The Spring 2021 Session of the Illinois General Assembly began January 13 and officially ended May 31 in the House and June 1 in the Senate. The legislative body considered more than 7,500 bills and resolutions before passing 650, which were sent to Governor J.B. Pritzker to sign into law.
Here’s a brief overview of bills that may concern Illinois Baptists:
HB 9 Birth Certificate Change The bill requires the State Registrar of Records to establish a new birth certificate when receiving a signed statement from an individual having undergone treatment for gender transition. Passed by the General Assembly.
HB 156 Hygiene Product – Amends the school code to mandate a public “school district shall make menstrual (not feminine) hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in bathrooms of every school building that are open for student use in grades 4 through 12 during the regular school day.” The amendment includes both boys’ and girls’ restrooms and was passed by both Houses on May 31.
HB 2590 Marriage Certificates —The bill requires county clerks to issue new marriage certificates upon request to reflect legal name changes for transgender and non-binary individuals. The new certificate would be “free of any gender identifying language.” Passed by the General Assembly.
HB 3100 ANCR Implicit Bias – An amendment that requires mandated reporters of child abuse, which includes pastors and teachers, to complete bias training within three months of professional engagement or every three years during retraining. Implicit bias is defined as having an unconscious belief or stereotype about an individual or people group. Passed by the General Assembly.
SB 818 Sex Education —The amended bill no longer mandates public schools teach sex education to students in kindergarten through grade 12. However, it does state public schools opting to offer sex education classes, only teach from the materials mandated by the bill as approved by the National Sex Education Standards by the Future of Sex Education (a non-governmental organization). Passed by the General Assembly.
SB 1730 Corporations LGBT Directors — An amendment requiring public corporations to “report the self-identified sexual orientation and self-identified gender identity of it’s directors.” Passed by the General Assembly.
One concerning piece of legislation failed to make it through Senate, but is expected be brought back in an upcoming session:
HB 1797 Repeal Parental Notification of Abortion Act – The Act would have repealed current state law requiring women under age 18 to notify one parent, legal guardian, or grandparent at least 48 hours prior to undergoing an abortion. While it failed to make it out of committee, it may be voted on at any time over the next two legislative sessions.