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SPONSORED LEGISLATION
HB4781 - DCFS-KINSHIP IN DEMAND
Marcus C. Evans, Mary E. Flowers, Debbie Meyers-Martin
Last updated 4 months ago
43 Co-Sponsors
Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act. Provides that the KIND Act creates the statutory vision and authority for the Department of Children and Family Services to execute a kin-first approach to service delivery and directs the juvenile courts to provide necessary oversight of the Department's obligations to maintain family connections and promote equitable opportunities for youth and families to thrive with relational permanence. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Contains provisions concerning Department rules on relative and licensed foster care; grants to subsidized guardians of hard-to-place children; a requirement on the Department to make diligent efforts to place a child with a relative; documentation of the Department's reasons for failing to secure a relative placement; foster care maintenance payments for relatives who qualify for certification as a relative caregiver home under the Child Care Act of 1969; subsidized guardianship support services for children and their guardians; certification and background checks on persons seeking relative caregiver approval; annual reports regarding relative and certified relative caregiver placements; performance audits; and other matters. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires the Department to adopt standards for certified relative caregiver family homes that are different from licensing standards used for non-relative foster family homes. Contains provisions concerning background screenings of prospective relative caregiver homes; a requirement that the Department assist prospective certified relative caregivers with completing the steps required for approval as a certified relative caregiver home; orientation activities for certified relative caregivers; and other matters. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes changes to provisions concerning "best interest" determinations; court assessments on the Department's effort to place a minor with a relative; inquiries by a court on the Department's family finding and relative engagement efforts; required notification to a minor's located relatives that the minor has been removed from the custody of the minor's parents; and other matters. Some provisions take effect immediately, some provisions take effect January 1, 2025 and some provisions take effect July 1, 2025.
STATUS
Engrossed
HB5610 - POWERING UP ILLINOIS ACT
Curtis J. Tarver, Ann M. Williams, Joyce Mason
Last updated 8 months ago
26 Co-Sponsors
Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Changes all instances of "electric corporation" to "electric utility". Provides that an electric utility that operates within the State shall allow customers seeking energization to elect an optional flexible connection agreement, meaning a tariffed, voluntary utility offering that requires customers to agree to specified service levels as a requirement of energization or interconnection, through the use of load management technology that limits the net import and export of electricity at the point of common coupling to remain within the rated capacity limits of a customer's existing service connection or distribution circuit, either on a permanent basis or to allow for immediate project operations before service or distribution system upgrades are completed. Describes considerations the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require an electric utility to include in its internal distribution planning process and in the development of the Multi-Year Integrated Grid Plans required under the Public Utilities Act (rather than considerations the electric utility shall be required to include in its distribution planning process only). Requires the load and electrification forecasts of electric utilities to include scenarios that are consistent with achieving the various laws, standards, plans, and regulations referenced in the Act. Provides that, if the solutions set forth in the Act cannot defer or mitigate an upgrade, then the electric utility shall evaluate traditional system upgrades (rather than may evaluate traditional system upgrades). Sets forth requirements to ensure the safety and reliability of electrical infrastructure associated with charging electric vehicles. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Introduced
HB4846 - BUSINESS ENTERPRISE ACT
Curtis J. Tarver, Sonya M. Harper, Yolonda Morris
Last updated 5 months ago
4 Co-Sponsors
Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with changes. Further amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act to define the term "goal". Removes provisions from the introduced bill providing that no State agency or public institution of higher education shall maintain a policy of establishing contract specific goals for the participation of certified vendors that is inconsistent with or less stringent than the uniform standards for calculating contract specific goals established by the Business Enterprise Program. Removes provisions requiring State agencies and public institutions of higher education to submit reports to the Business Enterprise Council. Removes provisions from the introduced bill concerning procedures for determining whether a vendor has made good faith efforts to meet the contract goals. Provides that the Business Enterprise Program may (in the introduced bill, shall) establish uniform standards for calculating contract specific Business Enterprise Program goals for State contracts and State construction contracts. Provides that, for the purposes of those provisions, the terms "State contract" and "State construction contract" do not include grants from State agencies to grantees for capital improvements or operational expenses.
