Sen. Laura Murphy

Amends the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act. Provides that the advice and technical assistance provided to State grant-making agencies by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act shall include training for State agency staff. Sets forth requirements for the training. Provides that a State grant-making agency that awards a grant must issue the grant agreement associated with the grant within 60 days after the grant's effective date. Sets forth requirements for the grant agreement.

Amends the New Markets Development Program Act. Provides that a credit under the Act may be transferred to an affiliate. Provides that the cap on credits is $37,000,000 for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2029. Makes changes concerning the allocation schedule. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund checkoff. Provides that, through the checkoff, taxpayers may contribute to the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the purpose of awarding iGROW Tech scholarships. Effective immediately.

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that a lobbyist or lobbying entity may not promise anything of value to an official, State employee, or a candidate for a State executive or State legislative office for the person's support, action, or inaction for a specific legislative action or executive action, including, but not limited to, campaign contributions, endorsement of candidacy, or any in-kind contributions supporting an official, State employee, or candidate for a State executive or State legislative office. Prohibits a lobbyist or lobbying entity from soliciting an official or State employee to violate similar provisions of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Provides that nothing in the provisions prevents the making or accepting of voluntary contributions otherwise in accordance with law.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Provides that when a legislator chooses to take official action on a matter despite the existence of a conflict situation, he or she shall (in addition to serving the public interest) also disclose that he or she is taking official action by filing a statement with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Provides that the statement filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate shall be made a part of the official record of the legislation and posted on the Illinois General Assembly website with other documents related to the legislative matter at issue. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. Prohibits a legislator from engaging in compensated lobbying of the governing body of a municipality, county, or township, or an official thereof, or the executive branch of the State of Illinois, or an official thereof. Effective immediately.

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Prohibits the Board from creating an upper payment limit that is different from the Medicare Maximum Fair Price for the prescription drug product that has a Medicare Maximum Fair Price. Requires the Board to implement an upper payment limit that is the same as the Medicare Maximum Fair Price no sooner than the Medicare implementation date. Provides that Medicare Part C and D plans are not required to reimburse at the upper payment limit. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce the Act and may pursue any available remedy under State law when enforcing the Act. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to the amount paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year for the purpose of purchasing materials, labor, and professional services to soundproof a residential home located at an eligible address against aircraft noise generated by an airport governed by the provisions of the Permanent Noise Monitoring Act. Provides that the credit may not reduce the taxpayer's liability to less than zero. Provides that the credit may be carried forward. Provides that the credit is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act. Provides that owners of qualified low-income housing developments are eligible for credits against the taxes imposed by the Illinois Income Tax Act or taxes, penalties, fees, charges, and payments imposed by the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption, provides that the applicant's income does not include up to $10,000 per household in required minimum distributions under the Internal Revenue Code from a retirement plan, retirement account, or retirement annuity. Provides that, for taxable year 2025 and thereafter, the maximum income limitation is $75,000 for all qualified property. Amends the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act. Provides that an eligible taxpayer has a household income of not more than $75,000 for tax year 2025 and thereafter (currently, $65,000 for tax years 2022 through 2025 and $55,000 for tax year 2026 and thereafter). Effective immediately.