Sen. Patrick Joyce

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning tax sales, provides that, for tax sales that occur on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the redemption period shall be 5 years (instead of 2.5 years). Provides that a tax deed grantee may file a petition in the circuit court of the county in which the property is located forcing a judicial sale of the property. Contains provisions concerning the distribution of surplus funds. Effective immediately.

Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program in the Department of Agriculture to provide crop insurance premium discounts for cover crops. Directs the Department to award grants in specified amounts to Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Creates the Cover Crop Insurance Premium Discount Fund. Provides for requirements for the Program. Directs the Department to adopt rules.

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Exempts from the provisions of the unlawful possession of weapons statute, the carrying or possession of certain weapons by qualified retired law enforcement officers, as defined in the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, as recognized under Illinois law, in specified locations.

Amends the Crematory Regulation Act. Authorizes the Comptroller to issue citations or fines, or both, to licensees. Requires a cemetery authority to implement (i) a standard operating procedure and provide a copy to all employees; and (ii) a medical waste management plan. Authorizes the Comptroller to impose a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each violation under the Act. Allows the Comptroller to refuse to issue a license or take disciplinary action if the applicant or licensee has failed to pay delinquent taxes or child support. Requires the Comptroller, upon revocation or suspension of a license, to notify the county coroner or medical examiner who is responsible for the area where the crematory is located to immediately make arrangements to take possession of bodies and cremated remains and arrange for final disposition of any decedents in the possession of the suspended licensee after consulting with the authorized agents for those bodies. Provides that if no authorized agent can be contacted, the county coroner or medical examiner shall take possession of bodies and cremated remains within 72 hours of notification from the Comptroller. Requires a crematory authority to perform a cremation no more than 60 days from the date the human remains have been delivered to it unless the crematory authority has received specific instructions to the contrary on its cremation authorization form. Requires the crematory authority to notify the Comptroller and the coroner or medical examiner in the county in which the death occurred as to why the cremation cannot be performed if it is not done within the 60-day period. Provides that pacemakers do not need to be removed in alkaline hydrolysis cremations. Requires that cremated remains must be stored in a place free from exposure to the elements and be responsibly maintained until disposal. Makes other changes. Amends the Cemetery Care Act. Provides that if a cemetery authority owning or operating a privately owned cemetery has accepted care funds and is considered abandoned or seeks dissolution, it allows, if no receiver is available, a circuit court to order a willing unit of local government to take over the cemetery. Makes other changes.

Creates the Short Line Railroad Modernization Act. Creates an income tax credit for taxpayers that incur qualified railroad expenditures or qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures. Sets forth the amount of the credit and limitations on the amount of the credit that may be awarded. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning the Medicaid Access Adjustment payments to nursing facilities, provides that for dates of service beginning January 1, 2027, the Medicaid Access Adjustment shall be increased by $5.75 to $10.50 per diem. Provides that beginning January 1, 2027, facilities located outside of Rate Areas 6, 7, and 8 shall have the Medicaid percent of occupied bed days to be at least 60% of all occupied bed days adjusted quarterly to qualify for the Medicaid Access Adjustment. Provides that the remaining facilities shall have their threshold remain at 70%.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the chief procurement officer having jurisdiction over construction-related services for the Department of Central Management Services also has jurisdiction over construction procurements for the Department of Central Management Services. Amends the Design-Build Procurement Act. Extends the repeal of the Act until January 1, 2030 (currently, January 1, 2027). Effective immediately.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to, subject to available funding, establish a Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) Program to provide FRESH benefits to households subject to termination of the household's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or a reduction in the household's monthly SNAP benefit allotment, if the termination or reduction in SNAP benefits occurred as a result of one or more members of the household failing to meet federal SNAP work requirements. Provides that, for eligible households whose SNAP benefits were reduced or terminated, FRESH benefits shall be provided as a one-time lump sum payment distributed via an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. Requires the Department to make FRESH program applications available online and at local Family and Community Resource Centers immediately upon the first of the month following the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that an application for FRESH benefits shall not be deemed an application for any other public aid provided under the Code. Requires the Department to provide within a specified time frame FRESH benefits to households' that experience a reduction or termination of SNAP benefits prior to or after the first month following the effective date of the amendatory Act, if certain application submission deadlines are met. Requires the Department to publish monthly data reports on the FRESH program and to include such data in the Department's annual report to the General Assembly. Prohibits the Department and local governmental units from considering a household's receipt of FRESH benefits when determining the household's eligibility for other assistance provided under the Code. Provides that the provisions of the amendatory Act are inoperative on and after January 1, 2028. Effective immediately.

Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue may audit both the marketplace seller and the delivery network company for a qualified delivery network sale. Provides that, with respect to a qualified delivery network sale made on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a delivery network company may deduct or exclude from its tax liability the amount of tax that the delivery network company paid to the marketplace seller in connection with the qualified delivery network sale.

Creates the Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act. Provides that a frontier artificial intelligence model developer or large chatbot provider shall write, implement, comply with, and clearly and conspicuously publish on its website a public safety and child protection plan. Provides that the Attorney General shall establish a mechanism to be used by a large frontier developer, a large chatbot provider, or a member of the public to report a safety incident related to specified artificial intelligence models or chatbots. Sets forth provisions concerning the protection of whistleblowers; third party audits of large frontier developers; and civil penalties. Provides for rulemaking by the Attorney General. Effective January 1, 2027.