STATUS
Engrossed
HB4475 - INS CD-BEHAVIORIAL HEALTH
Lindsey LaPointe, Maurice A. West, Jenn Ladisch Douglass
Last updated 5 months ago
47 Co-Sponsors
Reinserts the provisions of the bill, as amended by House Amendment No. 1, with the following changes. Provides that 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, 2026, or any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer, reimbursement for in-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment services delivered by Illinois providers and facilities must be equal to or greater than 141% of the Medicare rate for the mental health or substance use disorder service delivered (rather than on average, at least as favorable as professional services provided by in-network primary care providers). Removes language providing that reimbursement rates for services paid to Illinois mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers and facilities do not meet the required standard unless the reimbursement rates are, on average, equal to or greater than 141% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for the same service. 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 (rather than $5,000) for each violation. Excludes health care plans serving Medicaid populations that provide, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse the cost of any health care service for persons 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. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Engrossed
HB4469 - FIREARMS-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Maura Hirschauer, Edgar Gonzalez, Sonya M. Harper
Last updated 8 months ago
5 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act to include in the definition of "petitioner" an intimate partner. Amends the Protective Orders Article of the Code of Criminal Procedures of 1963 and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that, if the petitioner seeks a court order prohibiting the respondent from possessing firearms, firearm ammunition, and firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm, the court shall immediately issue a search warrant directing seizure of firearms at the time an ex parte or final order of protection is issued, if the court finds, based upon sworn testimony, that: (1) probable cause exists that the respondent possesses firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm; (2) probable cause exists to believe that the respondent poses a danger of causing personal injury to the petitioner or child and that the danger is imminent and present; and (3) probable cause exists that firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm are located at the residence, vehicle, or other property of the respondent. Provides that a finding of probable cause for a warrant upon oral testimony may be based on the same kind of evidence as is sufficient for a warrant upon affidavit. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Introduced
SB3209 - PROP TX-CHARITABLE EXEMPTION
Karina Villa, Tracy Katz Muhl, Anne M. Stava-Murray
Last updated about 2 months ago
30 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning charitable exemptions granted to limited liability companies, removes a requirement that the limited liability company must be a disregarded entity for federal and Illinois income tax purposes. Effective immediately.
STATUS
Passed
HB0545 - PUBLIC AID-TECH
Emanuel Welch, Joyce Mason, Margaret Noble Croke
Last updated over 1 year ago
18 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the purpose of the Medical Assistance Article.
STATUS
Introduced
HB5789 - $DCEO-FOREST PRESERVE
Jawaharial Williams, Justin D. Slaughter, Mary Beth Canty
Last updated 6 months ago
14 Co-Sponsors
Appropriates the amount of $709,500 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for the administration and operation of Greencorps Chicago and Forest Preserve Experience programs within the Conservation Corps program. Effective July 1, 2024.
STATUS
Introduced
SB3235 - FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS-STUDY
Christopher Belt, Karina Villa, William Cunningham
Last updated about 2 months ago
25 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act. Requires the Commission on Equity and Inclusion to conduct studies to: (1) identify and delineate geographies in Illinois exhibiting significant disparities by protected classes as identified by the Human Rights Act with respect to access to financial products or services and lending and investments by covered financial institutions; (2) identify policies, procedures, patterns, or practices that have or may have a disparate impact or discriminatory effect; and (3) identify opportunities for establishing and growing Banking Development Districts in geographic locations where there are the greatest underbanked and unbanked populations and opportunities for partnerships between depository institutions and local communities. Authorizes the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation to implement the findings and other results from such studies into the examination process through rules adopted in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that any costs incurred by the Commission in conducting such studies shall be subject to appropriation. Directs the Commission to provide reports of its findings and furnish copies of the reports to the General Assembly and the Secretary. Requires the results of every study performed under the Act to be publicly available on the websites of the Commission and the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the Commission may contract with a qualified person or entity to design and conduct the studies. Amends the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Act. Provides that the Commission is responsible for completing those studies under the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act. Effective January 1, 2025.
STATUS
Passed
SB3219 - GROCERY INITIATIVE-GRANTS
Doris Turner, Patrick J. Joyce, Christopher Belt
Last updated about 2 months ago
32 Co-Sponsors
Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may, subject to appropriation, provide grants for equipment upgrades for farmer-owned grocery stores or markets.
STATUS
Passed
BIOGRAPHY
INCUMBENT
Representative from Illinois district HD-006
COMMITTEES
Illinois House
BIRTH
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ABOUT
Sonya M. Harper is running as a Democratic candidate for District 29 of the Texas State House. Harper earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Prairie View A&M University. Harper is a social entrepreneur focused on criminal justice reform, expanding civic engagement, and economic inclusion. Harper co-founded and operated Beacon Law, LLC. She also started her own bail bond company. Through these businesses, Harper witnessed the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system firsthand, which inspired her advocacy for reform.read less
OFFICES HELD
Illinois House from Illinois
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