Illinois

Amends the School Code. Provides that the General Assembly voluntarily elects the State to: (1) participate in the federal tax credit established under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations; and (2) identify scholarship granting organizations located in this State. Authorizes and empowers the State Board of Education to certify and submit a list of qualifying scholarship granting organizations to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in accordance with the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its associated regulations. Provides that by January 1, 2027 and by every January 1 thereafter, the State Board shall submit to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and publish on the State Board's Internet website a list of all scholarship granting organizations that meet the requirements of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and are located in this State.

Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires each employee or applicant of the Department of Children and Family Services to self-report to the Department within 30 days of incurring any subsequent criminal history record information while employed or in anticipation of being employed at the Department, along with completing a self-certification form each year that there have been no updates to the employee's or applicant's criminal history record, on a form to be prescribed by the Department. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Requires each employee and volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider under the authority of the Department of Children and Family Services or the Department of Early Childhood to self-report to the appropriate Department within 30 days of incurring any subsequent criminal history record information while employed or in anticipation of being employed at the child care facility or non-licensed service provider, along with completing a self-certification form each year that there have been no updates to the employee's or volunteer's criminal history record, on a form to be prescribed by the appropriate Department. Defines "employee" to mean any staff person employed at a child care facility or non-licensed service provider, including any unlicensed contractual employee, substitute, or assistant and other support staff who have access to children.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Increases the penalty for fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony, and, for a third or subsequent violation, from a Class 4 felony to a Class 3 felony. Provides that any person who participates in street racing or a street sideshow, including as a spectator, where 10 or more people are present shall be guilty of a petty offense. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that every person convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds, or any combination thereof shall be guilty of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or compounds, or any combination thereof if the person has been previously convicted of operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds, or combination thereof. Provides that a person convicted of aggravated boating under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or compounds, or any combination thereof is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Restores the general recidivism provisions of the Code before the effective date of Public Act 101-652. Provides that the third-time offender provisions resulting in a sentence of natural life imprisonment apply when the defendant has attained the age of 18 at the time of the third offense (rather than 21 years of age or older when the first offense was committed). In the provision that when a defendant, over the age of 21 years, is convicted of a Class 1 or Class 2 forcible felony after having twice been convicted in any state or federal court of an offense that contains the same elements as an offense now (the date the Class 1 or Class 2 forcible felony was committed) classified in Illinois as a Class 2 or greater Class forcible felony and those charges are separately brought and tried and arise out of different series of acts, that defendant shall be sentenced as a Class X offender, provides that the 3 offenses may be felonies rather than forcible felonies. Provides that the Class X sentencing provision does not apply to Class 1 or Class 2 felony convictions for theft.

Proposes to amend the Legislature and Executive Articles of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a person may not be elected to the office of State Senator for more than three terms or the office of State Representative for more than five terms, and that service in the General Assembly before the second Wednesday in January of 2027 shall not be considered in the calculation of a person's service. Provides that a person may not be elected to any Executive Branch office, or any combination of Executive Branch offices, for more than 2 terms, and that service in an Executive Branch office before the second Monday in January of 2027 shall not be considered in the calculation of a person's service.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the offense of endangering the life or health of a child, includes leaving a child under 12 years of age unattended. Provides that, for the offense of endangering the life or health of a child, defines "unattended" as either: (1) not accompanied by a person 12 (rather than 14) years of age or older; or (2) if accompanied by a person 12 (rather than 14) years of age or older, out of sight of that person.

Creates the Litigation Financing Transparency Act. Provides that a person shall not engage in litigation financing in the State unless the person is registered as a litigation financier under the Act. Provides that, to register as a litigation financier, a person shall file a registration statement with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Sets forth requirements for registration. Prohibits litigation financier from engaging in specified conduct. Sets forth required disclosures in litigation financing agreements. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a party may obtain discovery of the existence and terms and conditions of a litigation financing agreement if it is the subject of or is involved in a pending action. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health insurance issuer that delivers, issues for delivery, or renews in this State a health insurance policy shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the health insurance policy against a health care professional who is acting within the scope of the health care professional's license or certification under applicable State law. Provides that a health insurance issuer is not required to contract with any health care professional willing to abide by the terms and conditions for participation established by the health insurance issuer. Provides that a health insurance issuer is not prohibited from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, in all counties, any change in assessment resulting from reassessment in the general assessment year shall not exceed the lesser of the following: (1) 3% of the assessed value of the property for the prior year; or (2) the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index during the 12-month calendar year preceding the assessment year. Provides that the limitation does not apply if the increase in assessment is attributable to an addition, improvement, or modification to the property. Preempts the power of home rule units to tax. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Department's powers and duties.

