Illinois

Amends the Water Commission Act of 1985. Deletes a provision which specifies that no commissioner who is a member of the governing board or an officer or employee of the county or any unit of local government within the county may receive any compensation for serving as a commissioner on the county water commission. Allows a county water commission to use alternate project delivery methods, establish goals or requirements for the procurement of goods and services and for construction contracts, and accept assignment of municipal waterworks system contracts or other public improvement contracts. Gives commissions the authority to enter into design-build contracts and use a design-build delivery system. Includes requirements pertaining to the design-build delivery system. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a county water commission may construct water transmission and distribution lines within a radius of 50 miles (rather than 25 miles) outside the corporate limits of member municipalities for the purpose of furnishing water to any additional entities that contract with the commission for a supply of water.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Allows the Department of Public Health to contract for a statewide mobile pregnancy application to promote awareness of maternal and infant health programs for Medicaid participants, eligible individuals, and the uninsured. Sets application requirements, data reporting standards, and payment terms. Provides for nondigital outreach. Directs the Department to issue a request for proposals within 180 days.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election authority may reduce the number of judges of election in each precinct to 3 judges of election in lieu of the 5 judges of election otherwise required. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Property Tax Code and the Mobile Home Local Services Tax Enforcement Act. Provides that, when the holder of the certificate of purchase is the county as trustee for taxing districts, upon request of or consent by the county as trustee, the county collector may declare an administrative sale in error at any time and for any reason. Provides that the declaration shall state the reason why the sale should not have occurred.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law, if an interest penalty for the delinquent payment of taxes is imposed and if collections of interest penalties are enjoyed by a county pursuant to that procedure, then the country collector shall place all of the proceeds from interest penalty payments collected thereby into a separate and distinct fund created within the country treasury for the delineation and distribution of interest penalties paid on property taxes that are past due as of the time payment is made. Further provides all moneys in the interest penalty fund created by each county under this provision shall, within 30 days of receipt by the county, be divided and distributed to (i) the county of record and (ii) all other proper authorities or persons, on the basis of proportionate share of the overall tax extension within which individual taxpayer delinquency and payment of interest penalties took place. Provides that, when making this distribution to a proper authority or person, the county collector may include a notification that the moneys so distributed are the result of interest penalties charged by the county as part of the overall enforcement by the county of the Code.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction deadlines and requirements for electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use gas as a fuel, that are not public GHG-emitting units, and that are located within a specified distance of an equity investment eligible community, specifies that the equity investment eligible community must have been designated by the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program Board as of January 11, 2024 and must be located in an R3 Area established under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall adopt rules setting forth standardized reporting protocols for election data. Provides that, no later than July 1, 2027, the State Board of Elections shall publish guidelines for compliance with standardization conventions for data fields related to election districts, precincts, polling places, and other election data. Provides for periodic audits of the election data subject to the standardized reporting protocols. Provides that, beginning with the 2028 general primary election, no less than 75 days before each election, every election authority shall ensure that all data reported by the election authority conforms to the data standardization requirements adopted by the Board.

Amends the Elected City Officers Division of the Municipal Code. Requires every municipality to stagger the terms of its alderpersons (rather than allowing municipalities to adopt a proposition to stagger the terms of its alderpersons). Provides that, if a municipality has not adopted a proposition to stagger the terms of alderpersons before the effective date of the amendatory Act, then at the next regular election for alderpersons one alderperson shall be elected from each even-numbered ward for a term of 2 years and one alderperson shall be elected from each odd-numbered ward for a term of 4 years and their successors shall be elected for terms of 4 years. Provides that the City of Chicago and the City of Chicago Heights are not required to stagger the elections of their alderpersons.

Creates the Custody Relinquishment Prevention Involving Children with Developmental Disabilities Act. Provides that the Act establishes a pathway for families on the verge of seeking services for their child's developmental disability through relinquishment of parental custody to the Department of Children and Family Services, despite the absence of abuse or neglect, to receive services through the appropriate State child-serving agency. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Public Health to enter into an interagency agreement for the purpose of preventing children and youth with developmental disabilities who are not otherwise abused or neglected from entering the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services solely for purposes of receiving specialized services and supports to address the child's or youth's needs. Provides that under the interagency agreement, the listed agencies shall establish an interagency clinical team to review cases of children and youth with developmental disabilities who live at home with their families and are at risk of relinquishment, and to connect the child or youth and his or her family with the appropriate services, treatment, and support to prevent custody relinquishment to the Department of Children and Family Services. Contains provisions on what issues must be addressed in the interagency agreement; annual outcomes and data reports to the General Assembly; and other matters. Requires the listed agencies to adopt rules providing that any employee of that Department who encourages a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult to relinquish custody of a child with a developmental disability solely to access specialized services and supports through the appropriate State child-serving agency, despite the absence of abuse or neglect, is subject to termination.

