Sen. Mike Halpin

Amends the Township Code. When the electors in a township in a county with a population of 1,000,000 or more authorize the township board to contract with one or more municipalities in the township or with the county within which the township is located to furnish police protection in the unincorporated area of the township, requires using funds levied under the provisions to furnish the police protection. Provides that a township board's authority to declare the unincorporated area of the township a special police district is to provide and maintain police protection in the unincorporated area of the township. Allows the township board to use the special police district funds levied under the provisions for public safety services, including, but not limited to, crime prevention measures and community safety measures, such as license plate readers, graffiti abatement, and anti-gang and anti-violence community support and intervention programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state laws governing public libraries in Illinois to prohibit limiting access to or purchasing books based on their depiction of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or human rights activism. It directly affects public library boards, staff, and library systems by establishing new rules that prevent censorship of specific subject matters while allowing restrictions for public safety or age-appropriateness. The legislation ensures that library collections remain inclusive by explicitly forbidding bans on biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs that cover these topics.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Early Childhood Education Act to establish a framework for early childhood education in Illinois. A specific provision within the legislation ensures that the rights, benefits, and employment status of state employees and their agencies remain unchanged by the new act. It explicitly states that the law does not affect existing personnel codes, labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, or pension plans. The bill was signed into law and became effective on June 25, 2024, with some provisions taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Amends the Department of Labor Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Manufacturing Mentorship Program to be administered by the Department of Labor for the purpose of exposing minors who are 17 years of age to manufacturing occupations in the State through temporary employment with an employer. Provides for educational and training requirements that an employer must satisfy to ensure the safety of minors. Provides that the Director of Labor, in consultation with employers, shall adopt rules specifying a list of the tools that a minor who is employed under the program may operate during the minor's employment in a manufacturing occupation. Amends the Child Labor Law. Provides that nothing in the Act applies to the employment of a minor, 17 years of age, in a manufacturing occupation under the Manufacturing Mentorship Program. Effective July 1, 2024.

Amends the Parking Excise Tax Act. Reinserts the definitions of "booking intermediary" and "charge or fee paid for parking" removed by Public Act 102-700 and reinserts those terms into the definition of "operator". Effective immediately.

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that, if a quorum of the members of the public body is physically present, a majority of the public body may allow a member of that body to attend the meeting by other means if the member is prevented from physically attending because of performance of active military duty as a service member. Defines "active military duty" and "service member".

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the senior citizens homestead exemption, permanently removes the requirement to reapply for the exemption in counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants (currently, that requirement was eliminated only for taxable years 2019 through 2023). In counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, provides that, if the county board passes a resolution removing the requirement to reapply for the exemption, the chief county assessment official shall conduct, by no later than December 31 of the first year of each reassessment cycle, an audit of all senior citizen homestead exemptions granted for the preceding reassessment cycle.

Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that an ordinance of a unit of local government shall not be enforced against the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or installation of a State facility. Provides that the provisions apply to the construction, reconstruction, improvement, and installation of State facilities that is either ongoing or starts on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the Board and State agencies shall, to the fullest extent practicable, coordinate and consult with units of local government responsible for providing fire protection services to a State facility before undertaking any activity involving the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or installation of the State facility, in order to ensure fire protection services can be provided by the unit of local government to the State facility in the most effective manner. Defines "State facilities". Limits home rule powers.

Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that the State Treasurer may establish and administer a non-profit investment pool to supplement and enhance investment opportunities otherwise available to not-for-profit corporations in the State. Provides that the Treasurer may receive funds paid into the pool for the purpose of holding and investing those funds. Provides for surety bonds payable to not-for-profit corporations who participate in the pool. Makes changes to provisions concerning the direct deposit of State payments. Amends the Accountability for the Investment of Public Funds Act. Provides that the Treasurer shall adopt rules for the efficient administration of the pool. Provides that each State agency shall make available on the Internet, and update at least monthly, no later than the end of each month (rather than by the 15th of the month), sufficient information concerning the investment of any public funds held by that State agency to identify specified information. Effective immediately.

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, 2028 and shall be tested 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.