Budget & Taxes

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: Other State Funds $4,349,000.

Appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the purpose of awarding grants to units of local government for the demolition or repair of commercial buildings that are detrimental to public health or safety as a result of one or more of the following: dilapidation; obsolescence; deterioration; or the failure of the building to meet minimum building code standards. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $1,000,000,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Natural Resources for construction and maintenance of State owned, leased, and managed recreation sites and $500,000,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants for capital improvements to convention centers. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Fund the Police Act. Contains findings. Creates the Fund the Police Grant Fund and provides that moneys that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board receives from the Fund must be used for the purpose of making grants to units of local government for the purposes of: (1) hiring, rehiring, and retention of law enforcement officers, including hiring and retention incentives and overtime; (2) funding body camera mandates and purchasing law enforcement equipment designed to keep officers and their communities safe; (3) funding additional law enforcement training; (4) assisting with outreach and community policing activities; (5) assisting with mental health treatment for individuals in county jails; (6) providing mental health care for law enforcement officers; and (7) purchasing public safety equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, vehicular hijacking, or the sale of contraband. Provides that the Board may set rules relating to requirements for the distribution of grant moneys and determine which law enforcement agencies are eligible. Provides that the Board must consider compliance with the Uniform Crime Reporting Act as a factor in awarding grant moneys. Provides that moneys in the Fund the Police Grant Fund may not be appropriated, assigned, or transferred to another State fund. Provides for a continuing appropriation at the beginning of each fiscal year of $125,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. Amends the State Finance Act by making conforming changes.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Southern Illinois University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: General Funds $231,786,400; Other State Funds $1,266,000; Federal Funds $0; Total $233,052,400.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, school districts and public institutions of higher education are eligible to receive unemployment insurance aid. Sets forth provisions concerning the calculation of the amount of unemployment insurance aid to be given to each school district and public institutions of higher education. Provides that, if the total unemployment insurance aid for a fiscal year is greater than the annual appropriation for that year, the State Board of Education or the Board of Higher Education shall proportionately reduce the aid payment to each school district and public institution of higher education. Sets forth reporting requirements. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: General Funds $27,747,500; Other State Funds $598,020,700; Federal Funds $1,601,143,852;Total $2,226,912,052.

Creates the Home Utility Relief Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create, as soon as practicable, a Home Utility Rebate Program to provide rebates to households that use electricity and that have a median household income between 100% and 500% of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Provides that eligible households shall receive the rebates as soon as practicable after implementation of the program. Requires the Department to, by rule, establish qualifications for program participation which may include requirements that apply under the Energy Assistance Act and other requirements. Provides that rebates provided under the program shall be funded through appropriations made from the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund created under the Act. Requires the State Comptroller to direct and the State Treasurer to transfer $500,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund to provide rebates to qualifying households for State fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Provides that any funds left over at the end of the second month following the conclusion of payments to households in a fiscal year may be awarded to certain qualifying first-time small business owners as determined by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt emergency rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to implement the program. Amends the State Finance Act to include the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund as a special fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the Home Utility Relief Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create, as soon as practicable, a Home Utility Rebate Program to provide rebates to households that use electricity and that have a median household income between 100% and 500% of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Provides that eligible households shall receive the rebates as soon as practicable after implementation of the program. Requires the Department to, by rule, establish qualifications for program participation which may include requirements that apply under the Energy Assistance Act and other requirements. Provides that rebates provided under the program shall be funded through appropriations made from the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund created under the Act. Requires the State Comptroller to direct and the State Treasurer to transfer $500,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund to provide rebates to qualifying households for State fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Provides that any funds left over at the end of the second month following the conclusion of payments to households in a fiscal year may be awarded to certain qualifying first-time small business owners as determined by the Department. Requires the Department to adopt emergency rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to implement the program. Amends the State Finance Act to include the Home Utility Rebate Relief Fund as a special fund. Effective immediately.

This bill amends the Emergency Telephone System Act. It establishes a new statewide surcharge for 9-1-1 emergency services. Beginning January 1, 2026, this surcharge will be set at $2.50 per telephone connection. This change directly affects individuals and entities paying for telephone connections, as it modifies the fee collected to fund emergency telephone systems.