Amends the School Code. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires a school district maintaining any of grades 9 through 12 to provide all eligible students graduating from high school with the opportunity to register to vote. Effective immediately.
Amends the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board Division of the Counties Code. Provides that all deputy sheriffs shall be not less than 19 years of age at the time of their appointment (rather than 21 years of age or 20 years of age and have successfully completed 2 years of law enforcement studies at an accredited college or university). Increases the probationary period for deputy sheriff appointees to 15 months (rather than 12 months).
Amends the Department of Public Health Act. Provides that the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Program Advisory Council created by Public Act 103-8 is continued within the Department of Public Health, with modifications to its duties and composition. Amends the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois by repealing provisions regarding the Council.
Creates the Servicemember Education Rights Veneration Act. Requires institutions of higher education (institution) to accommodate service member student's academic military leave and grant prompt readmission when the service member student has not exceeded a cumulative academic military leave period beyond 5 years, provides advance notice of academic military leave to the institution, and provides notice of intent to return to the institution. Requires the institution to readmit a service member student on academic military leave into the next class, classes, or academic year division following the receipt of the notice of intent to return in accordance with the terms of the accommodation. Contains provisions on exemptions to readmission and related reporting requirements on service member students; investigations by the Attorney General's appointed ISERRA Advocate on whether a readmission exemption exists; and other matters. Requires service member students to provide advance notice of pending military service and prohibits institutions from imposing conditions for academic military leave not otherwise imposed under the Act. Contains provisions on military accommodation; academic obligations of service member students; reimbursement for school expenses; academic withdrawal due to military service; rejection of accommodation and the institution's burden of proof; a 5-year military service limitation; records documentation; advance notice requirements on service member students; notice of intent to return; anti-discrimination protections; academic leave for the spouses of servicemembers; Attorney General enforcement authority; remedies; rulemaking authority; and other matters.
Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Military Affairs has the authority to make grants from the Military Affairs Trust Fund for the purpose of incentivizing recruitment into the Illinois National Guard. Provides that the Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program (JEEP) is established for the purpose of increasing recruitment through peer-to-peer referrals, fostering esprit de corps, and promoting cross-component cooperation between the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard. Permits the Department to provide grants under the JEEP program to current members of the Illinois National Guard who are not assigned as recruiters, are in good standing, and serve as JEEP lead generators by supporting or facilitating the enlistment or accession of soldiers or airmen into the Illinois National Guard. Requires the State Treasurer to accept and deposit into the Military Affairs Trust Fund all gifts, grants, transfers, appropriations, and other funds from any lawful public or private source that are designated for deposit into the Fund. Requires the Department to establish eligibility criteria, grant conditions, and administrative requirements for the JEEP program by rule.
Amends the Digital Library Protection Act. Provides that no publisher shall enter into a contract or license agreement to distribute electronic literary materials to a library that: (1) restricts the library from performing customary operational functions; (2) restricts the library from performing customary lending functions; (3) restricts the library from disclosing the terms of the contract or license agreement to any other library in the State; or (4) requires the library to violate the Library Records Confidentiality Act. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any contract to license electronic literary materials to a library that includes a provision prohibited under the Act is deemed unenforceable and void. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.
Amends the Veteran Service Organizations State Charter Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Veteran Service Organizations Equal Act. Provides that a veteran service organization shall be considered to have veteran service organization status (rather than shall be considered state chartered) when the organization meets all of the requirements listed in the Act and the organization's application for veteran service organization status (rather than state charter status) has been approved by the Attorney General. Makes corresponding changes throughout the Act. Provides that the Attorney General shall grant veteran service organization status (rather than state charter status) to any organization that has demonstrated that all requirements for obtaining veteran service organization status have been met. Requires a veteran service organization to have annual expenditures that demonstrate that 20% (rather than a majority) of the organization's expenses reflect support for veterans in order to qualify for veteran service organization status. Requires an application for veteran service organization status to include a statement from the organization's Commander, President, or chief executive officer (rather than all officers of the organization) attesting that all requirements for a veteran service organization status have been met. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person proving veteran or military benefits services to: (i) receive compensation for referring any individual to another person to advise or assist the individual with any veterans' benefits matter; (ii) guarantee, either directly or by implication, a successful outcome or that any individual is certain to receive specific veterans' benefits; (iii) utilize international call centers or data centers for processing veterans' personal information; and (iv) other matters.
Maddy summarySB 318 is a procedural bill that makes a technical correction to the short title of the Illinois Fairness in Lending Act. It does not change any substantive lending rules or affect borrowers, lenders, or consumer protections. The bill simply updates the official name reference within the existing law to ensure consistency in legal documents. This is a minor administrative adjustment with no new policy implications.
Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Safeguards to Ensure Continuity and Uphold Rights and Equity (SECURE) Act. Sets forth several legislative findings, including that (i) Illinois retains a non-delegable duty to safeguard the safety, health, dignity, and well-being of all youth in the care or custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, and (ii) the Department must respect and meaningfully consider a youth's expressed preferences in placement options while conducting transparent, individualized risk assessments. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Adds provisions concerning case plans for youth in care and the specific tasks and responsibilities a caregiver must complete to ensure each youth is provided with safe, proper, and supportive care based on the youth's needs and best interests, including, but not limited to, the youth's protected characteristics as defined under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Contains provisions concerning requirements for interstate placements of youth age 8 or older, including, but not limited to: protecting a youth's access to lawful health care and civil immunities for Department employees who protect a youth's access to lawful health care; individualized assessments on the suitability and risks of the proposed interstate placement; ongoing Illinois-based case worker contact and monitoring; and a prohibition on consent to conversion therapy. Contains provisions on youth requested in-state or out-of-state placement and other related matters; annual Department reports on out-of-state placements; performance audits; private right of action; and other matters. Amends the Child Care Act of 1969 by adding provisions on supportive care for youth in care; youth-directed placement rights; licensure and contractual compliance. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Adds provisions on the appointment of an attorney for a youth in care with special needs; required Department attestations on caregiver conduct when a youth is placed in an out-of-state residential treatment center; assessments and monitoring for minors in out-of-state placements; and other matters. Effective July 1, 2027.
Creates the Transparency in Downcoding Act. Provides that the Act applies to certain policies of health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act, except for employee or employer self-insured health benefit plans under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and health care provided pursuant to the Workers' Compensation Act or the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from using an automated process, system, or tool to downcode a claim; from downcoding a claim based solely on the reported diagnosis codes; and from using downcoding practices in a targeted or discriminatory manner against physicians who routinely treat patients with complex or chronic conditions. Requires downcoding decisions to be made by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in any United States jurisdiction and of the same or similar specialty as a physician who typically manages the medical condition or disease. Sets forth provisions concerning notification requirements for downcoded claims; the appeal process for downcoded claims; enforcement by the Department of Insurance; and penalties. Provides that any pattern or practice of discriminatory downcoding identified by the Director of Insurance or another regulatory authority shall be subject to enforcement actions, including fines, restitution, or suspension of the health insurance issuer's license in this State. Effective immediately.
