Illinois

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that any policy of accident or health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2028 that provides coverage for medically necessary pediatric therapy shall provide coverage on a per-session basis. Provides that the terms of the policy may not limit coverage to a specified number of sessions per day. Amends 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 require coverage under the provisions of those Acts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Rates for Fire and Extended Coverage Insurance Article. Provides that the Article applies to policies of fire and extended coverage insurance and establishes policies that are exempt from the Article. Provides that rates shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, as specified. Sets forth provisions concerning filing requirements for insurers in competitive and noncompetitive markets and the monitoring duties of the Director of Insurance concerning market competition and the availability of insurance for the policies of insurance to which the Article applies. Provides that a competitive market is presumed to exist for a line of insurance unless the Director, after a hearing, issues an order stating that a reasonable degree of competition does not exist in the market. Provides that the ruling of the Director regarding market competition is subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Sets per diem add-on rates, beginning January 1, 2027, for nursing facilities based on a facility's STRIVE study staffing levels. Provides that no nursing facility's variable staffing per diem add-on shall be reduced by more than 5% in 2 consecutive quarters; and that no facility below 73% of the staffing indicated by the STRIVE study shall receive a variable per diem staffing add-on after December 31, 2026. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services must split the support rate into its cost report based parts, general services and general administration. Provides that the general services portion shall be referred to as "Support - non-nurse staff" and the general administration portion shall be referred to as "Support - Administrative". Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Provides that if parent files a relocation petition seeking to move the child and submits a sworn statement with documentation stating the parent's lawful status expires within 180 days and there is an inability or difficulty renewing that parent's status substantially caused by the other parent's immigration-status coercion or withholding necessary documentation, then the court must set the relocation petition for hearing as soon as practicable but no less than 30 days from its filing. Defines "immigration-status coercion" as conduct by a parent intended to control or intimidate the other parent by: (1) withholding immigration documents needed to maintain lawful status; (2) refusing to provide information necessary to file or renew lawful status if that parent has unique access; or (3) threatening to report or cause reporting to immigration authorities. Amends the relocation provisions to incorporate immigration-status coercion as a criterion for the court to consider in a petition for relocation.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that a person serving a term of natural life imprisonment is eligible for parole and mandatory supervised release under these provisions. Deletes a provision that no person serving a term of natural life imprisonment may be paroled or released except through executive clemency. Provides that a committed person who has attained the age of 55 years and served at least 25 consecutive years of incarceration, excluding any person sentenced to natural life imprisonment for a Class X felony violation of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, or predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, shall be eligible to submit a petition to the Prisoner Review Board seeking parole. Provides that the Board shall hold a hearing on each petition, and in determining whether an eligible person should be granted parole, the Prisoner Review Board shall consider certain statutory factors as shown by the petition or as shown at the hearing. Provides that victims and victims' families shall be notified in a timely manner and be provided opportunity to participate at the parole hearing concerning the petitioner's application for parole under these provisions in accordance with the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act, the Open Parole Hearings Act, and these provisions. Provides that Prisoner Review Board hearings under these provisions shall be conducted by a panel of at least 8 members of the Board and a majority vote of the panel is required to grant the petition and release the petitioner on parole. Provides that the Board shall render its decision within a reasonable time after the hearing and shall state the basis therefor both in the records of the Board and in written notice to the person on whose petition it has acted. Provides that in its decision, the Board shall set the person's time for parole, or if it denies parole, it shall provide for a rehearing no later than 3 years after denial of parole. Provides that these provisions apply retroactively to all persons serving any sentence that was or is imposed before, on, or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and the period of incarceration for eligibility of each such person to submit a petition for parole is based on all previous consecutive years of incarceration served by that person before, on, and after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may consider public comment concerning commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Defines "relay box". Provides that no person may possess a relay box in this State except for: (1) a mechanic; (2) a new vehicle dealer or used vehicle dealer licensed under the Code; (3) a locksmith licensed under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004; (4) a repossession agent; or (5) a State or local law enforcement officer. Provides that a person who commits a violation of the new provisions is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Effective immediately.

