Sen. Chris Balkema

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Provides that the prohibition against a licensee carrying a firearm into any building, parking area, or portion of a building under the control of an officer of the executive or legislative branch of government does not apply to any rest areas under the control of the Department of Transportation or to buildings located in rest areas under the control of the Department of Transportation. Eliminates a provision that a licensee shall not knowingly carry a firearm on any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, and any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds. Eliminates a provision that a licensee shall not knowingly carry a firearm in any public park, athletic area, or athletic facility under the control of a municipality or park district. Effective immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates August 29, 2026, as Chicago Cubs Day in the State of Illinois to honor the baseball team's 150th anniversary. It officially congratulates the Chicago Cubs on their long history and directs that a copy of the resolution be presented to the team's organization. The measure does not change laws or alter operations but serves as a formal recognition of the franchise's contributions to the city and state.

Amends the Downstate Police, Downstate Firefighter, Chicago Police, Chicago Firefighter, Chicago Municipal, Cook County, Cook County Forest Preserve, Chicago Laborers, and Chicago Park District Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Establishes an accelerated pension benefit payment in lieu of any pension benefit under which an eligible person may elect to receive an amount determined by the Fund to be equal to 60% of the present value of his or her pension benefits in lieu of receiving any pension benefit. Establishes an accelerated pension benefit payment for a reduction in annual retirement annuity and survivor's annuity increases, as applicable, under which a Tier 1 member may elect to receive an accelerated pension benefit payment equal to 70% of the difference of the present value of the automatic annual increases to a Tier 1 member's retirement annuity and survivor's annuity using the formula applicable to the Tier 1 member and the present value of the automatic annual increases to the Tier 1 member's retirement annuity using a specified formula and survivor's annuity using a specified formula. Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Requires municipalities and counties with more than 3,000,000 inhabitants to establish an accelerated pension benefit program to implement the accelerated pension benefit payments. Provides that the county or municipality shall remit to the pension funds a contribution, which may be a contribution of zero dollars, that shall constitute the total funding for accelerated pension benefit payments for that fiscal year. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

Recognizes the Nehemiah Alliance for its leadership in advancing the historic, national 52-Day Rebuild Initiative to be held with prayer, fasting, and repentance, beginning at sundown on Thursday, September 10, 2026 and concluding at sundown on All Saints' Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Thanks Senator Dale Fowler for his many years of dedicated service to the people of Southern Illinois and the State of Illinois and honors him with this resolution.

Recognizes The Coca-Cola Company and the Illinois Coca-Cola bottlers for their generous support of America250 and their historic and positive impact on Illinois and the United States and extends gratitude for their continued commitment to building a brighter future for all Americans.

Declares June 2026 as Scoliosis Awareness Month in the State of Illinois. Urges the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to issue updated guidance to all Illinois-licensed pediatricians and school health professionals emphasizing the clinical necessity of scoliometer use and spinal checks during all mandated sixth and ninth-grade physicals.

Urges the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Office of the Secretary of State, the Illinois State Police, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, traffic safety organizations, and other relevant public safety stakeholders to review and strengthen policies, enforcement strategies, public awareness efforts, and sentencing guidelines related to impaired driving, extreme reckless driving, social media-driven dangerous driving, and "ghosting". Encourages continued consideration of legislative and policy reforms intended to ensure Illinois law appropriately addresses severe reckless driving conduct.

Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Makes changes concerning the taxes due under the Act on estates that contain qualified farm property. Provides that, for the purposes of calculating the State Death Tax Credit, those estates are subject to an exemption of $6,000,000 (rather than an exclusion amount of $4,000,000), which shall be deducted from the net estate value after the net estate value is computed in accordance with the Act. Provides that the exemption shall be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. Makes changes concerning the calculation of the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount for those estates. Provides for a special use valuation to provide that the value of the qualified farm property shall be calculated without regard to certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code. Makes changes concerning the definition of "qualified heir". Effective January 1, 2027.

Creates the Illinois Home Buyer Savings Accounts Act. Provides that a first-time and second-chance home buyer may open an account with a financial institution designated in its entirety by the financial institution as a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Provides that the funds in a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account may be used only to pay a first-time and second-chance home buyer's eligible costs for the purchase of a single-family residence in Illinois. Provides that 2 first-time and second-chance home buyers may jointly own a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Provides that only cash and marketable securities may be contributed to a first-time and second-chance home buyer savings account. Sets forth provisions concerning the responsibilities of an account holder; the responsibilities of financial institutions; deduction of contributions, exclusion of earnings, and limitations; the penalty for withdrawal for purpose other than eligible costs; and the forms the Department of Revenue must adopt.