Illinois Senate Floor Debate — May 17, 2024

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The regular Session of the 103rd General Assembly will please come to order. Will the Members be at their desks? The invocation today is going to be given by Pastor Scott Marsh from the Texas Christian Church in Clinton and Maroa Christian Church in Maroa. Pastor.

SENATOR JOHNSON: (Pledge of Allegiance) PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Lisa Yuscius from Blueroomstream seeks leave to video today's proceedings. Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.

Mr. President, I move that the Journals just read by the Secretary, be approved unless some Senators has additions or corrections to offer. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Hunter moves that the approval of Journals just read by the Secretary. There being no objection, so ordered. Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of Journal.

Mr. President, I move to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal just read by the Secretary, pending the arrival of the printed transcripts. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Hunter moves to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal, pending the arrival of the printed transcripts. There being no objection, so ordered. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.

Thank -- thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to adopt the 5  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 amendment and explain it on 3rd Reading. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor say, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Mr. Secretary, are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?

Thank you, Mr. President, excuse me. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, Senate Bill 1400, I'm proud to bring to you. If you guys recall there was Senate Bill 100, some years ago, that addressed student disciplinary challenges with expulsions and suspensions. This is a bill that the Illinois Education Association and the management groups and the advocacy groups have come together to address. What we walked away with, was a model that's created that would be implemented no later than July 1 of 2025. 6  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 That creates policy guidelines for reciprocal reporting systems between school districts and law enforcement. School bus safety procedures, evidence-based early intervention procedures, and re- engagement of students who are returning to school after suspensions or expulsions. The amendment also, that became the bill, also kept the provisions requiring school districts to make efforts to provide professional development to all school personnel on trauma, responsive learning environments, and the requirements of the Parent Teacher Advisory Committee. We want to make sure parents are engaged and involved when there's disciplinary challenges with their students. We want to make sure after students have been removed from a school setting that they are reengaged and just not brought back into the same system to reoffend. But that they are reengaged with the expectation and that no more school instruction would be missed, as a result. I'd be happy to answer questions. Mr. President, thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Senator Koehler, for what purpose do you seek recognition? Senator Turner, for what purpose do you seek recognition? Seeing no discussion. The question is, shall Senate Bill 1400 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted to wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 54 Senators voting Yes, 2 voting No, 0 voting Present. Senate Bill 1400, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

A point of clarification. 7  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Please state your point.

Mr. President, thank you. I would like to be recorded as an Aye on House Bill 5104. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The record will reflect your intention. Moving along with Senate Bills on 3rd Reading. We're going to go to page 6 of your printed Calendar near the top of that page, where Senator Doris Turner brings Senate Bill 2779. She indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. As amended, SB 3201 requires (Illinois) Law Enforcements Training Standards Board to deliver or approve a course to assist law enforcement officers in identifying and responding to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, consistent with national trends and best practices, within two years of the amended Amendatory Act. The Board may consult the Department of Public Health or Department of Human Services with developing and updating the curriculum. Every three years, law enforcement officers must complete training on 9  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 autism inform law enforcement responses, techniques, and procedure as part of their minimum service training requirements. So, earlier this year, police in California shot and killed a 15-year-old boy with autism, his name was Ryan Gainer. He was having an autistic meltdown while carrying gardening shears. He's one of the many autistic individuals around the country who have demonstrated autistic behaviors that may be mistaken by police as threatening, violent, or non-compliant. This is a massive issue that affects so many people living with disabilities and their loved ones. This bill was brought to me by a mother of a son with autism, who worries about his future interactions with police. She worries that something like a routine traffic stop could swiftly turn into an officer interpreting his behaviors, like not making eye contact or needing to repeat as non-compliant. I have a nephew who's autistic, and I've taught so many students who are on the autism spectrum, and I know firsthand how much families, friends, and teachers have to learn to support loved one's diverse needs. And this should be no different with law enforcement. I'm proud to say that we've worked with members of law enforcement on this legislation to bring them into -- in support, and I hope we can all agree on the importance of this bill. And I ask you all for your Aye vote. I'm happy to answer any questions. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Senator Tracy, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Question of the sponsor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Feigenholtz.

Senator Toro, is this your first bill? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Yes, it is Senator. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Feigenholtz.

You're really lucky you're in the Senate and not the House. 11  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 To the bill, Mr. President. Many of us have our lives touched by autism and have heard some stories about, incidents in police stations that have not been favorable and some that have been very favorable. I think that this legislation is going to make a huge difference once it goes into effect. And I, congratulate the sponsor for this. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Any further discussion? Senator Villa, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Question of the sponsor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Villa.

Senator Toro, I understand that you used to be a public- school teacher, is that right? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Yes, I was a kindergarten teacher for the Chicago Public Schools. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Villa.

So, given that expertise, our teachers the ones that are going to be coming to do these trainings? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

12  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Teachers have done many trainings in order to understand the needs of students with diverse needs. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Villa.

Teachers are indeed amazing at understanding all of the needs with autism. This is really a tough bill to get some jokes in guys. I'm really trying, but congratulations on your first bill. This is absolutely amazing. I -- I have had some issues in my district as well. And I do believe that the police are going to benefit from this training. Thank you so much for bringing this bill, Senator Toro. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion. Senator Ventura, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Question to the sponsor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Ventura.

This is a very important issue. Why did you choose three years? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Thank you for the question, Senator Ventura. There was some concern with law enforcement that they wouldn't be able to get the necessary, trainings ready in time. So, we made the period longer, but also made it mandatory. 13  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Ventura.

