Detention centers, exoneree restitution, foster care protections among final bills to pass

SPRINGFIELD — Nearly 400 bills cleared both chambers of the General Assembly this session, with more than 150 of them moving in the session’s final week.

Aside from the $56 billion budget package, the wide range of bills would limit where the federal government can build immigrant detention centers, regulate plastic pellets and increase exoneree restitution, among others.

The measures all await a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker before they can become law.

Exoneree restitution

House Bill 3663 would increase the amount of money paid to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois and bring the state in line with federally recommended minimum standard set in 2004.

The Court of Claims would now be able to award an exoneree up to $50,000 for each year wrongfully spent in prison and $25,000 for each year wrongfully on parole, probation or a sex offender registry with no upward cap. The court could also pay out associated attorney fees and costs.

The previous system set specific payouts based on the range of years served, with a maximum total payout of $199,150 that’s hit once a person has served at least 14 years wrongfully.

It unanimously passed both chambers of the General Assembly on Sunday and Monday.

The bill is the product of years of work by the Illinois Innocence Project.

Detention center limitations

House Bill 5024 would ban the construction or operation of new immigration detention centers within 1,500 feet of any home, school, day care center, park, forest preserve, cemetery or place of worship.

Sponsored by House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, the bill passed along party lines in both chambers. Welch’s district includes the neighborhood of Broadview, the location of a detention center that was the focal point of some protests during Operation Midway Blitz last summer.

The bill is not retroactive, so it won’t apply to Broadview or any existing detention centers.

It received heavy criticism from Republicans who called it a political stunt. The federal government is generally exempt from state and local zoning restrictions, so the bill is likely to face legal challenges.

Plastic pellet protections

House Bill 4418 creates the Plastic Pellets Pollution Control Act, which takes a step toward controlling the amount of plastic that ends up in Illinois waterways.

The bill makes Illinois the first Great Lakes state to classify plastic pellets as pollutants.

It instructs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to implement a program to control plastic pellets, which are a byproduct of plastic production that frequently end up in Illinois waterways through spills. The pellets are a major source of microplastics as they break down.

The measure doesn’t specifically spell out what the plan would entail but gives the IEPA one year to implement the requirements to be included in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits.

Republicans generally criticized the broad authority the measure gives to the IEPA.

The bill passed the Senate with a 44-13 vote. It passed the House in April with a vote of 69-33.

Foster placement

Lawmakers passed a bill to protect the personal information of children in foster care, especially if they’re placed out of state.

House Bill 4966, known as the Safeguards to Ensure Continuity and Uphold Rights and Equity, or SECURE, Act, would strengthen nondiscrimination protections for youth in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services and establish that Illinois children placed in out-of-state homes are under the jurisdiction of Illinois and should receive the same services and care they would have in Illinois.

The bill would require DCFS to protect a child from unnecessary and unapproved disclosure of any personal information that could be linked to the child’s sexual orientation or other protected characteristics like gender. It also establishes guidelines for the department to share that information if needed.

The bill would also give children age 8 years and above some input into their placement if that child expects they might be mistreated or wouldn’t be able to access certain healthcare like gender-affirming care or reproductive services.

“Beyond the fact that this federal administration is hell-bent on rolling back civil rights protections, the SECURE Act is necessary because youth in care deserve to have their rights protected and their voices heard,” Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D- Chicago, the House sponsor of the bill, said.

Republicans in floor debate mainly argued the bill might make placements more difficult and strain DCFS resources if the department has to find homes that will affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The measure passed the Senate with a 35-19 vote on Friday, and it passed the House Sunday 75-40.

Mandated reporters

House Bill 4911 would expand the list of mandated reporters to include investment advisers, certain dealers, salespersons and branch managers of financial institutions. It is intended to expand reporting of financial exploitation and other forms of abuse or neglect of older adults.

Those individuals could also place a 15-day hold on a transaction if they suspect financial exploitation. The bill passed unanimously in both chambers.

Reports would be provided to the Department of Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The state’s Department on Aging and Department of Financial and Professional Regulation would set minimum training standards for financial institution employees.

Construction site sanitary facilities

Senate Bill 3465 would require construction sites with 10 or more employees and at least one woman to provide sanitary facilities for people “who are menstruating, lactating, or both” and defines the minimum hygienic standards for those facilities. Sites must also provide lactation stations for employees upon request.

The bill was inspired by a similar one in Washington and is meant to help women access appropriate sanitary facilities without having to leave the work site and be docked pay, Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, said.

The bill passed both chambers along party lines, as Republicans criticized the bill for capturing a wider population of people — anyone who menstruates and any woman despite age — than they thought was necessary.

Nonprofit investment fund

Senate Bill 2968, an initiative of state treasurer Michael Frerichs, would establish a state-run investment fund for nonprofits to receive grants from.

Pritzker vetoed a version of the legislation last summer out of concern that extremist groups could access the fund.

Eligible nonprofits must be based in Illinois, have a certain tax status and provide recent audited financial statements or charitable filings. They must also have a purpose or mission meeting specified nonprofit categories and not be on state suspension lists, which should exclude any extremist groups.

“Nonprofits are on the front lines every day, helping families, strengthening neighborhoods, and meeting critical needs in communities across Illinois,” Frerichs said in a statement. “At a time when federal funding cuts are creating uncertainty for many organizations, Illinois is stepping up.”

It passed the House 75-36 and the Senate 41-16.

High school voter registration

House Bill 4339 would require high schools to offer eligible students the opportunity to register to vote. The bill, however, creates no consequences if a school does not offer that opportunity.

The bill is named for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a voting and civil rights activist who died earlier this year. The bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers.

It passed the Senate 41-12 and the House 77-24.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.