This is an updated list of bills for the Spring 2004 session that Illinois NOW is monitoring. This is the list that we will be lobbying on our March 24 Lobby Day.

 

Civil Rights                                 

Bill #        Sponsor             Title of Bill       

SB3211            Harmon                       Right to Breastfeed Act

Creates the Right to Breastfeed Act     Senate 2nd Reading

SB2597          Ronen                          Human Rights-Sex Orientation

Amends the Human Rights Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed as requiring any employer, employment agency, or labor organization to give preferential treatment or special rights or implement affirmative action policies or programs based on sexual orientation. Provides that discrimination against a person because of his or her sexual orientation constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to engage in blockbusting in real estate because of the present or prospective entry of persons with a particular sexual orientation into the vicinity. Provides that the owner of an owner-occupied residential building with 5 or fewer units is not prohibited from making decisions regarding whether to rent to a person based upon that person's sexual orientation. Defines "sexual orientation". Provides that an employer, employment agency, or labor organization is not prohibited from enforcing a reasonable dress code.  Senate Rules

SB2878          Sandoval                     Human Rights-Attorney General

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that the Attorney General may commence a civil action in the name of the People of the State of Illinois as parens patriae to enforce the Act. Provides for venue and limitations. Provides that remedies are available to the Attorney General to the same extent that remedies are available to an aggrieved party, and that, in addition to those remedies, the court shall award the State, as monetary relief, 3 times the amount of profits that accrued to the respondent by reason of the act, conduct, practice, or system challenged in the action, plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee as determined by the court. Provides that the court shall: require that damages for injuries sustained by persons other than the State be paid to those persons (with certain exceptions) to the extent they are identifiable and there is a practicable method for making the payment; and direct that damages that cannot practicably be paid to injured individuals shall be paid to the State. Provides for notice by publication or other means to aggrieved parties who may be bound by the court's judgment in the Attorney General's action and the right of any aggrieved party to elect to exclude his or her claim from adjudication. Provides that the Attorney General may intervene as parens patriae on behalf of persons in civil actions brought by aggrieved individuals under the Act. Effective immediately. Senate 2nd Reading

 

SB2946          Harmon                       IL Civil Rights Act of 2003

Provides that any party aggrieved by conduct that violates the Act may bring a civil lawsuit in federal or State circuit court (instead of just a State circuit court). Provides that any State claim brought in federal district court shall be a supplemental claim to a federal claim. Provides that the court may grant as relief any permanent or preliminary negative or mandatory injunction. Removes language concerning punitive damages.

Senate 2nd Reading - amended   NOW OPPOSED


HB3980        Bellock                         Human Rights-Sex Harassment- Education

Amends provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act prohibiting sexual harassment in higher education so that they also apply to sexual harassment in elementary schools and high schools. Effective immediately. House 2nd Reading
 

HB4275          Millner                        Crim Code-Unauthorized Taping

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that the offense of unauthorized videotaping consists of knowingly making a video record or transmission of live video made in violation of the statute (rather than videotaping, photographing, or filming). Exempts from a violation the making of a video record or transmission of live video in a locker room by a reporter or news medium, where the reporter or news medium has been granted access to the locker room by an appropriate authority for the purpose of conducting interviews. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed a device that makes a video record or transmits a live video in violation of the statute. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to, by any means, knowingly disseminate, or permit to be disseminated, a video record or live video that he or she knows to have been made or transmitted in violation of the statute. Establishes penalties for these violations.  House 3rd Reading-amended
 

Economic Justice  

HB 4439        Yarbrough                       Human Rights-Source of Income

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. With respect to real estate transactions, prohibits discrimination on the basis of source of income. Effective immediately.

House 2nd Reading

SB2579        Obama                          Hospital Discriminatory Pricing

Creates the Hospital Discriminatory Pricing Reform Act and amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires every hospital to develop an "assistance to the uninsured" policy specifying how the hospital will determine the financial liability for services rendered to uninsured patients. Requires that the policy address charity care. Requires notice of the policy to patients. Limits debt collection activities by a hospital. Provides that a violation of the Hospital Discriminatory Pricing Reform Act may subject a hospital to suspension or revocation of its license. Also provides for civil penalties and for a private right of action. Effective immediately.   Senate 2nd Reading

 

SB2900        Garrett                         DHS-TANF-Child Care Rates

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services, in consultation with its Child Care and Development Advisory Council, to develop a comprehensive plan to revise the State's rates for the various types of child care provided for TANF recipients. Requires completion of the plan by September 30, 2004. Effective immediately.    Passed Senate - House 1st Reading

 

SB2962        Jones, E.                       Women Business-Extend Repeal

Amends the Women's Business Ownership Act. Provides that the Act is repealed on September 1, 2025 (now September 1, 2025). Effective immediately. Senate 2nd Readg

 

SB3037        Trotter                         Public Aid-Federal Funding TANF

Amends the State Finance Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that federal funds received by the Illinois Department of Human Services under Title IV for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families as reimbursement for expenditures made from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) appropriations for costs of providing services in behalf of DCFS clients shall be deposited quarterly into the DCFS Children's Services Fund in amounts specified by interagency agreement between both agencies and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. (Under current law, 80% of those federal funds shall be deposited into the DCFS Children's Services Fund.) Effective immediately.   Senate 2nd Reading
 

HB 4870      Kelly                               Public Aid-Child Care Rates

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning child care for TANF recipients, provides that beginning July 1, 2004, the rates paid by the Department of Human Services to all providers of child care services who are licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 shall be increased by an amount equal to 2% of the rates in effect on June 30, 2004. Effective July 1, 2004.  House 2nd Reading


 Family Law 

 

SB2496      Cullerton                       Adoption Act-Consents

Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that the sole purpose of notice shall be to enable the person receiving the notice to appear in the adoption proceedings to present evidence to the court relevant to whether the consent or surrender of the person to the adoption is required by the Act (instead of to present evidence to the court relevant to the best interests of the child). Provides that, if the court determines that the consent or surrender of the person is not required, then the person shall not be entitled to participate in the proceedings or to any further notice of the proceedings.

