Sen. Sue Rezin

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Makes changes to "brownfield site photovoltaic project" definition. Deletes provision that requires the Agency to develop a method to optimize procurement of the renewable energy credits from proposed utility-scale projects that are located in communities eligible to receive grants pursuant to the Energy Community Reinvestment Act. Provides criteria for the Agency to use to rank the bids for evaluation and selection for the project. Provides that if a project meets one or more of the criteria the Agency shall apply the bid price adjustment two times in ranking and evaluating the bid submitted for the project. Outlines the intent of the General Assembly in enacting the provision. Effective immediately.

Creates the Ultrasound Opportunity Act. Sets forth legislative findings and definitions. Provides that at any facility where abortions are performed, the physician who is to perform the abortion, the referring physician, or another qualified person working in conjunction with either physician shall offer any woman seeking an abortion after 8 weeks of gestation an opportunity to receive and view an active ultrasound of her unborn child by someone qualified to perform ultrasounds at the facility, or at a facility listed in a listing of local ultrasound providers provided by the facility, prior to the woman having any part of an abortion performed or induced and prior to the administration of any anesthesia or medication in preparation for the abortion. Provides that the requirements of the Act shall not apply when, in the medical judgment of the physician performing or inducing the abortion, there exists a medical emergency. Contains a severability provision. Effective immediately.

Creates the Noncitizen Population Spending Transparency Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services, in collaboration with relevant State agencies, shall prepare an annual report identifying all State spending on services and resources for noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations. Sets forth reporting requirements. Provides that, on or before November 15, 2024, and each year thereafter, the Department of Human Services shall submit the report to the General Assembly. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall post and maintain the report on its publicly available website. Provides that the Department of Human Services is authorized to coordinate efforts with other State agencies to prepare and submit a cohesive report for the General Assembly. Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, beginning with budgets prepared for fiscal year 2026, the budgets submitted by the Governor and appropriations made by the General Assembly for all executive branch State agencies must include a detailed accounting of all proposed spending on noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Age-Appropriate Design Code Act. Provides that all covered entities that operate in the State and process children's data in any capacity shall do so in a manner consistent with the best interests of children. Provides that a covered entity subject to the Act shall take specified actions to protect children's privacy in connection with online services, products, or features, including completing a data protection impact assessment for an online service, product, or feature that is reasonably likely to be accessed by children; and maintain documentation of the data protection impact assessment. Contains provisions concerning additional requirements for covered entities; prohibited acts by covered entities; data practices; enforcement by the Attorney General; limitations of the Act; data protection impact assessment dates; and severability. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Age-Appropriate Design Code Enforcement Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for a high-impact social media company in the State to fail to make available to its customers, at no cost, a customer support service for customers to notify the company of any harmful content that the customer believes is illegal or violates the high-impact social media company's terms of service. Provides that the customer support service must timely respond to customers within one business day after a customer initially contacts the company. Provides that the customer support service must take active steps to resolve the customer's issue or complaint and communicate the steps taken to resolve the issue or complaint with the customer by mail, telephone, or email, as requested by the customer, within 3 business days after a customer initially contacts the company. Provides that the customer support service shall communicate with the customer at least once every 3 business days until the issue has been resolved or until the issue has been determined to be unsolvable. Provides that the Attorney General may bring an action against a high-impact social media company that does not comply with these provisions. Provides that any company that violates these provisions shall be fined $1,000 per day per violation. Provides that fines collected under these provisions shall be deposited into a fund to support mental health awareness in Illinois. Effective January 1, 2025.

Creates the Privacy Rights Act. Sets forth duties and obligations of businesses that collected consumers' personal information and sensitive personal information to keep such information private. Sets forth consumer rights in relation to the collected personal information and sensitive personal information, including the right to: delete personal information; correct inaccurate personal information; know what personal information is sold or shared and to whom; opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; limit use and disclosure of sensitive personal information; and no retaliation for exercising any rights. Sets forth enforcement provisions. Creates the Consumer Privacy Fund. Allows the Attorney General to create rules to implement the Act. Establishes the Privacy Protection Agency. Includes provisions regarding remedies and fines for violations of the Act. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Provides that, for persons dying on or after January 1, 2025, the exclusion amount shall be the applicable exclusion amount calculated under Section 2010 of the Internal Revenue Code as that Section exists on the effective date of the amendatory Act, including the inflation adjustment and including any deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (currently, the exclusion amount for Illinois estate tax purposes is $4,000,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall not consider as an expense of any public utility, for the purpose of determining any rate or charge, any amount expended for contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties, political or legislative committees, or any committee or organization working to influence referendum petitions or elections or contributions to a trade association, chamber of commerce, or public charity, including, but not limited to, a charity managed by the public utility or affiliated interest. Provides that the Commission shall not consider as an expense of any public utility, for the purpose of determining any rate or charge, any amount expended by the public utility for director and officers liability insurance and fiduciary liability insurance. Provides that in determining whether other types of insurance purchased by the public utility are recoverable, the Commission shall determine whether the insurance is of financial benefit to ratepayers of the public utility or its shareholders. Provides that if the Commission determines the insurance purchased by the public utility is of benefit to its shareholders, then it shall not be a recoverable expense. Provides that, if a gas, electric, water, or sewer utility requests a general rate increase, the Commission shall hold at least one public hearing for the public to provide input on the proposed increase in rates. Provides that the public hearing shall be held in the service area of the public utility that is requesting the general rate increase at a time and location determined by the Commission. Makes changes in provisions definitions; donations made by a public utility for energy assistance; consideration of attorney and expert compensation as an expense; and the Consumer Intervenor Compensation Fund.

Creates the School District Impact Note Act. Requires the State Board of Education to prepare a School District Impact Note for every bill or amendment to a bill that direct appropriation, regulates, imposes a mandate upon, or otherwise affects the provision of public education. Specifies the contents of the note and the circumstances under which the note is to be prepared. Clarifies that the preparation of the note does not preclude any State officials or employees from participating in legislative hearings concerning the bill. Provides that the subject matter of bills submitted to the State Board of Education shall be kept in strict confidence, and no information relating to the bill or its anticipated impact on education in the State shall be divulged, before the bill's introduction in the General Assembly, by any State official or employee of the State Board, except to the bill's sponsor or his or her designee. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district may (instead of shall) make menstrual hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in bathrooms of every school building that are open for student use in grades 4 through 12 during the regular school day. Effective immediately.