Amends the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985. Reduces the hours or credit hours required of education or training for various licenses under the Act. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the State Comptroller, in coordination with the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a program under which eligible school districts located in Cook County may receive interest-free loans from the State Treasury to address cash flow shortages caused by the delayed issuance of property tax bills by the Cook County Treasurer. Provides that a school district shall be eligible for a loan if the Cook County Treasurer fails to issue property tax bills by the statutory deadline under the Property Tax Code, the failure results in a delay in the receipt of property tax revenues, and the State Board of Education certifies that the district has experienced or will immediately experience a cash flow deficit as a result of the delay. Provides that the loans shall be limited to the amount necessary to maintain essential operations and shall bear no interest to the borrowing district. Provides that the term for a loan shall not exceed 12 months, and that the loan shall repaid in full upon receipt of delayed property tax revenues. Provides that the Cook County shall reimburse the State Treasury for the full amount of interest income lost by the State on any loan. Effective immediately.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2026, funds for the special education teacher scholarship program shall be continuously appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Provides that this requirement constitutes an irrevocable and continuing appropriation of all amounts necessary for the purpose specified by the requirement to the fullest extent such appropriation is required. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Provides that "sports wagering" also includes participation in any prediction market involving a sports event or any portion of a sports event, or the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sports event, including the offering, listing, solicitation, purchase, sale, trading, exchange, or settlement of any event contract, sports-event contract, or other contract, agreement, or transaction, whether described as a derivative, option, binary contract, or similar instrument, in which a person risks something of value on the occurrence, nonoccurrence, or outcome of such sports event or any portion of a sports event or athlete performance statistics; such activity constitutes sports wagering regardless of whether the contract, agreement, or transaction is entered into on a peer-to-peer basis, whether participants take positions against one another rather than against the operator, whether the operator is not a counterparty to the transaction, or whether the operator describes the activity as an investing opportunity, exchange, marketplace, or prediction market.

Creates the Digital Forgeries in Politics Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery who is an Illinois resident and a candidate for office in this State has a cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, or enters into an agreement with another person to distribute, a digital forgery if: (1) the distribution occurs within 90 days before a regular election; and (2) the distribution is reasonably likely to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election. Sets forth exceptions. Allows a court to issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction ordering the defendant to cease the display or distribution of the digital forgery. Includes additional awards to a prevailing plaintiff.

Amends the State Property Control Act. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of the Act or any other law to the contrary, the Director of Natural Resources may dispose of the World Shooting and Recreational Complex located in Sparta, Illinois. Provides that the Director may sell the complex. Provides that if the Director opts to sell the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, the Director shall dispose of the property using a competitive sealed proposal process. Establishes requirements of the proposal process. Provides that the Director may order such surveys, abstracts of title, or commitments for title insurance, environmental reports, property condition reports, appraisals, or any other services or materials as the Director may deem necessary. Provides that all conveyances of property made by the Director under this provision shall be by quit claim deed and subject to existing public utilities, existing public roads, and any and all reservations, easements, encumbrances, covenants, and restrictions of record. Provides that moneys received from the sale of real property under this provision, and deemed necessary to repay tax-exempt bond proceeds issued for the purpose of acquisition, development, or improvement of the property, shall be deposited into the Capital Development Fund. Provides that any remaining funds may be deposited into other special funds used in the acquisition and development of the property by the State, provided that any obligations of the State to the purchaser acquiring the property, a contractor involved in the sale of the property, or a unit of local government may be remitted from the proceeds during the closing process and need not be deposited in the State treasury prior to closing. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the State Board of Education to the extent the Board develops instructional resources for substance use or gambling disorder prevention and awareness that may be used by school districts. Permits the Department to provide funding programs for parents on healthy gaming and play habits; appropriate financial planning and investment strategies; how to talk about gambling and related activities; and how to talk about substance use or gambling. In provisions requiring the Department to establish a public education, research, and training program regarding gambling disorders, expands the scope of the program by requiring that the program utilize screening, crisis intervention, treatment, public awareness, prevention, in-service training, and other innovative means, to decrease the incidents of suicide attempts related to a gambling disorder or gambling issues. Permits the Department to establish a program to provide for the production and publication, in electronic and other formats, of gambling prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery literature and other public education methods. Permits the Department to support gambling disorder prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery projects by facilitating the acquisition of gambling prevention curriculums, providing trainings in gambling disorder prevention best practices, connecting programs to health care resources, establishing learning collaboratives between localities and programs, and assisting programs in navigating any regulatory requirements for establishing or expanding such programs. Permits the Department to award grants to create or support local gambling prevention, recognition, and response projects. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act. Creates the South Suburban Trauma Center Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Specifies that certain toll surcharges are to be deposited in the Fund and used for a suburban trauma center to be situated on the border between Calumet City and the Village of Dolton. Describes additional duties of the Health Facilities and Services Review Board regarding the establishment of a south suburban trauma center. Amends the Toll Highway Act. Imposes a toll surcharge at a specific toll plaza. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, if the retirement application of any annuitant under the Article must be retroactively denied because there was not a separation from service, and the participating municipality or participating instrumentality that employs, re-employs, or contracts with that annuitant knowingly fails to notify the Board of such service, the Board may review the totality of circumstances regarding the member not having a separation of service and assign proportionate responsibility for reimbursement of the total of any annuity payments made to the annuitant in error, as determined by the Board, between the participating municipality or participating instrumentality and the annuitant, less any amount actually repaid by the annuitant. Provides that the total amount repaid by the annuitant plus any amount reimbursed by the employer to the Fund shall not be more than the total of all annuity payments made to the annuitant in error. Adds similar provisions to a provision concerning the suspension of retirement annuities during employment, and removes language providing that those provisions shall not apply if the annuitant returned to work for the employer for less than 12 months. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that if guardianship is necessary under law and the petition for guardianship is filed by a person, corporation, nonprofit organization, or other entity with no legally recognized relationship to the alleged person with a disability, the court shall appoint the State Guardian or county public guardian as the temporary and permanent guardian of the person or estate or both except in counties in which there is no sitting county public guardian.

