". Provides that, beginning July …

Creates the Hemp Consumer Products Act. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; prohibitions and compliance; applications and licensing for hemp consumer product manufacturers; requirements for licensees; registration of hemp consumer CBD products; requirements of hemp consumer CBD products; packaging and labeling of hemp consumer CBD products; testing requirements; marketing and sale of hemp consumer CBD products; penalties; the administration and enforcement …

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. In provisions concerning appeals of the Department of Human Services' determination of services charges, removes all references to the Board of Reimbursement Appeals and instead provides that appeal hearings shall be conducted in accordance with specified Department rules and provisions under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and that a final administrative decision …

Amends the Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care Facilities Act. Includes an establishment under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act in the definition of "facility". Makes a conforming change in a the definition of "resident's representative".

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for distribution to Area Agencies on Aging for services provided under the Family Caregiver Act. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act. Provides that all general operating expenses for public universities shall be distributed by the Board of Higher Education through a funding formula for eligible public institutions and shall be administered by the Board. Defines "eligible public institution". Sets forth provisions concerning the adequacy targets and resource profiles of eligible public institutions. …