Illinois

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Agency shall (rather than may) adopt rules requiring the electronic submission of any information required to be submitted to the Agency pursuant to any State or federal law or regulation or any court or Board order. Requires the rules adopted under this provision to take effect no later than January 1, 2030.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Provides that the Illinois Gaming Board shall not require individuals hired exclusively to perform functions that are not related in any way to gaming operations to hold an occupational license. Provides that the Board may issue a non-gaming identification badge upon payment of a non-refundable annual fee set by the Board. Sets forth eligibility requirements for a non-gaming identification badge. Effective immediately.

Amends the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act. Provides that if the pharmacy has sterile hypodermic syringes or needles in stock, a pharmacist, based on the pharmacist's professional and clinical judgment, shall sell sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to any qualifying individual when sterile hypodermic syringes or needles are required for the proper utilization or administration of medications, including any counseling or referrals to relevant healthcare services.

Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill, except: (1) provides that the Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force shall hold its first meeting no later than October 1, 2025; (2) the Task Force may at any time identify legislative proposals in support of its mission prior to the issuance of its final report; (3) in the provisions that following eligibility screening for mental health services, the State and the defendant agree to the diversion and the court determines that the defendant is appropriate for diversion, the criminal charges may be dismissed (deletes with prejudice); (4) provides that if the parties do not agree or the court does not approve the diversion, the court shall order a fitness examination and the matter shall be governed by any other relevant provisions of the Fitness For Trial, To Plead Or To Be Sentenced Article of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963; (5) deletes provision that appointments to the Task Force shall be made within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act; and (6) the Task Force shall be dissolved following the submission of its report to the Supreme Court and the General Assembly.

Amends the School Code and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act. In provisions concerning the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant program, provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the persons who apply for the scholarship or grant (rather than the Department shall determine the eligibility of the persons who apply For the scholarship or grant).

Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that a person may commence an adoption proceeding for a youth in care only if the youth in care is placed with the petitioning person or persons by the Department of Children and Family Services at the time the petition is filed, and the Department has provided its consent to the adoption or has otherwise approved the adoption. Requires the Department to adopt rules or procedures or both as to what constitutes its approval of the adoption. Provides that a person whose rights have been terminated under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 does not have to be made a defendant in a petition for adoption. Provides that the following persons must be given notice of a petition for adoption unless the person has been determined not to be a parent of the child or has had parental rights terminated by a court of competent jurisdiction: (i) any person who is recorded on the child's birth certificate as the child's parent; (ii) any person who is openly living with the child or the child's mother at the time the proceeding is initiated and holds out the child as that person's child; (iii) any person who has been identified as the child's parent by the mother in a written, sworn statement, including an Affidavit of Identification; or (iv) any person who was married to the child's mother on the date of the child's birth or within 300 days before the child's birth, unless that person has been determined not to be the parent of the child or has had parental rights terminated by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act. Requires the Department of Early Childhood to establish an Early Childhood Integrated Data System (ECIDS) to make equity driven, inclusive, and data-informed decisions that create a simpler, better, and fairer system for all Illinois children and families. Provides that the Department shall develop public analytic portals and query tools for parents and communities to access aggregated integrated data from the ECIDS system to the extent permitted by State and federal confidentiality requirements.

Amends the Swimming Facility Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Provides that permits for construction or major alteration of a swimming facility are valid for a period of 2 years (rather than one year) from the date of issue. Provides that it is lawful for a licensee to operate a cold spa in a manner that complies with the provisions of the Act and the rules adopted under the Act, subject to the specified conditions. Establishes rulemaking provisions for the Department of Public Health concerning the operation of a cold spa.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the tuition of children from orphanages and children's homes, provides that, for any school district that (i) is designated as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 school district, (ii) has at least one school that is located on federal property, (iii) has an overall student population of no more than 4,500 students and no less than 2,500 students, and (iv) receives a federal Public Schools on Military Installations grant until June 30, 2030, the depreciation allowance shall exclude depreciation of the portion of a new school building that was constructed using federal or donated funds from the district's Capital Projects Fund and depreciation of the portion of a new school building that was constructed with private funds and donated to the school district upon completion.

Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Provides that a health care plan shall provide annually to enrollees and prospective enrollees, upon request, a statement of all basic health care services and all specific benefits and services mandated to be provided to enrollees by State law or administrative rule, highlighting any newly enacted State law or administrative rule. Provides that this requirement can be fulfilled by providing enrollees the most up-to-date accident and health checklist submitted to the Department of Insurance, reflecting statutory health care coverage compliance by the health care plan. Requires the Office of Consumer Health Insurance to post in a prominent location on the Department's publicly accessible website an annual report on the development and implementation of federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and other governmental policies and actions that pertain to the adequacy of health care plans, facilities, and services in the State and summary of all State health insurance benefit related legislation enacted in the prior calendar year that includes, at minimum, a link to the Public Act, the statutory citation, the subject, a brief summary, and the effective date. Amends the Uniform Health Care Services Benefit Information Card Act. Adds a health benefit plan offering dental coverage to the list of plans required to issue a health care benefit information card. Specifies health care benefit information cards may be electronic or physical. Requires uniform health care benefit information to display on the back of the card a statement indicating whether the plan is self-insured or fully funded and if the plan is subject to regulation by the Department of Insurance. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Secretary of State to include information advising drivers of the laws and best practices for safely sharing the roadway with bicyclists and pedestrians in the Illinois Rules of the Road Publication. Provides that an applicant for a school bus driver permit or commercial driver's license with a school bus driver endorsement is not required to pass a written test if the applicant holds a valid commercial driver's license or a commercial driver's license that expired in the preceding 30 days issued by another state with a school bus and passenger endorsements. Requires all driver education courses to include information advising drivers of the laws and best practices for safely sharing the roadway with bicyclists and pedestrians. Provides that the examination to test an applicant's ability to read and understand official traffic control devices and knowledge of safe driving practices and traffic laws may be administered at a Secretary of State facility, remotely via the Internet, or in a manner otherwise specified by the Secretary of State by administrative rule. Allows the Secretary to destroy a driving record created 20 or more years ago for a person who was convicted of an offense and who did not have an Illinois driver's license if the record no longer contains any convictions or withdrawal of driving privileges due to the convictions. Provides that the application for an instructor for a driving school must be accompanied by a medical examination report completed by a competent medical examiner (rather than a competent physician). Provides that the restricted commercial driver's license issued for farm-related service industries may be available for periods not to exceed a total of 210 (rather than 180) days in any 12-month period. Removes some of the duration limitations for suspended licenses. Provides that the traffic-control signals also apply to bicyclists. Restricts a person from driving a motor vehicle on a bicycle lane, trail, or path designated by an official sign or marking for the exclusive use of bicycles or pedestrians. Makes other changes. Amends the School Code to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Requires each member of the board of trustees of a community college district to, before entering upon the duties of the office, take and subscribe to a specified oath. Provides that the oath or affirmation shall be administered by the secretary of the board, a notary public, or any other officer authorized to administer oaths under State law, and the completed oath shall be filed with the secretary of the board and made part of the official records of the community college district. Prohibits a trustee from exercising the powers or performing the duties of office until the oath has been taken and properly filed.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to, at least annually, provide each provider of home and community-based services an updated, detailed rate sheet for each funded client served by the provider. Provides that the Department must also, within 60 working days of receipt by the Department's Division of Developmental Disabilities of any valid completed and correct documentation detailing provider-based information to the Department, which changes a client's reimbursement rate, issue an updated client rate sheet to the provider.

Amends the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004. Provides that "certified veterinary technician" or "veterinary technician" means a person who is a graduate of a veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities and who has successfully passed the Veterinary Technician National Examination (rather than a person who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary technology in the State). Provides that every holder of a license shall display the license or a copy of the license in a conspicuous place in the holder's principal office or any other location where the holder renders services as a veterinarian or a certified veterinary technician. Requires every displayed license to have the license number visible.

Reinserts the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Further modifies the definition of the term "facility". Deletes provisions concerning proposed legislative findings and provisions concerning various reporting and procedural requirements that must be met before bonds and notes are issued by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Provides that a person may not engage in unlawful discrimination, as defined in the Illinois Human Rights Act, with respect to programs or activities that are offered at facilities that are funded under the Act. Deletes a provision that would have repealed provisions relating to an advisory board. Effective immediately.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, individuals seeking a short-term approval for school support personnel, as defined in rules, are not required to take the test of content area knowledge prior to the short-term approval being issued.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. With respect to impartial due process hearings, provides that no mediation agreement, resolution agreement, or settlement agreement may include, as a condition of settlement, that a parent, a student (if at least 18 years of age or emancipated), or the designated representative of a student who is at least 18 years of age prospectively waive a free, appropriate public education or prospectively waive the right to assert claims for the nonimplementation of a free, appropriate public education. Provides that any mediation agreement, resolution agreement, or settlement agreement containing such prospective waivers is unenforceable in an administrative proceeding or in a State or federal court. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Makes it discretionary rather than mandatory that the Department of Human Rights conduct a fact-finding conference. Provides that the amendatory applies to charges pending or filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Requires a hospital to provide written information, which may be provided electronically, on the Early Intervention program to any parent or legal guardian whose child is admitted to the neonatal intensive care department. Provides that with a parent or legal guardian, a hospital staff member familiar with the Early Intervention program shall initiate prior to discharge from the hospital written referrals to the Early Intervention program for all children admitted to the neonatal intensive care department who qualify for early intervention services. Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act. In provisions concerning the system of early intervention services to be administered by the Department of Early Childhood on and after July 1, 2026, requires the statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive, interagency, and interdisciplinary early intervention programs to include in its public awareness program, a special focus on the early identification of infants who automatically qualify for early intervention services, including, but not limited to, those who qualify on account of having a birth weight less than 1,000 grams.

Amends the Illinois Century Network Act. Provides that the connection of anchor institutions to the Illinois Century Network shall be prioritized according to the type of anchor institution, starting with schools and libraries.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that the definition of "third-party restaurant reservation service" does not include any reservation distribution channel that is authorized to distribute reservations through a contract with either a food service establishment or an entity authorized to distribute reservations through a contract with the food service establishment. Removes a provision prohibiting indemnity agreements with a third-party restaurant reservation service.

Creates the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act. Provides that an employee of an employer with 16 or more employees and no more than 50 employees shall be entitled to use a maximum of 10 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while any child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that an employee of an employer with 51 or more employees shall be entitled to use 20 days of unpaid neonatal intensive care leave while a child of the employee is a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit. Provides that, upon the conclusion of leave taken under the Act, an employee shall be reinstated to his or her former position or a substantially equivalent one with no loss of benefits held or accrued prior to taking leave. Sets forth provisions concerning unlawful employer practices; Department of Labor responsibilities; and enforcement. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Fund.

Amends the School Code. Provides that school counseling services shall address the needs of all students, regardless of citizenship status. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that any group or individual policy of accident or health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after January 1, 2027 shall provide coverage for laser hair removal if the procedure is prescribed medical treatment in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical care. Provides that the coverage shall apply to individuals with conditions including, but not limited to, body dysmorphia, hidradentis suppreativa, polycystic ovary syndrome, or other similar skin conditions. 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 those provisions.