Amends the Terrorism Article of the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that "terrorist act" includes any act that is intended to cause or create and does cause or create substantial damage to or destruction of any building or facility containing an entity providing reproductive health care as the term is defined in the Reproductive Health Act. Provides in the offense of causing a catastrophe that "vital public facility" includes an entity providing reproductive health care as the term is defined in the Reproductive Health Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that none of the provisions of the Act shall prevent an unlicensed person from engaging in a standardized 5-needle protocol if the person satisfies specified conditions. Provides that the treatment utilizing the 5-needle protocol shall be limited to the insertion of disposable, sterile acupuncture needles into the ear and only in compliance with the 5-needle protocol. Provides that the application or insertion of needles anywhere else on the body of another person by a person shall be considered engaging in the practice of acupuncture without a license.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Changes the short title of the Act to the Liquor and Hemp Products Control Act and makes conforming changes throughout the statutes. Establishes the Hemp Products Commission as a division of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and establishes local hemp products control commissions. Provides that the Hemp Products Commission shall have the same authority conferred upon the State Commission under specified provisions with respect to alcoholic liquors but only with respect to hemp products. Provides that no hemp product may be given, sold, transferred, or delivered to any person under 21 years of age. Establishes hemp products grower or cultivator licenses, hemp products processor or manufacturer licenses, hemp products distributor or wholesaler licenses, and adult-use hemp products retailer licenses. Sets forth provisions concerning taxation of hemp cannabinoid products; licensing requirements and fees; powers and duties of the Hemp Products Commissions; powers and duties of local hemp products control commissioners; hearings and appeals; the production, processing, manufacturing, sale, and distribution of hemp products and adult-use hemp products; labeling, testing, and advertising requirements; recordkeeping and reporting; social equity; and applicability. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Illinois Physical Therapy Act. Adds a provision requiring that applicants for licensure as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant shall submit their fingerprints for the purpose of criminal history records background checks. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may adopt rules necessary to implement the amendatory provisions. Provides that the State of Illinois ratifies and approves the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. Provides that the purpose of the Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services, and states that the Compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. In the Compact, contains provisions concerning definitions; state participation in the Compact; active duty military personnel and their spouses; adverse actions; the establishment of the Physical Therapy Compact Commission; a data system; rulemaking; oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement; the date of implementation; withdrawal; construction; and severability.

Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Requires the form for an application for a marriage license to include whether either party is under a court-ordered guardianship in any State in the United States. Provides that a county clerk shall issue a license to marry and a marriage certificate form, among other requirements, upon being furnished satisfactory proof that neither party to the marriage is under a court-ordered guardianship, or that if at least one party is under a court-ordered guardianship, there has been a judicial determination that the marriage is in the best interests of the person or persons under court-ordered guardianship. Amends the Guardians For Adults With Disabilities Article of the Probate Act of 1975. Requires the court, when determining whether a marriage is in the best interests of a ward, to follow (rather than consider) specified standards. Provides that if a best interests hearing is not held before a judicial officer prior to a ward entering into marriage, then the marriage is without legal effect and void ab initio. Provides that any person who knowingly enters a marriage with a ward without following the required procedures shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Municipal Water Infrastructure Sustainability Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Environmental Protection Agency to provide dedicated, ongoing financial support to water and wastewater systems owned by municipalities to allow the water and wastewater systems to make capital repairs, upgrades, and improvements with the goal of preserving public ownership of the water and wastewater systems and preventing forced privatization due to unaffordable infrastructure costs.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the publication of assessments, provides that, if no newspaper is published in the county, then the publication shall be printed in a public newspaper of general circulation in the county. Provides that, in counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, the county assessor may, in lieu of other publication methods provided by law, publish the list of assessments on the county website. Effective immediately.