Illinois

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that the rate of tax on individuals, trusts, and estates is 4.85% (currently, 4.95%). Makes a conforming change concerning the pass-through entity tax. Effective immediately.

Amends the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act. Changes the income eligibility levels for programs that use the income limits in the Act for eligibility determinations.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Removes the recovery of costs associated with an investment in a qualifying infrastructure plant from reasons the Commission may authorize a water or sewer utility to file a surcharge. Makes a conforming change.

Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Provides that the changes made by Public Act 103-769 apply to pending actions as of August 2, 2024, and any actions commenced and complaints filed on or after August 2, 2024. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Creates the right of each patient to request access to and be provided with an electronic record of the patient's health information free of charge. Provides that, if a request pursuant to this right is made by a patient or the patient's representative and the records are readily producible in an electronic format, the health care provider shall provide the patient or the patient's representative with access to the requested records in an electronic format.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Secretary of State to accept forms and documents that are manually signed and scanned or signed with a digital signature as an alternative to physical hard copies when processing applications for vehicle registration.

Amends the Wildlife Code. In provisions concerning special deer, turkey, and combination hunting licenses, provides that one or more of the following shall constitute evidence of land ownership: a current property tax bill for the property showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; a current income tax return filed with the Department of Revenue by the hunter showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; or a current Conservation Reserve Program credit award from the United States Department of Agriculture, naming the individual hunter as the credit awardee.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that, by December 31, 2026, the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules for intermediate care facilities that will be separate and distinct from the rules adopted for skilled nursing facilities.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that striped skunks and raccoons may be rehabilitated by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for treatment and release. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules to implement the amendatory Act.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that within 6 months of learning that an adult with a developmental disability has lost a parental guardian while living with that parental guardian or independently, the Department of Human Services shall request a wellness check from the designated adult protective services agency or provider agency as defined in the Adult Protective Services Act to: (1) verify that the adult with a developmental disability is not experiencing or at imminent risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect; and (2) establish mandatory standards for the provision of emergent casework and follow-up services to mitigate the risk of harm or death to the adult with a developmental disability.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that nothing in the provisions shall require an ambulance provider to bill a beneficiary, insured, enrollee, or health insurance issuer when prohibited by any other law, rule, ordinance, contract, or agreement. Limits home rule powers. Changes the definition of "emergency services" and "health care provider". Amends the Health Maintenance Organization Act. Removes language providing that upon reasonable demand by a provider of emergency transportation by ambulance, a health maintenance organization shall promptly pay to the provider, subject to coverage limitations stated in the contract or evidence of coverage, the charges for emergency transportation by ambulance provided to an enrollee in a health care plan arranged for by the health maintenance organization.

Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Growing Growers Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that moneys in the Fund may be used by the Department of Agriculture for making grants to socially disadvantaged farmers in food deserts. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules to implement the grant program. Provides that, on July 1, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $2,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Growing Growers Fund.

