LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM EQUIP FOR EQUALITY
February 11, 2018
The following are disability-related bills and/or issues pending in the Illinois General Assembly that are scheduled to be heard in committee during the week of February 11, 2019:
House Executive Committee
February 13, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
Room 118, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 195, Representative La Shawn K. Ford
Amends the Election Code. Provides that for the 2020 general primary election, each election authority shall mail to every registered voter within that election authority’s jurisdiction a vote by mail ballot. Provides that this provision is inoperative the day after the date of the 2020 general primary election. Provides that for any local election following the 2020 general primary election, a city may adopt an ordinance or resolution permitting the election authority with jurisdiction over the city to send every registered voter residing within that city a vote by mail ballot. Provides that if a city adopts the ordinance or resolution, then the election authority with jurisdiction over the city must mail every registered voter residing within that city a vote by mail ballot. Provides that ballots under the provisions must be mailed to voters a reasonable amount of time before the date of the election. Provides that the receipt of a ballot under the provisions does not prevent a voter from instead casting a ballot in person. Provides that the State Board of Elections may adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions.
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HB 243, Representative Thomas M. Bennett
Amends the Election Code. Requires Voters Identification Cards for those who do not have an acceptable photo ID. Sets forth requirements and exemptions. Provides that any person desiring to vote shall present to the judges of election for verification of the person’s identity a government-issued photo identification card or his or her Voter Identification Card.
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HB 257, Representative La Shawn K. Ford
Amends the Election Code. Provides that for the 2020 general primary election and each election thereafter, each election authority shall mail to every registered voter within that election authority’s jurisdiction a vote by mail ballot. Provides that ballots under the provisions must be sent to voters in a reasonable amount of time before the date of the election. Provides that the receipt of a ballot does not prevent a voter from instead casting a ballot in person. Provides that the State Board of Elections may adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions.
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House Judiciary-Criminal Committee
February 13, 2109, 2:00 p.m.
Room C-1, Stratton Building
Springfield, IL
HB 182, Representative La Shawn K. Ford
Creates the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act. Provides that a committed person may not be placed in isolated confinement for more than 10 consecutive days. Provides that a committed person may not be placed in isolated confinement for more than 10 days in any 180-day period. Provides that while out of cell, committed persons may have access to activities, including, but not limited, to: job assignments, educational classes, vocational classes, meals, recreation, yard or gymnasium, day room, medical appointments, visits, and group therapy. Provides exceptions. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall post on the Department’s official website quarterly reports on the use of isolated confinement. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2020, except that some provisions effective immediately.
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HB 283, Representative David McSweeney
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that the Department of State Police shall annually compile and submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly no later than May 31 of each calendar year on the number of persons reported as posing a clear and present danger to themselves or others by persons required to report that information to the Department of State Police under the Code. Provides that the report shall be based on information submitted by each county, municipality, public elementary or secondary school, private elementary or secondary school, or public or private community college, college, or university of the State without disclosing individual identifying information of the persons who pose the clear and present danger to themselves or others. Provides that if the person who poses the clear and present danger is reported by home address and the person attends a school, college, or university, then the compilation shall only include that individual once in the report for the total annual compilation.
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House Transportation: Vehicles & Safety Committee
February 13, 2019, 3:00 p.m.
Room 115, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 188, Representative La Shawn K. Ford
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may issue special registration plates designated as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness license plates. Provides that the original fee and renewal fee shall be $25. Creates the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Fund. Makes corresponding changes in the State Finance Act.
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House Human Services Committee
February 14, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
Room C-1, Stratton Building
Springfield, IL
HB 176, Representative Mary E. Flowers
Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that a redetermination of eligibility for medical assistance benefits shall be conducted once every 12 months.
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HB 178, Representative Mary E. Flowers
Amends the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act. Provides that licenses for community mental health or developmental services agencies are valid for one year (rather than 3 years). Provides that an agency licensed under the Act or a community-integrated living arrangement certified by an agency must maintain for public inspection copies of investigative reports and surveys conducted by the Department of Human Services. Provides that the Department must prepare a quarterly report detailing violations of the Act by an agency licensed under the Act or a community-integrated living arrangement certified by an agency and must publish the report on its website. Provides that the report must include the name and address of each agency and community-integrated living arrangement that violates the Act.
