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 General Obligation Bond Act. Authorizes an additional $700,000,000 of State Pension Obligation Acceleration Bonds. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Extends the option for a participant to receive an accelerated pension benefit payment in lieu of any pension benefit or for a reduction in the increases to his or her annual retirement annuity and survivor's annuity to June 30, 2028 (instead of June 30, 2026). Effective immediately.
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Establishes the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, administered by the Department of Agriculture. Allows grants to be awarded from the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund, which is created as a special fund in the State treasury, for the installation of equipment for the storage and dispensing of fuels with higher blends of ethanol or biodiesel feedstock, according to the application and eligibility requirements established by rule by the Department of Agriculture. Requires the Comptroller and Treasurer to transfer, from June 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund. Provides for eligibility for grant funding and eligible expenditures from the fund. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include an employee who is engaged in the operation of a vessel that is documented by the United States under a specified federal law. Effective immediately.
Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that notice of omitted assessment shall be delivered via certified mail, return receipt requested, to both the property address and the owner of the property at the owner's current address based on a search of ownership-related documents and a search of the Illinois Secretary of State Department of Business Services database.
Amends the Decennial Committees on Local Government Efficiency Act. Provides that the term "governmental unit" does not include a fire protection district established under the Fire Protection District Act.
Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Prison Education Fund. Provides that moneys in the Prison Education Fund shall be used by the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education to make grants to prison education programs that award associate degrees or bachelor's degrees to currently incarcerated students. Makes changes concerning the allocation of money from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Provides that 0.5% of the moneys in the Cannabis Regulation Fund, after certain allocations have been made, shall be transferred from the Cannabis Regulation Fund to the Prison Education Fund.
Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning in levy year 2026, if a specified taxing district provided a property tax abatement under a specified provision of the Energy Community Reinvestment Act in any levy year occurring before the current levy year and if the taxing district was subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the levy year of the abatement, then the district's aggregate extension base for each subsequent levy year after the levy year of the abatement but not earlier than levy year 2026 shall be calculated as through the district's aggregate extension for the levy year in which the abatement was granted included the amount of the abatement. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Public Utilities Act. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" means a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system that meets the following criteria: (1) the applicable farm plan and the system have been intentionally designed with agricultural producers, agrivoltaics experts, or both agricultural producers and agrivoltaics experts; (2) the system is constructed, installed, and operated to achieve an integrated and simultaneous production of both solar energy and current or future marketable agricultural products, including all products and activities described in the definition of "production agriculture" in the Use Tax Act and apiaries if the apiary is paired with another qualifying marketable agricultural product, by an agricultural producer; (3) the agricultural production of the system occur on land beneath or between rows of solar panels; and (4) the agricultural production of the system begins as soon as agronomically feasible and optimal for the agricultural producer after the commercial operation date of the solar panels and continues until decommissioning. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" does not include a system that has a pollinator habitat as the sole dual use of the system.
Amends the Illinois State Police Radio Act. Provides that the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) shall oversee governance, interoperability, and land mobile radio standards for Illinois' land mobile radio communications system and shall collaborate with the Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator and the Office of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator to strengthen Illinois' emergency communications ecosystem. Provides that the SIEC may designate subcommittees necessary to effectuate its responsibilities. Provides that the voting membership of the SIEC must, at a minimum, include the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator, the Director of the Secretary of the State Police or the Director's designee, and at least one representative from each of the following, appointed by the Governor: an association representing Illinois fire chiefs, an association representing Illinois fire protection districts, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, an association representing Illinois chiefs of police, an association representing Illinois sheriffs, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Department of Military Affairs. Removes references to the STARCOM21 Oversight Committee. Requires the SIEC to, no later than July 1, 2027, establish standards necessary to ensure land mobile radio equipment interoperates throughout Illinois; planning, training, and evaluation standards necessary to enhance public safety communications operational readiness; and standards necessary for the unification of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide. Requires the SIEC to annually review existing statutory law and make recommendations for legislative changes to ensure efficient, effective, reliable, and sustainable communications interoperability statewide (rather than make recommendations concerning better integration of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System statewide and develop a plan to sustainably fund radio infrastructure, radio equipment, and interoperability statewide). Effective July 1, 2026.
Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that the advice and technical assistance provided to State grant-making agencies by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act shall include training for State agency staff. Sets forth requirements for the training. Provides that a State grant-making agency that awards a grant must issue the grant agreement associated with the grant within 60 days after the grant's effective date. Sets forth requirements for the grant agreement.
Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, whichever is applicable, shall not consider veterans' disability benefits as countable income when determining an individual's eligibility for medical assistance, child care assistance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Requires the Departments to apply for any federal waivers or approvals necessary to implement this income exemption.
