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SPONSORED LEGISLATION
HB5451 - DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
Mary Beth Canty, Joyce Mason, Camille Lilly
Last updated 8 months ago
50 Co-Sponsors
Creates the Department of Early Childhood Act. Creates the Department of Early Childhood to begin operation on July 1, 2024 and transfers to it certain rights, powers, duties, and functions currently exercised by various agencies of State Government. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026 the Department of Early Childhood shall be the lead State agency for administering and providing early childhood education and care programs and services to children and families including: home-visiting services; early intervention services; preschool services; child care services; licensing for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes; and other early childhood education and care programs and administrative functions historically managed by the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that the Department of Early Childhood (rather than the Department of Children and Family Services) administers day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes. Makes conforming changes to various Acts including the Department of Human Services Act, the Illinois Early Learning Council Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Early Intervention Services System Act and the Children and Family Services Act. Effective immediately, except the provisions amending the Child Care Act of 1969 take effect July 1, 2026.
STATUS
Introduced
HB5538 - DIVISION OF FIN INST-VARIOUS
Mark L. Walker
Last updated 8 months ago
1 Co-Sponsor
Amends the Financial Institutions Code. Changes the name of the Code to the Financial Institutions Act. Makes conforming changes, including in the Collection Agency Act. Provides that the Division of Financial Institutions may receive and investigate complaints made about regulated persons; keep records of all registrations or other authorizations; issue orders and fines; require information or reports from regulated persons; examine activities, books, and records of regulated persons; defray operating and implementation expenses of administering the Act and other laws; enter into cooperative agreements; prescribe the forms of and receive applications or other authorizations and all reports, books, and records required to be made by regulated persons; subpoena documents and witnesses and administer oaths; appoint examiners, supervisors, experts, and special assistants; and investigate and take actions reasonably necessary to prohibit and stop unlicensed activity. Allows the Division to make and implement specified rules. Repeals provisions relating to the transfer of powers, rights, and duties from various former Departments to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides for a Director of the Division appointed by the Governor to report to the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that any Illinois circuit court may enter an order to enforce subpoenas issued by the Division. Requires regulated persons to maintain character and fitness to justify confidence of the public. Provides for the Secretary to enter into consent orders or settlement agreements with regulated persons. Provides exceptions for some forms of financial interest in any financial institutions under the Division's jurisdiction. Amends the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Payday Loan Reform Act. Provides that the Director may fine a person doing business without the required license. Amends the Currency Exchange Act. Provides that all rules and directions, which are of a general character, shall be made available in electronic form to all licensees within 10 days after filing and any changes shall be emailed (rather than mailed) to all licensees. Amends the Sales Finance Agency Act. Provides that the Department may deny an application for a sales finance agency license for any of the grounds listed in the Financial Institutions Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Introduced
HB5565 - $DCEO-QUANTUM SCIENCE
Mark L. Walker
Last updated 8 months ago
1 Co-Sponsor
Appropriates $5,000,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant for costs associated with the creation or expansion of a quantum information science facility and related equipment designed to advance quantum information science research and development. Effective July 1, 2024.
STATUS
Introduced
HB5655 - HIGHER ED-NATL GUARD/RESERVIST
Stephanie A. Kifowit, Daniel M. Swanson, Mark L. Walker
Last updated about 1 month ago
41 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that the governing board of each public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy to allow a student who is a member of the National Guard of any state, the District of Columbia, a commonwealth, or a territory of the United States or any reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States to submit classwork and complete any other class assignments missed due to the student participating in a drill required as a member of the National Guard or the reserve component.
STATUS
Passed
HB4855 - LICENSE CONVENIENCE ACT
Tony M. McCombie, Fred Crespo, Wayne Arthur Rosenthal
Last updated 8 months ago
9 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administration Code of Illinois. Requires (instead of allows) the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to accept payment by credit card for any fee, fine, or other charge that it is authorized by law to collect. Requires (instead of allows) the Department to accept payment through a third-party payment agent of any fee, fine, or other charges to the Department.
STATUS
Introduced
HB5065 - CRIM CD-SAFE STORAGE FIREARMS
Maura Hirschauer, Nabeela Syed, Matt Hanson
Last updated 8 months ago
14 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the Public Act may be referred to as the Safe Firearm Storage Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to store or leave a firearm outside of that person's immediate possession or control (rather than within premises under his or her control if the person knows or has reason to believe that a minor under the age of 14 years who does not have a Firearm Owners Identification Card is likely to gain access to the firearm without the lawful permission of the minor's parent, guardian, or person having charge of the minor, and the minor causes death or great bodily harm with the firearm) unless the firearm is secured in a manner that renders it inaccessible to anyone but the owner or another lawfully authorized user: (1) by a device or mechanism, other than the firearm safety, designed to render a firearm temporarily inoperable; or (2) locked box or container. Deletes provisions that the law does not apply: (1) if a minor under 14 years of age gains access to a firearm and uses it in a lawful act of self-defense or defense of another; or (2) to any firearm obtained by a minor under the age of 14 because of an unlawful entry of the premises by the minor or another person. Deletes a provision that the firearm may be placed in some other location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure from a minor under the age of 14 years. Effective January 1, 2025.
