Technology

Creates the Prohibition on Automated Online Ticket Purchasing Act. Provides that a person may not use or create any automated software program that performs automatic and repetitive tasks and is designed to impersonate or replicate human activity online to: (1) purchase tickets in excess of posted limits for an online ticket sale; (2) use multiple Internet protocol addresses, multiple purchaser accounts, or multiple e-mail addresses to purchase tickets in excess of posted limits for an online ticket sale; or (3) circumvent or disable an electronic queue, waiting period, presale code, or other sales volume limitation system associated with an online ticket sale. Provides that an owner or operator of a place of entertainment that sells tickets to events, and any agent who conducts or facilitates those sales, shall report to the Attorney General any incidents that violates the prohibition on using a bot to purchase tickets, of which the owner, operator, or agent has actual knowledge, within a reasonable period of time after the incident is discovered by the owner, operator, or agent, and in no case later than 30 days after the incident is discovered. Provides that the Attorney General may seek injunctive relief in response to violations of the Act. Provides for civil penalties for violations of the Act.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that, for purposes of the Act, "commercial purpose" includes any use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf a request is made. Provides that, for purposes of the Act, "news media" does not include Internet sites, social media channels, or other sites or applications that post law enforcement videos in exchange for compensation based on the number of views. Provides that a public body may charge up to $40 for each hour spent by personnel in searching for, retrieving, reviewing, redacting, and reproducing audio and video records except for the first 8 hours spent by personnel in searching for or retrieving a requested record. Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that requests for a commercial purpose, as defined in the Freedom of Information Act, are not subject to provisions of the Act requiring the release of body-camera footage that has been flagged for specified reasons.

Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Changes the definition of "biometric identifier". Defines "biometric lock", "biometric time clock", "person", and "security purpose". Waives certain requirements for collecting, capturing, or otherwise obtaining a person's or a customer's biometric identifier or biometric information under certain circumstances relating to security purposes. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to apply to information captured by a biometric time clock or biometric lock that converts a person's biometric identifier or biometric information to a mathematical representation. Provides that any person aggrieved by a violation of this Act has a right of action in State court or federal court within one year from its occurrence. Requires the aggrieved person to provide the private entity 30 days a written entity alleging the specific provisions of the Act that have been violated. Provides the private entity 30 days to cure the noticed violation. Exempts a private entity if its employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides for different policies regarding the retention, collection, disclosure, and destruction of biometric information. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of unlawful publication of criminal activity. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she knowingly makes a video record or live video of a crime while the crime is being committed and transmits or uploads the video record or live video of the crime to a social media site. Provides that a person who commits unlawful publication of criminal activity shall be sentenced to the same penalty as the penalty for the crime being transmitted or uploaded to a social media site. Provides exceptions. Defines terms.

Amends the School Code. Requires a school board to prohibit a student from using a cellular telephone in a school or on school property. Provides that the restriction shall not apply during lunch, recess, passing periods, or emergency situations. Repeals provisions allowing a school board to establish rules and disciplinary procedures governing the use or possession of cellular radio telecommunication devices by a student.

Creates the Online Age Verification for Material Harmful to Minors Act. Requires any commercial entity that knowingly or intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the Internet from a website that contains a substantial portion of such material to verify that any person attempting to access such material is 18 years of age or older. Provides that verification must be done through the use of (i) a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purpose of age and identity verification or (ii) another commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification. Provides that any commercial entity that violates the Act shall be subject to civil liability for damages resulting from a minor's access to such material harmful to a minor and reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Exempts from liability providers or users of an interactive computer service on the Internet, as defined.

Creates the Prohibition of Algorithmics in Rent Act. Provides that in setting the amount of rent to be charged to a tenant for the occupancy of a residential premises, including determining any change in the amount of rent to be charged for the renewed occupancy of a residential premises, a landlord shall not employ, use, or rely upon, or cause another person to employ, use, or rely upon, an algorithmic device that uses, incorporates, or was trained with nonpublic competitor data. Defines "algorithmic device" to mean a device that uses one or more algorithms to perform calculations of data, including data concerning local or statewide rent amounts being charged to tenants by landlords, for the purpose of advising a landlord concerning the amount of rent that the landlord may consider charging a tenant. Provides that this definition does not include (i) any report published periodically, but no more frequently than monthly, by a trade association that receives renter data and publishes it in an aggregated and anonymous manner; or (ii) a product used for the purpose of establishing rent or income limits in accordance with the affordable housing program guidelines of a local government, the State, the federal government, or other political subdivision. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a corresponding change. Provides that any person who violates the Prohibition of Algorithmics in Rent Act commits an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Amends the School Code. Removes language allowing school districts that collect biometric information from students to adopt specified policies. Instead, prohibits a school district from purchasing or otherwise acquiring biometric systems to use on students. Provides that a school district may not do any of the following with respect to students: (1) obtain, retain, possess, access, request, or use biometric systems or biometric information derived from biometric systems; or (2) enter into an agreement with a third party for the purpose of obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, or using, by or on behalf of the school district, biometric systems. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, if a school district is in possession of student biometric information, then the school district shall destroy the biometric information and provide certified documentation of destruction to the State Board of Education. Provides that, within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, any school district that has contracted with a third party to obtain, collect, or store student biometric information shall require the third party to destroy all biometric information in its possession and confirm in writing the completion of this destruction to the school district. During the 30-day period in which a school district may still have student biometric information in its possession, prohibits the school district from selling, leasing, or otherwise disclosing the biometric information to another person or entity unless: (1) the individual who has legal custody of the student or the student, if he or she has reached the age of 18, consents to the disclosure; or (2) the disclosure is required by court order. Makes other changes.

Amends the Search and Seizure Article of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that telecommunications carriers shall return all electronic instruments, articles, or things within 36 hours if the search warrant was issued pursuant to an investigation of a forcible felony.

This Illinois House Resolution (HR 44) urges the federal government to repeal the Beneficial Ownership Information reporting requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act. It directly affects roughly 32 million small businesses nationwide, which are currently required to disclose owners' names, addresses, and IDs to the Treasury. The resolution argues this federal mandate is redundant since the IRS already collects similar tax data, creating unnecessary burdens and security risks for business owners. As a state-level resolution, it does not change federal law but formally requests the U.S. Congress and Treasury to eliminate this reporting obligation.