While I appreciate that you made it mandatory, don't you feel that you, as a powerful Senator should have been pushing back on law enforcement so that we make sure we protect the most vulnerable among us? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Thank you, Senator. We work together to make sure that we can come to a compromise so that we can make sure that there's more comprehensive training for police officers, so they understand the needs of individuals with autism. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Ventura.

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

I think that this is a great legislation, and it's a hard first bill for Senator to take on. And I really congratulate her for taking on some powerful issues here to make sure that we are protecting those among us. And I urge an Aye vote. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion. Senator Morrison, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

14  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Question of the sponsor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Morrison.

Senator Toro, is it my understanding that the training board will develop a course and then model policies? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Yes. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Morrison.

So, will the police be posing as models? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Well, that is an excellent question, Senator, I don't believe that they will. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Morrison.

I'm not sure I understood your answer, Senator. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

I'm not sure that police will be posing as models. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Morrison. 15  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024

So, this is not an opportunity for police to pose as models to sell us a Calendar to support autism. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

Now that you bring it up, I think it might be a good idea. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Morrison.

Well, Senator, in a year when we're looking for additional funds to support so many people with disability, I think you've overlooked a very easy resource. However, I would ask everyone to vote Yes on this bill. Thank you for bringing it. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Any further discussion? Senator Preston, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

To the sponsor, Mr. President. Senator Toro. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) She -- the sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Preston.

Senator Toro, I've looked through this legislation, and while it's good, I don't see any provision mandating that there be donuts taken to the police officers. Why is that? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Toro.

I think that it's a great idea. And maybe it's something we 16  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 can go back and look at. Maybe we can specify Stan's Donuts, not like a Dunkin Donuts. I think that would be the best idea.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Preston.

To the bill, Mr. President. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

You know, I think this is a great piece of legislation, but I think I have to urge Members in the Chamber to vote No. I think it's not ready. You could take it back and maybe get some donut provisions inside of this to make sure that these trainings are properly held. So, you know, in all seriousness, Senator Toro, thank you. This is a great piece of legislation. I don't know, many of you may know my son is on the autism spectrum. I think this is great legislation from a great leader. I urge an Aye vote. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Seeing no further discussion. Senator Toro, to close.

I'd like to thank all of my colleagues for all their support and their funny jokes. We'll call them funny but thank you very much. This is personal to me. Like I've mentioned before, my nephew is autistic, and I've had so many of my littles in my classroom that are on the spectrum, and this is just another way to protect them and support their needs and the concerns of their family, friends, teachers that love them so much. Thank you everyone, I appreciate you. 17  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall Senate Bill 3201 pass. All those in favor of vote, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, 0 voting Present. Senate Bill 3201, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we're now going to shift over to House Bills on 3rd Reading. We're going to begin right at the bottom of page 6 on your printed Calendar. That is where Senator Porfirio brings House Bill 4478 {sic} (478). He indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank -- thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 478 transfers the Midway Flight facility, which is in my district, a National Guard facility located at 5400 West 63rd Street, from the State of Illinois to the City of Chicago for $1. The property shall be used by the City of Chicago for a new police district building. It will revert back to the State and National Guard if the property is used for any other purpose. Some background, myself and some of my colleagues who represent the southwest side of Chicago. It's served by the 8th Chicago Police District. The 8th Chicago Police District is one of 25 Districts in the City of Chicago. It hasn't changed since 1967. It is now the busiest and 3rd largest police district 18  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 in the City. It serves over 250,000 residents. That equates to 10 officers for every 10,000 residents, which is the lowest officer to resident ratio in the City. To equate that my -- the suburban portion of my City is actually served by more police in the City portion of my City. This past March, there is a referendum on the ballot, voters in my district voted 88 percent in favor of a new police district. There's a clear mandate from the public and from the people that they need and want this -- this location is ideal for that. I appreciate my colleagues support, and I think this is a great example of critical public safety infrastructure in the southwest side of Chicago. I'll stand Aye for any questions. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion, Senator Preston, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

You know, this is a great piece of legislation. I want to commend the sponsor for your thoughtfulness and bringing this forth. As you said, so eloquently, this is a mandate from the people. Like you, the 8th District, does police and protects a part of my District in the 16th District. And it's just a very, very large territory. So, as we know, the summer months are coming and the City of Chicago, we are always overly concerned about the high levels of violence. You know, your thoughtfulness in this way will make the City of Chicago safer. So, I fully support this bill. Thank you for bringing this, Senator. 19  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Seeing no further discussion. Do you wish to close, Senator?

Thank you, Mr. President. I urge, an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall House Bill 478 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted to wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 56 Senators voting Yes, 1 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 478, having received the constitutionally required majority, is declared passed. With leave of the Body, we are going to skip ahead to the very bottom of page 8 of your printed Calendar, where Senator Villivalam brings House Bill 4653. He indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 4653 is trailer legislation that, is regarding the reformation of training for our school officials. It corrects inconsistencies in current statute related to educator in-service training on the safe usage of trauma kits to respond to incidents of life-threatening bleeding. I know of know of no opposition and would ask for an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Senator Preston? Is there any other 20  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 discussion? Seeing none. The question is, shall House Bill 4653 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 4653, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Preston, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

It was, Mr. President. It was my intent to vote Yes on House Bill 478. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The record will reflect your intention. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we're going to now move to near the top of page 9 of your printed Calendar, where Senator Villa brings House Bill 4720. Senator Villa, on House Bill 4720. With leave of the Body, we're going to move to House Bill 4813 from Senator Sims. He indicates that he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President, and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. House Bill 4813 is an initiative on the behalf of the Department of Innovation and Technology, where it's -- whether the Department shall review and amend as needed, the accessibility 21  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 standards under the Information Technology Accessibility Act. This is starting in 2026. Currently, the Department of Human Services has those responsibilities, but this would move it over to the Department of Information Technology. I know of no opposition. Will answer any questions and ask for an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. The question is, shall House Bill 4813 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 4813, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 4875, Senator Edly-Allen. Senator Edly-Allen seeks leave of the Body to return House Bill 4875 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is House Bill 4875. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?

