Rep. Kevin Schmidt

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Expands the definition of "developmental disability" to include a disability attributable to Prader-Willi syndrome. Amends the Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act. Expands the definition of "severe and multiple impairments" to include a substantial disability attributable to Prader-Willi syndrome. Exempts persons diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome from any assessment or evaluation to measure cognitive functioning or IQ for purposes of making determinations on whether such persons have severe and multiple impairments eligible for home-based and community-based services. Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to include Prader-Willi syndrome as a developmental disability in any rule defining the term "developmental disability" and in any rule listing specific medical conditions or disabilities eligible for developmental disability services provided by the Department. Amends the Statute on Statutes. Provides that, except where the context indicates otherwise: (i) in any rule, contract, or other document the term "developmental disability" shall include a disability attributable to Prader-Willi syndrome; and (ii) whenever there is a reference in any Act to "development disability" the term shall be construed to include a disability attributable to Prader-Willi syndrome.

Creates the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. Establishes the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission as an investigatory and advisory commission to investigate matters related to Jeffrey Epstein's network with a nexus to Illinois, facilitate enforcement of Illinois law, and promote transparency. Grants the Commission investigatory powers, including subpoena authority enforceable in circuit court, and requires referrals to the Attorney General and periodic reports to the Attorney General, Governor, and the General Assembly. Provides victim and whistleblower protections. Authorizes the Attorney General to exercise specified authority. Directs the Attorney General to share information upon request by the Commission. Ceases operation of the Commission after 5 years and repeals the Act after 6 years. Amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act to expand jurisdiction, to include human trafficking, involuntary servitude, sexual exploitation of children, permitting and failure to report sexual abuse of a child, prostitution-related offenses, patronizing a sexually exploited child, child pornography, bribery, official misconduct, solicitation of misconduct, tampering with public records, perjury, communicating with or harassment of jurors and witnesses, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and racketeering activity, but with a requirement for Attorney General certification or a requirement that offenses occur in more than one county or have a statewide nexus. Effective immediately.

Amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act. Expands the Act to allow for the formation of multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions. Provides that veteran service organizations located in 2 or more adjacent counties having a population of 60,000 or less may enter into an agreement to come together and jointly form a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to serve the adjacent counties in accordance with the Act. Provides that a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission may also be formed under an agreement between an existing county Veterans Assistance Commission and a veteran service organization located in an adjacent county that is without a veterans assistance commission and has a population of 60,000 or less. Requires an agreement to form and maintain a multi-county Veterans Assistance Commission to set forth: (i) the distribution of funding with respect to each member county; (ii) the location of the Commission's office; (iii) the type of services provided; (iv) the superintendent selection or appointment process; (v) Commission rules and policies; and (vi) the composition of delegates and alternates on the Commission. Provides that multi-county Veterans Assistance Commissions shall have the same powers and duties under the Act as Veterans Assistance Commissions that serve one county. Makes corresponding changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Drug Court Treatment Act, the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act, and the Mental Health Court Treatment Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Prohibition on Gender Reassignment Procedures Act. Sets forth findings. Defines terms. Provides that a health care provider shall not perform or offer to perform on a minor, or administer or offer to administer to a minor, a medical procedure if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of: (1) enabling the minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex; or (2) treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity. Provides for a private right of action for a minor or a parent of a minor that was injured as a result of the Act and a right of action for the Attorney General. Provides that a violation constitutes a potential threat to public health, safety, and welfare and emergency action shall be taken by an alleged violator's appropriate regulatory authority. Provides that a minor upon whom a medical procedure is performed or administered must not be held liable for violating the Act. Makes other changes.

