Sen. Seth Lewis

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2027, the State tax credit shall be calculated as though the decedent's federal taxable estate did not include the decedent's business interest in a manufacturing business located in this State. Defines "manufacturing business". Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if a graduated driver's license holder who is under the age of 18 is convicted of violating State law while operating a motor vehicle with more than one passenger in the vehicle who is under the age of 20, unless any additional passenger or passengers are siblings, step-siblings, children, or stepchildren of the driver, and that results in bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to another, the graduated license shall be suspended for 6 months. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that when a defendant has previously been granted pretrial release for a felony or Class A misdemeanor and has been placed on electronic monitoring as a condition of release, that pretrial release shall be revoked upon a finding of probable cause that the defendant has committed a felony that is alleged to have occurred during the defendant's pretrial release after a hearing on the court's own motion or upon the filing of a verified petition by the State. Provides that pretrial detention shall continue pending resolution of the defendant's charges. Provides that the language that states at each subsequent appearance of the defendant before the court, the judge must find that continued detention is necessary to reasonably ensure the appearance of the defendant for later hearings or to prevent the defendant from being charged with a subsequent felony or Class A misdemeanor does not apply to a defendant whose pretrial release has been revoked pursuant to the new provision.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning a school board's suspension or expulsion of pupils, provides that a student who is determined to have initiated sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent, a sexual assault, or an attempted sexual assault at a school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or an activity or event that bears a reasonable relationship to school shall be expelled for a period of not less than one year. Provides that (i) a student initiates sexual activity with another individual without that individual's consent if the student uses force or a threat of force to make the other individual perform a nonconsensual sexual act; (ii) a student initiates a sexual assault if the student commits an act of sexual penetration and uses force or a threat of force; and (iii) a student initiates an attempted sexual assault if, with the intent to commit a sexual assault, the student commits an act that constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of a sexual assault. Allows the expulsion requirement to be modified by the superintendent of the school district and the superintendent's determination to be modified by the school board on a case-by-case basis. Provides that the expulsion shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and a student who is subject to expulsion may be eligible for a transfer to an alternative school program. Effective immediately.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 732 formally congratulates Bartlett Hills Golf Club and Banquets on reaching its 100th anniversary. The bill highlights the club's history, noting its 1926 opening, its original design by Charles E. Maddox, and its transition from a private members-only facility to public ownership in 1978. It also mentions the construction of a new clubhouse and banquet facilities in 1997. The resolution directs that a copy of the document be presented to the club as a gesture of respect.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Philip H. Lewis and Maureen V. Lewis for their extensive community service in Kane County and the State of Illinois. The bill recognizes Philip's decade-long tenure on the Kane County Board and Maureen's leadership as a St. Charles City Council Alderperson, alongside their various roles in education, manufacturing, and mental health advocacy. It formally expresses the Senate's appreciation for their dedication to public service and family values, with a copy of the resolution to be presented to them as a gesture of respect.

Declares May 2026 as ALS Awareness Month in the State of Illinois. Urges all Illinoisans to engage in supporting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, advocating for increased funding, and standing in solidarity with those affected by this relentless disease.

Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Makes findings. Defines terms. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a Farmland Conversion Fee shall be paid by the buyer or lessee in a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose to develop solar farms, wind farms, industrial parks, commercial areas, single and multiple family dwellings, or any other use that removes agricultural land from production, with certain requirements, of between $700 and $900 per acre, according to the amount of acres. Provides for certain exemptions. Provides for remittance to and collection by the Department of Revenue, with rulemaking required. Creates the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with certain requirements. Provides that certain amounts must be expended from the Fund for certain purposes. Provides that all State real property being used in the commercial production of agricultural commodities shall use an established metric for the purpose of advancing adoption of conservation practices, with certain requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that, for each violation of a provision of the Code or a local ordinance recorded by an automated traffic law enforcement system, the county or municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle who shall be liable for the violation unless otherwise provided. Provides that the notice shall be delivered to the registered vehicle owner within 30 days after the municipality or county confirms the identity of the owner of the vehicle (rather than 30 days after the Secretary of State notifies the municipality or county of the identity of the owner of the vehicle), but in no event later than 90 days after the violation. Provides that there shall be a rebuttable presumption that a school bus was stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils and the visual signals were in operation on the school bus when recorded images produced by an automated traffic law enforcement system show: (1) an activated stop signal arm; and (2) an electronic indicator indicating activation of school bus visual signals. Provides that the motor vehicle owner is subject to a mandatory civil penalty of $300 (rather than a penalty not exceeding $150) for a first time violation or $1,000 (rather than a penalty not exceeding $500) for a second or subsequent violation. Provides that the compensation paid for an automated traffic law enforcement system may not be based exclusively on the number of traffic citations issued or the revenue generated by the system. Provides that the driver of a vehicle upon a highway divided by a raised median or physical barrier (rather than a highway having 4 or more lanes which permits at least 2 lanes of traffic to travel in opposite directions) need not stop such vehicle upon meeting a school bus which is stopped in the opposing roadway across the divided highway.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning the recovery of costs associated with the provision of delivery and other services, provide that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall, within 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, initiate and complete a rulemaking proceeding to revise 83 Ill. Adm. Code 466 and 83 Ill. Adm. Code 467 to address barriers to timely and cost-effective interconnections for distributed generation facilities with a nameplate capacity of at least 40 kilowatts but no greater than 2 megawatts, including stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, hybrid gas-electric systems, and renewable natural gas integrations. Requires the revisions to include certain factors. Provides that the Commission shall coordinate the revisions with a Future of Gas proceeding pursuant to the final Order of the Commission in Docket No. 24-0158 to ensure compatibility with gas decarbonization pathways and to prioritize market-driven distributed resources that enhance reliability and affordability. Provides that the revised rules shall take effect no later than July 1, 2026. Effective immediately.