Rep. Ryan Spain

Amends the Budget Stabilization Act. Provides additional scheduled transfers to the Pension Stabilization Fund, sets termination conditions, and clarifies allocation and applicability of payments. Amends the School Code. Establishes a property tax relief grant program for school districts beginning in Fiscal Year 2030, funded from the Education Property Tax Relief Fund. Makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Changes the repeal date of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Repairer Regulation Act and the Petroleum Equipment Contractors Licensing Act from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2032. Effective immediately.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall authorize the examination of applicants as pharmacists at such times and places as it may determine (rather than not less than 3 times per year). Provides that the Department and the Board of Pharmacy shall regularly monitor the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or its successor to ensure that the examination of applicants is of a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the applicant to practice pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists for the calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027 shall be required to pass only the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Provides that the results from the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for such applicants shall be disregarded and shall not prohibit an applicant who has successfully passed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination from engaging in the practice of pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists shall be required to pay, either to the Department or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (rather than the designated testing service), a fee covering the cost of providing the examination. Provides that the Department shall notify applicants taking the examination of their results no later than 2 weeks after (rather than within 7 weeks of) the examination date. Makes conforming changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the section of U.S. Route 150 passing through Galesburg as the "SFC Kyle Wehrly Memorial Highway" to honor Sergeant First Class Kyle Wehrly, a local soldier who died in Iraq in 2005. The legislation directs the Illinois Department of Transportation to install signs identifying the road with this new name and to present copies of the resolution to the soldier's family. As a commemorative measure, the bill does not alter traffic laws or funding but serves to recognize Wehrly's service and sacrifice within the community where he was born and raised.

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for gratuities that are included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.

Urges the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Corrections Fallen Heroes Memorial on the State Capitol grounds. Recognizes the inherent danger and risk that correctional employees confront daily while serving a critical public safety mission. Affirms that the State's fallen heroes are deserving of a public memorial honoring the sacrifice they made.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Establishes the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, administered by the Department of Agriculture. Allows grants to be awarded from the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund, which is created as a special fund in the State treasury, for the installation of equipment for the storage and dispensing of fuels with higher blends of ethanol or biodiesel feedstock, according to the application and eligibility requirements established by rule by the Department of Agriculture. Requires the Comptroller and Treasurer to transfer, from June 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund. Provides for eligibility for grant funding and eligible expenditures from the fund. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that, from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, use and occupation taxes on motor fuel and gasohol are imposed at the rate of 1.25%. Makes corresponding changes concerning the distribution of proceeds. Effective immediately.