Senate 2nd Reading

 
SB2690       Crotty                            Child Support-Unpaid Arrearage

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, the Non-Support Punishment Act, the Income Withholding for Support Act, and the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984. Provides that if there is an unpaid arrearage or delinquency equal to at least one month's support obligation on the termination date stated in the order for support or, if there is no termination date stated in the order, on the date the child attains the age of majority or is otherwise emancipated, then the periodic amount required to be paid for current support of that child immediately prior to that date shall automatically continue to be an obligation, not as current support but as periodic payment toward satisfaction of the unpaid arrearage or delinquency. Provides that the periodic payment shall be in addition to any periodic payment previously required for satisfaction of the arrearage or delinquency. Provides that each order for support entered or modified on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act must contain a statement notifying the parties of these requirements. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2004.   Senate 2nd Reading

SB2895       Martinez                        Marriage Act-Child Support

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Child and Spouse Support Unit to establish the Child Support Military Modification program that shall provide for modification of child support paid by any member of the National Guard or Reserves of the United States Armed Forces called up to military active duty for more than 30 continuous days. Requires the Illinois Department of Public Aid to publish and distribute a publication reasonably calculated to inform members of the National Guard and the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces of the Child Support Military Modification Program. Effective immediately.  Senate 2nd Readg-

NOW OPPOSED 

                    

Reproductive Rights/Women's Health

SB2581        Obama                           Health Care Justice Act

Creates the Health Care Justice Act. Provides that by July 1, 2007, the State of Illinois shall implement a health care access plan that provides access to a full range of preventive, acute, and long-term health care services and contains other features. Establishes the Adequate Health Care Task Force with members appointed by the Governor. Provides for public hearings and requires a final report from the Task Force by March 15, 2006. Requires enactment of legislation by December 31, 2006. Effective July 1, 2004.  Senate 2nd Reading-amended
 

SB2729        Martinez                       Med Prac-Pelvic Exams

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that a physician or a student undertaking a course of professional instruction or a clinical training program may not perform a pelvic examination on an anesthetized or unconscious female patient unless (1) the patient gave informed consent to the pelvic examination, (2) the performance of a pelvic examination is within the scope of care for the surgical procedure or diagnostic examination to be performed on the patient, or (3) in the case of an unconscious patient, the pelvic examination is required for diagnostic purposes.
Senate 2nd Reading

 

HB6577        Feigenholtz                  Emergency Contraception Drugs

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act of 1987 and the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to allow pharmacists to initiate emergency contraception drug therapy without a prescription. Requires the pharmacist to provide the recipient of the emergency contraception drugs with a standardized fact sheet.  House 2nd Reading 

 

Violence Against Women                

 

SB2495        Cullerton                       Order of Protection (ICADV Bill)

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. Requires that, in an emergency order of protection and an interim or plenary order of protection, specified language be stated.  Senate 2nd Reading
 

HB4288        Poe                                Crim Corr DV-Fine 

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Increases the domestic violence fine and the sexual assault fine from $100 to $200.  House 2nd Reading

 

HB4424        Osterman                     Sexual Assault Evidence

Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the statewide sexual assault evidence collection program shall also consist of comparing the collected evidence from a sexual assault with the genetic marker grouping analysis information maintained by the Department of State Police and with the information contained in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National DNA database for the purpose of identifying and assisting in the prosecution of a person suspected of committing a sexual assault. House 2nd Reading
 

 

HB 4538        Bailey                        Crim Cde-Harassing Witness   (ICADV Bill)

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that the offense of harassing a witness also applies to the harassment of a person or the family member of a person who was expected to serve as a witness but who was not called as a witness because the defendant pleaded guilty to the offense charged or because the charges against the defendant were dismissed. Effective immediately.   House 2nd Reading

HB4739        Lyons                          Crim Cde-Sexual Assault (ICASA Bill)

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Eliminates the provision that a prosecution of a spouse of a victim for any violation by the victim's spouse for criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse is barred unless the victim reported the offense to a law enforcement agency or the State's Attorney's office within 30 days after the offense was committed, except when the court finds good cause for the delay. House 2nd Reading

 

HB4771        Dugan                            Crim Cde-Sex Assault

Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Eliminates the 48 hour time requirement after the collection of the sample in which an alleged sexual assault survivor must return to the hospital performing the sample analysis of all controlled substances and alcohol ingested by the alleged victim a signed written authorization in order to have the sample analysis performed. Effective immediately. Amended to provide that a sample analysis of a victim of sexual assault to determine if the person has been administered a controlled substance without his or her consent may not be performed unless the victim returns a signed written authorization within 30 days (rather than 48 hours) after the sample was collected.   House 3rd Reading

HB 5061        Mendoza                    Sexual Assault Fine     (ICASA Bill)

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that the provision that a person incarcerated on a bailable offense who does not supply bail and against whom a fine is levied on conviction of the offense shall be allowed a credit of $5 for each day incarcerated does not apply to a person incarcerated for sexual assault. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Includes the offenses of sexual exploitation of a child and ritualized abuse of a child in the definition of sexual assault for the purpose of the imposition of the fine for the commission or attempted commission of a sexual assault.    House 2nd Reading