Thank you, Mr. President, I'd like to adopt and explain on 3rd. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor say, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Mr. Secretary, are there any further amendments approved 22  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 for consideration?

Thank you, Mr. President. As amended, House Bill 4875 is a modernization of Illinois existing Right of Publicity Law, which has been on the books since the 1990s. At that time, the internet was in its infancy and artificial intelligence, or AI, only existed in science fiction. In the last few years, we have seen an explosion of IA tools and IA generated, excuse me, AI generated content often created and distributed without authorization. While AI is a powerful tool with the potential to do much good, guardrails are necessary to protect artists and the general public. HB 4875 takes a balanced approach in dealing with the issues of the unauthorized use of digital replicas. This bill protects artists ability to control their voice, image, and likeness while still providing necessary exemptions to allow for artistic creation. Additionally, the bill targets bad actors while providing safe harbor for those who unknowingly contribute to the distribution of such content. The bill accomplishes this by creating a separate private right of action for the conduct of 23  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 distributing, transmitting, or making available to the general public a sound recording or audiovisual work with actual knowledge that the work contains an unauthorized digital -- digital replica. The bifurcation leaves the current exemptions in the Right to Privacy Act, excuse me, Right to Publicity Act, as is, for the unauthorized use of an individual's identity that does not involve a digital replica and creates a separate set of exemptions for the unauthorized use of an individual's identity in a digital replica. Through extensive negotiations, we have removed all known opposition to the bill. I want to thank the Motion Picture Association, TechNet, the Software Alliance, and the Cable and Broadband Association, AT&T, Verizon and all other groups that have worked with us to address their concerns and improve the quality of this bill. With that, I'm available for questions. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Leader Curran, for what purpose do you seek recognition? To the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. Questions of the sponsor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The sponsor indicates she will yield. Senator Martwick.

Thank you. Senator, I have a couple of questions regarding legislative intent. To start, Section 30(f) of your bill references federal law without discussing the actual content of the federal law. Would you be open to continued conversations to incorporate the specific language from the federal law you referenced in your bill? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Edly-Allen.

Thank you, Senator Martwick, for that question. I am always open to suggestions on how to improve the legislation and would be happy to have a conversation in the future about ways to make this a better bill. The language you're referencing was included at the request of one of the business associations we've been working with. So, I want to make sure that our conversations are include all relevant stakeholders. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Martwick.

Thank you, Senator. Next is the intention of Section 35 25  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 (c)(3) to exclude portrayals of people in fictional works that, for creative reasons appear authentic -- appear authentic, but did not actually occur, such as Nixon announcing a mission to Jupiter in the Apple TV show For All Mankind, or a fictional movie about a future event. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Edly-Allen.

Thank you, Senator Martwick, for that question. Yes, that is the intent of that Section. Our goal is to allow for the type of creative expression you described while making sure that a studio doesn't replace an actor. They -- they can't afford to hire with an AI replica of that actor. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Martwick.

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. And Senator Edly-Allen, I just want to commend you on your work on this bill. You took a very -- a robust approach to this, you worked very hard, and you were willing to listen to the advice of a very difficult committee addressing concerns from both sides of the aisle. This is the model of the way legislation should be passed. And I would ask for an Aye vote from everyone. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion? Senator Sally Turner, for what purpose 26  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 do you seek recognition?

Thank you for that question, Senator. It's existing right of action. So, whatever exists today would be the fine. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Turner.

Again Senator, it is the existing remedies that already exist in law. Under the right of publicity. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Turner.

Senator, this is a civil right of action. So, what the court would say is you cannot do this.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Turner.

Thank you for the thoughtful questions. Again, I would like to thank all the stakeholders. The Senate Judiciary Committee Members, Matt Glavin from the Recording Academy, and my thought partner in this work, Representative Gong-Gershowitz. Also want to thank Senate staffer Kelsey for getting this, to this point. This is an important piece of legislation that offers individuals crucial protections in an ever-evolving digital world. And I ask for an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall House Bill 4875 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 4875, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. 28  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 We are now going to move, with leave of the Body down to the bottom of page 9 of your printed Calendar, where Senator Murphy brings House Bill 4939. She indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 4939 removes the requirements for State agencies to report -- State Librarian reports and documents and other publications of public institutions of higher ed. Currently, they all have to report that to the State librarian. They would still be repairing{sic}(preparing) the reports, but they don't have to report to the State. So, I know of no opposition and I'm happy to entertain any questions. I'd ask for an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. The question is, shall House Bill 4939 pass. All those in favor of vote, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 Senators voting Yes, 1 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 4939, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 4942, Senator Edly-Allen. Senator Edly-Allen, on House Bill 4942. She 29  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. As amended, House Bill 4942 amends the County's Code. It provides that the Illinois Department of Public Health must adopt rules regarding the specific information that must be reported by a coroner or medical examiner in every case in which a drug overdose is determined to be the cause or a contributing factor in death. The bill further provides that the coroner must also communicate whether there was a level of fentanyl in combination with any other controlled substance present to all law enforcement agencies in whose jurisdiction the deceased body was found within 24 hours after receipt of the toxicology results, regardless of whether the cause of death has been determined. In committee, this was on the Agreed Bill List and I would ask for a Yes vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Senator Rezin, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Yes, Mr. President. I'd like to thank Representative Moeller, who brought this bill forward at the request of a constituent. And I would ask for an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall House Bill 4942 pass. All those in favor vote, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 4942, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we're going to turn to page 10 of your printed Calendar, where Senator Joyce brings House Bill 4027. Remaining on page 10, in the middle of that page on your printed Calendar, Senator Castro brings House Bill 5087. Senator Castro, on House Bill 5087. Next, we have House Bill 5097 from Senator Simmons. Senator Simmons wishes to proceed. Senator Simmons seeks leave of the Body to return House Bill 5097 to the Order of 2nd 31  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is House Bill 5097. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would like to adopt the amendment and discuss it on 3rd. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor will vote Aye -- will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Mr. Secretary, any further amendments approved for consideration?

