Creates the Natural Resources and Agricultural Legacy Act. Establishes the Illinois Natural Resources and Agricultural Legacy Fund as a special fund in the State treasury to be managed by the Department of Natural Resources for the purpose of making grants to qualified easement holders for (1) the purchase of conservation easements on qualified land; (2) the costs of acquisition related to the purchase of conservation easements approved by the program; and (3) the costs of ecological management and maintenance activities. Requires the Department to adopt rules to implement the Act. Establishes the Legacy Act Technical Advisory Committee in the Department. Contains legislative findings. Defines terms. Repeals the Local Legacy Act. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois Natural Resources and Agricultural Legacy Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis is a memorial resolution (SR 142) honoring Donald W. "Don" Irish, a Peoria resident who died on February 18, 2025. The resolution expresses the Illinois Senate's condolences to his family and community following his passing, noting his life as a Korean War veteran, Caterpillar employee, devoted husband (married to Carol for 72 years), and active member of the United Presbyterian Church. It commemorates his family, career, hobbies (including three holes-in-one in golf), and lifelong support for the Chicago Cubs and Bradley University basketball. As a symbolic gesture, the Senate resolved to present a copy of the resolution to his family.
Maddy summaryThis is a memorial resolution (SR 141) honoring Harold Edwin King Sr. of Peoria, who died on February 11, 2025. The resolution commemorates his life, including his career as a financial executive, community leadership roles (like president of the Peoria Downtown Rotary), military service in the Korean War, and personal interests such as tennis and Bradley University athletics. It expresses the Illinois Senate’s condolences to his family and acknowledges his legacy, including his 67-year marriage and contributions to Bradley University. As a symbolic gesture with no policy impact, it does not create new laws or affect any specific group.
Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Changes the Public Accommodations and Financial Credit Articles to prohibit discrimination on the basis of citizenship, primary language, or immigration status that includes discrimination against a person because of the person's actual or perceived characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories or that the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any particular characteristic or characteristics within the listed categories. "Citizenship" means the status of being: (i) a born U.S. citizen; (ii) a naturalized U.S. citizen; or (iii) a U.S. national. "Immigration status" means citizenship of some country other than the United States, including stateless persons, and the specific authority, or lack thereof, to reside in or otherwise to be present in the United States. "Primary language" means a person's preferred language for communication. Provides that it is not a civil rights violation to verify immigration status or any discrimination based upon verified immigration status if required by federal law. Nothing in the Act may be construed to require the provision of services or documents in a language other than English beyond that which is otherwise required by other provisions of federal, State, or local law. Provides that a civil rights violation for a violation of Articles 4 and 5 may include statutory damages of 3 times the amount of actual damages sustained or $8,000, whichever is the greater.
Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 129) honoring George Millard Burrier Jr., a Morton, Illinois resident who died on February 17, 2025. The resolution commemorates his life, including his military service (Vietnam War veteran), career as a Peoria-area attorney, decades of leadership in trail advocacy (earning him the nickname "Mr. Trails"), and extensive community volunteer work. It formally expresses the Illinois Senate's condolences to his family and recognizes his contributions to local recreation and conservation. As a memorial resolution, it has no policy impact or direct effect on legislation or constituents.
Creates the Temporary Immunity for Child Welfare Agencies Act. Creates immunity from civil liability for a licensed child welfare agency that provides service for youth in foster care for a 2-year period unless the agency's acts or omissions constitute willful and wanton conduct. Provides that the immunity extends to the agency's employees, volunteers, and agents acting within the scope of their employment. Defines a "child welfare agency" to mean a public or private child care facility that receives a child or children for the purpose of placing or arranging for the placement or free care of the child or children in foster family homes, unlicensed pre-adoptive and adoptive homes, adoption-only homes, or other facilities for child care apart from the custody of the child's or children's parents. The term "child welfare agency" includes (i) all agencies established and maintained by a municipality or other political subdivision of the State to protect, guard, train or care for children outside their own homes; and (ii) all agencies, persons, groups of persons, organizations, corporations, institutions, centers, or group providing adoption services but does not include a circuit court, appointed juvenile probation officer, or youth counselor of the court who receive and place children under an order of the court. Creates the Child Welfare Agency Liability Task Force to develop and recommend a permanent solution to address the unavailability of liability insurance for child welfare agencies in the State. Requires that the Task Force submit its first report to the General Assembly no later than December 26, 2026. Effective immediately.
Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial memorial resolution (SR 106), not a substantive bill. It honors Keith Mitchell Berry of Peoria, who died on January 25, 2025, by mourning his passing and extending condolences to his family. The resolution details his life - including his Vietnam War service, career in broadcasting/photography, and family - before formally expressing the Illinois Senate's sympathy. It has no policy impact or direct effect on any individuals beyond honoring his memory.
Maddy summaryThis is a Senate resolution (SR 110) memorializing Robert Carl "Bob" Ericksen, who died on January 29, 2025. The resolution expresses the Illinois Senate's condolences to his family and honors his life as an artist, educator, activist, and founder of The Sun Foundation. It highlights his work documenting Blackfeet Nation traditions, teaching at institutions like City Colleges of Chicago, and his collaborative projects with figures like R. Buckminster Fuller. As a memorial resolution, it has no policy provisions or direct impact on constituents, serving solely to recognize his contributions.
Amends the Parentage Act of 2015. Requires any individual who is an intended parent to undergo and pass a comprehensive criminal background check and screening before any insemination or embryo transfer. Provides that failure to do so waives any presumption that the person is the legal parent of any resulting child born through assisted reproduction. Prohibits an individual who is an intended parent from becoming the legal parent of a child resulting from the use of assisted reproduction if the intended parent has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to or nolo contendere to a list of criminal offenses. Makes the same changes to the Gestational Surrogacy Act. Amends the Illinois Fertility Fraud Act. Creates a cause of action against a health care provider by a child born as a result of assisted reproductive treatment if the health care provider failed to conduct a comprehensive criminal background check and screening of the child's intended parents that would have revealed that the intended parent had been convicted of or pled guilty to or nolo contendere to any specified violations and that child later suffered sexual abuse or sexual assault by that intended parent.
Amends the Illinois School Student Records Act. Provides that "Student Permanent Record" includes a summary of performance for students that received special-education services. Provides that student records or information contained therein may be released, transferred, disclosed, or other disseminated to the Department of Human Services for the sole purpose of assessing or evaluating the student's eligibility for Medicaid waiver benefits consistent with rules adopted by the Department of Human Services.