Illinois

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that an insurer may not seek information derived from genetic testing for use in connection with a policy of life insurance. Provides that an insurer may consider the results of genetic testing in connection with a policy of life insurance if the individual voluntarily submits the results and the results are favorable to the individual. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insurer must comply with the provisions of the Genetic Information Privacy Act in connection with the amendment, delivery, issuance, or renewal of a life insurance policy; claims for or denial of coverage under a life insurance policy; or the determination of premiums or rates under a life insurance policy.

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that day care homes, group day care homes, and day care centers may hire on a probationary basis any employee or volunteer who authorizes a criminal background investigation and who meets the initial requirements set out by the Department of Children and Family Services or the Department of Early Childhood and any applicable federal laws or regulations. Provides that, pending completion of all of the background check requirements, the probationary employee or volunteer must be supervised at all times by an individual who received a qualifying result on all background check components.

Amends the Downstate Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Includes in the definition of "firefighter", a person employed in a municipality's or fire protection district's fire service as a de facto firefighter. Provides that "de facto firefighter" means a firefighter who spends a majority of the firefighter's working time participating in the work of controlling and extinguishing fires at the location of any such fires, preparing for such work or waiting to respond to such calls for work and whose scheduled or actual work hours are commensurate in duration and frequency with certain firefighters. Provides that "de facto firefighter" does not include part-time firefighters who are not otherwise covered; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters, including paid-on-call firefighters; and clerks, dispatchers, or other civilian employees of a fire department or fire protection district who are not routinely expected to perform firefighter duties. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act do not affect persons covered by the Article before the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, March 20, 2025 it stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 1, 2025, and when it adjourns that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, April 2, 2025, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Thursday, April 3, 2025, and when it adjourns that day it stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 8, 2025, or until the call of the President; and when the House stands adjourned on Friday, March 21, 2025, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and when it adjourns that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, March 26, 2025, and when it adjourns that day it stands adjourned until Thursday, March 27, 2025, and when it adjourns that day it stands adjourned until Friday, March 28, 2025, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Monday, April 7, 2025, or until the call of the Speaker.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that, if an individual is treated at a hospital and the hospital conducts a urine drug screening to assist in diagnosing the individual's condition, the hospital shall include testing for fentanyl in the individual's urine screening. Provides that if the urine drug screening, conducted in accordance with the provisions, detects fentanyl, the hospital shall report the test results, which shall be deidentified, to the Department of Public Health through the State-designated health information exchange. Provides that a hospital that does not have chemical analyzer equipment is not subject to the provisions. Provides that the provisions do not affect any State law which provides civil or criminal immunity to an individual who is in need of medical assistance after ingesting or using alcohol or drugs or to an individual who, in good faith, assists another who is in need of medical assistance after ingesting or using alcohol or drugs. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fox Waterway Agency Act. Removes language providing that the Fox Waterway Agency shall not have the authority to impose any property tax. Allows the board of directors to levy and collect a general property tax on any property within the corporate limits of the Agency for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the waterway and any other corporate expenses of the Agency.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall implement and administer a program to make New Arrival Student Grants available to school districts to support the needs of students who are newly arriving immigrant students, regardless of immigration status. Provides that to receive a grant under this program, a school district shall submit an application to the State Board of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the State Board of Education may reasonably require. Provides that in awarding funds under this program, the State Board of Education may consider (i) the number of new arrival students enrolled in preschool, elementary school, and secondary school within the school district, (ii) the needs of new arrival students in the school district, and (iii) the ability of the school district to meet the needs of new arrival students. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act. Provides that a public entity or a public employee is not liable for injury caused by any unauthorized access to government records, data, or electronic information systems by any person or entity.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that voter preregistration may be completed on a paper application provided by the State Board of Elections. Provides that, if an election authority receives a paper application for preregistration, it shall promptly forward the application to the State Board of Elections for processing.

Amends the Zoning Division of the Counties Code. Provides that a county may adopt an ordinance to regulate the location of retail tobacco stores in unincorporated areas near vulnerable areas, including schools, day care centers, and hospitals. Provides that a county may not adopt an ordinance that has the effect of prohibiting retail tobacco store in unincorporated areas.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall develop and maintain a program to provide free tuition at one community college in each R3 Area (designated as such under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act) using money appropriated from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Authorizes the Board to adopt any rules necessary. Amends the State Finance Act to make related changes.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that an individual licensed under this Section may apply for a program that provides a full tuition reimbursement to individuals who: (1) attended and graduated from an education program based in the State; and (2) commit to working in a safety-net hospital in the State for at least 5 years.

Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning alternative procedures for teacher evaluation, remediation, and removal for cause after remediation, provides that if after the alternative evaluation procedures are determined by the State Board of Education, in a specified report of the State Board of Education, to have clear racial, ethnic, socio-economic, or geographic disparities for the educators evaluated under the alternative evaluation procedures, then the Chicago Board of Education and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers shall enter into negotiations to create a new evaluation system, to be implemented no later than August 15, 2026, that maintains the requirements for the alternative evaluation procedures and remedies the determined racial, ethnic, socio-economic, or geographic disparities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Veteran Service Organizations State Charter Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Veteran Service Organizations Equal Act. Provides that a veteran service organization shall be considered to have veteran service organization status (rather than shall be considered state chartered) when the organization meets all of the requirements listed in the Act and the organization's application for veteran service organization status (rather than state charter status) has been approved by the Attorney General. Makes corresponding changes throughout the Act. Provides that the Attorney General shall grant veteran service organization status (rather than state charter status) to any organization that has demonstrated that all requirements for obtaining veteran service organization status have been met. Requires a veteran service organization to have annual expenditures that demonstrate that 20% (rather than a majority) of the organization's expenses reflect support for veterans in order to qualify for veteran service organization status. Requires an application for veteran service organization status to include a statement from the organization's Commander, President, or chief executive officer (rather than all officers of the organization) attesting that all requirements for a veteran service organization status have been met. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person proving veteran or military benefits services to: (i) receive compensation for referring any individual to another person to advise or assist the individual with any veterans' benefits matter; (ii) guarantee, either directly or by implication, a successful outcome or that any individual is certain to receive specific veterans' benefits; (iii) utilize international call centers or data centers for processing veterans' personal information; and (iv) other matters.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to 10% of the manufacturing capital expenditures incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year or, if the taxpayer is located in a rural or economically challenged area, 15% of the manufacturing capital expenditures. Provides that the total amount of credits awarded under those provisions may not exceed $10,000,000 for any particular taxpayer in any taxable year, except that, if the capital investment is made in a rural or economically challenged area, then the maximum amount of the credit shall be $20,000,000. Effective immediately.

Creates the Advancing Federally Regulated Illinois Transmission Projects Act. Provides that the Department of Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may identify one or more Projects for potential application of the PJM State Agreement Approach that the Director determines may improve the resilience, reliability, and access to clean energy of the ratepayers of a public utility with more than 3,000,000 customers in this State. Sets forth eligibility criteria for the projects. Sets forth provisions concerning applications. Amends the Public Utilities Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Motor Fuel Minimum Markup Act. Provides that it is unlawful for a retailer, wholesaler, or refiner to sell or offer to sell motor fuel at less than a specified cost with the intent or effect of inducing the purchase of other merchandise or diverting trade from a competitor. Sets forth notice requirements. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, within 6 business days after an employer participating in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund approves a budget, that employer must post on its website the total compensation package for each employee having a total compensation package that exceeds $125,000 (rather than $75,000) per year. Provides that, at least 6 days before an employer participating in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund approves an employee's total compensation package that is equal to or in excess of $200,000 (rather than $150,000) per year, the employer must post on its website the total compensation package for that employee. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Electricity Excise Tax Law. Provides that 100% of the funds received by the Department under the Act as a result of an electric vehicle charging station shall be deposited into the Road Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code. Repeals language that made certain stormwater management provisions applicable to all counties containing an urbanized area, except those counties covered by other provisions of the Code concerning stormwater management, if the question of allowing the county board to establish a stormwater management planning council had been submitted to the electors of the county and approved by a majority of those voting on the question. Specifies that these stormwater management provisions of the Code apply in all counties containing an urbanized area, unless the counties are covered by other provisions of the Code concerning stormwater management.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a food dispensing establishment may provide single-use foodware only upon the request of a customer or at a self-service station. Specifies that food dispensing establishments shall provide options for customers to affirmatively request single-use foodware when ordering food and beverages for delivery or take-out across all ordering or point of sale platforms, including internet-enabled applications, digital platforms, phone orders, and in-person ordering. Exempts certain types of foodware and certain types of facilities from the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that the owner or operator of a food service establishment that violates these provisions is to be assessed a civil penalty. Directs civil penalties imposed for violations of these provisions to be deposited into the Solid Waste Management Fund for use by the Agency for the purposes of expanding and funding climate-related programs and pollution-related programs. Makes other changes.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, in counties with a population of more than 700,000 residents and fewer than 725,000 residents, upon motion of any party and provided that other parties to the appeal do not object, hearings upon appeal to the Property Tax Appeal Board shall be heard online with parties to the appeal participating in the hearing remotely. Requires the Property Tax Appeal Board to amend its rules of practice and procedure within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act to accommodate the remote hearings. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Authorizes the Property Tax Appeal Board to adopt emergency rules to implement the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable year 2026, the maximum income limitation for the senior freeze shall be $73,700 for all qualified property (currently, $65,000). Provides that the maximum income limitation shall be adjusted each year according to the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that special purpose levies made for the purpose of funding a Veterans Assistance Commission are not included in a taxing district's aggregate extension.

Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that each municipality and county shall provide the Capital Development Board a list of all high-rise apartment buildings in their respective jurisdictions that: (1) meet the definition of high-rise apartment building; (2) were not subject to a requirement to include a sprinkler system at the time the building was constructed; and (3) have not been retrofitted with a sprinkler system.