Creates the Local Government Essential Services Act. Defines "emergency medical services". Provides that emergency medical services shall be deemed an essential service in the State. Provides that the governing body of each municipality and county in the State shall ensure the availability of emergency medical services to provide for the needs of its population. Provides that the governing body of each municipality and county may provide emergency medical services by (1) providing a license or franchise to a private company; (2) contracting with a public, private, or nonprofit entity for emergency medical services; (3) entering into agreements with other units of local government; or (4) entering into agreements with hospitals, clinics, or any medical facility.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a health insurance issuer that delivers, issues for delivery, or renews in this State a health insurance policy shall not discriminate with respect to participation under the health insurance policy against a health care professional who is acting within the scope of the health care professional's license or certification under applicable State law. Provides that a health insurance issuer is not required to contract with any health care professional willing to abide by the terms and conditions for participation established by the health insurance issuer. Provides that a health insurance issuer is not prohibited from establishing varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures.

Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. In provisions requiring the Illinois Housing Development Authority to determine which local governments are exempt from the requirements of the Act, requires the Authority to collect data on owner-occupied and rental units for each local government as follows: (1) by totaling the number of owner-occupied housing units in each local government that are affordable to households with a gross household income that is less than 80% of the median household income and is between 80% and 140% of the median household income within the county or primary metropolitan statistical area; and (2) by totaling the number of rental units in each local government that are affordable to households with a gross household income that is less than 60% of the median household income and is between 80% and 140% of the median household income within the county or primary metropolitan statistical area. Provides that data collected for the 80% AMI to 140% AMI households is to be used for informational purposes and shall not factor into the determination of exempt local governments.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that if an insurer tenders the lesser of the policy limits or the amount demanded by the claimant in a statutory or common law action alleging bad faith within 90 days after receiving actual notice of a claim accompanied by sufficient evidence to support the amount of the claim, no liability may be imposed against the insurer. Provides that if a named insured, omnibus insured, or named beneficiary is awarded a declaratory judgment in an action in State or federal court to determine insurance coverage after the insurer has made a total coverage denial of a claim, the court must award reasonable attorney's fees to the named insured, omnibus insured, or named beneficiary who has prevailed in the action. Creates a presumption that, in any action by or against a company, if there is an issue of the liability of a company, and it appears to the court that such action or delay is vexatious and unreasonable, the court may allow as part of the taxable costs in the action reasonable attorney's fees, as determined by the lodestar fee method of multiplying the number of hours reasonably spent on a case by a reasonable hourly rate, adjusted up or down by a multiplier to account for factors such as the quality of the work, complexity of the case, or risk of loss. Provides that this presumption may be overcome only in rare and exceptional circumstances. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Changes the percentage from 25% to 50% that triggers joint and several liability of a defendant of all damages. Provides criteria for the admissibility of unpaid, past, and future medical expenses in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Amends the Premises Liability Act. Provides that in an action for damages against the owner, lessor, operator, or manager of commercial or real property brought by a person lawfully on the property who was injured by the criminal act of a third party, the trier of fact must consider the fault of all persons who contributed to the injury. Makes other changes. Applies to all actions filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Creates a sales tax holiday period for certain school supplies from August 2, 2026 through August 11, 2026. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that upon failure to comply with any condition of pretrial release, the court having jurisdiction at the time of such failure may, on its own motion or upon motion from the State, issue a warrant (instead of a summons or a warrant) for the arrest of the person on pretrial release (instead of at liberty on pretrial release). Provides that the contents of such a warrant shall be the same as required for an arrest warrant issued upon complaint. Provides that when a defendant is on pretrial release on a felony charge and fails to appear in court as directed, the court shall issue a warrant for the arrest of such person. Provides that such warrant shall be noted with a directive to peace officers to arrest the person and hold such person without bail and to deliver such person before the court for further proceedings. Provides that a defendant who is arrested or surrenders within 30 days of the issuance of such warrant shall not be released on pretrial conditions in the case in question unless the defendant shows by the preponderance of the evidence that the defendant's failure to appear was not intentional. Makes conforming changes. Removes provisions concerning that for the purpose of any risk assessment or future evaluation of risk of willful flight or risk of failure to appear, a nonappearance in court cured by an appearance in response to a summons shall not be considered as evidence of future likelihood of appearance in court.