Illinois

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that an electronic filing system approved by or maintained by the Supreme Court of Illinois, a State agency, or a unit of local government may be used for the filing of documents. Provides that, as soon as reasonably practicable after an electronic filing system receives and files a document, the system shall electronically notify the court, State agency, or unit of local government in which the document was filed of the filing, the person who requested the document to be filed, and the persons and entities on whom the document was served by the system. Provides that the electronic notice is proof of filing and service of that document, and no additional proof of filing or service of that document is required. Provides that proof of service of documents on persons or entities who do not receive service from the electronic filing system shall be as otherwise required by law.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Specifies that the purchaser education support policies that are maintained by dispensing organizations must include information on the use of locked storage bags to prevent access to cannabis by children. Requires any dispensing organization that sells edible cannabis-infused products to display a placard that, among other things, states: "Cannabis products should be kept away from children and safely stored in a locked storage container." Requires dispensing organizations that are authorized to serve registered qualifying patients, caregivers, or purchasers and that offer cannabis-infused products or cannabis-infused products intended for topical use to stock for sale lockable, opaque storage containers designed to prevent access to cannabis products by children. In provisions regarding required warnings for cannabis-infused products, adds a required warning that the product must be stored out of reach of children and should be in a locked container and that provides the phone number to the Illinois Poison Center in case of accidental use.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides the additional requirement of successfully completing at least one foundational course on English learners for a person to be issued a Professional Educator License. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Act. Provides that any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a hospital security guard which results directly or indirectly from specified diseases or conditions resulting in any disability to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's hospital security employment.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Veterans Housing Protection Act. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to refuse to sell or rent or to otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling to any buyer or renter who is a veteran because of the results of a criminal, credit, or eviction history records check. Provides that the prohibition against the use of the results of a veteran's criminal history records check shall not preclude an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or a real estate broker or salesman, from prohibiting the veteran, a member of the veteran's household, or a guest of the veteran from engaging in unlawful activity on the premises. Expands the Act's definition of "source of income" to include any federal, State, or local public assistance, and federal, State, or local housing subsidies, such as federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, rental assistance under the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, and veterans' benefits. Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to administer a statewide Landlord Rental Guarantee Program which reimburses landlords up to $3,500 for damages or unpaid rent associated with veteran tenants using any federal, State, or local housing assistance or veterans' benefits to pay all or a portion of the rent. Provides that reimbursement payments shall be paid out of the Veterans Rental Guarantee Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. Requires the Department to also establish and administer a pilot program to increase affordable homeownership opportunities among the veteran population. Provides that under the pilot program veterans shall be able to use federal or State housing vouchers to partially subsidize homeownership expenses for up to 10 or 15 years depending on the mortgage term.

Creates the Nitrogen Reduction Program Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Agriculture shall, in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and soil and water conservation districts in the State, develop a nitrogen reduction incentive program by January 1, 2027 for the purpose of addressing water quality issues. Provides that the program will include a per-acre payment rate of not less than $5 per acre. Provides that crop management records collected from farmers shall be considered confidential. Makes findings. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Creates the Veterans' Dependents and Spouses College Tuition Waiver Act. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at a public institution of higher education if the applicant is a spouse or dependent of an eligible veteran, is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the public institution of higher education, and meets residency and enrollment requirements established by rule. Provides that the waiver applies only to tuition and mandatory fees and does not include room, board, books, supplies, or other nonmandatory expenses. Sets forth the length of the waiver. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall administer the waivers created by the Act. Provides that the Act's benefits shall be applied after federal educational benefits have been applied, unless otherwise provided by rule. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits an applicant from receiving federal educational benefits, as long as there is no duplication of State-funded tuition assistance. Allows the Commission to adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the Act. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Voids any provision in an oral agreement or written instrument relating to real property suited for medical procedures that purports to forbid or restrict the conveyance, encumbrance, occupancy, or lease on the basis of providing reproductive health care so long as voiding the provision would not place the instrument or agreement in conflict with another law. Voids any condition, restriction or prohibition, including a right of entry or possibility of reverter, which directly or indirectly limits the use or occupancy of real property suited for medical procedures on the basis of providing reproductive health care so long as voiding the provision would not place the instrument or agreement in conflict with another law. Makes it a civil rights violation to insert in a written instrument a provision that is void under the Act.

Creates the Official Insignia and Uniform Sales Act. Provides that a person shall not: (1) knowingly manufacture, sell, market, promote, advertise, or otherwise distribute any counterfeit official insignia or uniform; or (2) knowingly manufacture, sell, market, promote, advertise, or otherwise distribute any counterfeit official insignia or uniform to an individual, knowing that the individual is not authorized to possess it under the law of the place in which the insignia or uniform is the official insignia or uniform. Sets forth penalties and defenses for violations of the Act. Defines terms.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, beginning on January 1, 2026, the reimbursement rates for the support component of the nursing facility rate for facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act as skilled or intermediate care facilities and for facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 shall be the rate in effect on June 30, 2024 increased by the percent change in the Consumer Price Index-U from September 2016 to September 2025. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Provides that, upon request by an owners licensee authorized to conduct casino gambling in the City of Chicago and upon a showing of good cause by the owners licensee, the Illinois Gaming Board shall extend the period during which the licensee may conduct gaming at a temporary facility by up to 18 months and may authorize no more than 2 additional 3-month extensions.

