Illinois

Creates the Expanding Medical Residency Opportunities in Illinois Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall establish a grant program to provide funding for medical residency positions not funded by certain federal or other funding sources and to provide startup funding for entities that wish to establish a residency program. Provides for procedures, criteria, and other requirements for the grant program. Creates the Medical Residency Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act.

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 Sports Wagering Act. Denies home rule units the power to regulate, license, or tax sports wagering. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Promotion Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may issue competitive grants with initial terms of 10 years for the purpose of administering an incentive program that will attract or retain conventions, meetings, sporting events, and trade shows in Illinois with the goal of increasing business or leisure travel to and within the State. Amends the State Finance Act. Establishes the Tourism Incentive Grant Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, on July 1, 2026, and every July 1 thereafter, or as soon thereafter as practical, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer the sum of $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Tourism Incentive Grant Program Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Probation and Probation Officers Act. Provides that the Division of Probation Services shall reimburse the county or counties for 100% of the salary for all probation officer and supervisor positions approved for reimbursement by the division to meet pretrial services programs and specialty court programs. Provides that for the remaining probation officer positions engaged in basic services and new or expanded services approved of the total statewide number as of July 1, 2023, beginning on July 1, 2027, 20% of that number shall be transferred to those requiring 100% salary reimbursement. Each subsequent July 1, another 20% of the July 1, 2023 population shall also be transferred under described circumstances.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act and the State Finance Act. Creates the Operation Midway Blitz Recovery Fund, a special fund in the State treasury, to receive and disburse funds to community-based organizations to provide mental health services and mobilize rapid response networks for Illinois residents affected by immigration enforcement activities. Provides for the transfer of $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Operation Midway Blitz Recovery Fund on July 1, 2026 and on July 1, 2027. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund checkoff. Provides that, through the checkoff, taxpayers may contribute to the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the purpose of awarding iGROW Tech scholarships. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a corporate income tax deduction for hemp business establishments in an amount equal to 50% of the income generated by the sale of products made by businesses owned by minority and other specific priority-population-owned businesses. Amends the Tobacco Products Tax Act of 1995 to exclude hemp-cannabinoid products subject to tax under the Industrial Hemp Act from the definition of tobacco products. Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934 to provide that hemp extract and hemp-cannabinoid products made in compliance with State law are considered fit for human consumption. Authorizes liquor license holders to manufacture, distribute, and sell such products. Amends the Industrial Hemp Act to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including licensing, registration, packaging and labeling standards, age verification, laboratory testing, recordkeeping, enforcement, and penalties. Creates the Hemp Social Equity Fund to support loans, grants, and technical assistance for social equity applicants. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. In the definition of "cannabis", provides that "cannabis" does not include hemp, industrial hemp, or Illinois hemp for human consumption as defined and authorized under the Industrial Hemp Act, but includes intoxicating hemp as defined under the Industrial Hemp Act. Amends the Industrial Hemp Act. Revises definitions to conform to federal law. Adds definitions of "Illinois hemp for human consumption", "intoxicating hemp", and "synthetic hemp product". Directs the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules to conform to federal law. Directs the Department to also adopt rules regarding hemp products intended for human consumption that (1) require testing, (2) establish labeling requirements, (3) require child-resistant packaging, and (4) prohibit branding attractive to children. Prohibits the sale, offer for sale, delivery, or furnishment of a hemp product intended for human consumption to a person who is under 21 years of age. Prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale, offer for sale, delivery, or furnishment of synthetic hemp products. Provides for civil penalties for violations to be deposited into the Industrial Hemp Regulatory Fund. Provides that the exception in the Cannabis Control Act for the Industrial Hemp Act does not apply to synthetic hemp products. Amends the Cannabis Control Act. Changes the definition of "cannabis".

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall develop an educational document explaining, at a minimum, the values of good indoor air quality and shall supply the document to school districts. Provides that, subject to funding from the State Board, a school district shall ensure that all active classrooms are equipped with an air quality monitor.

Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Removes language providing that the Department of the Lottery shall publish each January in the Illinois Register a list of all game-specific rules, play instructions, directives, operations manuals, brochures, or other game-specific publications issued by the Department during the previous year and instructions concerning how the public may obtain copies of these materials from the Department. Removes language regarding the selection of a private manager for the total management of the Lottery. Removes language providing that moneys in the Department's account shall be deposited by the Department into the Public Treasurers' Investment Pool. Provides that the Department shall make an effort to more directly inform players of the odds of winning prizes by publishing the information for all games on the Department's public website (rather than by requiring all ticket agents to display a placard stating the odds of winning for each game offered by that agent). Requires the Department to make written play instructions available on the Department's public website or by the Department by request (rather than to all players through sales agents licensed to sell game tickets or shares). Allows the Department (rather than the State Treasurer) to contract with any person or corporation to perform financial functions. Allows the State Treasurer to act as an agent of the Department to perform the financial functions. Removes language providing that moneys in the Department's account for paying validated prizes shall be deposited in the Public Treasurer's Investment Pool. Repeals a provision related to a specialty retailers license. Makes other and conforming changes.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Natural Resources shall design, implement, and evaluate not more than 3 demonstration projects that test natural flood risk reduction practices in flood-prone areas of the State, as determined by the Department, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department may require a county to submit to the Department a progress report with certain information. Provides that the Department shall submit to the General Assembly and to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security a report with certain information. Allows the Department to adopt rules.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Reinstates the exemption for the use or sale of tangible personal property purchased from an Illinois retailer by a taxpayer engaged in centralized purchasing activities in Illinois. Provides that the exemption is repealed on June 30, 2031 (currently, June 30, 2016). Effective immediately.

Amends the Civic Center Code. Provides that all contracts for the sale of property of the value of more than the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000) shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids. Provides that all construction contracts and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and services, when the expense thereof will exceed the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000), shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids, except in specified circumstances. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In conjunction with applications for health care professional licensure and renewals, requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall require applicants to provide practice information that include areas of practice specialty, addresses of all current practice locations, hours spent at each practice location on direct outpatient care, the applicant's National Provider Identifier (NPI) number if applicable, and anticipated date of retirement. Provides that the Department shall share the information with authorized personnel at the Department of Public Health. Specifies that the data is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Defines "health care professional". Provides that data published in conjunction with applications for health care professional licensure shall not identify a health care professional's name or any other data that leads to identification.

Creates the Illinois Data Center Energy and Water Reporting Act. Defines terms. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, all data centers operating within the State shall annually report the data center's energy and water consumption to the Illinois Power Agency for the preceding calendar year. Sets forth requirements for the content of the report. Provides that reports shall be submitted to the Agency no later than March 31 of each year. Sets forth provisions concerning data confidentiality and public access to information and the enforcement of the Act and penalties. Provides that the Agency shall conduct a comprehensive study on the impact that data centers in the State are having on rate-paying customers. Sets forth requirements for the content of the study. Provides that the Agency shall submit a report detailing the findings of the study to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than 12 months after the effective date of the Act. Sets forth rulemaking provisions for the Agency. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that only voting machines or voting systems approved by the State Board of Elections, as allowed under this Code, may be used by an election authority. Repeals the Direct Recording Electronic Voting Systems Article. Makes conforming changes. Provides that a "voting machine", "voting system", or "electronic voting system" does not mean a direct recording electronic voting machine or system or a machine or system that uses a computer as the marking device to mark a ballot sheet. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Hospital Services Trust Fund Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to (i) pay safety-net hospitals a health care equity add-on payment that is based on such hospitals' Medicaid inpatient utilization rate and (ii) pay safety-net hospitals a low volume add-on payment of $200 for each inpatient General Acute and Psychiatric day of care, removes the December 31, 2026 sunset dates for such add-on payments. Effective immediately.

