Rep. Michelle Mussman

Amends the Election Code. Provides that specified entities that spend $10,000 or more on independent expenditures in the 12 months prior to an election, or who accepts $10,000 or more in an election cycle of in-kind contributions to enable independent expenditures, shall maintain transfer records and submit reports to the State Board of Elections. Provides that independent expenditures for public communications financed by specified entities shall include specified information. Provides that no person shall, for the purpose of evading the reporting requirements, structure or assist in structuring, or attempt to structure or assist in structuring, any solicitation, contribution, expenditure, disbursement, or other transaction. Sets forth provisions concerning independent expenditures; election spending; and coordinated expenditures. Replaces references to "electioneering communication" with "election spending". Defines terms. Makes other changes.

Amends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transit Innovation, Integration, and Reform Act. Provides that the member appointed to the Committee to represent individuals with disabilities shall either be an individual with a disability or an individual who has demonstrated experience advocating for and advancing the accessibility and transportation needs of individuals with disabilities. Amends the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act. Provides that one of the members of the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority shall be a person with a disability who lives within the Authority's service area and uses the services provided by the Authority. Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that one of the Directors of the Board of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority shall be a person with a disability with expertise in transportation and shall be appointed with the advice and recommendation of a disability advocacy organization serving the Metropolitan Region. Provides that one of the directors of the Suburban Bus Board shall be the Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (rather than appointed by the Mayor of Chicago). Provides that one of the directors of the Commuter Rail Board shall be a person with a disability who uses the services provided by the Commuter Rail Division and appointed with the advice and recommendation of a disability advocacy organization serving the Metropolitan Region. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority, the Suburban Bus Board, and the Commuter Rail Board shall each establish and maintain an ADA Advisory Committee to advise the Chicago Transit Authority, the Suburban Bus Board, or the Commuter Rail Board on accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as it relates to fixed route and paratransit service.

Amends the State Employee Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a member who is eligible to receive an alternative retirement annuity may elect to receive an estimated payment that shall commence no later than 30 days after the later of either the member's last day of employment or 30 days after the member files for the retirement benefit with the System. Provides that the estimated payment shall be the best estimate by the System of the total monthly amount due to the member based on the information that the System possesses at the time of the estimate. Provides that if the amount of the estimate is greater or less than the actual amount of the monthly annuity, the System shall pay or recover the difference within 6 months after the start of the monthly annuity. Excludes a benefit increase resulting from the amendatory Act from the definition of "new benefit increase". Effective immediately.

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules establishing effluent limitations for wastewater, spills, and runoff associated with the production, transport, and packaging of plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic materials. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to grant the Agency emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately.

Creates the Temporary Immunity for Child Welfare Agencies Act. Creates immunity from civil liability for a licensed child welfare agency that provides service for youth in foster care for a 2-year period unless the agency's acts or omissions constitute willful and wanton conduct. Provides that the immunity extends to the agency's employees, volunteers, and agents acting within the scope of their employment. Defines a "child welfare agency" to mean a public or private child care facility that receives a child or children for the purpose of placing or arranging for the placement or free care of the child or children in foster family homes, unlicensed pre-adoptive and adoptive homes, adoption-only homes, or other facilities for child care apart from the custody of the child's or children's parents. The term "child welfare agency" includes (i) all agencies established and maintained by a municipality or other political subdivision of the State to protect, guard, train or care for children outside their own homes; and (ii) all agencies, persons, groups of persons, organizations, corporations, institutions, centers, or group providing adoption services but does not include a circuit court, appointed juvenile probation officer, or youth counselor of the court who receive and place children under an order of the court. Creates the Child Welfare Agency Liability Task Force to develop and recommend a permanent solution to address the unavailability of liability insurance for child welfare agencies in the State. Requires that the Task Force submit its first report to the General Assembly no later than December 26, 2026. Effective immediately.

Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution concerning the decennial redistricting of Legislative and Representative Districts. Provides that Legislative and Representative Districts shall each be drawn, in order of priority, (1) to be substantially equal in population; (2) to ensure that no citizen is denied an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of his or her choice on account of race; (3) to create, where practical, racial coalition or influence Districts; (4) to be contiguous; and (5) to the extent practicable, to be compact. Effective upon being declared adopted.

Amends the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003. Prohibits an otherwise qualified individual with a disability, as defined by the Environmental Barriers Act, from being excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination solely by reason of the individual's disability under any of the following: (i) any program or activity operating inside Illinois and receiving federal financial assistance; (ii) any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance that passes through or is administered by State, county, or local government; (iii) any activity regulated by the State that receives federal financial assistance; or (iv) any program or activity receiving State, county, or local government financial assistance. Provides that a State agency that has an existing mechanism for enforcing federal Section 504 rights under the federal Rehabilitation Act may also enforce provisions of the Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action to enforce the provisions of this Act in any appropriate circuit court if the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern of discrimination prohibited by this Act. Provides that disability discrimination under the Act includes violations of the substantive rights provided in the federal regulations adopted under the federal Rehabilitation Act. Provides that these rights constitute a minimum set of rights that may not be reduced. Requires the Secretary of State to maintain a copy of the regulations in a manner that is easily available to the public such as on a website in a searchable format. Makes the Act severable.

Maddy summaryHB 2273 amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. It makes a technical change in a section that concerns the short title of the code, primarily involving a minor adjustment to the legal text itself.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning expenses that are recoverable by a public utility, provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall not consider as an expense of any public utility company, for the purpose of determining any rate or charge, any amount expended for political activity or lobbying, any amount expended for contributions to a trade association or a chamber of commerce, and any amount expended by a public utility for director and officer liability insurance and fiduciary liability insurance. Provides that, in determining whether the purchase of other types of insurance by a public utility is recoverable, the Commission shall determine whether the specific type of insurance is financially beneficial to the public utility's ratepayers or the public utility's shareholders. Provides that, if the Commission determines that the insurance purchased by the public utility is financially beneficial to its shareholders, then the purchase of the insurance shall not be a recoverable expense. Provides that goodwill or institutional advertising shall not be a recoverable expense by a public utility. Provides that the Commission shall deem as a nonrecoverable expense by a public utility (rather than the Commission shall specifically assess the justness and reasonableness of) any amount expended by a public utility to compensate attorneys or technical experts to prepare and litigate a general rate case filing. Provides that the amount that is deposited into the Consumer Intervenor Compensation Fund by a public utility shall not be a recoverable expense by the public utility. Provides that the computation of compensation awarded from the Fund shall take into consideration the market rates paid to persons of comparable training and experience who offer similar services, but may not exceed the comparable market rate for services paid by the public utility as part of its nonrecoverable rate case expense reported to the Commission (rather than as part of its rate case expense). Makes other changes.

Declares March of 2026 to be March4Water Month in the State of Illinois. Encourages all Illinoisans to participate in activities and programs during March4Water Month to promote awareness, education, and actions that prioritize water as a vital resource for the state's future.