Thank you very much. Mr. President, Members of the Senate, House Bill 5097, as amended, is -- is key legislation that will address haircare for DCFS youth that are in custody. Specifically, 32  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 haircare and house -- hairstyles are key components of self- expression, identity; and connection to race, culture, gender, and religion. Children removed from homes, lose a piece of that, while they're in foster care. Black and LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented in the child welfare systems. Too often, they are placed with families or in residential settings that may not allow them to use their hair to reflect their identity, or that do not recognize or understand how properly to care for their natural hair. So, this bill requires that every child that is in care, have a health care plan, I'm sorry, a Hair Care Plan that accounts for their cultural, racial, religious, gender and or other identities. The Haircare Plan is to be developed in consultation with the youth as developmentally appropriate. The caseworker is to discuss the Hair Care Plan with the youth monthly; and the Haircare Plan will be reviewed every 6 months at the time, as the case plan review happens. DCFS will be developing training and providing resources about culturally competent care to support those parents, those caretakers. And the department will promulgate rules to facilitate the implementation of those plans. Mr. President, this is -- this is a very timely piece of legislation. Those of you that were here in 2021 will recall when we passed the Jett Hawkins Law, which is a four-year- old child that had been suspended in -- in a school for wearing his hair in natural braids, kind of like the way I wear mine. And we passed, Senate Bill 817, at that time. It was a landmark bill that got national attention. I think it's wonderful that this legislation would extend those protections to kids that are in foster care who oftentimes, have experienced extreme injustice by broken systems across the board. So, I'll take any questions. And 33  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 I thank you for your time. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion, Senator Syverson, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Mr. President, will the previous Senator, please restate the question? PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

Thank -- thank you very much, Mr. President. And I thank the Senator for -- for the question. I -- I… So directly, to respond to it I think that if -- if I understand the Senator's question correctly; if a child is placed into a residential setting or has a foster parent and the foster parent says, "no", you cannot have dreadlocks, you cannot have braids, you cannot have natural hairstyle, will that potentially be damaging to the child's self- esteem? I would direct the previous Senator to study after study that has been done on this topic, that the answer is Yes that would have a deleterious effect, potentially, could have a deleterious effect, on that child's self-esteem, self-worth, and that trauma could lead to an adult who then is disrespectful to our entire society, which is something we constantly pay the price for every year. So, the answer to that is Yes, which is precisely why I've brought this legislation forward, so that we can support those parents with the caseworkers to develop a plan that works for that child and supports the overall health of that household. And -- and I would also add a -- a strong relationship between the foster parent and that child.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the Senator for the follow up question. The Haircare Plan will be discussed with each youth and responsibilities will vary depending on each individual child's needs and desires. This is not a responsibility that will fall solely on the caregiver. Ancillary to that, the Department must develop training resources to ensure their caregivers are adequately trained to meet the unique care related needs of youth. There are resources that currently exist, such as a - Oak Park, nonprofit, Styles 4 Kidz, which will do this actually at no cost. They offer free resources on their websites and You Tube videos and others at a minimum cost. They will also provide training to some agencies in other parts of the country, including California and Massachusetts. So, this has been done. And to -- to even more directly answer the Senator's question. No, there's no estimate on this because, you know, there's no way to predict how many of the 30,000 children will need anything done to their hair. I would add that, as a Senator that wears freeform locs, my hair's organic, I don't have to pay anybody to wear my hair in a natural form, which 37  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 is the way I like to wear it. So, on any -- any numbers that are floating around out there are fallacious. And I think that we should press ahead with this legislation because it's long overdue. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

Thank you, Mr. President. If I understood the Senator's question correctly, he's asking how much time… Is -- is, I guess, I'd like to ask -- clarify the question. Is the Senator asking how much time it would take to put together a Hair Care -- Care Plan for youth? I really could not -- I couldn't hear him, and I couldn't understand the question. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) 38  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Okay, if we can have some quiet in the Chamber, please. Senator Syverson, if you could repeat your question, please.

Thank you, Mr. President. The timeline here for implementation of this bill. The bill will become effective January 1st of 2025. And by June 1st of 2025, the Department must promulgate rules to facilitate the implementation of all haircare plans. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

So, Mr. President, if I understood the -- the question correctly, the answer is that every six months the caseworkers will be developing this plan. And that's -- that will happen every six months. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Simmons.

Thank you, Mr. President. Is -- is -- the Senator is asking is there a specific training component included with this legislation? I just want to make sure I have the question. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you -- thank you to the Senator for his patience. There is not a specific training directive outlined in this legislation, but the folks that actually brought this legislation forward were youth that are a part of the Advisory Board that DCFS has put together. And so, the youth will have -- have lots of ideas about how to structure this. And I -- and I trust that DCFS and Loyola University, which is working with -- 40  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 working with DCFS, and myself, and the House sponsor on this legislation, to make that right. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Syverson.

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) 41  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 To the bill?

