Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock

Creates the Electronic Device Stewardship Act. Requires a producer that sells an electronic smoking device to implement and finance an electronic smoking device stewardship program, no later than 2 years after the effective date of the Act, through a producer responsibility organization that is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Requires a producer responsibility organization to submit an electronic smoking device stewardship plan to the Agency for approval no later than 2 years after the effective date of the Act. Establishes requirements regarding fees collected from participating producers. Sets forth procedures regarding approval of stewardship plans. Prohibits, beginning 2 years after the effective date of the Act, a producer from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing for sale an electronic smoking device unless the producer is in an approved producer responsibility organization in compliance with the Act, with a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for a violation. Provides an affirmative defense for a distributor or retailer for reliance on the representation of a producer or producer responsibility organization. Allows the Attorney General to recover civil penalties and any other damages and to seek injunctive relief. Provides an antitrust exemption. Requires a producer responsibility organization to submit an annual report to the Environmental Protection Agency. Requires the Agency to adopt rules and conduct an evaluation. Makes findings and states the purpose of the Act. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that if a municipality (rather than any municipality located within DuPage County) belongs to a not-for-profit organization headquartered in the county in which the municipality is located and if that not-for-profit organization is recognized by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as a certified local tourism and convention bureau entitled to receive State tourism grant funds, then not less than 50% (rather than 75%) of the amounts collected pursuant to the municipal hotel operators' occupation tax and municipal hotel use tax shall be expended by the municipality to promote tourism and conventions within that municipality or otherwise to attract nonresident overnight visitors to the municipality, and the remainder of the amounts collected by the municipality pursuant to the municipal hotel operators' occupation tax and municipal hotel use tax may be expended by the municipality for economic development or capital infrastructure. Removes provisions repealing the municipal hotel operators' occupation tax and the municipal hotel use tax on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Directs the Secretary of State to grant a waiver of the lobbyist registration fee for any not-for-profit entity with an annual budget of less than $5,000,000 that is classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including a waiver for any lobbyist that exclusively lobbies on behalf of such an entity.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning radon testing, provides that every school building of a school district that is occupied or will be occupied shall be tested by January 1, 2029 and shall be retested every 5 years thereafter for radon (instead of recommending that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon). Provides that all new schools of a school district shall be built using radon resistant new construction techniques in accordance with the American National Standards Institute/American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists CC-1000, Soil Gas Control Systems in New Construction of Multifamily, School, Commercial and Mixed-Use Buildings standard or a successor standard (instead of recommending that new schools of a school district be built using radon resistant new construction techniques, as shown in the United States Environmental Protection Agency document, Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and Other Large Buildings). Removes a provision allowing a person to perform radon screening tests without a license. Makes changes concerning the exemption. Provides that if radon is found to exceed specified levels, then the school district shall (instead of may) hire a licensed radon professional to perform confirmatory measurements (instead of to perform measurements before any mitigation decisions are made). Sets forth provisions concerning mitigation. Provides that a school district may use life safety funds, if available, for radon testing and mitigation. Preempts home rule powers.

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that a full-service restaurant or quick-service restaurant shall not provide single-use plastic disposable foodware items to a consumer ordering or purchasing dine-in food unless requested by the consumer and that plastic drinking straws must be provided when specifically requested. Provides that single-use plastic disposable foodware items that are provided may not be packaged in plastic. Provides that a food dispensing establishment or takeout food delivery service must provide options for a customer to request disposable foodware items separate from the customer's order, with certain requirements. Provides that a full-service restaurant or quick-service restaurant offering condiments may use dispensers rather than prepackaged disposable condiment packets. Provides that a full-service restaurant or quick-service restaurant must post a sign indicating that single-use plastic disposable foodware will be made available upon request or at a self serve station. Provides that a full-service restaurant or quick-service restaurant may make single-use plastic straws available to customers ordering or purchasing dine-in food by making available dispensers or certain other means if a sign is posted encouraging the reduction of the use single-use plastics. Provides for a civil penalty of $25, after a first notice of violation, for each day a full-service restaurant or quick-service restaurant is in violation, paid to the Department of Public Health. Defines terms. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school report card must include data related to: (1) the total student capacity for each school in the school district; (2) the number of student transfers enrolled in each receiving school in the receiving school district; (3) the number of requests for transfer received; and (4) the number of requests for transfer denied and the reasons supporting the denial of any request for transfer. Provides that on or before the first day of each semester, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of the receiving school district to file with the State Board of Education showing the total number of students granted transfers into or within the receiving school district, and their respective school sites and grade levels. Requires the State Board to submit an annual report available to the public, on or before July 1st, on their website that includes for each school district: (1) the number of students in the school year seeking admission to transfer to or within a school district; (2) the number of rejected transfer requests in the school year; (3) the reason or reasons why each rejected transfer request was rejected in the school year; and (4) the total number of students that into or within each district. Provides that each year the State Board shall randomly select 20 of the school districts in the State to conduct an audit of each district's approved and denied transfers based on the provisions of the policies adopted by the respective school district. Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the amendatory Act.

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. In provisions requiring governmental entities to adopt ordinances or resolutions regulating specified ethical concerns, provides that a governmental entity may create an ethics commission to satisfy the requirements.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, beginning with taxable year 2026, the amount of the homestead exemption for persons with disabilities shall be the greater of (i) $2,000 or (ii) an amount that, when deducted from the property's value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, will cause the total aggregate property tax liability for the property for the taxable year for which the exemption is claimed to equal a specified base amount. Effective immediately.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not wear any mask or neck gaiter while interacting with the public in the performance of the officer's duties, except for medical grade masks that are surgical or N95 respirators designed to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases and diseases, masks designed to protect against exposure to smoke during a state of emergency related to wildfires, or protective gear used by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team officers necessary to protect their faces from harm while they perform their SWAT responsibilities. Provides that "mask" does not include a face shield if it does not conceal the wearer's face and does not include a clear mask that does not conceal the wearer's face. Provides that while executing law enforcement duties, a law enforcement officer shall display on the uniform that the officer wears: (i) the officer's name or badge number and (ii) the agency in which the officer is employed. Provides that the provisions do not apply to an officer while the officer is engaged in an undercover assignment. Provides that moneys from fines received for convictions under this provision shall be deposited into a special fund in the State treasury to be known as the Immigrant Family Services Fund and shall be used by the Department of Human Services to provide immigrant family services as determined by the Secretary of Human Services. Establishes penalties for violations. Defines terms. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption, provides that the Chief County Assessment Officer in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants may request full social security numbers or individual taxpayer identification numbers for all members of the applicant's household. Provides that the Chief County Assessment Officer may renew the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption without a new application if the Chief County Assessment Officer is able to confirm both that the applicant still owns and resides in the property and that applicant's household income qualifies for the exemption. Provides that a Chief County Assessment Officer who renews a low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption without an annual application shall notify the applicant of both the decision to renew the exemption and the applicant's ongoing duty to report changes in the eligibility of the property to receive the exemption.