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that the principal metric a school board shall consider for a charter renewal must be academic achievement. Provides that the school board shall grant a renewal term of no fewer than 5 years if the charter's average annual summative designation over the term of the charter is in the top 3 summative designations on the State report card. Provides that nothing in these provisions limits an authorizer's authority to impose conditions or corrective actions as required by law, but the renewal term for a charter school meeting a school board's academic criteria may not be fewer than 5 years.

Amends the Township Code. Provides that a township that maintains public parks pursuant to the Township Parks Article of the Township Code shall have, in addition to the rights, powers, and obligations granted to townships under the Township Code, all the rights, powers, and obligations of a park district organized under the Park District Code, except the authority to levy taxes pursuant to Taxing Powers Article of the Park District Code.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that all housing assistance payments payable from funds appropriated to the Department of Human Services in State Fiscal Year 2027 for the purpose of providing ongoing housing assistance to long-term care residents seeking to transition to less restrictive community housing shall be structured to ensure that housing assistance recipients pay no more than 30% of their income as housing costs and may relocate to a different residence that meets applicable Department rules without losing eligibility for such housing assistance payments. Effective July 1, 2026.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Reproductive Liberty and Justice Act. Amends the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act. Expands the definition of "medical facility" to include a reproductive health center established at a nonprofit community health center. Makes other changes. Amends the Birth Center Licensing Act. Makes changes to the definition of "birth center". Provides that a birth center and any licensed provider of abortion and birth control services on site may be colocated at the same facility. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules for licensing and designating colocated facilities to provide specified essential reproductive health care services. Contains other provisions. Amends the Licensed Certified Professional Midwife Practice Act. Provides that a licensed certified professional midwife may provide out-of-hospital care to a childbearing individual who has had a previous cesarean section, if authorized by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Removes language prohibiting a licensed certified professional midwife from (1) performing an abortion or (2) knowingly accepting responsibility for prenatal or intrapartum care of a client with alcohol abuse or drug addiction. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Removes from the definition of "neglected child" any child who is a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance. Makes corresponding changes to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the Adoption Act, and the Vital Records Act. Contains provisions concerning CAPTA notifications and prohibited disclosures regarding the results of a toxicology test administered on a newborn or a pregnant person. Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Contains provisions concerning Plans of Safe Care. Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that a patient has the right for a physician and other health care service providers to administer specified medical tests without disclosing the results of the test to a law enforcement agency or to the Department of Children and Family Services. Amends the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act. Makes changes to the definition of "adverse pregnancy outcome". Contains provisions concerning certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth. Makes other changes.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, all handgun ammunition that is manufactured, imported into the State for sale or personal use, kept for sale, offered or exposed for sale, sold, given, lent, or possessed shall be serialized. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, any person who manufactures, causes to be manufactured, imports into the State for sale or personal use, keeps for sale, offers or exposes for sale, or who gives or lends any handgun ammunition that is not serialized is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, any person who possesses in any public place any handgun ammunition that is not serialized is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor. Provides exceptions. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, the Illinois State Police shall maintain a centralized registry of all reports of handgun ammunition transactions reported to the Illinois State Police in a manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. Provides that information in the registry, upon proper application for that information, shall be furnished to peace officers and authorized employees of the Illinois State Police or to the person listed in the registry as the owner of the particular handgun ammunition. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall adopt rules relating to the assessment and collection of end-user fees in an amount not to exceed 5 cents per round of handgun ammunition or per bullet, in which the accumulated fee amount may not exceed the cost to pay for the infrastructure, implementation, operational, enforcement, and future development costs of these provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall require any health care facility receiving State or federal funding to publish the facility's financial records on the facility's publicly accessible website at the end of each fiscal year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that "salary" means the actual salary attached to the exempt rank position held by the fireman, if specified contributions have been made and the fireman has held one or more exempt positions for at least 3 years (instead of 5 consecutive years) and has held the rank of battalion chief, field officer, captain, ambulance commander, lieutenant, or paramedic-in-charge for at least 3 years (instead of held the rank of battalion chief or field officer for at least 5 years) during the exempt period. Removes a provision that limits application of that salary definition to firemen born before 1955. Makes conforming changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. In provisions concerning the entity-level tax, provides that a partnership making an entity-level tax election may elect to determine its tax base using a full distributive share method or an Illinois-sourced income method. Effective immediately.