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to commend the sponsor and the students who are part of the Youth Advisory Board of DCFS for bringing this forward. You know, it is actually great when a youth can be happy and show up as their true authentic selves. And that -- that's priceless. And I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about individuals with textured hair. And again, I think this plan is important because everyone doesn't understand how kids need to show up as their true authentic selves and be comfortable. And this is great for their self-esteem. But I want to make sure I also note, and it is also important that these children who are in DCFS care. These kids are bright, many of them are very bright and -- and at the State of Illinois, we provide many resources for the kids to continue to -- to thrive. This is a case of where maybe some foster parents do not understand how to care for textured hair, and we want to make sure they understand the importance of it. I agree that we have a lot of other things that we can focus on, and we do that quite well, in this Body. But I think it's really important to understand that it isn't as simple as just how much money you spend on the hair or the coloring your hair. This is a different thing. This is - has cultural significance. And is it really important for foster parents to be able to properly care for the youth in -- in care? This is important for their self- esteem, because we know that children have been traumatized simply because they show up the way their hair grows out of their -- their scalp. So again, I commend the sponsor and I hope you all will consider an Aye vote. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) 42  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Thank you, Senator. We have 10 Members seeking recognition on this bill. Senator Rezin, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And thank you, Leader Rezin, for the question. So, to -- to answer that question, the youth that are a part of this Youth Advisory Board that DCFS has put together will be advising the Department and will be available to advise JCAR on the implementation of those rules. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Rezin.

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

Wow. I -- I - it blows my mind. That we're having a lengthy discussion about a part of the body that's on that individual's body. And as a child, I was just sharing with -- with -- with Senator Holmes here that I would ask my child, "Hey, what are we doing? Do you want a mohawk? You want a high-top fade? You want it low?" You know, because kids have an opinion about how they look. As adults, we have an opinion about how our hair looks. It's just as important to us as the blouse we put on or the pair of slacks we put on. It's the first thing that you see on an individual. And what bothered me about the discussion on this bill that really made me hit my button, Mr. President. We're talking about children who are in foster care. We're talking about children who have been separated from their families and perhaps they need to feel whatever it is they want to feel. Maybe that's the only thing that they have left. It's what they feel about themselves and for us to say it's too expensive! Blows my mind. Then you don't need to be a foster care parent. If you think you need to be reimbursed for everything you do for that child in your care. Now, this cannot be just a black issue. This is not a black, white issue. Everything that we bring forth is being made to be a racist or a black issue. I see a lot of white kids who have mohawks. They have color. Their hair is blue, their hair is pink, their hair is purple. And God forbid they're in the foster care system, perhaps they would like to continue with their punked out-look. What's so wrong with that? 45  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 What's so wrong with it? I was attacked, as an adult, when I came to this institution for wearing braids. I was told that I was trying to be like Bo Derek. Yeah, it made me laugh too. That was the funniest I had heard. It was my own culture that I couldn't do or be in this institution, as an adult. As some point, we have to stop governing how we individually feel. There's a feeling. There's a feeling when my hair doesn't look right. I call it a bad hair day. There's a feeling, when you don't get your hair cut as a man, it's stickin all out. You want a haircut because it's the feeling. Kids feel the same way. They're human beings. We have to take them into consideration. And I would love it -- I would love it if every bill comes forth that we do not minimize the discussion to it being a racial issue. All of us have culture. All of us have culture. All of us have a different way we want to feel and look and be treated and be responded to. That's nothing to do with if you're Muslim, it has nothing to do if you're Baptist, it has nothing to do with religion. But if that person says, "Don't cut my hair, because it's my strength", then don't cut the child's hair. And if you don't know how to treat that hair, get help. The training component is important. The training piece is important. I was teased as a little girl because my hair was a little kinkier than some of the other children, so I felt bad about my hair. So, I got a perm. The first opportunity that my mother would allow me to put perm on my hair to straighten my texture, because I thought it was a bad thing. Shame on me, to let people like you, determine that my texture is not worthy of being treated with care. I want to commend the kids at DCFS for speaking up. For expressing how they feel when they cannot speak for themselves on how they look. That's one of the most important things. If you're pulled away from your 46  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 family and you're sad, and then you have to look in the mirror and your hair looks bad. It's awful. It's an awful feeling. So, Senator, I appreciate you taking what you passed before, a step further, because we don't think about the vulnerable kids that are in foster care and what their needs are and how they must be feeling. So, I rise to ask everyone to support this legislation. The arguments that's being presented is unfair. It's completely unfair, it's unreasonable, and shame on the previous speaker. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Koehler, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

Many of you know that I grew up in South Dakota and, I have a long family history of South Dakota. There's an ugly part of the history of our state, where a lot of Indian children were taken from their families and put in boarding schools. The first thing that was done was they cut their hair. Think about that. Think about the culture of the Native Americans and what hair meant to them. The first thing they did was cut their hair. This is a racial discussion and I choose not to be racist. And I vote for this bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion? Senator Turner, for what purpose do you seek recognition? Senator Doris Turner.

Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

I'd like to commend the sponsor for bringing this bill. I was in committee and had the privilege and honor of hearing from the youth in, from the Advisory Board in DCFS care. So, thank you to the sponsor for bringing this this bill. As a former teacher, I'm familiar with an IEP. It's an individual education plan, which 51  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 helps us meet the very specific needs of a child, including their social emotional needs. And I am extremely comforted to know that if I were to become a foster parent, that I would be educated and receive training and education in the care of hair, that of a child who may need different treatment or care than what I am familiar with. So, thank you for bringing this bill, and thank you for listening to the children in DCFS's care who brought this to you. And I encourage an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion. Senator Bryant, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Simmons.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator, for the question. The first thing I want to clarify about this legislation is that it is an opt in for -- for the youth that are in care. So, any -- any young person that's in that's in care, can decide that they need a haircare plan. Any young person in this plan could decide they need no haircare plan. It is impossible to estimate the cost of that because we don't know how many youth would even want to participate in this. We don't know how many, free options might be available to them. So, that I think that's getting a little bit out of the -- out of the scope of the legislation. But I want to I want to point out again that the youth state, Youth Advisory Board of DCFS will be working with JCAR to promulgate the rules around this with DCFS. So, the cost is really not an issue here. 53  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Bryant.