Creates the Carryout Bag Reduction Act. Imposes, beginning January 1, 2027, a carryout bag fee of $0.10 on each carryout bag used by a consumer at a retail mercantile establishment. Increases the amount of the fee by $0.05 every year until the fee is $0.25 per carryout bag. Provides that the fee shall be further increased by $0.05 per year if certain goals are not met. Requires retail mercantile establishments to retain a specific amount of the fee and remit the remainder to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the Carryout Bag Fee Fund. Requires a specific amount of the fee to be deposited into the General Revenue Fund through 2030 and requires the remainder of the fee to be remitted either (i) to the county where the retail mercantile establishment is located or (ii) if a municipal joint action agency or a municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000 is located in the county, then to either the municipal joint action agency if the fee was collected from a retail mercantile establishment located within the municipal joint action agency service area or to the municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000 if the fee was collected from a retail mercantile establishment located within the municipality with a population greater than 1,000,000. Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2027, plastic bags from being used to transport goods from a retail mercantile establishment for delivery to the location of a consumer. Requires the Department to annually report certain information to the General Assembly and post that information on the Department's website. Establishes requirements for use of the revenue received from the carryout bag fee for units of local government. Exempts from the requirements of the Act bags for items purchased pursuant to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or any similar governmental food assistance program. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop certain materials. Establishes civil penalties for violations of the Act. Provides for enforcement by the Attorney General or a State's Attorney, with penalties collected by the Attorney General to be deposited into the Solid Waste Management Fund. Limits home rule powers and functions. Defines terms. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Carryout Bag Fee Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a survivors insurance beneficiary or the personal representative of the estate of a deceased survivors insurance beneficiary or the personal representative of a survivors insurance beneficiary who is under a legal disability may waive the right to receive survivorship benefits, provided written notice of the waiver is given by the beneficiary or representative to the Board of Trustees within 6 months after the System notified that person of the benefits payable upon the death (instead of 6 months after the death) of the participant or annuitant and before any payment is made pursuant to an application filed by such person. Effective immediately.

Amends the Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act. Provides that the term "governmental unit" does not include a fire protection districts established under the Fire Protection District Act.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release if the defendant is charged with stalking or aggravated stalking, and it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of a victim of the alleged offense, based on the specific articulable facts of the case (rather than denial of release is necessary to prevent fulfillment of the threat upon which the charge is based).

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a prosecution for intimidation of a witness when related to a sex offense, as defined in the Sex Offender Registration Act, when the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense may be commenced at any time.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Makes it a civil rights violation, unless required by applicable security regulations established by the federal government or the State, for an employer to include a statement in a job advertisement, posting, application, or other material that an applicant must have a driver's license unless both of the following conditions are satisfied: (1) the employer reasonably expects driving to be one of the bona fide job functions for the position; and (2) the employer reasonably believes that using an alternative form of transportation is not comparable in travel time or cost to the employer. Provides that an alternative form of transportation includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: using a taxi or ride hailing service, carpooling, bicycling, walking, or public transportation

Amends the Counties Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Appropriates $750,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for Family and Community Services and related distributive purposes, including a grant to Southern Illinois University Rural Health and Mental Health Support for a services to Farm Owners.

Amends the Digital Library Protection Act. Provides that no publisher shall enter into a contract or license agreement to distribute electronic literary materials to a library that: (1) restricts the library from performing customary operational functions; (2) restricts the library from performing customary lending functions; (3) restricts the library from disclosing the terms of the contract or license agreement to any other library in the State; or (4) requires the library to violate the Library Records Confidentiality Act. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any contract to license electronic literary materials to a library that includes a provision prohibited under the Act is deemed unenforceable and void. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, penalizing, discriminating against, or refusing to hire an employee or applicant solely on the basis that the employee or applicant exercised his or her right under the Act to lawfully store a concealed firearm in the employee's vehicle in the employer's parking lot. Provides that an employer, its officers, employees, and agents are immune from civil liability for any claim arising out of, or in any way related to, the mere presence of a lawfully stored firearm in an employee's vehicle in the employer's parking lot, including, but not limited to, claims for damages resulting from theft, discharge, or misuse of the firearm by a third party, unless the claim is based on the employer's own willful or wanton misconduct or gross negligence independent of the lawful storage protected by the Act. Allows a person aggrieved by a violation of these provisions to bring a civil action in circuit court within 2 years after the date of the alleged violation. Describes the relief that is available in such an action.