Sen. Lakesia Collins

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.

Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Prohibits the Board from creating an upper payment limit that is different from the Medicare Maximum Fair Price for the prescription drug product that has a Medicare Maximum Fair Price. Requires the Board to implement an upper payment limit that is the same as the Medicare Maximum Fair Price no sooner than the Medicare implementation date. Provides that Medicare Part C and D plans are not required to reimburse at the upper payment limit. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce the Act and may pursue any available remedy under State law when enforcing the Act. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

Creates the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act. Provides that the Illinois Gaming Board may regulate the conduct of fantasy contest operators under the Act. Allows the Board to levy and collect fees, surcharges, civil penalties, and, on adjusted gross fantasy contest receipts imposed under the Act, monthly taxes, and identifies other powers and duties of the Board. Includes restrictions, including requiring licensing, of fantasy contest operators. Includes license requirements and requirements for allowable fantasy contests. Contains provisions relating to denial of a license, independent audits, reporting and investigation of prohibited conduct, taxes, compulsive gambling and voluntary self-exclusion, and supplier diversity goals for fantasy contest operators. Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Excludes fantasy contests from the definition of "sports wagering". Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that participants in fantasy contest wagering shall not be convicted of the offense of gambling when conducted in accordance with the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act. Excludes any real estate, vehicle, boat, or any other property whatsoever used for the purposes of gambling under the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act from the definition of "gambling place" under the offense of keeping a gambling place. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Illinois Gaming Board emergency rulemaking authority to implement the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act. Provides that owners of qualified low-income housing developments are eligible for credits against the taxes imposed by the Illinois Income Tax Act or taxes, penalties, fees, charges, and payments imposed by the Illinois Insurance Code. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Illinois Insurance Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall establish a diaper allowance program for eligible families with children 3 years of age or younger. Requires the Department to create an application process that requires applicants to submit an initial application for a diaper allowance and on an annual basis thereafter an application for a redetermination of eligibility. Requires the Department to maintain on its official website an online application system that permits an Illinois family to apply online for a diaper allowance or a redetermination of eligibility or to download a mail-in application form. Provides that paper application forms shall be made available at WIC offices and at family community resource centers throughout the State. Contains provisions concerning application requirements. Sets the monthly diaper allowance amount at $70 for eligible children whose family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines. Provides that families may receive a diaper allowance for each eligible child and that the diaper allowance shall not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility or the amount of assistance for any public aid benefit provided under State law. Permits the Department to distribute diaper allowance amounts electronically to an eligible family by means of an electronic benefits transfer card issued by the Department. Permits the Department to adopt rules necessary to implement the program. Contains provisions on redetermination application requirements. Provides that an advisory committee shall advise the Department on program implementation. Sets forth the composition of the advisory committee and provides that the committee shall meet monthly beginning September 1, 2025 through July 1, 2027. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption, provides that the Chief County Assessment Officer in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants may request full social security numbers or individual taxpayer identification numbers for all members of the applicant's household. Provides that the Chief County Assessment Officer may renew the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption without a new application if the Chief County Assessment Officer is able to confirm both that the applicant still owns and resides in the property and that applicant's household income qualifies for the exemption. Provides that a Chief County Assessment Officer who renews a low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption without an annual application shall notify the applicant of both the decision to renew the exemption and the applicant's ongoing duty to report changes in the eligibility of the property to receive the exemption.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to create an add-on payment for safety-net hospitals with a Level 1 Trauma designation, equal to at least $35,000,000 per hospital, per year.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish and implement within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act a 3-year medical nutrition therapy pilot program that provides targeted populations, that otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for medical assistance, with nutrition education and counseling to prevent, delay, manage, treat, or rehabilitate a disease or condition. Provides that under the pilot program, medical nutrition therapy services shall be provided by a registered dietitian licensed under the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act who is acting within the scope of his or her license. Provides that program services shall include nutrition assessment, nutrition intervention, nutrition counseling, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. Lists the populations targeted for eligibility under the pilot program. Requires the Department to identify and track the progress and health outcomes of program participants and submit a report of its findings and recommendations on possible program expansion to the Governor and the General Assembly within 3 months after the pilot program terminates. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement the pilot program.

Creates the Securing All Futures through Equitable Reinvestment (SAFER) Communities Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create a program to award grants to Navigators for specified purposes, including wage reimbursements for employers that employ certain formerly incarcerated individuals. Contains provisions concerning requirements for wage reimbursements. Provides that "Navigator" means an entity that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in administering workforce development programs for formerly incarcerated participants and is certified by the Department as a Navigator. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to adopt emergency rules to implement the Securing All Futures through Equitable Reinvestment (SAFER) Communities Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines the terms "anaerobic digester", "anaerobic digestion", and "food". Deletes provisions that exempted certain composting facilities from regulation as a pollution control facility. Creates exemptions from the definition of "pollution control facility" for (i) the portion of a site or facility that is used for anaerobic digestion and (ii) the portion of a site or facility that is used to process food scrap at a food scrap processing facility. Provides for moneys that are appropriated from the Solid Waste Management Fund to the Agency in certain years for solid waste management activities to be segregated into a separate account for use by the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois for the costs of implementing the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Amends the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act. Updates requirements for each county waste management plan's recycling program with respect to food scrap collection programs. Amends the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Provides that a person that generates more than the applicable regulatory threshold of food and food scrap and that is located within 20 miles, prior to July 1, 2035, or 25 miles, on and after July 1, 2035, of an Agency-permitted composting facility or anaerobic digester that accepts food scrap and that has the permitted capacity to accept food scrap shall, among other things, source separate food and food scrap from other solid waste and either arrange for the transfer of the food or food scrap to a location that manages food and food scrap in a manner consistent with the food and food scrap management hierarchy set forth in the Act or manage the food and food scrap on site in accordance with other applicable State and local laws and rules. Grants the Agency rulemaking powers. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.