Amends the Regional Superintendent of Schools Article of the School Code. Requires the regional superintendent of schools to, beginning on August 7, 2028, exercise and perform all rights, powers, duties, and responsibilities that were vested in or required by law to be exercised and performed by former regional boards of school trustees and appoint a nonpartisan citizens committee consisting of 5 members to conduct the duties of the former regional board of school trustees. Provides that the expiring terms of members of each regional board of school trustees shall be extended so as to terminate on the August 7, 2028. Provides that all books, records, maps, papers, documents, equipment, supplies, accounts, deposits, and other personal property belonging to or subject to the control or disposition of former regional board of school trustees shall be transferred and delivered to the regional office of education or education service center that services the same or substantially similar territory as the former regional board of school trustees. Repeals provisions regarding regional boards of school trustees. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that a limitation upon the applicability of certain provisions in the Code concerning local school councils does not apply to any school established as a military academy.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager or an affiliate acting on the pharmacy benefit manager's behalf is prohibited from steering a covered individual. Defines "steer". Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Creates the Deferred Retirement Option Article. Provides a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for certain participants under the Downstate Teacher Article who are eligible to retire and meet other criteria. Provides that a participant in the DROP may elect to participate for up to 5 years. Provides that on the effective date of the member's election, the System shall credit the member's account on a monthly basis, for as long as the member participates in the DROP, an amount equal to the monthly amount of retirement annuity the member would otherwise be eligible to receive had the member retired on the date of the election. Provides that the DROP member shall be considered in active service for purposes of participation in a collective bargaining agreement, for health care benefits, and for other purposes. Establishes a DROP administered by the State Treasurer for pension funds or retirement systems that are required to establish a DROP and elect to transfer administrative responsibility for the DROP to the State Treasurer. Sets forth provisions concerning interest on the account; termination of the DROP; contributions; administrative costs; and a DROP advisory board. Effective immediately.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act and the University of Illinois Hospital Act. Provides that, unless otherwise required by Illinois law, no hospital, individual affiliated with a hospital, or person contracted with a hospital shall release information related to any person or entity that allows a child to receive gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care in response to any criminal or civil action, including a foreign subpoena, based on another state's law that authorizes a civil action to be brought against any person or entity that allows a child to receive gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code, the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to prohibit the same release of information from an issuer of a policy of accident or health insurance.

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that upon approval of a charter renewal by an authorizer, the charter operator shall execute the renewal agreement no later than 90 days after the date of the authorizer's final renewal approval. Provides that a charter school that is deemed nonrenewed is ineligible to receive any payments from a school district. Provides that a charter operator that fails to execute a renewal agreement within a specified period may not continue to operate the charter school beyond the expiration of the existing charter term and is subject to closure procedures. Requires every charter operator to maintain closure security. Provides that failure to maintain closure security is a basis for the authorizer to withhold a portion of per-pupil payments until compliance is achieved and for consideration in denying a charter renewal or revoking the charter or ineligibility to operate additional charter campuses. Provides that if the closure security is insufficient to cover the costs of a closure event, the authorizer or the State Board of Education may bring a civil action against the charter operator to recover the unpaid amounts and seek to impose a lien on any property owned by the charter operator to secure recovery. Provides that if an authorizer determines that a charter school is in financial distress, the authorizer may require the charter operator to submit a financial remediation plan within 30 days. Provides that if the authorizer determines that the charter school has failed to implement an approved remediation plan or the financial distress presents an immediate risk to students, employees, or public funds, the authorizer may initiate financial intervention by appointing an independent fiscal manager approved by the authorizer and the State Board. Allows the fiscal manager to exercise authority limited to financial matters. Provides that financial intervention is temporary and may not exceed 180 days, except that the authorizer may extend the intervention once for good cause. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Removes language providing that provisions concerning reimbursement for certain telehealth services are inoperative on and after January 1, 2028.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Extends the estimated date of completion of a redevelopment project and the retirement of obligations issued to finance redevelopment project costs for an ordinance adopted on May 5, 2003 by the Village of Hoffman Estates to create the Golf, Higgins, and Roselle Road TIF redevelopment project area. Effective immediately.

Amends the Article in the Illinois Trust Code governing the duties and powers of trustees to provide a procedure for settlement of accounts. Provides that a trustee may obtain a settlement of its accounts if a trust terminates under the terms of the trust, a trust terminates early, a trustee resigns or is removed, or a trustee seeks discharge of an interim accounting period if the interest of one or more beneficiaries has terminated and the trust is continuing. Provides that a trustee who elects to use the new provisions must provide notice and a statement of information to the qualified beneficiaries of the trust and the successor trustee, if applicable, within a reasonable time after termination of the trust under its terms, the resignation or removal of the trustee, or the end of the period for which the trustee is seeking discharge. Provides that, if, after receiving the notice and trust information, a qualified beneficiary or any other party that received the notice and trust information objects to a disclosed act or omission, the qualified beneficiary must provide written notice of the objection to the trustee not later than 60 days after the notice was sent by the trustee. Provides that, if no written objection is provided in the 60-day time period, the information provided is considered approved by the recipient. Requires the trustee, in the case of a trust terminating under the terms of the trust or the trustee's resignation or removal, within a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 60-day time period, to distribute the assets as provided in the trust or to the successor trustee. Provides that, if a qualified beneficiary gives the trustee a written objection within the applicable 60-day time period, the trustee or the qualified beneficiary may (i) submit the written objection to the court for resolution and charge the expense of commencing a proceeding to the trust or (ii) resolve the objection by a nonjudicial settlement agreement or other written agreement. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the driver of a vehicle to yield the right-of-way to any authorized vehicle or pedestrian actually engaged in work upon a highway within any agricultural work zone. Sets the penalties as follows: failing to yield is a business offense punishable by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $25,000; failing to yield that results in damage to property, in addition to the business offense penalty and any other imposed penalty, shall have the person's driving privileges suspended for not less than 90 days and not more than one year; failing to yield that results in injury to another person, in addition to the business offense penalty and any other imposed penalty, shall have the person's driving privileges suspended for not less than 180 days and not more than 2 years; and for failing to yield that results in the death of another person, in addition to the business offense penalty and any other imposed penalty, shall have the person's driving privileges suspended for 2 years.

