Sen. Robert Peters

Appropriates the sum of $2,100,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority for a grant to Safer Pathways to support the Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that, in order to protect the public and ensure safe and adequate health care services, if the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation finds that any person licensed or authorized to practice under the Act was not properly credentialed pursuant to the standards required at the time of application, the Department may temporarily suspend the person's license or authorization to practice without prior hearing until the Department receives satisfactory evidence of the licensee's overall qualifications. Provides that the Department shall notify the licensee of the temporary suspension at the licensee's address of record or email address of record. Provides that the licensee may request that the Board review the validity of the license within 30 days after the service of the notice and shall submit written evidence in support of the licensee's qualifications with the request for review. Provides that the licensee may seek an extension of time to provide such evidence, during which the suspension shall remain in effect. Provides that the Board, at its next regularly scheduled meeting, shall review the request and any written evidence provided by the licensee and make a final recommendation regarding the licensee's qualifications to the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation of the Department. Provides that, based upon the Board's final recommendation, the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation may issue an order withdrawing the license due to the licensee's lack of qualifications or lift the suspension of the license by stipulating terms and conditions of practice. Provides that withdrawal of the license alone shall not constitute discipline or be a bar to licensure if the licensee makes a subsequent reapplication that meets the qualifications under the Act. Provides that disciplinary proceedings may also be initiated pursuant to the Board's recommendation or Department findings and shall be conducted in the same manner as other disciplinary proceedings under the Act. Sets forth rulemaking authority for the Department.

Appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for the Housing is Recovery Program to support rental assistance for individuals with mental health and substance use challenges who are experiencing homelessness. Effective July 1, 2026.

Provides legislative findings. Appropriates specified amounts to the Department of Public Health for grants, expenses, and administrative costs of programs relating to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus; the Getting to Zero-Illinois plan to end the HIV epidemic by 2030; the prevention, screening, and treatment services to address sexually transmitted infection cases; and the PrEP4Illinois Program to provide client navigation for pre-exposure prophylaxis services and medication access. Contains other provisions. Effective July 1, 2026.

Appropriates the sum of $2,100,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services for a grant to Safer Pathways to support the Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative. Effective July 1, 2026.

Creates the Junk Fee Ban Act. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for a person to: (1) offer, display, or advertise an amount a consumer may pay for merchandise without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; (2) fail, in any offer, display, or advertisement that contains an amount a consumer may pay, to display the total price more prominently than any other pricing information; (3) misrepresent the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; (4) fail to disclose clearly and conspicuously before the consumer consents to pay, the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay that is excluded from the total price, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; or (5) offer, display, or advertise, including through direct offerings, third-party distribution, or metasearch referrals, a total price for a place of short-term lodging that does not include all required fees. Requires total price disclosures for retail mercantile establishments and food service establishments; and the disclosure of delivery fees. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce violations of the Act as an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Preempts home rule powers.

Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Eddie Thomas Act. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that no later than December 1 of each year, the Department of Corrections shall prepare a report to be published on its website that contains, at a minimum, the following information about hospice and palliative care in its institutions and facilities during the prior fiscal year: (1) demographic data of committed persons who received hospice and palliative care; (2) data on the number of committed persons in the Department's hospice and palliative care programs; (3) data on the timing of hospice and palliative care programming; (4) the number of committed persons in the custody of the Department who died; (5) policies and administrative directives of each Department institution and facility regarding the institution of hospice and palliative care; (6) the staff available for hospice and palliative care; and (7) the cost of the Department's hospice and palliative care programs. Provides that all such data shall be anonymized to protect the privacy of the committed persons involved in the hospice and palliative care programs.

Creates the Academic Freedom of Expression Act. Prohibits a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education from making or enforcing a rule subjecting a student to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged in outside the campus or facility of the institution, is protected from governmental restriction by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Allows a student enrolled in a private postsecondary institution at the time that the institution has made or enforced any rule violating the Act to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by the court. Sets forth exceptions. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Grants the following powers to the Board of Higher Education: the power to adopt policies protecting academic freedom of speech; the power to support the Illinois Community College Board in developing its academic freedom of speech policies; and the power to establish and enforce rules requiring private institutions of higher education to develop and implement plans related to academic freedom of speech within a reasonable deadline. Amends the Public Community College Act. Grants the following power to the Illinois Community College Board: the power to create and enforce rules which ensure that all faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject where such freedom shall be extended within the confines of the course outcomes, degree or program requirements, and accreditation requirements; and the power to create and enforce rules which ensure that faculty members and students are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results.

Creates the Algorithmic Pricing Transparency Act. Provides that any person or entity that sells or offers to sell goods or services through an online platform to consumers in this State shall provide a clear and conspicuous disclosure if the price displayed to a consumer is generated using surveillance pricing. Provides that a consumer may opt out of surveillance pricing and a covered entity shall provide the consumer with a non-personalized baseline price for the goods or services. Prohibits a covered entity from using specified personal information to generate algorithmic pricing. Provides that a violation of the Act is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective one year after becoming law.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows the Secretary of State, upon receipt of all applicable fees and applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, to issue special registration plates designated as autism and neurodivergent plates to residents of the State who are autistic or neurodivergent or who are parents of children who are autistic or neurodivergent. Provides that the plates shall display the Just Bee icon used for identification of autistic or neurodivergent individuals. Provides that in all other respects, the design, color, and format of the plates shall be within the discretion of the Secretary. Requires an original certificate from a licensed physician that certifies the applicant, or the applicant's child, as autistic or neurodivergent to accompany each application.