COVER STORY
New Laws in 2024
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that it’s 2024 already!
As we embark on this new year, I wanted to highlight some of the bills I passed in the last session that are now in effect, as of Jan. 1:
- HB1555: Clarifies the role of a guardian ad litem in a child abuse or neglect case, including a requirement for a written report focused solely on the child’s best interests. As a longtime guardian ad litem, this law is very close to my heart, because it makes our responsibilities crystal clear, both to families and the courts.
- HB2102: Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act to allow a health care employer to hire people who have been convicted of crimes in other states or under federal law, so long as their records do not put patients or colleagues at risk. Previously, Illinois law allowed employers to ask for waivers to hire people who had been convicted for specific offenses in Illinois only.
- HB2861: Requires DCFS to prepare a written report within 30 days after a child is placed in a residential treatment program, and requires a court hearing to consider the report within 20 days of filing.
- HB3097: Helps keep children (and adults!) safer by strengthening the Department of Labor’s ability to enforce safety standards at amusement parks and carnivals.
- HB3301: Includes independent contractors in the reporting requirements of the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s New Hire registry, to help track down non-custodial parents who are not paying their court-ordered child support.
- SB2288: Requires public universities to grant students full credit for courses in their major subjects that those students completed at Illinois community colleges, so students don’t have to spend time and money on re-taking courses they’ve already passed. This is an incredibly important issue for College of DuPage students and their families, and I’m glad we got it done.