Illinois

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Creates an administrative process for uncontested claims for vendors arising from contracts with the State. Requires a State agency to confirm or reject an uncontested claim that is from a lapsed appropriation and valued at less than $2,500 within 30 days after being notified in writing by the Attorney General. Provides that if the State agency does not confirm or reject the claim within that 30-day period, then the State agency forfeits the right to reject or contest the claim. Requires the Comptroller, subject to appropriation, then issue payment to the vendor within 30 days of the court entering such an award. Provides that if the court determines that it is unable to process such an uncontested claim because the bill or invoice contains a defect, the court must notify the vendor in writing of the defect no later than 30 days after the bill or invoice was first submitted. Provides that if one or more items on a bill or invoice are disapproved, but not the entire bill or invoice, then the portion that is not disapproved must be transmitted to the Comptroller for payment. Changes the filing fees required under the Act as follows: a fee of $15 for a petition seeking more than $500 but less than $10,000; and $35 for a petition seeking more than $10,000 or more. Requires that the court must allow claimants to submit documentation to amend and cure defects. Makes other changes. Authorizes the Court of Claims to adopt rules to implement the Act.

Amends the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Act. Provides that to ensure that organizations contracted to implement the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program meet the needs of PACE participants, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall reform the rate-setting methodology for the PACE program by establishing a blended rate structure based on a 30% Home and Community-Based Services and 70% Skilled Nursing Facility case-mix which is a more accurate proportion of the comparable population expected to reside in an institution or the community if not enrolled in PACE. Requires the blended rate structure to more accurately reflect the comprehensive nature of care provided by PACE organizations and address the unique needs of PACE participants as a higher risk/acuity population with expected higher costs and frailty than comparable populations. Provides that when developing rates under the blended rate structure, the Department must consider not only the standard cost experiences of PACE participants but also the unique characteristics and specific care needs of the PACE population as well as any additional State plan services or populations that are not included in the State's Medicaid managed care contracts but are required under the PACE program.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that bribery and legislative misconduct include the receipt of property or personal advantage after the improper act has been performed (rather than just the intent to influence the improper act). Provides that the provisions do not apply to the promise, tender, acceptance, or receipt of any campaign contributions that are permissible under the Election Code.

Creates the Neurodegenerative Disease Patient Protection and Progress Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to convene a Neurodegenerative Disease Advisory Council within the Department. Sets forth provisions concerning the membership of the Advisory Council, terms of the members, meetings of the Advisory Council, and administrative support, and duties of the Advisory Council Provides that the Director of Public Health shall designate or hire a full-time Neurodegenerative Disease Coordinator within the Department to implement and administer the Act. Requires the Coordinator, acting through and under the supervision of the Director, and with input from the Advisory Council, to develop and publish a State plan to address neurodegenerative diseases. Sets forth required components of the Plan. Establishes a voluntary statewide clinical and population registry to collect de-identified information and, with the patient's informed consent, limited identifying information, to (i) improve understanding of burden imposed by neurodegenerative diseases, natural history, and outcomes, (ii) facilitate public health planning and service delivery, and (iii) support research consistent with applicable privacy protections. Establishes the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Support And Grant Fund to make grants to public or private not-for-profit entities for the purpose of conducting neurodegenerative disease research. Sets forth provisions concerning equity and rural access; coordination with federal programs, academic centers, and private partners; reporting; limitations; and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Requires the State Board of Elections, in conjunction with election authorities, to implement a secure, free access system available to voters by January 1, 2026. Provides that the system shall allow a voter to track receipt of the voter's vote by mail ballot and check the ballot's status with the election authority. Requires the election authority to make the system available to vote by mail voters from the first day that vote by mail ballots are accepted until 30 days after completion of the official canvass. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. Provides that, when required to report the reason for a mass layoff or closing, the employer shall disclose any artificial intelligence-related job impacts, including the number of employees laid off substantially due to the replacement or automation by artificial intelligence of the functions performed by the employees. Provides that, if the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity issues any public report disclosing mass layoffs or closings, the Department shall include the reason for the mass layoff or closing in the report, including whether the mass layoff or closing is substantially due to artificial intelligence. Makes other changes.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Creates the Illinois State Museum Collection Trust Fund as a nonappropriated trust fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Illinois State Museum Collection Trust Fund shall receive all moneys from the deaccession of objects of scientific, historic, and artistic value in the possession of the State Museum and may receive moneys from other sources. Provides that the moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Department of Natural Resources for the State Museum to purchase and maintain objects for the State Museum. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Exempts from specified requirements of the Code expenditures from the Illinois State Museum Collection Trust Fund that are authorized by the Department. Makes other changes.

