West Cook News

Kimberly A. Lightford introduced SB1684 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 5, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a medical professional. Defines "medical professional". Requires the medical professional to explain to the parent or guardian of the child, whenever the medical professional has direct contact with the child or the family of the child, that the medical professional is involved for the purpose of providing an opinion to the Department regarding whether the child's injury or condition is suspicious for child maltreatment. Requires the Department to inform the parent or guardian of his or her right to: (i) request and receive a copy of the medical professional's opinion; (ii) obtain, at his or her own expense, and submit to the Department a second medical opinion for consideration in the investigation; (iii) that any second medical opinion submitted to the Department prior to the Department rendering a final determination in the investigation will be considered as inculpatory or exculpatory evidence; and (iv) of the Department's time frames for the investigative process. Contains provisions concerning annual reports on the number of investigations in which a medical professional has provided a written opinion to the Department. Sets forth the data that must be included in the Department's reports."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act in Illinois, enhancing protections for parents or guardians during child abuse or neglect investigations. It mandates that medical professionals, when involved, clarify their role in providing an opinion on the child's condition to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Parents must be informed of their right to access the medical opinion, seek a second opinion at their own cost, and that any second opinion will be considered in the investigation. Further, the bill requires the DCFS to produce annual reports detailing the number of investigations involving medical evaluations, organized by various demographics, without revealing personal identities. The law applies immediately upon enactment, with the first report due within nine months.

Kimberly A. Lightford has proposed another seven bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Lightford graduated from Western Illinois University with a BA.

