Last week I began highlighting noteworthy bills that take effect on January 1, 2024. In this final newsletter for 2023, I will summarize a few more interesting pieces of legislation that hit the books on January 1 and one that sadly will expire on December 31 as we ring in the new year. I either co-sponsored or voted in favor of all of the bills below (there was no Invest in Kids legislation to kill the program; simply not taking action allowed it to expire).
Invest in Kids Set to Expire as Clock Strikes Midnight
Since the inception of the Invest in Kids program in 2017, more than $330 million in private donations have been made to a tax credit scholarship fund that has provided more than 40,000 scholarships to help low-income K-12 students in struggling schools optimize their chances for academic success by attending a school of their choice.
Now, because legislative Democrats refused to save the program, and Governor JB Pritzker failed to intervene, the program is set to expire as the new year begins. I was a vocal advocate for the continuation of these transformational scholarships, and as the Senate Republican Caucus looks ahead to the new year, this program and the students it serves will continue to be a priority.
I am shown in the photo above with a group of Invest in Kids Scholarship recipients, who traveled to the Capitol in May to lobby for the program’s continuance.
School Safety, Staffing and Work-Based Learning Focus of New Education Laws for 2024
New laws that focus on school safety, incentives for teachers to work in hard-to-staff schools and work-based learning are all on deck for 2024.
Schools will be required to include in their emergency and crisis response plan a rapid entry strategy for law enforcement under House Bill 3559/P.A. 103-0194. Under House Bill 3680/P.A. 103-0197, if a student needs extra accommodation during emergencies, including natural disasters or an active shooter situation, then that accommodation will be considered during the development of that student’s individualized education program (IEP).
Hard-to-staff schools will get a boost in the new year thanks to House Bill 3801/P.A. 103-0207, which provides $4,000 retention bonuses to National Board-Certified Teachers for two consecutive years.
Students seeking to enrich themselves with work-based learning experiences, including scheduled events of the FFA and 4-H programs, will be considered “in attendance” under House Bill 3814/P.A. 103-0560.
New Elections Laws for 2024
A number of changes to Illinois’ election law are coming just in time for the 2024 election cycle under Senate Bill 2123/P.A. 103-0467. Changes include:
- Sponsoring entities of political committees: Removes the requirement for a sponsoring entity to be listed on a political committee’s statement of organization forms submitted to the State Board of Elections (SBE).
- Voter pre-registration for 16-year-olds: Allows 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote. Voter registration applications must be held in abeyance by SBE until they are old enough to vote; then it is sent to the proper election authority.
- Ballot information updates to the statewide voter registration list: For the purpose of adding and updating information maintained on the statewide voter registration list, requires election authorities to transmit, within one day of receipt, certain Vote by Mail (VBM) and early ballot information to SBE. Election authorities must also transmit information on rejected VBM ballots within one day after rejection. If the ballot is cured, it must be removed from the list. Requires SBE to maintain this information on its website and make it accessible to State and local political committees. Requires this information to be updated every 24 hours and the entire statewide voter registration list to be updated every month.
- Vote Centers: Requires curbside voting to be available for a least one vote center per jurisdiction. Requires jurisdictions with a population of more than 500,000 to have at least two vote centers. Extends sunset on sections of code mandating vote centers from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2029.
- Task Forces: Creates the Ranked-Choice and Voting Systems Task Force to “review voting systems and the methods of voting, including ranked-choice voting, that could be authorized by law.” Creates the Security of Remote Vote by Mail Task Force to study issues relating to a fully electronic VBM process.
- Election Day State Holiday: Makes November 5, 2024, a state holiday known as the 2024 General Election Day. Adds that schools closed for the holiday must be made available to election authorities to serve as polling places.
Healthcare Changes for 2024
From background checks for healthcare workers to mandated coverage for certain cancer screenings and treatments, a number of changes are coming to Illinois healthcare in 2024.
Under House Bill 2102/P.A. 103-0428, background checks for healthcare workers are expanded to all 50 states. It also sets out other provisions for more thorough vetting of the backgrounds of healthcare workers including a check against State Police and FBI databases, including civil, criminal, and latent databases. Additionally, it requires the State Police to forward records to state departments and agencies, and fingerprints to the FBI for a national criminal history.
House Bill 3202/P.A. 103-0455, a new law that will require insurance companies to cover home saliva cancer screening tests for at-risk individuals, will take effect on January 1.
Other changes in coverage include:
- Senate Bill 1913/P.A. 103-0243: Requires coverage for behavioral health services delivered via telehealth.
- Senate Bill 1282/P.A. 103-0084: Mandates insurers and managed care plans to provide coverage for preventive liver disease screenings for high-risk individuals between ages 35 and 64.
- House Bill 3809/P.A. 103-0458: Mandates coverage for therapy, diagnostic testing, and equipment necessary to increase quality of life for children who have any disease, syndrome, or disorder that includes low tone neuromuscular, neurological, or cognitive impairment.
- House Bill 2799/P.A. 103-0325: Requires insurers and managed care plans to provide coverage for medically necessary proton beam therapy for the treatment of cancer. Prohibits insurers and managed care plans from requiring a higher standard of clinical evidence for the coverage of proton beam therapy than applied for any other form of radiation therapy.
Help for Parents of Children with Special Needs
A new law aims to empower parents of children with special needs as they make important medical decisions. Under prior Illinois law, parents had access to medical records for children under the age of 12. However, they could be denied access to certain records and test results for children 12 -17 years of age, even if the records are from tests and/or procedures that required parental consent to be performed. Once the child turns 18, if they are declared a developmentally disabled adult, parents could once again get access. Senate Bill 188 closes the loophole for special needs children aged 12 – 17, allowing parents to access certain medical records.
Changes for Sportsmen in 2024
Hunters, fishermen and trappers will be able to obtain a three-year license under a new law. Under House Bill 3677/P.A. 103-0456, for residents aged 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a three-year fishing/hunting license. For resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a three-year fishing license. Veterans must provide to the Department, per administrative rule, verification of their service. The Department shall establish what constitutes suitable verification of service for the purpose of issuing three-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.
Additionally, under House Bill 2317/P.A. 103-0528, for sport fishing devices or spearing devices, any resident of Illinois who is age 26 or older who has not purchased a resident fishing license in the past 10 years shall be eligible to receive a one-time annual resident fishing license for a fee of $5. Provides that any nonresident who has not purchased a nonresident fishing license in the past 10 years shall be eligible to receive a one-time annual sport fishing license for a fee of $10.
New Transportation Laws Streamline Work Sites, Outlaw Video Conferencing While Driving
The Illinois Dig Once Act, Senate Bill 1438/P.A. 103-0378 will reduce the number of construction projects necessary along roadways by requiring state agencies to coordinate to minimize the number of road excavations necessary for the installation of broadband infrastructure and underground utilities.
In recent years, the way we communicate and do business has changed rapidly and the use of video conferencing has increased exponentially. House Bill 2431/P.A. 103-0310 will keep roads safe by prohibiting individuals from video conferencing while driving.
New Laws Support and Recognize Veterans and Military Families
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, more than 700 Illinoisans were identified as homeless veterans in 2022. Two new laws set to take effect on January 1 seek to reduce homelessness among veterans and extend other assistance to military families.
Senate Bill 2005/P.A. 103-0247 requires housing authorities to develop and implement policies granting housing preferences to veterans who are homeless. Similar benefits are already provided to other groups of Illinoisans, and this law would extend these to veterans. (Note: Some housing authorities were already doing this, so it ensures that this benefit is available to all Illinois veterans/standardizes the practice.)