Rep. Dan Didech

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a public body may charge the actual cost (rather than up to $10) for each hour spent by personnel in searching for and retrieving a requesting record or in examining the record for necessary redactions. Specifies that no fees shall be charged for the first 2 hours (rather than the first 8 hours) spent by personnel searching for or retrieving a requested record. Deletes a provision that limits the applicability of these cost recovery provisions to commercial requests.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning in levy year 2026, if a specified taxing district provided a property tax abatement under a specified provision of the Energy Community Reinvestment Act in any levy year occurring before the current levy year and if the taxing district was subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the levy year of the abatement, then the district's aggregate extension base for each subsequent levy year after the levy year of the abatement but not earlier than levy year 2026 shall be calculated as through the district's aggregate extension for the levy year in which the abatement was granted included the amount of the abatement. Effective immediately.

Amends the Interest Act. Provides that, whenever the rate of interest exceeds an annual percentage rate of 8% on any written contract, agreement or bond for deed providing for the installment purchase of residential real estate made primarily for personal, family, or household purposes (rather than for the installment purchase of residential real estate), or on any loan secured by a mortgage on residential real estate made primarily for personal, family, or household purposes (rather than on any loan secured by a mortgage on residential real estate), it shall be unlawful to provide for a prepayment penalty or other charge for prepayment.

Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Replaces references to the Community College Cannabis Vocational Pilot Program and the Community College Cannabis Vocational Training Pilot Program with references to the Community College Cannabis Vocational Training Program. Repeals provisions that would automatically repeal the Program on July 1, 2026. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide grants from appropriations from the Cannabis Business Development Fund to community colleges licensed under the Community College Vocational Training Program, and requires the Department to adopt rules. Provides that the community colleges that received a license before the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be deemed to be licensed Responsible Vendor Program Training Providers and that such designation may be revoked for cause under rules adopted by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police has authority to deny an application for or to revoke and seize a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued under the Act if the Illinois State Police finds that the applicant or the person to whom the card was issued is or was at the time of issuance a person who has been convicted of misdemeanor stalking in another jurisdiction or a similar misdemeanor offense in another jurisdiction.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Balanced Budget Note Act. Provides that the Pension Stabilization Fund is considered a general fund or a State general fund for the purposes of those Acts. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that certain amounts transferred from the Budget Stabilization Fund to the General Revenue Fund are not required to be repaid into the Budget Stabilization Fund if the amount of accounts payable exceeds $4,000,000,000. Makes changes concerning monthly reports from State agencies to the Comptroller. Amends the Budget Stabilization Act. Provides that, beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, the General Assembly's appropriations and transfers or diversions as required by law from general funds shall not exceed 99% of the estimated general funds revenues for the fiscal year if (i) revenue estimates of the State's general funds revenues for the fiscal year exceed the prior fiscal year's estimated general funds revenues by more than 4% and (ii) projected accounts payable are estimated by the Comptroller to be less than $3,000,000,000 for the fiscal year. Makes other changes concerning transfers from the Budget Stabilization Fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act. Allows parents to enter into a temporary agreement granting custodial responsibility during military deployment. Allows a court, after a deploying parent receives notice of deployment and until the deployment terminates, to issue a temporary order granting custodial responsibility. Allows either parent to file a motion, at any time after a deploying parent receives notice of deployment, regarding custodial responsibility of a child during deployment. Allows a court, on motion of a deploying parent, to grant caretaking authority or limited contact to a nonparent who is an adult family member of the child or an adult with whom the child has a close and substantial relationship. Provides that an agreement or grant of authority is temporary and terminates after the deploying parent returns from deployment, unless the agreement has been terminated before that time by court order or modification. Provides that if a court has issued an order granting caretaking authority, the court may enter a temporary order for child support. Allows the court, after a deploying parent returns from deployment until a temporary agreement or order for custodial responsibility is terminated, to issue a temporary order granting the deploying parent reasonable contact with the child. Includes provisions regarding expedited hearings, testimony by electronic means, and the effect of prior judicial orders or agreements. Sets forth notice requirements related to pending deployments and change of mailing addresses.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, beginning on January 1, 2026, the reimbursement rates for the support component of the nursing facility rate for facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act as skilled or intermediate care facilities and for facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 shall be the rate in effect on June 30, 2024 increased by the percent change in the Consumer Price Index-U from September 2016 to September 2025. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that property certified by the Department of Revenue as mega project property is eligible for an assessment freeze. Provides that, if property is certified as mega project property, then, during the incentive period, the value added to the property by the project shall not be considered for assessment purposes, and the total valuation of the property during the incentive period shall be limited to the base year valuation. Provides that "mega project" means a project that satisfies certain minimum investment, investment period, and other requirements. Contains provisions concerning incentive agreements between a company that plans to undertake a mega project and a local municipality obligating the company to make special payments in addition to property taxes. Effective June 1, 2025.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that records containing law enforcement in-car camera and officer-worn body camera video and audio recordings that a public body received from another public body are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that records concerning the work of the threat assessment team of a law enforcement agency are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that criminal history records are exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that personal and private information submitted to and maintained by the Illinois State Police under the Criminal Identification Act is exempt from inspection or copying under the Act. Provides that, if a public body received more than 1,000 requests under the Act in the preceding year, then (i) the public body shall either comply with or deny a request for a record that includes video records within 30 business days (rather than 5 business days) after its receipt of the request and (ii) the time for response to any request the public body receives may be extended by not more than 10 business days (rather than 5 business days) from the original due date for specified reasons. Provides that, if a request is made for an audio or video file that is maintained in an electronic format, then the public body may not charge for the first 60 minutes of staff time to prepare the response, including conducting necessary research regarding the request, as well as locating, collecting, reviewing, and redacting any responsive audio or video files. Provides that, after the first 60 minutes of staff time, the public body may charge the preparation costs of the public body's lowest paid staff member employed in a position that performs the work to prepare the response (rather than charging specified dollar amounts for specified megabytes of data). Makes technical and other changes. Effective January 1, 2027.