Thank you, Mr. President. So, to just repeat what I said before, the Youth Advisory Board will be working with DCFS and JCAR to promulgate the rules on this. The rules, once they are promulgated, will determine where the cost will be compensated for if there even is a cost. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Bryant.

Thank you very much. Mr. President. I thank the Senator for the question. My intent with this legislation is to respect the intent of the youth that are in care. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Senator Bryant.

To the bill. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

I find some of the earlier questions to be very disingenuous. 55  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 This is a good bill. When my girls were very little, very young, they found great joy in brushing their own hair. It was one of the first things that they could do by themselves. Today, my teenage girls are proud that they can French braid their own hair and find great confidence in their own appearance. The ability for them to take care of themselves is one step closer to being a functional adult one day. So, why is this relevant? They have significantly different hair than I do because of their father's genes, and I have been unable in some ways, to really explain which products or tools they can use to help with their thick hair and their curly hair. I have -- I've had to refer them to my friends or health care professionals for advice because their parent, myself, did not have that experience nor that skill set. But because I care about my children and their confidence and their identity, I went out of my way to make sure that happens. We need to support all parents and all children in finding their confidence, even, or especially if that means additional training or investments. They matter too, and that is what this bill is saying. So, I too commend the sponsor and the Youth Advisory Board, and I urge an Aye vote. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion? Senator Collins, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I mean, President. I would like to thank the sponsor for bringing this important piece of legislation forward. And just a real quick thank you to Leader Lightford, because we share some of the same experiences, and for those who have actually had lived experiences in the foster care system who 56  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 are in this room. Hearing some of the discussion is very disheartening because you have to walk in those shoes in order to understand why this bill is important, and why we have to stop politicizing any and everything around DCFS. My mother died when I was 5, she was 28. I was in a room with her, when she was unresponsive, I still remember that. A lot of us don't think that kids remember things, but we do, especially when it's traumatic. I was raised in a very toxic environment. I experienced every level of abuse you can think of, every level of abuse you can think of, in the same room my mother died in, till I was 13. Then I go into a system where I'm retraumatized. So, there's a lot of things we can fix about DCFS, but when I think about the previous speakers comments around the parent making the decision and the child listening to them, or the cost of how much it will be to pay for their hair, their haircare. It's just really disappointing. Because throughout my time of being in the system or being homeless or going to nine different schools before I settled at one, where I can actually focus and graduate on time. I lived in different communities, different environments, and I always felt out of place. Because of the way I looked, my skin color, my hair. Because people let you know that you're different. They also let you know that you stand out with what you wear. I know what it's like to wear shoes with holes in them, to walk in the snow to school. I know what it's like to wear the same uniform every single day. I did it while I was in foster care too. And I know what it's like not to be able to take care of your hair, or want to have some of the same things you see your classmates with, but you can't get it because the person you live with can't afford it. I understand that. I also understand what it looks like when you live with 57  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 someone who do have the money to provide those things, right. But I think that when you become a foster parent, you know, through the door that you're taking on a responsibility of that child being like your own. Also know, as being a mother myself, I have three boys, they all have different personalities, different styles, and I remember trying to go that route of telling my child what to do and not really listening to them, didn't work out so well. So, one likes to wear these little twisty things in his hair. The other ones likes to wear this afro that looked like he, you know, I only want to say it, but it's some type of tapered look. I don't like it, but he likes it. It makes him feel good. And the youngest one that's 11. Like he'll go with whatever style, you know, we -- we agree on. I say that to say that the child has to have some -- some type of say. Because they are a smaller version of us, and they have, and we're preparing them for the world. And we're either going to prepare them to be someone to allow people to run over them, or to be someone that can have an open line of communication to meet people where they are, to resolve things, so forth. But they have to be able to have an open line of communication, especially when they're youth in care, because there's a lot that goes on in youth -- with a youth in care that goes unnoticed. That's why representation matters. That's why the leaders like Kimberly Lightford matters. Because having a voice like hers, or a voice like Senator Feigenholtz, people who have those experiences help someone like me. That's why I'm here. Because anytime we talk about foster care, youth in care, I can tell you what it was like being in that system, having to go from house to house with a plastic bag. But we changed that. Now they have dignity. They don't have to take a garbage bag to each house now, we change that. 58  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 Leader Kim Buckner did that with his bill. Right. The Notification Bill that I passed two years ago, which give voice to youth in care because they didn't have that voice. It was like a revolving door. I have that lived experience, right. This should not be a conversation that goes almost into an hour, which I like to put my foot to the pedal on Fridays. We should not go over for an hour talking about hair. We should not be doing that, especially when the prior administration cut 500 beds, where our kids are now living on floors or getting exposed to the penitentiary when they haven't even committed a crime. Let's talk about how we create more beds for them. Improve the transitional housing for them. Give them real opportunities, real stability when they get out of the system. That's what we should be talking about. That's what we need to be bipartisan on. So, I encourage an Aye vote. Let's stop playing game with these young people. Young folks have to be heard at the table because this is their lives. Their lives depend on this. Everything that we're doing today affects their tomorrow. And they should have say, so I encourage an Aye vote. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion? Senator Hunter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

