Sen. Doris Turner

Amends the State Comptroller Act. Provides that the Comptroller may provide in his or her rules and regulations for periodic transfers, with the approval of the State Treasurer, for use in accordance with the imprest system, subject to the rules and regulations of the Comptroller as respects vouchers, controls, and reports to the Department of Agriculture to pay State Fair competition personnel and entertainment support contracts necessary to provide the entertainment at each State Fair. Effective July 1, 2026.

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.

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 Commission to End Hunger Act. Creates the SNAP Response Working Group. Provides that the co-chairs of the Commission to End Hunger shall convene and appoint the co-chairs of the Working Group. Provides that the Working Group shall review and analyze federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), gather and analyze data regarding the potential impact of the federal changes to SNAP on Illinois residents, and gather relevant estimates and data about Illinois' SNAP payment error rate, including the monthly State-reported error rate. Requires the SNAP Response Working Group to make projections about the cost to the State to maintain SNAP in Illinois in federal Fiscal Year 2028. Directs the Working Group to submit a preliminary report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2027. Provides that the preliminary report shall outline the federal changes to SNAP and identify the number of State residents impacted by those changes. Further provides that the preliminary report shall include initial recommendations for State action to prevent or mitigate any harm to State residents caused by the federal changes and shall project the cost to maintain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Illinois in federal Fiscal Year 2028. Provides that, no later than April 1, 2027, the Working Group shall issue a full report to the General Assembly that includes an analysis on the impact of federal changes to SNAP on Illinois, final recommendations for State action to prevent or mitigate harm resulting from those changes, updated projections of the cost to maintain the program in federal Fiscal Year 2028, and any other cost projections relating to the Working Group's recommendations. Requires the SNAP Response Working Group to provide any relevant additional updates to its recommendations or projections as appropriate. Specifies that all reports of the Working Group shall be published by the Department of Human Services on its website. Provides that the SNAP Working Group shall be dissolved on May 31, 2027. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall develop an educational document explaining, at a minimum, the values of good indoor air quality and shall supply the document to school districts. Provides that, subject to funding from the State Board, a school district shall ensure that all active classrooms are equipped with an air quality monitor.

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.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that property that is used as a qualified residence by the surviving spouse of a law enforcement officer who was killed in the line of duty at any time prior to the expiration of the application period in effect for the exemption for the taxable year for which the exemption is sought is exempt. 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.

Maddy summarySB 2800 prevents local governments (cities and counties with home rule status) from regulating, licensing, or taxing sports wagering (sports betting). It explicitly states that these powers are exclusively held by the state of Illinois under the Sports Wagering Act. The bill denies local units the authority to impose fees, surcharges, or taxes on sports betting activities or related receipts. This change takes effect immediately upon the bill becoming law.

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%.