Kimberly A. Lightford is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 4th Senate District. She replaced previous state senator Earlean Collins in 1998.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB1684	02/05/2025	Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Sets forth certain protections that must be provided to the parent or guardian of a child at the center of an abuse or neglect investigation whenever the Department of Children and Family Services refers a child to a medical professional. Defines "medical professional". Requires the medical professional to explain to the parent or guardian of the child, whenever the medical professional has direct contact with the child or the family of the child, that the medical professional is involved for the purpose of providing an opinion to the Department regarding whether the child's injury or condition is suspicious for child maltreatment. Requires the Department to inform the parent or guardian of his or her right to: (i) request and receive a copy of the medical professional's opinion; (ii) obtain, at his or her own expense, and submit to the Department a second medical opinion for consideration in the investigation; (iii) that any second medical opinion submitted to the Department prior to the Department rendering a final determination in the investigation will be considered as inculpatory or exculpatory evidence; and (iv) of the Department's time frames for the investigative process. Contains provisions concerning annual reports on the number of investigations in which a medical professional has provided a written opinion to the Department. Sets forth the data that must be included in the Department's reports.
SB1520	02/04/2025	Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Department of Agriculture may share with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity any licensee information necessary to support the administration of social equity programming. Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Adds a definition. In various provisions, adds Social Equity Lottery Licensees to provisions that include Social Equity Applicants. Provides that the Cannabis Business Development Fund shall be exclusively used for certain purposes, to include providing financial assistance to support lending to, or private investment in, Qualified Social Equity Applicants and Social Equity Lottery Licensees, or to facilitate access to the facilities needed to commence operations as a cannabis business establishment. In provisions regarding loans and grants to Social Equity Applicants, adds financial assistance to provisions that include loans and grants. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has the power to enter into financial intermediary agreements to facilitate lending to or investment in Qualified Social Equity Applicants, Social Equity Lottery Licensees, or their subsidiaries or affiliates, to ensure the availability of facilities necessary to operate a cannabis business establishment. Provides that certain loans made shall contain terms and provisions with respect to forgiveness. Provides that those loans also may be distributed by lot if the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity determines that the amount of funding available is insufficient. Provides that, to the extent registration with the federal System for Award Management requires a grant applicant to certify compliance with all federal laws, the grant applicants shall not be required to register for a unique entity identifier through the federal System for Award Management. Makes other and conforming changes.
SB1391	01/29/2025	Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision in the Medical Assistance Article concerning safety-net hospitals, provides that, subject to federal approval, reimbursement rates for inpatient hospital services in effect January 1, 2025 under the All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Groups system shall be increased by 10% for safety-net hospitals; and reimbursement rates for outpatient hospital services in effect January 1, 2025 under the Enhanced Ambulatory Procedure Grouping system shall be increased by 10% for safety-net hospitals. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to take all actions necessary to ensure the rate increases for safety-net hospitals are in effect for dates of service on and after January 1, 2026, including publishing all appropriate public notices, applying for federal approval of amendments to the Illinois Title XIX State Plan, and adopting administrative rules if necessary. In the Hospital Services Trust Fund Article, provides that, subject to federal approval, reimbursement rates for inpatient hospital services in effect January 1, 2025 under the All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Groups system shall be increased by 10%; and reimbursement rates for outpatient hospital services in effect January 1, 2025 under the Enhanced Ambulatory Procedure Grouping system shall be increased by 10%. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to take all actions necessary to ensure the rate increases are in effect for dates of service on and after January 1, 2026, including publishing all appropriate public notices, applying for federal approval of amendments to the Illinois Title XIX State Plan, and adopting administrative rules if necessary. Effective immediately.
SB1299	01/28/2025	Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Makes changes to assessments for admission to establishments and service plan requirements. Requires an establishment to notify the resident and the resident's representative when there is a significant change in the resident's condition that affects the establishment's ability to meet the resident's needs. Prohibits an establishment from terminating or reducing any service without the consent of the resident or the resident's representative for the purpose of making it more difficult or impossible for the resident to remain in the establishment. Adds new requirements for establishments and the Department of Public Health regarding the involuntary termination of residency. Provides that a resident has the right to not be unlawfully transferred or discharged. Makes other changes. Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Prohibits a resident from being transferred or discharged in violation of the Act. Provides that a resident has the right not to be unlawfully transferred or discharged. Provides for the assessment of a $2,500 fine for a facility that fails to comply with an order to readmit a resident who wishes to return to the facility and is appropriate for that level of care and services provided. Requires a facility that complies with an order to readmit a resident that has been deemed to have been unlawfully discharged to notify the Department within 10 business days after the resident has been readmitted to the facility. Provides that a facility may involuntarily transfer or discharge a resident because the facility is unable to meet the medical needs of the resident, as documented in the resident's clinical record by the resident's physician. Provides that the Department maintains jurisdiction over the transfer or discharge irrespective of the timing of the notice and discharge. Provides that if the Department determines that a transfer or discharge is not authorized, then the Department shall issue a written decision stating that the transfer or discharge is denied. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
SB0245	01/22/2025	Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that the Business Enterprise Program shall (rather than may) establish uniform standards for calculating contract specific Business Enterprise Program goals for all State contracts and State construction contracts subject to the Act. Provides 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. Requires each State agency and public institution of higher education that is subject to the requirements of the Act, on an annual basis, to submit a report to the Business Enterprise Council detailing its plan to meet the aspirational contract goals established under the Act and established for that agency, institution, or department. Requires the Secretary of the Business Enterprise Council to establish an enforcement procedure whereby the Council may recommend to the appropriate State legal officer that the State exercise its legal remedies which shall include, among other things, the imposition of certain damages (rather than a specified penalties). Provides that the Business Enterprise Council may (rather than shall) grant a waiver of contract-specific Business Enterprise Program goals. Sets out factors that the Business Enterprise Program is to consider when developing procedures for determining whether a vendor has made good faith efforts to meet the contract goals.
SB0013	01/13/2025	Creates the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act. Provides that, after the effective date of the Act, all general operating expenses for public universities shall be distributed by the Board of Higher Education through a funding formula for eligible public institutions and shall be administered by the Board. Defines "eligible public institution". Sets forth provisions concerning the adequacy targets and resource profiles of eligible public institutions. Provides for the distribution of State appropriations and the calculation of the base funding minimum for each eligible public institution. Provides that the Board shall oversee an accountability and transparency framework for assessing the distribution and use of all funds appropriated by the funding formula and evaluating the funds' effects on institutional outcomes pertaining to student affordability, enrollment, persistence, and outcome metrics. Provides for reporting and the establishment of an Accountability and Transparency Committee. Provides that the Board shall establish a Funding Formula Review Panel tasked with studying and reviewing topics pertaining to the implementation and impact of the funding formula. Contains provisions concerning the Board's annual budget request and the collection of data. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Removes certain provisions concerning budget proposals. Effective immediately.
SB0020	01/13/2025	Creates the Hemp Consumer Products Act. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; prohibitions and compliance; applications and licensing for hemp consumer product manufacturers; requirements for licensees; registration of hemp consumer CBD products; requirements of hemp consumer CBD products; packaging and labeling of hemp consumer CBD products; testing requirements; marketing and sale of hemp consumer CBD products; penalties; the administration and enforcement of the Act and rulemaking, including emergency rulemaking, by the Department of Agriculture; and other matters. Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that a violation of provisions concerning unlicensed practice is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Sets forth penalties for unlicensed practice as a cultivation center, infuser, or craft grower. Sets forth provisions concerning the use of hemp in cannabis-infused products. Allows a craft grower and infuser to purchase a hemp-derived intoxicating product from a hemp consumer product manufacturer and offer a hemp-derived intoxicating product for sale to another cannabis establishment, after which the product is considered cannabis and the craft grower or infuser must ensure the product meets all the requirements of the Act. Makes other changes. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, the Illinois Procurement Code, the State Finance Act, the Industrial Hemp Act, the Cannabis Control Act, and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
SB0028	01/13/2025	Amends the School Code. In a provision regarding an optional alternative evaluative dismissal process for teacher evaluations, removes the definition of and references to "student growth components". Makes the following changes in the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article: Removes the definitions of and references to "implementation date", "Race to the Top Grant", and "School Improvement Grant". Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, each school district may incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating teaching performance into its evaluation plan for all teachers in contractual continued service and teachers not in contractual continued service (now, a school district is required to incorporate student growth data and indicators as a significant factor). Makes other changes concerning student growth. Changes the components of an evaluation plan for a teacher's performance. Makes changes concerning a principal's or assistant principal's evaluation. With respect to the types of rules the State Board of Education may adopt, removes the inclusion of rules that (i) define the term "significant" factor" for purposes of including consideration of student growth in performance ratings and (ii) establish a model evaluation plan for use by school districts in which student growth shall comprise 50% of the performance rating. Allows a school district (rather than only a school district with 500,000 or more inhabitants) to use an annual State assessment as a measure of student growth for purposes of teacher or principal evaluations. Removes and changes outdated provisions. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2025.