Amends the Airport Authorities Act. Provides that, in an order finding the results of an election to be favorable to the establishment of an airport authority, the circuit court shall determine, among other things, the population of each municipality within the authority having 5,000 or more inhabitants who reside within the corporate limits of the authority (rather than the population of each municipality within the authority having 5,000 or more inhabitants). Provides that, if a municipality not wholly located within the Springfield Airport Authority attains 5,000 or more inhabitants who reside within both the corporate limits of the municipality and the corporate limits of the Springfield Airport Authority, then a referendum may be held to determine whether those residents may be deannexed from the Springfield Airport Authority. Authorizes the referendum to be initiated either (i) by a petition signed by a number of voters equal to of at least 8% of the total votes cast for candidates for Governor in the last gubernatorial election by the registered voters who reside in the corporate limits of the municipality and the corporate limits of the Springfield Airport Authority or (ii) by the corporate authorities of a municipality not wholly located within the corporate limits of the Springfield Airport Authority with 5,000 or more inhabitants who reside within both the corporate limits of the municipality and the corporate limits of the Springfield Airport Authority. Specifies that, if the majority of those voting on the referendum approve of deannexation, then the Springfield Airport Authority shall either deannex all the territory within the corporate limits of the municipality or accept the appointment of one additional commissioner to the board who shall be appointed by the municipality that voted for deannexation. Requires the Springfield Airport Authority to vote to either deannex the affected property or accept the appointment of an additional commissioner within 45 days after certification of the vote. Requires all appointments of commissioners to boards of commissioners of airport authorities to indicate whether or not the person appointed resides within or without a municipality having a population of 5,000 or more inhabitants within the corporate limits of the authority (rather than a municipality having a population of 5,000 or more inhabitants).

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the 15-year penalty enhancement for committing various offenses with a firearm, applies only if the person committed the offense while personally armed with the firearm.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Replaces references to the Community College Cannabis Vocational Pilot Program and the Community College Cannabis Vocational Training Pilot Program with references to the Community College Cannabis Vocational Training Program. Repeals provisions that would automatically repeal the Program on July 1, 2026. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide grants from appropriations from the Cannabis Business Development Fund to community colleges licensed under the Community College Vocational Training Program, and requires the Department to adopt rules. Provides that the community colleges that received a license before the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be deemed to be licensed Responsible Vendor Program Training Providers and that such designation may be revoked for cause under rules adopted by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines "CCR management unit" as any area of land at any facility with a CCR surface impoundment, on which any noncontainerized accumulation of CCR is received, is placed, or is otherwise managed, and that is not itself a CCR surface impoundment. Provides that the term "CCR management unit" does not include CCR used in a manner that meets the definition of coal combustion by-product, unless the owner or operator, or the Agency, determines that the CCR is causing or contributing to a statistically significant concentration of one or more constituents above the groundwater protection standard established by the Board. Provides that no later than February 8, 2027, the owner or operator of a CCR surface impoundment must submit to the Agency a copy of the Facility Evaluation Reports Part 1 and 2. Provides that the Board shall adopt rules establishing permit requirements, reporting, financial assurance, and closure and post-closure care requirements for CCR management units. Provides that the owner or operator of a CCR management unit shall pay an initial fee of $75,000 for each CCR management unit by July 1, 2027 and an annual fee of $25,000 for each CCR management unit that has not completed closure; and $15,000 for each CCR management unit that has not completed post-closure care, beginning July 1, 2028.

Creates the Prohibition of Algorithmics in Rent Act. Provides that in setting the amount of rent to be charged to a tenant for the occupancy of a residential premises, including determining any change in the amount of rent to be charged for the renewed occupancy of a residential premises, a landlord shall not employ, use, or rely upon, or cause another person to employ, use, or rely upon, an algorithmic device that uses, incorporates, or was trained with nonpublic competitor data. Defines "algorithmic device" to mean a device that uses one or more algorithms to perform calculations of data, including data concerning local or statewide rent amounts being charged to tenants by landlords, for the purpose of advising a landlord concerning the amount of rent that the landlord may consider charging a tenant. Provides that this definition does not include (i) any report published periodically, but no more frequently than monthly, by a trade association that receives renter data and publishes it in an aggregated and anonymous manner; or (ii) a product used for the purpose of establishing rent or income limits in accordance with the affordable housing program guidelines of a local government, the State, the federal government, or other political subdivision. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a corresponding change. Provides that any person who violates the Prohibition of Algorithmics in Rent Act commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that any person, firm, corporation, co-partnership, limited liability company, association, or business, including an online retailer, that intentionally manufactures, delivers, possesses, or sells, with intent to manufacture, deliver, sell, or otherwise transfer nitrous oxide for the purpose of causing a condition of intoxication, elation, euphoria, dizziness, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses or for the purpose of changing, distorting, or disturbing the audio, visual, or mental processes is guilty of a Class 3 felony.