Illinois

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

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 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 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.

Amends the Preventing Youth Vaping Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Creates the Aligning Recommendations with Children's Actual Clinical and Emergency Needs and Determinations Act (ARC-ACEND). Provides that if a child who is the subject of a custody or parenting-time dispute has a serious medical condition, all recommendations made by guardian ad litem, child representative, evaluator, mediator, or other court-appointed officer are deemed provisional and may not be used by the court until a qualified medical provider certifies, in writing, that the recommendation is consistent with the child's clinical needs and medical best interests. Requires that if a qualified medical provider determines that a provisional recommendation is not consistent with the child's clinical needs or medical best interests, the recommendation must be modified to at least the minimum extent necessary to achieve consistency with the recommendations of the qualified medical provider. Provides that nothing in the Act may be construed to limit the court's authority to order additional or more protective modifications if consistent with the child's clinical needs or medical best interests, but the court may not impose less protective measures or measures inconsistent with the qualified medical provider's recommendations. Requires that if the court alters the recommended modifications of the qualified medical provider, it must rule in writing and specify the reasons for the alteration, and the qualified medical provider and the child's primary caregiver must be given an opportunity to respond before the order becomes final. Requires medical consistency for children with a serious medical condition to supersede all other considerations, including but not limited to, geography, parental preferences, logistical convenience or feasibility, or generalized notions of co-parenting balance. Provides that for any child with a serious medical condition, it is per se contrary to the child's medical best interests to be separated from a safe parent who is primarily or predominantly responsible for the child's day-to-day condition-related care, monitoring, or condition management. Provides that this presumption may be rebutted only by clear and convincing evidence, supported by qualified medical testimony, that separation is medically necessary for the child's safety or clinical well-being.

Amends the Use Tax Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

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: (1) violation of conditions of pretrial release, and it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case; or (2) a felony or misdemeanor offense and (i) has abused and manipulated the pretrial release system causing undue delay on the proceedings or (ii) has shown that he or she will not appear for court regardless of the conditions of release that are imposed. Establishes timelines for different offenses for filing petitions seeking pretrial detention. Provides that if the State seeks as a basis to file a petition for pretrial detention that a person charged with a felony or misdemeanor offense (i) has abused and manipulated the pretrial release system causing undue delay on the proceedings or (ii) has shown that he or she will not appear for court regardless of the conditions of release that are imposed, the State shall be required to present a verified application setting forth in detail the conduct of the defendant that forms the basis of the allegation that the defendant has abused and manipulated the pretrial release system causing undue delay on the proceedings or has shown that he will not appear for court regardless of the conditions of release that are imposed. Provides that upon verified application by the defendant, the court before which the proceeding is pending may reconsider the continued detention of the defendant. Provides that the defendant shall be required to present a verified application setting forth in detail any new facts not known or obtainable at the time of the previous detention hearing. Provides that if the court grants release where it had previously detained the defendant, the court shall state on the record of the proceedings the findings of facts and conclusions of law upon which such order is based. Makes other changes.

Creates the Work Always Pays Act. Provide that a State-administered benefit program shall not reduce benefits by more than $0.50 for each $1.00 increase in a household's earned income. If an increase in earned income results in a reduction of net household resources compared to the level in effect immediately prior to the increase, then the household shall be eligible for a bridge credit. Provides that the amount of the bridge credit shall equal the difference between: (i) the household's net household resources immediately prior to the increase in earned income; and (ii) the household's net household resources after the increase in earned income and corresponding benefit adjustments. Provides that a household that experiences an increase in earned income shall be subject to a 90-day earnings buffer period. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that the assessor shall publish the assessed value of all property that qualifies for a hospital exemption under the Code in the taxable year as well as the estimated property tax liability for that property. Provides that general services, such as health fairs or the preparation and distribution of marketing materials, shall not qualify as a reimbursable cost when determining whether property qualifies for the hospital exemption. Provides that, when calculating the hospital exemption, discounts provided to managed care organizations or commercial insurers are not included unless those services are provided directly pursuant to a contract with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that no more than 30% of the total services being claimed as a benefit may be related to residency programs or research. Provides that no more than 50% of the total services being claimed as a benefit may be related to government-sponsored health care. Amends the Community Benefits Act. Makes changes to the definition of "charity care." Provides that the Attorney General shall post certain reports on the Attorney General's website.