Creates the Human Services Workforce Sustainability Act. Requires the Departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Juvenile Justice, and Public Health, and other specified State agencies, to complete, by June 30, 2027, a look-back calculation for each contracted human services organization that compares the funding amount awarded to the human services organization in State fiscal years 2026 and 2021 in order to identify the percentage change in funding, if any, to the human services organization between those fiscal years. Provides that based on the look-back calculations, each State agency shall identify the total aggregate amount of additional appropriations needed to ensure that grant amounts awarded by the State agency in State Fiscal Year 2028 are at least 25% more than the grant amounts awarded to grantees in State Fiscal Year 2021. Contains provisions concerning implementation of increased grant funding, subject to appropriation; additional percentage increases in grants amounts beginning in State Fiscal Year 2029; expenditure and certification requirements on contracted human services organizations that receive increased grant funding; oversight by the Department of Central Management Services; the adoption of administrative rules; and other matters. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that the Business Enterprise Program shall recognize private funding given in the form of sponsorship of the University of Illinois System Diverse Supplier Development Program (DSDP) as dollars toward goal attainment under the Act if those funds are distributed to eligible program graduates under specified conditions.

Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that if (1) 3 or more improved lots, blocks, tracts, or parcels of real property within a single redevelopment project area are purchased by a developer or a developer's parent company or wholly-owned subsidiary, or any combination thereof, within the 3 years prior to the date that the ordinance providing for the tax increment allocation was adopted by the municipality, and (2) an improvement on any of the lots, blocks, tracts, or parcels of real property is demolished or otherwise rendered uninhabitable, then the initial equalized assessed value for the lot, block, tract or parcel of real property shall be the equalized assessed value of the lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property on the date it was purchased by the developer, the developer's parent company, or the developer's wholly-owned subsidiary or purchased by any combination thereof. Limits the provisions to ordinances adopted after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act. Prohibits a person from entering into an agreement with any other person to not compete in rental pricing, fees, or any other rental term for residential rental units in the State. Prohibits a person from engaging in price coordination for residential rental units in the State. Prohibits a person from facilitating an agreement between 2 or more persons to not compete with respect to rental pricing, fees, or any other rental term for residential rental units in the State. Prohibits a person from using, subscribing to, contracting for, or paying for the services involving price coordination or otherwise encouraging or facilitating an agreement with other persons to not compete with respect to any rental term for residential rental units in the State. Allows an aggrieved person to bring a civil action seeking damages and makes a violation of the Act a violation of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act.

Amends the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Law. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to conduct a statewide one-year pilot program that studies the prevalence of cholestatic liver disorders associated with increased risk of end-stage liver disease among women ages 35 through 64 who are recipients of medical assistance. Requires the Department to collect the following information on study participants: (1) key demographics such as age, genetic predispositions, pre-existing conditions, and lifestyle factors that elevate the risk of developing cholestatic liver disorders; (2) the number or percentage of study participants who, despite being identified as high-risk, do not follow through with referrals or treatment recommendations; (3) the number of study participants who avoid referral and follow-up care or engage in treatment avoidance; and (4) any other relevant information or issues identified by the Department. Requires the Department to compile a report on its findings at the end of the one-year study and include (i) recommendations on how to increase awareness of cholestatic liver disorders through screenings, genetic testing, and collaboration with patient advocacy groups to raise public awareness and (ii) an analysis of strategies and funding to increase screening and genetic testing for cholestatic liver disorders. Provides that the Department shall submit the report to the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2028. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Allows gaming operations at airports under the administration or control of the Chicago Department of Aviation to use video gaming terminals. Provides that 10% of the total revenue generated by gaming operations at O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport shall be distributed as follows: (1) for revenue generated at the O'Hare International Airport, 1/6 to any municipalities and governing bodies that participate in a mutual aid agreement to serve O'Hare International Airport, with no more than 50% of that revenue distributed to contiguous municipalities, 1/6 to City of Chicago ward facilities where the airport is located, 1/6 to Chicago Park District facilities serving the area where the airport is located, 1/6 to the Chicago public schools serving the area where the airport is located, 1/6 to Chicago Police Department facilities serving the area where the airport is located, and 1/6 to the Residential Sound Insulation Program; and for revenue generated at the Chicago Midway International Airport, 2% to City of Chicago ward facilities where the airport is located, 2% to Chicago Park District facilities serving the area where the airport is located, 2% to the Chicago public schools serving the area where the airport is located, 2% to Chicago Police Department facilities serving the area where the airport is located, and 2% to the Residential Sound Insulation Program.