Sen. Chris Balkema

Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that State police officers and local police officers shall receive training in homicide investigations in which the victims were suspected of being subject to domestic abuse. Amends the Counties Code. Provides that every coroner, whenever, as soon as he or she knows or is informed that the dead body of any person is found, or lying within his or her county, whose death is suspected of being a death, if the circumstances surrounding the death is known or suspected as due to suicide and affords a reasonable basis to suspect that the death was caused by or related to the domestic violence of another, in consultation with a board-certified forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology, shall go to the place where the dead body is and take charge of the same and shall make a preliminary investigation into the circumstances of the death. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Adds the Investigation of Homicides of Decedents with Identifiable History of Being Victimized by Domestic Violence Article to the Code. Provides that prior to making any findings as to the manner and cause of death of a deceased individual with an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence, and with the presence of 3 or more specified factors, law enforcement investigators shall interview family members, such as parents, siblings, or other close friends or relatives of the decedent with relevant information regarding that history of domestic violence. Lists those factors that law enforcement investigators must consider in those investigations. Provides that sworn law enforcement personnel investigating a death if it has been determined that the decedent has an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence shall be current in their training related to domestic violence incidents, including training required pursuant to the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois or the Illinois Police Training Act. Defines terms. Amends the Autopsy Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that a veteran is qualified for a preference of 5 points if the veteran served in active service for a total consecutive or non-consecutive period of at least 3 years, including as a member of the Illinois National Guard in service to the State of Illinois and including for training or other purposes. Adds a definition.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Defines "battery storage resource" and "total State-installed generation capacity". Provides that no variance, adjusted standard, or other regulatory relief otherwise available in the Act may be granted to the emissions reduction and elimination obligations in the amendatory provisions if battery storage resources constitute at least 10% of the total State-installed generation capacity in the State. Provides that, if battery storage resources constitute less than 10% of the total State-installed generation capacity at any time after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Environmental Protection Agency shall delay enforcement of certain timelines and relieve generators of their obligation not to exceed their existing emission levels. Provides that, for a large GHG-emitting unit that uses gas as a fuel and is subject to certain restrictions within the provisions concerning greenhouse gases, the unit may exceed its existing emissions during run hours dispatched by a regional transmission organization during emergency, pre-emergency, or conservative operations or run hours that are required to maintain system reliability. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for taxpayers who are employed as an early childhood teacher or an early childhood assistant during the taxable year and who have a federal adjusted gross income for the taxable year of $75,000 or less. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on January 1, 2026 and beginning before January 1, 2027, the amount of the credit is $1,000. Provides that, for subsequent taxable years, the credit amount shall be adjusted by the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year.

Appropriates $20,000,000 to the University of Illinois for the purpose of increasing the extension service trust fund allocation for the University of Illinois Extension program. Effective July 1, 2026.

Congratulates Kade Hill on earning third place in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet competition at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention.

Appropriates $16,500,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to Iroquois County Community Unit School District #9 for costs associated with facility additions and upgrades.

Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Makes findings. Defines terms. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a Farmland Conversion Fee shall be paid by the buyer or lessee in a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose to develop solar farms, wind farms, industrial parks, commercial areas, single and multiple family dwellings, or any other use that removes agricultural land from production, with certain requirements, of between $700 and $900 per acre, according to the amount of acres. Provides for certain exemptions. Provides for remittance to and collection by the Department of Revenue, with rulemaking required. Creates the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with certain requirements. Provides that certain amounts must be expended from the Fund for certain purposes. Provides that all State real property being used in the commercial production of agricultural commodities shall use an established metric for the purpose of advancing adoption of conservation practices, with certain requirements. Effective immediately.

Amends, repeals, and reenacts various Acts. Restores the statutes to the form in which they existed before their amendment by Public Acts 101-652, 102-28, and 102-1104. Makes other technical changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that notwithstanding any other provisions of the Code, if the defendant is charged with a violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act involving the manufacture or delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, a controlled substance, a counterfeit substance, or controlled substance analog of 15 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl, or an analog thereof, then the burden of proof is on the defendant to show by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant's pretrial release does not pose a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case.