Sen. Andrew Chesney

Amends the Motor Vehicle Franchise Act. Provides that it shall be deemed a violation for a manufacturer, a distributor, a wholesaler, or other specified entity to distribute new motor vehicles directly to consumers or to circumvent franchise distribution obligations under the Act. Provides that it shall be deemed a violation for any manufacturer with an established franchise dealer network in the State to engage in the sale, lease, or servicing of new motor vehicles in a manner that bypasses or competes with the manufacturer's existing franchisee network. Makes conforming and other changes. Defines terms.

Amends the General Obligation Bond Act. Authorizes an additional $1,000,000,000 of State Pension Obligation Acceleration Bonds. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Extends the option for a participant to receive an accelerated pension benefit payment in lieu of any pension benefit or for a reduction in the increases to his or her annual retirement annuity and survivor's annuity to June 30, 2030 (instead of June 30, 2026). Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Makes structural and other changes to the list of controlled substances. Adds xylazine as a Class III controlled substance. Defines "isomer". Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that a member of the board of trustees of a fire protection district having fewer than 4 full-time paid firemen may be compensated a sum not to exceed $1,500 (rather that $1,000) per annum. Provides that a member of the board of trustees of a fire protection district having more than 3 but fewer than 10 full-time paid firemen may be compensated a sum not to exceed $2,000 (rather that $1,500) per annum. Provides that a member of the board of trustees of a fire protection district having 10 or more full-time paid firemen may be compensated a sum not to exceed $2,500 (rather that $2,000) per annum.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall authorize the examination of applicants as pharmacists at such times and places as it may determine (rather than not less than 3 times per year). Provides that the Department and the Board of Pharmacy shall regularly monitor the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or its successor to ensure that the examination of applicants is of a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the applicant to practice pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists for the calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027 shall be required to pass only the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Provides that the results from the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for such applicants shall be disregarded and shall not prohibit an applicant who has successfully passed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination from engaging in the practice of pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists shall be required to pay, either to the Department or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (rather than the designated testing service), a fee covering the cost of providing the examination. Provides that the Department shall notify applicants taking the examination of their results no later than 2 weeks after (rather than within 7 weeks of) the examination date. Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the taxes due under the Act on estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir". Effective January 1, 2027.

Creates the Illinois Home Buyer Savings Accounts Act. Provides that a first-time and second-chance home buyer may open an account with a financial institution designated in its entirety by the financial institution as a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Provides that the funds in a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account may be used only to pay a first-time and second-chance home buyer's eligible costs for the purchase of a single-family residence in Illinois. Provides that 2 first-time and second-chance home buyers may jointly own a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Provides that only cash and marketable securities may be contributed to a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Sets forth provisions concerning the responsibilities of an account holder; the responsibilities of financial institutions; deduction of contributions, exclusion of earnings, and limitations; the penalty for withdrawal for purpose other than eligible costs; and the forms the Department of Revenue must adopt.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that amendments to bills filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives that contain appropriations for more than one State agency for the current year or budget year shall be accompanied by certain supplemental documentation. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the University of Illinois for the purpose of increasing the extension service trust fund allocation for the University of Illinois Extension program to enable the University of Illinois Extension program to achieve the stated purpose of the Farmland Transition Commission under the Farmland Transition Commission Act, which includes examining current barriers individuals ages 25 through 40 years old face when trying to purchase or access farmland, reviewing current incentives and policies to encourage the transfer of farmland to current or prospective farmers ages 25 through 40 years old, and compiling resources about and assisting current and prospective farmers ages 25 through 40 years old with barriers in purchasing or otherwise accessing farmland for farm operations. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act . Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Homeland Security shall conduct a comprehensive study of weather radar in the State. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Homeland Security shall prepare a written report summarizing the findings of the study. Requires the report to include recommendations, if any, for legislative or administrative action to improve or expand weather radar coverage in the State. Requires the Agency to submit the report to the Governor and the General Assembly by no later than one year after the effective date of the Act.