Sen. Chris Balkema

Creates the Illinois Regional Generation Reliability Task Force Act. Sets forth findings of the General Assembly. Creates the Illinois Regional Generation Reliability Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall monitor the reliability of the Illinois power grid. Contains provisions concerning: the membership of the Task Force; duties of the Task Force; administrative support; and an annual report. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury and shall be administered by the Illinois Power Agency. Provides that $10,000,000 shall be transferred from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund to the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund. Provides that the Agency shall award grants from the fund to carbon producing power plants for the construction of new carbon capture storage systems. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Carbon Capture Infrastructure Fund. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release if the defendant is charged with any of the following offenses, and it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses 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: (1) aggravated driving under the influence for a third or subsequent time; (2) manufacture or delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, an amount of a controlled or counterfeit substance, not otherwise specified in the statute, containing dihydrocodeine or classified in Schedule I or II, or an analog of those substances that is: (i) a narcotic drug, (ii) lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or an analog of those substances, (iii) any substance containing amphetamine or fentanyl or any salt or optical isomer of amphetamine or fentanyl, or an analog of those substances, or (iv) any substance containing N-Benzylpiperazine (BZP) or any salt or optical isomer of N-Benzylpiperazine (BZP), or an analog of those substances; or (3) possession of any amount of fentanyl.

Amends the Kratom Control Act. Provides that a person (rather than a minor under 18 years of age) shall not knowingly purchase or possess any product containing any quantity of Kratom. Provides that a person shall not knowingly sell, buy for, distribute samples of, or furnish any product containing any quantity of Kratom to any person (rather than a minor under 18 years of age). Provides that a violation is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides that the knowing sale, buying for, distributing samples of, or furnishing any product containing any quantity of Kratom is a Class B misdemeanor for which the offender shall be fined an amount of not less than $500.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, in Fiscal Year 2026 and thereafter, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall require that any convention and tourism bureau receiving a grant from the Local Tourism Fund that requires matching funds shall provide matching funds equal to no less than 25% of the grant amount (currently, no less than 40% of the grant amount in Fiscal Year 2026 and no less than 50% of the grant amount in subsequent years). Amends the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Makes changes concerning the distribution of moneys under those Acts. Effective immediately.

Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that the Department of Employment Security shall make payments to beneficiaries under the Act based on the State's average unemployment rate. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 and thereafter, the maximum income limitation for the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption is $75,000 for all qualified property (currently, $65,000). Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that the school board of each school district shall report for each of the school district's schools specified information regarding learning materials and activities used for student instruction in a prominent location on the school district's website. Requires a school board to provide updated information on the school district's website by January 1 and August 1 of each year and more frequently as the school board deems appropriate. Provides that nothing may be construed to require: (1) the publication of a digital reproduction of learning materials on a school district's website; or (2) a separate listing of the individual components of learning materials produced as a single volume. Allows a school district to: (1) update the report and post the updated report on the school district's website on an ongoing basis during the school year, as long as the updated report is completed by January 1 and August 1; and (2) use a collaborative online document or spreadsheet software that allows multiple authorized users to update or make additions to the report on an ongoing basis, as long as a link to the report is publicly accessible on the school district's website. Requires each school district's report to remain publicly available on the school district's website at least until the next report for the year is completed and made publicly available on the school district's website. Provides that each school district's report shall include a step-by-step process on how a parent or guardian of a student attending a school within the school district can opt-out a child from any learning materials or activities provided by the school if the learning materials or activities conflict with the student's religious beliefs. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for gratuities that are included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 383 is a procedural bill that urges Governor JB Pritzker to opt Illinois into the provisions of the federal Educational Choice for Children Act. This resolution expresses the sentiment of the Senate, encouraging the Governor to adopt the federal program within the state.

Maddy summaryHB 762 makes a technical amendment to the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act. Specifically, it modifies a section related to the short title of the Act, which is a minor, non-substantive change.