Amends the Vital Records Act. Provides that the State Registrar of Vital Records, in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services, shall establish standards and procedures for youth in care, former youth in care, and the legal guardians of youth in care to request the birth record of the youth in care when the applicant does not have all of the information necessary to complete the application for a new certificate of birth, a search for a birth record, or a certified copy of a birth record.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In a provision concerning payments to nursing facilities to increase compensation for certified nursing assistants (CNA), removes language requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish, by rule, payments to nursing facilities equal to Medicaid's share of the tenure wage increments for all reported CNA employee hours compensated. Instead provides that, based on the schedule set forth in the amendatory Act, the Department shall pay to each facility Medicaid's share of the facility's estimated CNA hours performed by employees and agency workers, estimated overtime hours, and benefits and taxes paid to and on behalf of CNA workers at the beginning of each quarter. Provides that moneys paid by the Department to each facility and moneys paid by each facility to workers and agencies or on behalf of workers and agencies shall be reconciled at the end of each quarter. Sets for a schedule concerning the calculation of tenure compensation which shall include: (i) compensation for regular CNA hours; (ii) overtime calculated at time and a half; and (iii) benefits and taxes at 25%. Provides that estimates of overtime shall be calculated at time and a half and benefits and taxes at 25%. Requires the Department to pay the facility for qualifying promotions estimated at the beginning of each quarter and reconciled at the end of the quarter. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that one of the criteria that the Board of Nursing shall take into consideration when reviewing a registered professional nurse education program is whether the program satisfies specified criteria in provisions regarding program effectiveness (rather than satisfies the measurement of program effectiveness based on a passage rate of all graduates over the 3 most recent calendar years without reference to first-time test takers). Provides that, in order for a program to obtain initial Department of Financial and Professional Regulation approval and to maintain Department approval, the passage rates of the program's graduating classes on the State-approved licensure exam must meet one of the measurements of program effectiveness (rather than be deemed satisfactory by the Department). Provides that a registered professional nurse education program meeting one of the measurements of program effectiveness shall be deemed in good standing. Provides that the Department may, without hearing, rescind the license of any person who obtained a license or other authorization to practice under the Act based on educational credits received from a registered professional nurse education program that did not meet a set of requirements during the time period when the person obtained the credits. Sets forth requirements for program effectiveness. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991. Requires competitive bidding for contracts in excess of $35,000 (rather than $25,000) for specified improvements and equipment purchases. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Adds provisions concerning the licensing of denturists by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, including qualifications, applications, examinations, and the creation of the Board of Denture Technology. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971. Provides that signs that advertise a business, including, but not limited to, a gas station, shall be allowed on the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate highway 90 before Exit 25 (Genoa Road). Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that all motor vehicles with at least 2 lighted head lamps and manufactured after January 1, 2028 shall be equipped with adjustable driving beam systems which satisfy the United States Department of Transportation regulations. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Video Gaming Act. Provides that an applicant or licensee is not in violation of the Act or any of the Illinois Gaming Board rules, and shall not be subject to disciplinary action, delay of any Board consideration, or denial of any license for operating a game device if operation of the gaming device is in compliance with and not considered gambling under the Criminal Code of 2012. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a gambling offense involving a specific gambling device is a Class 4 felony. Prohibits a municipality from imposing any restriction or prohibition related to an activity which is lawful under under a provision that set forth activities that a person may not be convicted of gambling for participating. Includes specified vending or other electronic machines or devices in the definition of gambling device. Amends the Prizes and Gifts Act. Provides that it is unlawful for a person to operate on any premises a prize and gift kiosk that fails to meet the specified technical standards. Prohibits a prize and gift kiosk from being connected directly or indirectly to the Internet in order to participate in the game or contest or to receive or retrieve any data related to the kiosk or device unless the connected device is a redemption vault. Provides that is unlawful for a prize and gift kiosk to offer the sale of anything other than a bona fide product. Provides that it is unlawful to operate a prize and gift kiosk without a self contained fill system which permits the operation of the device solely determined on a fee basis or the amount of revenue generated but does not include a system based on time, number of spins or spin equivalent, or other non-revenue based system, and automatically ceases to operate upon the completion of a predetermined cycle. Provides that it is unlawful to operate a prize and gift kiosk without a route boost plus internal monitoring system that accounts and records (i) cash in, (ii) winnings, (iii) entries used, (iv) power failures, disconnections from the monitoring system, and malfunctions, and (v) remote activations and disabling. Requires a prize and gift kiosk to be registered with the Department of Revenue and to remit the annual fee as set by the Department of Revenue. Effective immediately.

Creates the Climate Corporate Accountability Act. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, the Secretary of State shall develop and adopt rules to require a reporting entity to annually disclose to the emissions registry, and verify, all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, and scope 3 emissions. Provides that a reporting entity, starting on January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, shall publicly disclose to the emissions registry all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions and scope 2 emissions for the prior calendar year, and its scope 3 emissions for that same calendar year no later than 180 days after that date. Provides that the Secretary of State shall contract with an emissions registry to develop a reporting and registry program to receive and make publicly available disclosures. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2027, the Secretary of State shall contract with the University of Illinois, a national laboratory, or another equivalent academic institution to prepare a report on the public disclosures made by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides that the emissions registry, on or before January 1, 2027, shall create a digital platform, which shall be accessible to the public, that will house all disclosures submitted by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides for enforcement of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for individuals, corporations, and partnerships for 100% of the property taxes paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year on childcare center property.

Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Secretary of State to provide an option to an applicant for an original, reissued, or renewed identification card, driver's license, or driver's permit to indicate the applicant's blood type. If an applicant chooses to indicate the applicant's blood type, the Secretary of State shall print the identified blood type on the applicant's identification card, driver's license, or permit. Provides that nothing in the provisions shall be construed to require the Secretary to verify an applicant's blood type designation.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Extends the estimated date of completion of a redevelopment project and the retirement of obligations issued to finance redevelopment project costs for an ordinance adopted April 10, 2002 by the City of Elgin.

Amends the Video Gaming Act. Provides that a licensed establishment, licensed truck stop establishment, licensed large truck stop establishment, licensed fraternal establishment, or licensed veterans establishment that is located within the designated amount of feet, as designated by the municipality in which the establishment is located, from a school or a place of worship (rather than 100 feet of a school or a place of worship) is ineligible to operate a video gaming terminal. Provides that the distance between the establishment and any such location shall be measured from the front door of the establishment to the front door of such location.