Sen. Rachel Ventura

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that each State purchasing agency shall submit a procurement reform report to the Governor and the General Assembly. Creates the Reforming State Procurement Task Force. Sets forth the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall conduct public hearings to review and take testimony on the reports filed by the State purchasing agencies. Provides that the Task Force shall submit certain reports. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Public Utilities Act. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" means a ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy system that meets the following criteria: (1) the applicable farm plan and the system have been intentionally designed with agricultural producers, agrivoltaics experts, or both agricultural producers and agrivoltaics experts; (2) the system is constructed, installed, and operated to achieve an integrated and simultaneous production of both solar energy and current or future marketable agricultural products, including all products and activities described in the definition of "production agriculture" in the Use Tax Act and apiaries if the apiary is paired with another qualifying marketable agricultural product, by an agricultural producer; (3) the agricultural production of the system occur on land beneath or between rows of solar panels; and (4) the agricultural production of the system begins as soon as agronomically feasible and optimal for the agricultural producer after the commercial operation date of the solar panels and continues until decommissioning. Provides that "agrivoltaic system" does not include a system that has a pollinator habitat as the sole dual use of the system.

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 Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall conduct a study to evaluate the assessment of real property in Will County and shall analyze any information collected in connection with that study. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Provides that, subject to federal approval, on and after January 1, 2027, rates for in-home services shall be increased to $33.92 to sustain a minimum wage of $20.75 per hour for direct service workers. Requires rates in subsequent State fiscal years to be no lower than the rates put into effect upon federal approval. Provides that in order for a provider of in-home services to be eligible to receive the $33.92 rate, the provider must pay a minimum wage of $20.75 per hour to all direct service workers employed by the provider. Requires providers of in-home services to certify to the Department on Aging that they remain in compliance with the mandated wage increase for direct service workers. Requires each provider of in-home services to submit cost reports to the Department consistent with a specified administrative rule in order to be eligible for the $33.92 rate for in-home services. Provides that fringe benefits shall not be reduced in relation to the described rate increases. Requires the Department, beginning January 1, 2027, to ensure that each in-home service provider spends a minimum of 79% of the total payments the provider receives for home care aide services it furnishes under the Community Care Program on total compensation for direct service workers who furnish those services. Requires annual direct service worker cost reports from providers; and requires the Department to amend existing rules on financial reporting and minimum direct service worker costs to reflect the increase in the direct service worker spending requirement from 77% to 79%.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that a person shall not use artificial intelligence while engaging in trade and commerce to communicate with a consumer in a manner that may mislead or deceive a reasonable consumer into believing that the consumer is engaging with a human, unless the consumer is notified in a clear and conspicuous manner that the consumer is not engaging with a human. Provides that a person shall not use artificial intelligence to sell or offer to sell goods or services unless the consumer is notified in a clear and conspicuous manner that artificial intelligence is being used to sell or offer to sell goods or services and the consumer is given an option to request more information regarding the specific use of the artificial intelligence. Provides that a business entity that uses artificial intelligence while engaging in trade and commerce to communicate with a consumer shall give the consumer the option to communicate with a human during the business entity's ordinary business hours. Provides that a violation of the provisions constitutes an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that "artificial intelligence" has the meaning given to that term in the Illinois Human Rights Act. Prohibits a person licensed under the Act from allowing artificial intelligence to prescribe medication if the person licensed under the Act does not maintain full control and responsibility for the prescription. Establishes penalty provisions for violations of provisions concerning the use of artificial intelligence to prescribe medication. Grants the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation investigatory authority for those violations and rulemaking authority regarding the authorized use of artificial intelligence to prescribe medication. Effective immediately.

Amends the Election Code. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2028, a person convicted of a felony, or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution, shall have his or her right to vote restored and shall be eligible to vote not later than 14 days following his or her conviction. Provides that a person who is serving a sentence in a correctional institution starting prior to January 1, 2027 shall have his or her right to vote restored not later than January 14, 2028. Provides that a person may not be denied the right to vote because of a past criminal conviction. Provides that each local election authority shall coordinate with the correctional institution, Illinois Department of Corrections, and other correctional agencies incarcerating eligible voters to facilitate voting by mail for those voters eligible to vote in that election jurisdiction who are incarcerated in the correctional institution. Provides that the Attorney General, any individual aggrieved by a violation of these provisions, any entity whose membership includes individuals aggrieved by a violation of these provisions, any entity whose mission would be frustrated by a violation of these provisions, or any entity that would expend resources in order to fulfill its mission as a result of a violation of these provisions may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction. Provides that the Act is intended to benefit and protect the rights of individual voters and to provide a remedy for infringing on the rights granted under this Act. Amends the Re-Entering Citizens Civics Education Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Reintegration and Civic Empowerment Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall conduct the civics peer education program each of the 3 sessions not less than twice a month at each correctional institution totaling not less than 6 sessions per month at each correctional institution. Provides that the civics peer education program and workshops must be made available to all committed persons regardless of the date they were first committed or the length of their sentence. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and the Unified Code of Corrections to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Adds legislative findings. Defines "neurotechnology" and "neurotechnology data". Prohibits insurers from using genetic testing or neurotechnology data (rather than only genetic testing) for nontherapeutic purposes or underwriting, with limited exceptions. Prohibits employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and licensing agencies from requesting, requiring, or using neurotechnology data in employment decisions, subject to specified exceptions. Adds new provisions governing confidentiality, consent, privacy policies, and security requirements for entities collecting neurotechnology data. Regulates disclosure to government agencies and sets conditions for clinical research. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2027.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to create a grant program to award grants of up to $250,000, subject to appropriation, to cover the costs and labor of any qualified applicant farmer to distribute healthy, free food to expectant mothers in need who reside in the same county or in a municipality within 20 miles of the farmer's farm, with certain requirements. Requires the Department to adopt rules. Defines terms.