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 on July, 31 2006 by the City of Spring Valley. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Establishes the data center self-direct program to allow for customers taking service under the data center tariff to receive a reduction in the charges collected for the procurement of renewable energy resources. Provides that the reduction in charges available to the customer shall increase based on the energy or capacity value of the new additive clean energy generation's contribution pursuant to the specified requirements. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency may require that participating customers provide annual reports related to facility operation and performance, customer electricity consumption and load profiles, and other information as necessary. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2027, at least 180 days prior to commencing any construction activities, the data center operator of a proposed data center shall submit a data center disclosure to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Establishes publication and open meeting requirements concerning the data center disclosures. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State to maintain water consumption data to submit annual disclosures of the data center's water usage to the Department of Natural Resources. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to make an aggregated and anonymized form of data disclosed to it available on a publicly accessible website. Provides that data centers that fail to comply with any disclosure requirements under the Act may be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Commerce Commission to adopt implementing rules. Requires a specified electric utility to, no later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, make a filing with the Commission that proposes revenue-neutral tariff changes, which shall present the Commission with an opportunity to suspend the tariffs and consider revenue-neutral tariff changes related to rate design. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. In provisions concerning the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall, by rule, expand the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program across the State through local WIC agency grants and contracting local farmers to ensure access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Requires the Department to determine which counties can participate based on funds available and whether there is a sufficient number of farmers willing to accept WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program benefits. Requires the Department to adopt rules.

Amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. Provides that the Task Force on Federal Impact to Illinois Veterans is created within the Department of Veterans Affairs to include the feedback, experiences, and guidance from veterans throughout Illinois on the state of existing veteran programming, resources, housing, and healthcare. Provides that the Task Force shall also analyze the current state of staff and funding changes to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, in conjunction with the impact federal funding cuts to social services enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency and through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have on the over 500,000 veterans living in Illinois. Provides that the Task Force shall also assess ways that the State of Illinois can assist Illinois veterans expected to lose their jobs within the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, as well as veterans impacted by cuts to entitlement programs, including, but not limited to, SNAP, Medicaid, and federal tax credits. Contains provisions on Task Force membership and meetings. Provides that the Task Force may allow testimony from the public regarding the impact of federal cuts on veterans. Requires the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December December 15, 2027. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved on January 31, 2028. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In a provision concerning the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption, provides that, for taxable years 2026 and thereafter, "maximum income limitation" means $85,000 for all qualified property.

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Adds legislative findings. Defines "neurotechnology" and "neurotechnology data". Prohibits insurers from using genetic testing or neurotechnology data (rather than only genetic testing) for nontherapeutic purposes or underwriting, with limited exceptions. Prohibits employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and licensing agencies from requesting, requiring, or using neurotechnology data in employment decisions, subject to specified exceptions. Adds new provisions governing confidentiality, consent, privacy policies, and security requirements for entities collecting neurotechnology data. Regulates disclosure to government agencies and sets conditions for clinical research. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be deemed to prohibit or restrict agencies from establishing or maintaining affirmative action contracting goals for veterans. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that "artificial intelligence" has the meaning given to that term in the Illinois Human Rights Act. Prohibits a person licensed under the Act from allowing artificial intelligence to prescribe medication if the person licensed under the Act does not maintain full control and responsibility for the prescription. Establishes penalty provisions for violations of provisions concerning the use of artificial intelligence to prescribe medication. Grants the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation investigatory authority for those violations and rulemaking authority regarding the authorized use of artificial intelligence to prescribe medication. Effective immediately.

Creates the Kratom Prohibition Act. Prohibits the purchase, possession, sale, or distribution of any product containing kratom. Authorizes certified local health departments that adopt an ordinance to enforce the Act and impose fines. Provides that violations are Class B misdemeanors with a minimum fine of $500 for selling or furnishing kratom. Defines terms. Repeals the Kratom Control Act.