To the bill, Mr. President. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

You know, I'm really disappointed to hear this debate and this conversation on the Floor. I'm blessed to have not been able -- some people may call it lucky for not having to go into the -- 59  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 the system as a ward of the State. Ever since I've been a legislator, I've been meeting with the Statewide Youth Advisory council at DCFS. I've been training them, I've been mentoring them, sometimes I would stay down here on weekends and spend a whole weekend with these kids when they're having their retreat down here. And just to hear the stories of the experiences that these children are going through when they were in their family homes, as well as, foster parents and it was quite sad to me. And so that's why I worked so hard passing legislation to try to improve their quality of life. Okay. Because these kids, they did not choose to go through what they've gone through. Many of the kids shared with me that -- well, the African American children were sharing with me that they were wards -- well their foster parents were -- were Caucasian and they did not know how to deal with their -- their kinky hair. So, what did they do? Rather than take them to a beauty salon or somewhere else or whatever, they would just cut their hair off and make them -- make the girls look like boys. And some of the girls I thought were boys. And they share with me how traumatized they became when they -- they -- they were mistreated again with their foster parents who are living off the State and they're paid to care for these children. And my colleagues on the other side are so concerned about the money that's costing. Look at the lifelong trauma that these kids are suffering even today. And if they do not receive the treatment that they need, they're going to carry it over throughout their lives. Their children, if they decide to have children, they are going to be traumatized and then you have a cycle of trauma and you're talking about the cost. We're talking about -- you're talking about money. I'm talking about life long trauma. That's a 60  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 cost that costs more than the money that we're talking about here. So why don't you all get up off this crap? This doesn't make any sense at all. Playing games with people's lives. We're supposed to be bigger than this. You know, I testified in -- in -- in Committee on this bill and just sitting here listening -- listening -- there listening to the comments on the other side was so sickening to me. Don't you all have a better life? Why don't you spend more time trying to solve some of the problems that exist in these states. Let's start with the children, because they are our future. Thank you, Mr. President. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Further discussion. Senator Preston, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

To the bill, Mr. President. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) To the bill.