Creates the Electric Transmission Facilities Siting Act. Defines terms. Requires that, in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, available corridors be used in the following order of priority: (1) existing public utility corridors; (2) highway corridors; and (3) new corridors. Provides that a public utility or developer may construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage electric service line on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public utility or developer submits a colocation request for the high-voltage electric service line to the Secretary of Transportation and (ii) the Secretary reviews and approves the colocation request. Provides that the Secretary may deny a colocation request if the Secretary determines that the construction, placement, or maintenance of a high-voltage electric service line on a public right-of-way or along a highway would endanger public safety or would interfere with the proper function of the highway. Provides that a public utility or developer may submit a written request to the Department of Transportation for an evaluation of certain corridors for possible locations for a high-voltage electric service line. Provides that, within 30 days after receipt of a written request, the Secretary shall assign a project coordinator to the request. Provides that a project coordinator, upon assignment to a request, shall begin the evaluation in coordination with the applicable public utility or developer. Requires a public utility or developer to develop a constructability report in consultation with the Department and requires the public utility or developer and the Department to follow the terms and conditions of the constructability report during the planning and approval process for the siting of a high-voltage electric service line. Sets forth requirements for the content of the constructability report. Provides that, if the Department requires that a high-voltage electric service line on a public right-of-way be relocated by a specific date, the Department shall give the applicable public utility or developer notice of the required relocation no less than 10 years before the date of the required relocation. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that every ballot measure to be placed on a ballot shall be written in plain language and include a ballot measure summary that describes the primary purpose of the ballot measure and the material legal effect if the ballot measure is approved or rejected. Sets forth provisions concerning the preparation of ballot measures and ballot measure summaries. Provides that a registered voter may challenge a ballot measure or ballot measure summary for non-compliance with the provision. Makes conforming changes.

Creates the Illinois Data Privacy and Protection Act. Provides that a covered entity (any entity or any person, other than an individual acting in a non-commercial context, that alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of collecting, processing, or transferring covered data) may not collect, process, or transfer covered data unless the collection, processing, or transfer is limited to what is reasonably necessary and proportionate. Provides that a covered entity and a service provider shall establish, implement, and maintain reasonable policies, practices, and procedures concerning the collection, processing, and transferring of covered data. Contains provisions concerning retaliation; transparency; individual data rights; consent; data protection for children and minors; civil rights; data security; small business protections; executive responsibility; service providers and third parties; enforcement; severability; and rulemaking. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2027 and prior to January 1, 2028, the first $100,000 in liability is exempt from the franchise tax payable by domestic corporations. Provides that, in the case of a domestic corporation, no payment is required for a franchise tax that would have been due and payable on or after January 1, 2028. Repeals the provision concerning franchise taxes payable by domestic corporations on January 1, 2028. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Changes the Public Accommodations and Financial Credit Articles to prohibit discrimination on the basis of citizenship, primary language, or immigration status that includes discrimination against a person because of the person's actual or perceived characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories or that the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any particular characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories. "Citizenship" means the status of being: (i) a born U.S. citizen; (ii) a naturalized U.S. citizen; or (iii) a U.S. national. "Immigration status" means citizenship of some country other than the United States, including stateless persons, and the specific authority, or lack thereof, to reside in or otherwise to be present in the United States. "Primary language" means a person's preferred language for communication. Provides that it is not a civil rights violation to verify immigration status or any discrimination based upon verified immigration status if required by federal law. Nothing in the Act may be construed to require the provision of services or documents in a language other than English beyond that which is otherwise required by other provisions of federal, State, or local law. Provides that a civil rights violation for a violation of Articles 4 and 5 may include statutory damages of 3 times the amount of actual damages sustained or $8,000, whichever is the greater.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that on and after January 1, 2027, the rates paid for children's dental comprehensive oral exams, periodic oral exams, problem focused exams, behavior management codes, sealants, resin-based composites-posterior teeth, and extraction and surgical extraction codes shall be increased by 33% above the rates in effect on December 31, 2025. Effective January 1, 2027.