Rep. Michelle Mussman

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Public Utilities Act. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" means a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system that meets the following criteria: (1) the applicable farm plan and the system have been intentionally designed with agricultural producers, agrivoltaics experts, or both agricultural producers and agrivoltaics experts; (2) the system is constructed, installed, and operated to achieve an integrated and simultaneous production of both solar energy and current or future marketable agricultural products, including all products and activities described in the definition of "production agriculture" in the Use Tax Act and apiaries if the apiary is paired with another qualifying marketable agricultural product, by an agricultural producer; (3) the agricultural production of the system occur on land beneath or between rows of solar panels; and (4) the agricultural production of the system begins as soon as agronomically feasible and optimal for the agricultural producer after the commercial operation date of the solar panels and continues until decommissioning. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" does not include a system that has a pollinator habitat as the sole dual use of the system.

Amends the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Provides that the real estate taxes deferred under the Act and taxes paid by the Department of Revenue under the Act, together with all interest and costs that may accrue on those amounts, shall be a prior and first lien on the property until the deferred taxes, interest, and costs are paid. Provides that the tax deferral and recovery agreement with the collector shall expressly state that those amounts are a prior and first lien. Effective immediately.

Amends the Innkeeper Protection Act. Provides that a hotel does not include any facility that provides emergency shelter or emergency housing to persons who are unhoused or unsheltered and (1) a person's admission to the facility is limited to a single overnight stay or is renewable on a daily basis; and (2) the facility does not require the payment of any fees by these persons for admission to the facility. Effective immediately.

Amends the Life Care Facilities Act. Requires the most current pre-sale disclosure data for refundable life care contracts to be made available annually by January 31 of each year to current residents that have refundable entry fee contracts, former residents who have not yet received refunds for their refundable entry fees, and the estates of former residents who have not yet received refunds for their refundable entry fees. Provides that units belonging to former residents and the estates of former residents who have not yet received refunds for refundable entry fees shall be made available for viewing, upon request, within 7 business days after that request, and notification of this option shall be sent annually by January 31 of each year. Establishes notice requirements for providers who elect to offer units with month-to-month rent. Sets forth provisions concerning the closing of the estate of a former resident who has not yet received refunds for refundable entry fees. Provides that no life care contract may require a resident or the resident's family to pay any fees on the unit for longer than 30 days after the resident has vacated the premises.

Amends the Children's Advocacy Center Act. Provides that Multidisciplinary Team Members shall work together, share information, and maintain confidentiality throughout the investigative process. Provides that Multidisciplinary Team members shall coordinate, communicate, and keep nonoffending parents, caregivers, and their families aware of the status of child abuse investigations. Provides that Children's Advocacy Centers shall be (rather than may be) established to coordinate the activities of the various agencies involved in the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child maltreatment. Provides that every Child Advocacy Center shall include a multidisciplinary systems approach that includes all Multidisciplinary Team members as equal partners in the investigation of child maltreatment. Provides that an investigation into child maltreatment shall include a comprehensive interagency notification procedure for all Multidisciplinary Team partners. Provides that the investigation shall also include a policy that mandates every Multidisciplinary Team member has access to records related to every child abuse investigation and that ensures all information is shared in a confidential manner. Provides that the Children's Advocacy Center of Illinois shall convene an annual meeting of statewide leadership from each MDT discipline to review data, discuss and analyze findings, and work collaboratively to identify service gaps and opportunities for process improvement. Provides the Children's Advocacy Center of Illinois shall create a report that summarizes the discussion at the annual meeting. Requires the Children's Advocacy Center of Illinois to share the report with the leadership of MDT partners and other agencies. Makes other changes.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for dates of service beginning on and after January 1, 2027, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall, for healthcare common procedure coding system codes relating to complex rehabilitation technology wheelchair repair and accessories, apply a reimbursement rate under the Medical Assistance program equivalent to the maximum fee paid in Illinois under the federal Medicare program, including fees under the KU modifier, if applicable. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that on or before the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year, each school board and charter school shall adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy. Establishes exceptions for the use of a wireless communication device during school time. Prohibits a school district or charter school from enforcing the wireless communication device policy through fees, fines, suspensions, expulsions, or the deployment of a school resource officer or local law enforcement officer. Sets forth how the policy shall be developed. Requires each school district and charter school to ensure all school personnel and substitute teachers are informed of the tenets of the policy, the roles and responsibilities of staff members, the importance of uniform enforcement, and the handling of implementation in a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate manner. Provides that a school board and any school personnel, including charter school personnel, shall be immune from any liability resulting from damage to a wireless communication device when the device is stored in good faith and in accordance with the school board's wireless communication device policy. Provides that the wireless communication device policy shall be posted on the school district's or charter school's existing, publicly accessible Internet website and included in the student handbook. Requires, by September 1, 2026, the State Board of Education to post on its website a template for a model wireless communication device policy. Provides that if a school district or charter school has an existing wireless communication device policy in place before the effective date of the amendatory Act that limits wireless communication devices during a majority of or the entirety of the school day, the district or charter school may keep its existing policy in place until the 2030-2031 school year, at which point the district or charter school must adopt a wireless communication device policy meeting the requirements the amendatory Act. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2026, the Department of Human Services shall reissue the original cost and wage survey for costs associated with the administration of services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community day services that was contained in the Department's Guidehouse Rate Study. Provides that the cost and wage survey shall be used to effectuate rate increases in transportation funding for the administration of community day services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and may include provider contact information, total costs of employee salaries and benefits, staff turnover, and other information. Requires the Department to adopt rules. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to file an amendment to the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities that removes the 5 hour per day billing maximums at community day services. Provides that the amendment shall not modify monthly and yearly billing maximums for community day services. Provides that implementation is contingent on federal approval. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that in the Articles governing employment, financial credit, and public accommodations it is a civil rights violation to use criteria or methods including practices, policies, and groups of practices or policies that has the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination prohibited under the Act. Changes the definition of "unlawful discrimination" to mean discrimination against a person, whether by purpose or effect, because of his or her actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order of protection status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, reproductive health decisions, or unfavorable discharge from military service as those terms are defined in the Act.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Authorizes Chief County Assessment Officers in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants to renew an individual's low-income senior citizen exemption under the Code without an annual application if the applicant has previously provided the full social security number or individual taxpayer identification numbers for all members of the applicant's household. Provides that, if a Chief County Assessment Officer is unable to verify that an applicant remains eligible for the low-income senior citizen exemption, then the Chief County Assessment Officer shall notify the applicant and provide the applicant with an opportunity to demonstrate the applicant's eligibility for the exemption. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from disclosure under the Act information submitted to a Chief County Assessment Officer in applications for the low-income senior citizen exemption under the Property Tax Code.