* Tribune…

The Illinois House passed legislation aimed at reining in the potential for runaway damages under the state’s biometric privacy law Thursday, more than a year after the Illinois Supreme Court suggested the legislature revisit the law.

Illinois’ biometric privacy law, which the state legislature passed in 2008, requires companies to gain consent before they collect and store biometric information such as fingerprints or retina scans. It’s considered the strictest such law in the country, in part because it allows individuals to sue over alleged violations. Companies that have been caught in the law’s crosshairs include Facebook, which paid out a $650 million settlement over its facial tagging feature, and Google, which settled a case over its facial grouping tool on Google Photos for $100 million.

Nine Republicans joined Democrats in the House supermajority to pass the measure in an 81-30 vote. After passing through the Senate last month in a 46-13 vote, the bill’s next stop is to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk for his consideration.

“Once it reaches his desk, Governor Pritzker will give the final legislation careful review,” said Alex Gough, a spokesperson for the governor, in a statement.

* Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton…

In an effort to recruit more nurses to work at Illinois medical facilities, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton passed a measure to extend the time nurses can practice while waiting for the review of their license application. […]

House Bill 5047 would allow advanced practice registered nurses with pending applications to practice under supervision for six months while waiting for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s review of their application. Under current law, this status is revoked after three months. These nurses would need to have completed at least 250 hours of continuing education in their area of certification and have at least 4,000 hours of clinical experience to be applicable for this opportunity.

According to The Illinois Update, over half of registered nurses in Illinois are over the age of 55, with the state being projected to see a nursing shortage of 15,000 by 2025. Glowiak Hilton’s initiative would help combat this shortage and bring more nurses to hospitals within the state. […]

House Bill 5047 passed the Senate Thursday.

* WAND…

The Illinois Senate passed a proposal Thursday to require school districts to develop cardiac emergency response plans.

This comes as the state saw 109 cardiac events involving students under 18 during 2022 alone.

The legislation could require school districts to work with local paramedics to create an evidence-based plan to use AEDs in case of a cardiac event. Sponsors believe the response plan should be available on every school website and in paper from throughout school property. […]

House Bill 5394 passed unanimously out of the Senate and now moves back to the House on concurrence due to a technical amendment. The measure previously gained unanimous support in the House.

“With the passage of House Bill 5394, more than 20% of our state population that walks through the doors of thousands of schools each day - including students, teachers, administrators and support staff - will be equipped to act in a cardiac emergency,” said Lauren Peters from the American Heart Association.

* Center Square…

The Illinois General Assembly has advanced a measure that allows students to get the opportunity to take part in relaxation activities, including yoga, 20 minutes a week. Some warn it could lead to lawsuits.

Relaxation activities may include, but are not limited to, mindful-based movements, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, guided relaxation techniques, quiet time, walking, in-person conversation and other activities. Senate Bill 2872 would allow a school district to partner with a local community-based organization to provide the activities. […]

After a rousing debate, the House passed the bill by a 71-40 vote. It now heads to the governor for his signature.

* WAND…

State lawmakers could pass a plan in the final week of session to address the rise of deepfake images and AI-generated nude photos of students.

Democrats and Republicans believe the Illinois school code should be amended to include sexually explicit digital depictions of students under the definition of cyberbullying.

Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) told the House Education School Curriculum & Policy Committee Thursday that teachers and administrators across the state are concerned about the amount of AI photos being created to humiliate young people in school. […]

House Bill 299 passed unanimously out of the House Education School Curriculum and Policy Committee. The proposal now heads to the House floor for further consideration.

* NBC Chicago…

Illinois lawmakers have passed new legislation that would issue citations to drivers who park on the shoulders of highways near O’Hare International Airport, and could utilize safety cameras to enforce the measure.

According to Senate President Don Harmon, the bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support, and is now headed toward the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. […]

According to the text of HB 5408, the bill prohibits drivers from stopping or standing their vehicles on shoulders of highways within a one-half mile radius of the eastern entrance to the airport. It also applies to the intersection of Interstates 90 and 294, according to the bill.

Anyone in violation of the law would be subject to a citation and a fine of $100, according to lawmakers. The bill also will permit the installation of cameras by the Illinois Tollway Authority for the purposes of enforcement, citing a need to properly allocate law enforcement manpower around the airport.

* WGEM…

A bill in the Illinois state Senate would shield physicians from lawsuits related to autopsies they contact for a county coroner’s office.

Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said there are currently only about 800 board certified forensic pathologists in the U.S. Only three of them are in Central and Southern Illinois. Coroner’s offices typically contract with them to perform autopsies. Only 80 doctors nationwide went into forensic pathology in the past two years.

The bill’s primary sponsor, state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, said many of the 800 board certified forensic pathologists currently serving are on the verge of retirement or already partially retired, which makes the issue even more pressing. […]

The bill would still allow someone to bring a lawsuit against a physician if they use “willful or wanton misconduct” when performing the autopsy and death investigation.

SB2779 heads to the Senate floor.

* Spectrum News…

It’s about to get more expensive for truck drivers in Illinois if debris from the rigs ends up littering roads and highways.

A bill heading to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk would raise the fine to as much as $150. Four or more violations for the same driver in a single year would lead to a $150 fine for the trucking company.

The bill was sponsored by Metro East State Sen. Erica Harris, a Republican from Glen Carbon.

The money would end up back in the hands of local governments to pay the costs of cleaning up the roads.

* WIFR…

Senator Steve Stadelman’s legislation to lower the age of consent for blood typing services unanimously passes the Illinois Senate after previously having passed the House.

House Bill 4271 would amend the Blood Donation Act, lowering the age someone can have their blood typed to 17 years old as long as the donation is voluntary.

The change would make medical processes more efficient and improve the speed of healthcare services for young adults.

The Rock River Valley Blood Center was the first to take action. It uses blood typing to pique the interest of high school students to donate and educate them about the positive impact of donating.

The bill now goes to Gov. JB Pritzker to be signed into law.