Rep. Dan Didech

Amends the Township Code. Provides that, in the event of a vacancy in the office of township supervisor, the township trustee who has the longest term of continuous service as a township trustee shall be ex officio supervisor of general assistance in the township and shall administer the general assistance program in the township as provided in Articles VI, XI, and XII of the Illinois Public Aid Code during the pendency of the vacancy in the office of township supervisor.

Amends the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, the Conveyances Act, the Joint Tenancy Act, and the Rights of Married Persons Act. Inserts gender neutral descriptions showing marital status.

Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship.

Amends the Township Code. Provides that, if a township owns or controls a cemetery lying within or without, or partly within and partly without, the territory of the township, and if the township has no township collector, then the township supervisor may appoint a cemetery board of managers (now, only the township collector may appoint a cemetery board of managers).

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Changes disclosure in notice provisions to a judgment debtor in a citation to discover assets. Defines "consumer debt judgment". Creates an automatic exemption for a judgment debtor against execution in a consumer debt judgment. Provides that "automatic exemption" means the right of a judgment debtor, against whom a consumer debt judgment has been entered on or after January 1, 2020, to receive $1,000 of the judgment debtor's equity interest in personal property held in a checking, savings deposit account, or credit union account by a third-party citation respondent or garnishee. Provides that the automatic exemption is part of the judgment debtor's current exemption in any personal property not to exceed $4,000 in value. Makes other changes to personal property exemptions as follows: increases the exemption from $2,400 to $3,600 for a motor vehicle and from $1,500 to $2,250 in any implements, professional books, or tools of the debtor's trade. Increases the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $50,000 for one individual and to $100,000 if 2 or more individuals own the property. Makes changes to the list of items of personal property that are exempt from execution. Changes limitations for a revival of judgment for consumer debt entered before January 1, 2020, for a consumer debt judgment entered into after that date but before the effective date of the amendatory Act, and for a consumer debt judgment entered into after the effective date of the Act. Makes other changes. Amends the Clerks of Courts Act. Prohibits a fee from being charged under the Act for the filing of an appearance by a defendant in a small claim proceeding. Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Mortgage Act. Provides that the Act does not abrogate the Illinois common law that the payment in full of a debt secured by a mortgage extinguishes the lien. Provides that payment in full of a debt secured by a mortgage pursuant to a payoff statement, as defined in the Mortgage Certificate of Release Act, issued by or on behalf of the holder of the indebtedness extinguishes the lien of the mortgage. Effective immediately.

Amends the Home Repair and Remodeling Act. Provides that, if a home repair and remodeling contract that is subject to the Act contains a provision allowing attorney's fees to be awarded to any party to the contract, then, notwithstanding any terms in the contract to the contrary, that provision shall be deemed and construed to permit the award of reasonable attorney's fees to all parties to the contract. Effective immediately.

Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a county or a municipality may use a utility pole that is owned by the State or a unit of local government or a public right-of-way that is owned by the State or a unit of local government for public safety purposes, including, but not limited to, the placement of equipment associated with public safety. Provides that any fee charged by the owner of a utility pole for use by a county or municipality shall be at the lowest rate charged by the owner and shall not exceed the owner's costs.

Amends the State Fire Marshal Act. Provides that, beginning no later than 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall track and record the manner of death for all firefighters in Illinois, including suicide and the various types of cancer.

Creates the Safe Gun Storage Act. Provides that a firearm owner shall not store or keep any firearm in any premises where the firearm owner knows or reasonably should know a minor without the lawful permission of the minor's parent, guardian, or person having charge of the minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, properly engaged so as to render the firearm inaccessible or unusable to any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. Provides that if the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user, then the firearm is deemed lawfully stored or kept. Provides that a violation of the Act is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500, except (i) if any person knows or reasonably should know that a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to a firearm belonging to or under the control of that person, and a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains the firearm, the civil penalty shall not exceed $1,000 and (ii) if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and uses it to injure or cause the death of a person or uses the firearm in connection with a crime, the civil penalty shall not exceed $10,000. Provides that the court may order a person who is found in violation of the Act to perform community service or pay restitution in lieu of the civil penalties imposed under this Section if good cause is shown. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to preclude civil liabilities for violations of the Act. Provides that a violation of the Act is prima facie evidence of negligence per se in any civil proceeding if a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and causes personal injury to the death of oneself or another or uses the firearm in the commission of a crime. Provides that an action to collect a civil penalty under the Act may be brought by the Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred. Provides that any money received from the collection of a civil penalty under the Act shall be deposited in the Mental Health Fund. Defines terms. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2026.