Sen. Laura Ellman

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Expands the categories of families eligible for child care assistance to include families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider and has income below the specified income threshold established for such families. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of law or administrative rule to the contrary, beginning in State Fiscal Year 2026, for families with a parent or guardian who is employed as a mental health care worker, teacher, or health care provider, the specified income threshold shall be no less than 300% of the then-current federal poverty level for each family size. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines the terms "anaerobic digester", "anaerobic digestion", and "food". Deletes provisions that exempted certain composting facilities from regulation as a pollution control facility. Creates exemptions from the definition of "pollution control facility" for (i) the portion of a site or facility that is used for anaerobic digestion and (ii) the portion of a site or facility that is used to process food scrap at a food scrap processing facility. Provides for moneys that are appropriated from the Solid Waste Management Fund to the Agency in certain years for solid waste management activities to be segregated into a separate account for use by the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois for the costs of implementing the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Updates requirements for each county waste management plan's recycling program with respect to food scrap collection programs. Amends the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Provides that a person that generates more than the applicable regulatory threshold of food and food scrap and that is located within 20 miles, prior to July 1, 2035, or 25 miles, on and after July 1, 2035, of an Agency-permitted composting facility or anaerobic digester that accepts food scrap and that has the permitted capacity to accept food scrap shall, among other things, source separate food and food scrap from other solid waste and either arrange for the transfer of the food or food scrap to a location that manages food and food scrap in a manner consistent with the food and food scrap management hierarchy set forth in the Act or manage the food and food scrap on site in accordance with other applicable State and local laws and rules. Grants the Agency rulemaking powers. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Build Illinois Bond Act. Authorizes bonds to be issued under the Act for the purpose of making of grants to units of local government, including counties and park districts, through the Illinois Green Infrastructure Grant Program to restore and protect shorelines in the State.

Creates the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act. Establishes a firearms manufacturer licensing program in the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, with certain requirements, including that the sum of all fees for firearms manufacturer licenses shall be equal to the public health costs and financial burdens from firearm injuries and deaths. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, a manufacturer of firearms may not operate in this State without a license from the Department and that a manufacturer who violates this provision is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000,000 per month. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2028, a retailer may not sell a firearm to a consumer in this State from a manufacturer who does not have a license from the Department and that a retailer who violates this provision is subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, with certain requirements. Establishes the RIFL Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with certain limitations. Provides that the proceeds from fees under the licensing program shall be deposited into the RIFL Fund. Establishes a financial assistance program in the Department with moneys from the RIFL Fund for financial assistance to victims of firearms and for other purposes. Provides that the Department shall contract with a program administrator to administer the financial assistance program, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules for financial assistance to victims of firearms, with certain requirements, including regarding exemption from certain State taxes. Provides that the Department may contract with a program administrator to implement or administer any part of the Act, with certain requirements. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall report certain information to the Department. Provides that the Department may provide for other civil penalties of no more than $1,000 per violation. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce the Act. Makes other provisions. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes.

Creates the Protective Medical Equipment Freedom Act. Provides that all individual in the State have the right to wear protective medical equipment in any place of public accommodation where they have a lawful right to be without obligation to disclose health status or any other protected information, and no person, entity, or authority shall deny, restrict, or infringe upon this right. Provides that operators and public officials shall not discriminate against or penalize medical device wearers for exercising their right to wear protective medical equipment. Provides that discrimination under the Act includes, but is not limited to: denial of service; eviction from premises; any form of harassment to remove or refrain from wearing such equipment for any amount of time; specified actions taken by employers; and provision of unequal goods, services, facilities, advantages, or accommodations. Sets forth provisions concerning the protection against retaliation, the exceptions for security requirements, operational safety, age and identity restricted products, and financial institution customer identification, and an undue hardship exemption. Effective immediately.

Amends the Automatic Contract Renewal Act. Provides that any person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation that sells or offers to sell any products or services to a consumer pursuant to a contract, where such contract automatically renews, shall provide the consumer with the option to cancel the contract, at any time, using a simple cancellation mechanism in the same medium that the consumer used to consent to the contract. Provides that an entity shall provide a clear and conspicuous notice, in a manner that may be retained by the consumer, of any material change to the terms of a contract containing an automatic renewal offer at least 3 days prior to the change to the terms. Sets forth additional requirements concerning the cancellation of automatic renewal offers and continuous service offers entered into online, including requiring an entity to provide a one-step online cancellation link. Makes other changes.

Maddy summarySB 314 amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. This bill makes a technical change to a specific section of the act that concerns its short title.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning radon testing, provides that every school building of a school district that is occupied or will be occupied shall be tested by January 1, 2029 and shall be retested every 5 years thereafter for radon (instead of recommending that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon). Provides that all new schools of a school district shall be built using radon resistant new construction techniques in accordance with the American National Standards Institute/American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists CC-1000, Soil Gas Control Systems in New Construction of Multifamily, School, Commercial and Mixed-Use Buildings standard or a successor standard (instead of recommending that new schools of a school district be built using radon resistant new construction techniques, as shown in the United States Environmental Protection Agency document, Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and Other Large Buildings). Removes a provision allowing a person to perform radon screening tests without a license. Makes changes concerning the exemption. Provides that if radon is found to exceed specified levels, then the school district shall (instead of may) hire a licensed radon professional to perform confirmatory measurements (instead of to perform measurements before any mitigation decisions are made). Sets forth provisions concerning mitigation. Provides that a school district may use life safety funds, if available, for radon testing and mitigation. Preempts home rule powers.

Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act. On or before July 1, 2027, municipalities and counties with a population of more than 10,000 residents must adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform. Requires that the municipality or county anticipate that the residential automated solar permitting platform will have the capability to process at least 75% of residential solar applications on existing construction submitted to authorities having jurisdiction in the State. "Residential automated solar permitting platform" means software or a combination of software that automates plan review, automatically produces code-compliant approvals, accepts online payments for permitting fees if permitting fees are levied, and instantly issues permits and permit revisions for residential photovoltaic systems upon online submission of permitting fee payments, if permitting fees are levied, and a code-compliant application. Provides that a person or entity whose rights have been violated under this Act by a municipality or county is entitled to collect: (1) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate; and (2) attorney's fees and costs. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that, in relation to the prescriber and dispenser inquiry system, "one-to-one secure link" includes any communications exchange platform that aligns with widely adopted standards, including, but not limited to, the Prescription Monitoring Information Exchange standard, which facilitates the secure transfer of prescription monitoring program data across state lines.