You know, this is a very important conversation and out of it was born a lot. We talked about cultural and ethnic identities, we talked about cost, we've spoken about parents' rights. Of all the roles I've ever had, being a parent is the one that's the most important to me. And one of the biggest issues in my house, is dealing with my children and their hair. All six of them. And when I think about it, I want my kids to cut their hair and have a nice clean shaven but my boys don't want to. My daughters want to let their luxurious hair flow when they go to the beauty supply to get it. It cost a lot. I want them to wear it natural, but they don't. And where my wife and I landed on this is, this is so important 61  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 that we give them the autonomy to carry the hairstyle that they want, because it makes them feel good. I remember a woman on my block, Miss Summerall. May she rest in peace. She adopted kids all the time and I'll never forget two kids, in particular, who she adopted because when they came to our neighborhood, they had long braids. Shortly thereafter, they came back with their short haircut, and we teased them. I teased them, I called them, having a toilet bowl haircut. And probably, why I won't forget them is because after I did that, the next thing I knew that I was getting welded on by those kids. They were so mad. I was a kid, we tease kids, but that was traumatic for them. And so, while I'm always looking and listening to all of the debates coming from both sides to learn from either the other side, I think that it will behoove those who spoke about the cost and all of these things that seem innocuous to people on this side of the aisle, to learn and listen from the remarks that have been made today by us. Senator Collins has spoken so eloquently about her experience in the system. This could have led to something totally different for her because of how she felt, how she was treated. When I looked up a minute ago in our Constitution, it talked about us working in these Chamber to give people the opportunity to pursue happiness. And at the bare minimum for children who have lost the most precious thing to all of us, which is their families. With a bare minimum, we can allow them to have their hair that makes them feel good, makes them feel like they actually own something about themselves when they've lost everything else. So, I encourage, an Aye vote, and I hope the Chamber recognizes how important this issue, because when we talk about cost on this debate, we have to remember and reflect on what was said here today and think, can we really afford the 62  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 cost of not doing this for these children in this State, who we are here to govern for? I don't think the answer is Yes. We have to do this. To the -- to the sponsor, I thank you for carrying this important legislation. I urge an Aye vote. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The final speaker seeking recognition is Senator Belt.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I -- I really wasn't going to speak to this issue. But -- but there's been so much said about it and there's -- there's a sense of tone deafness going on about this issue. And in the in the immortal words of Marvin Gaye, what's -- what's going on? I just don't understand what we're doing when we're talking about hair. I -- I get a haircut every week, and I don't have much hair. My -- my -- my -- my dad is - was born in Mississippi in 1938. Picked cotton. My mom, 1941, picked cotton. And they allowed me to wear whatever hairstyle I wanted. It's called tolerance. And if you're talking about being a good parent, and I had my mom, my mom and my dad was married to 2018, till my mom died. So, I grew up in the house with my mom and dad there, and they allowed me to express myself. Because see it's really about expression. The great football player, Hall of Fame football player said, if you if you look good, you if you feel good and if you feel good, you play good. If everything in the world is taken away from me and I'm in dark and I'm holding on and I'm grasping to whatever it is that I have left. My mom is gone. My -- my -- my dad is gone. And I -- and I'm in foster care and all I have is my identity. And it's my hair, it's my mane. Then to the -- to the - - to the sponsor of this bill, thank you for bringing this on because that's all I have. And so, we can sit up here and we can 63  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 pontificate and we can -- we can talk about the parents and the system and how much it costs. We're assigning a value to somebody's health. It's how I see myself. I come up here every Tuesday because on Mondays I get a haircut. Right. And to Kimberly's point, it ain't about black folk. I see white kids as a probation officer, as a aftercare officer, I've seen white kids with rocker cuts, buzz cuts, but that's their expression. And it's not up to you to understand it. It's up to you to have tolerance and meet them where they are. We're so tone deaf in this place, but I thank God for this side of the aisle. Vote, Aye. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, before we go to Senator Simmons close. If everyone can just make sure their computers are awake so we don't have any problems when the -- the roll is taken. Senator Simmons, to close.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I sincerely thank, everybody that spoke on this bill, for your passion for backing up the bill, for talking about your lived experiences. I want to thank everybody for a robust debate, even my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for -- for trying to understand this issue and raise some issues. In closing, I just need to touch on a few things for the record. First of all, this legislation is opt in. So, it -- it is meant to be broad. There are going to be young folks in this bill that are black, they're going to be young folks in this bill that are white, they're going to be young folks in this bill that are LGBTQ+, and two spirit. I really don't care. If they decide they want to have blue hair, if they decide that they have Appalachia or they have a rash and they need to get that hair 64  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 treated, or they need to get something done to their scalp, I want them to be able to sit down with the DCFS caseworker, the foster parent, and that child, together, and come up for a plan that will respect the health and dignity of that child who is already been robbed of so much of their humanity by the systems in this State that have been broken for a long time. It was brought up earlier that there's a false choice here, where we should be spending money on tutoring and math and values and character. I just have to say that I am sick and tired as a person who was born in Ronald Reagan's America, of having people who are three times my age try to lecture me about what good values are and what good character is. You know who taught me about good value and good character, was my mother. And no one can ever replace what my mother taught me. Everything I do is about what my mother taught me. That is where I learned my values, and that is where I learned my character. And I want these children whose mothers and fathers have been taken away from them, to be able to express that -- that is deep within them, and that is God given. For others earlier, that talked about how well we should be paying for dental care and not for haircare, I want to remind you that there is no cost associated with this legislation, and that a lot of the haircare or -- or scalp care things that these young folks are going to need may not even cost a dime. And I join you in saying that we need to support dental care and health care for our young people. Progressives have been talking about that for decades and decades and decades. I'll put my name on the first piece of legislation that comes from either side of the aisle, that will make sure that every child in this State has health care, has dental health care, has mental health care, has access to specialty care, and everything else that they need to 65  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 thrive and be productive adults in this State. It was brought up earlier that parenting is the toughest job in the world. Again, I just have to say for the record, that I don't need anyone in this room to lecture me about what it means to be a parent, because my mother was a single parent and she raised me as the oldest child. My sister is 11 years younger than me. My brother is 15 years younger than me. You better believe that I co-parented. You better believe that I picked him up for school. You better believe that I fed them. You better believe that. That tried to play the role of a mental health practitioner when I had no such training to do that role. Because the systems in the state have been broken and have failed these children for two too long. And so, all I'm asking you to do today is support a piece of legislation that will allow these parents to bond with these children, to have a good relationship with these children, so that when these children become adults, they will love their parents, their foster parents, their foster parents will love them back. And we will have households that not broken and rooted in oppression. And we'll have young people that come out of these foster care systems that can serve as State Senators in this room someday. Just like my sister on this side of the aisle talked about a few moments ago. That is what the vision is here for today. That is what the intent is on this legislation. And in closing, I want to also point out for the record that the cost that might come out of this bill will not fall on the foster parents. This bill will not, will not retard the recruitment of foster parents in the slightest. I just - I really want to make sure for the record, I refute that. This is not going to make it harder for us to find foster parents. Because this legislation, if you read it, is clear that it will not fall 66  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 on the foster parents. So, I ask everybody in this room to vote yes on this legislation. Hair has been targeted for too long in this country. If we go back to the Jim Crow era, the three things that were typically targeted were skin color, hair, and facial features. I don't think anybody in this room wants to be on the side of Jim Crow America. So, vote for this legislation and do right by these children. Thank you, Mr. President. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall House Bill 5097 pass. All those in favor vote, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted a wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 59{sic} (49) Senators voting Yea, 9 voting No, 0 voting Present. House Bill 5097, having received the constitutionally required majority, is declared passed. Senator Hunter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Mr. President, I pressed the speak button instead of the Yes button. Please -- please, give me credit for -- I forgot the name of the bill number. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The record will reflect your intention. Senator Bryant, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, This is a bill that was brought before us, as a result of school social workers and school psychologists, school counselors and school nurses, and also speech-language pathologists working in schools wanting to gather this additional support system to help kids. So, what this bill does is it directs the Professional Review Panel and the State Board of Education to analyze and create a financial model that evaluates the impact of implementing recommended maximum caseloads for these services. I'd be happy to answer questions. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) Is there any discussion? Seeing none. Because this Resolution calls for the expenditure of State funds a roll call vote is necessary. The question is, on Senate Joint Resolution 49 -- shall Senate Joint Resolution 49 pass. All those in favor vote, Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted a wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On 68  STATE OF ILLINOIS 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 113th Legislative Day 5/17/2024 that question, there are 58 Senators voting Yes, 0 voting No, and 0 voting Present. Senate Joint Resolution 49, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Next in the Order we have Senate Joint Resolution 54 from Senator Edly-Allen. She indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Joint Resolution 54 declares the City of Zion as the 2024 Zinnia Capitol of Illinois. This is an initiative that is extremely important to my community and Zion, led by our township supervisor, Sherry Neal. Thank you. PRESIDING OFFICER (SENATOR CUNNINGHAM) The question is, shall Senate Joint Resolution 54 pass. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. We will now proceed to the Order of Consent Calendar congratulatory resolutions. Mr. Secretary, have there been any objections filed to any resolution on the Consent Calendar?