Creates the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act. Provides that, beginning one year after the effective date of the Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide $500 monthly cash payments to 3,250 low-to-moderate-income families in the State for a period of 2 years. Provides that the recipients of the monthly cash payments shall be determined by lottery. Provides that the Department may not limit how the recipients of the monthly cash payments use the monthly cash payments or require the recipients of the monthly cash payments to provide receipts demonstrating how the recipients of the monthly cash payments use the monthly cash payments. Requires the Department to adopt rules to implement the Act. Provides that the Act is repealed 5 years after the effective date of the Act.

Creates the Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act. Provides that a frontier artificial intelligence model developer or large chatbot provider shall write, implement, comply with, and clearly and conspicuously publish on its website a public safety and child protection plan. Provides that the Attorney General shall establish a mechanism to be used by a large frontier developer, a large chatbot provider, or a member of the public to report a safety incident related to specified artificial intelligence models or chatbots. Sets forth provisions concerning the protection of whistleblowers; third party audits of large frontier developers; and civil penalties. Provides for rulemaking by the Attorney General. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to create an add-on payment for safety-net hospitals with a Level 1 Trauma designation, equal to at least $35,000,000 per hospital, per year.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Authorizes the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on lung cancer biomarkers, including, but not limited to, the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene. Provides that the study may focus on identifying genetic variations in lung cancer that are linked to increased risks, genetic variations that are linked to treatment resistance, and genetic variations that are linked to specific disease subtypes. Provides that the Department of Public Health may enter into contracts, grants, or other agreements for the purpose of completing the study. Provides for the repeal of these provisions on January 1, 2029.

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Removes language providing that no employee of the Illinois Racing Board, within a period of one year immediately preceding employment, shall have been employed or received compensation or fees for services from a person or entity, or its parent or affiliate, that has engaged in business with the Board, a licensee, or a licensee under the Illinois Gambling Act. Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Removes language providing that no employee of the Illinois Gaming Board, within a period of one year immediately preceding employment, shall have been employed or received compensation or fees for services from a person or entity, or its parent or affiliate, that has engaged in business with the Board, a licensee, or a licensee under the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer's employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Exempts from the provisions of the unlawful possession of weapons statute, the carrying or possession of certain weapons by qualified retired law enforcement officers, as defined in the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, as recognized under Illinois law, in specified locations.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Illinois Newborn Equity Support Transfer (NEST) Program Act. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish and administer, subject to appropriations, the Illinois Newborn Equity Support Transfer (NEST) Program to provide direct cash assistance to eligible participants by July 1, 2026. Defines "participant" to mean any individual who gives birth in Illinois while enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid through Moms and Babies. Permits the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement the NEST Program. Provides that program participants shall receive a $1,500 lump sum payment in or around the third trimester of pregnancy, prior to delivery; and a $500 monthly cash payment for the first 6 months following delivery. Requires the Department to submit reports to the General Assembly on a biennial basis that summarizes (1) the number of program participants and distribution across the State, (2) outcomes related to maternal and child health, housing stability, and economic security, or other outcomes identified by the Department in collaboration with stakeholders, and (3) recommendations for program improvements or additional populations beyond Medicaid enrollment to include as participants. Provides that cash disbursements made to participants under the NEST Program shall be considered "guaranteed income" as described in the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act for purposes of determining eligibility for assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, in consultation with the Sangamon County Board and the City of Springfield, to conduct a study on the lending practices and borrower outcomes within Sangamon County and analyze any information collected in connection with that study. Provides that the study shall encompass all financial institutions and lending entities licensed or regulated by the Department that operate within Sangamon County or are municipally authorized by the City of Springfield. Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the specified entities, to conduct a countywide transit equity analysis study and analyze any information collected in connection with that study. Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. Requires the Illinois Housing Development Authority, in consultation with the Sangamon County Board and the City of Springfield Office of Planning and Economic Development, to conduct a countywide housing and community revitalization study and analyze any information collected in connection with that study. Establishes reporting requirements related to each study under each of the relevant Acts. Sets a repeal date of December 31, 2029 for the provisions concerning each study under each of those Acts.