STATUS
Introduced
HB4596 - PAID LEAVE FOR ALL-EMPLOYEE
Joyce Mason, Matt Hanson, Nabeela Syed
Last updated 8 months ago
36 Co-Sponsors
Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that an employee covered by federal regulations concerning airline flight crew employees shall be deemed to work 40 hours in each work week for the purpose of the accrual of paid leave.
STATUS
Introduced
HB0793 - STATE GOVERNMENT-TECH
Theresa Mah, Lilian Jimenez, Lindsey LaPointe
Last updated 4 months ago
56 Co-Sponsors
Reinserts the provisions of House Amendment No. 1 with the following changes. Further amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to eliminate on December 31, 2029 (rather than July 1, 2027) the use of active or pending certificates authorized under Section 14(c) the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in partnership with the Department of Human Services, to file an amendment to the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities authorized under the Social Security Act to increase the rates for the following waiver services: Supported Employment - Small Group Supports. Requires the amendment to be filed by January 1, 2025. Removes provisions creating a Transition Grant Fund and instead provides that the Department shall establish a Section 14(c) transition program to award transition grants to eligible community agencies with active or pending Section 14(c) certificates to aid in the transition away from subminimum wages for workers with disabilities. Provides that eligibility for the grants shall be contingent upon community agencies submitting a transition plan. Requires the Department to provide example plans that community agencies may adapt and to award transition program grant funds by January 1, 2025 in compliance with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Contains provisions on appropriate uses for the grant funds. Requires the Department to submit annual status reports to the Governor and the General Assembly that include data on each grant recipient to demonstrate progress toward identified benchmarks. Further amends the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force Act. In provisions requiring the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force to create a multi-year plan to eliminate Section 14(c) certificates, requires the Task Force to create the multi-year plan with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and an academic partner with relevant subject matter expertise. Provides that the multi-year plan shall help the State to successfully eliminate the use of Section 14(c) certificates on December 31, 2029 (rather than July 1, 2027). Sets forth certain considerations the Task Force must make when developing the multi-year plan; data and analysis to be included in the multi-year plan; and other matters. Provides that the Task Force shall consult with employment service providers, people with disabilities, disability trade associations, and disability advocacy organizations in the development of the multi-year plan. Requires the Governor to appoint at least 2 additional members to the Task Force who represent organizations that are current Section 14(c) certificate holders. Provides that the Director of Labor, or the Director's designee, shall serve on the Task Force in a non-voting, advisory capacity until July 1, 2025. Further amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code concerning personal needs allowance increases for residents of community-integrated living arrangements. Further amends the Minimum Wage Law. Permits the Director of Labor to issue regulations for the employment of learners at wages lower than the wage rate applicable under the Act. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Engrossed
HB5463 - STATE PARKS-ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Laura Faver Dias, Maurice A. West, Mark L. Walker
Last updated 8 months ago
9 Co-Sponsors
Amends the State Parks Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with representatives of federally recognized indigenous tribes, shall create land acknowledgments for each of the State parks. Provides that these land acknowledgments shall be physically displayed in a prominent place within the State park, as well as on the State park page of the website of the Department of Natural Resources.
STATUS
Introduced
HJR0058 - HISTORY DAY
Jackie Haas, Laura Faver Dias, Katie Stuart
Last updated 4 months ago
20 Co-Sponsors
Declares June 15, 2024 as History Day in the State of Illinois. Recognizes all those who volunteer at historical societies in Illinois for all they do to preserve and spread our history.
STATUS
Passed
BIOGRAPHY
INCUMBENT
Representative from Illinois district HD-053
COMMITTEES
Illinois House
BIRTH
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ABOUT
Mark L. Walker grew up working on his family's farm in Florida. After graduating high school, he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Walker served in the U.S. Army for over two decades as a helicopter pilot and company commander. After retiring from the military, Walker founded XSperto Consulting Group. He also teaches economics and finance courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Walker ran for Florida's 6th Congressional District in 2014 and 2016 before winning the seat in 2018.read less
OFFICES HELD
Illinois House from Illinois
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