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HB 344, Representative Thomas M. Bennett
Creates the Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Community-Integrated Living Arrangements and Developmental Disability Facilities Act. Provides that under certain conditions, a resident of a living arrangement certified under the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act and a resident of a developmental disability facility shall be permitted to use an audio and video surveillance system in his or her room at his or her own expense. Requires the electronic monitoring device to be placed in a conspicuously visible location in the room. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a program to distribute specified funds each year for the purchase and installation of electronic monitoring devices. Establishes criminal penalties for a person or entity that knowingly hampers, obstructs, tampers with, or destroys an electronic monitoring device. Contains provisions concerning: resident and roommate consent to monitoring; notice of electronic monitoring to the staff and visitors; limitations on the staff’s access to recordings; the admissibility of recordings in civil, criminal, and administrative actions; staff reporting; liability; and rulemaking. Makes other changes. Amends the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act and Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code to make conforming changes. Provides that it is a business offense for a person to discriminate or retaliate against a resident for consenting to the electronic monitoring, or to prevent the installation or use of an electronic monitoring device by a resident who has provided specified notice and consent. Makes other changes.
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House Mental Health Committee
February 14, 2019, 9:30 a.m.
Room 118, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 219, Representative Mary E. Flowers
Creates the Children’s Mental Health Local Integrated Fund Act. Creates local children’s mental health collaboratives. Defines “local children’s mental health collaborative” as an entity formed by the agreement of representatives of the local system of care, including mental health services, social services, correctional services, education services, health services, and vocational services for the purpose of developing and governing an integrated service system. Provides that, to qualify as a local children’s mental health collaborative and be eligible to receive start-up funds, the representatives of the local system of care and nongovernmental entities such as parents of children in the target population; parent and consumer organizations; community, civic, and religious organizations; private and nonprofit mental and physical health care providers; culturally specific organizations; local foundations; and businesses, or at a minimum one county, one school district or special education cooperative, one mental health entity, and one juvenile justice or corrections entity, must agree to the following: (1) to establish a local children’s mental health collaborative and develop an integrated service system; (2) to commit resources to providing services through the local children’s mental health collaborative; and (3) to develop a plan to contribute funds to the children’s mental health collaborative.
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HB 907, Representative John Connor
Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Directs the Department to create and maintain an online database and resource page on its website. Provides that the page shall contain mental health resources specifically geared towards school counselors, parents, and teachers with the goal of connecting those people with mental health resources related to bullying and school shootings and encouraging information sharing among educational administrators, school security personnel, and school resource officers.
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HB 908, Representative Jonathan Carroll
Creates the Higher Education Mental Health Act. Provides for legislative findings and purposes. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish the Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education; provides for the membership and meetings of the Commission. Requires the Commission to conduct a study and prepare reports for the Higher Education Committee of the House of Representatives and the Higher Education Committee of the Senate; specifies the report’s requirements. Provides that the Commission is dissolved on the day after it submits its final report. Repeals the Act on June 1, 2023.
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House Revenue & Finance Committee
February 14, 2019, 9:30 a.m.
Room 122B, Capitol Building
Springfield, IL
HB 184, Representative La Shawn K. Ford
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax checkoff for the Mental Health Income Tax Checkoff Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund may be used by the Department of Public Health for the purpose of making grants to providers of mental health services in the State.
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HB 368, Representative Patrick Windhorst
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities carries over to the benefit of the veteran’s surviving spouse if the veteran resided outside of the State but otherwise qualified for the exemption at the time of his or her death and the surviving spouse relocates to Illinois after the death of the veteran.
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HB 369, Representative Lindsay Parkhurst
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction in an amount equal to the out-of-pocket costs incurred by a taxpayer during the taxable year for expenses associated with long-term care for the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s family member.
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The Senate is not in session during the week of February 11th.
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NOTE: If you wish to take any action regarding any of these bills/issues, you may wish to attend the committee hearing and/or contact the members of the Committee conducting the hearing and/or the legislators in your home district. The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all legislators, both Representatives and Senators, can be found on the Illinois General Assembly website at: www.ilga.gov. You may check this website to find out if any of the committee hearing dates or times have been changed, which may happen upon very short notice. You may also use this website to file an electronic witness slip for any bill that is posted for hearing by clicking on “GA Dashboard” on the homepage.
For additional information, please contact:
Cheryl R. Jansen
Public Policy Director
Equip for Equality
cherylj2@equipforequality.org
217-544-0464 ext. 6013
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