Sen. Chris Balkema

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for a qualified employer who makes a qualified contribution toward a health reimbursement arrangement for the qualified taxpayer's employees. Provides that the amount of the credit is $400 per covered employee in the first taxable year and $200 per covered employee in the second taxable year. Effective immediately.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Allows for an abatement of taxes if the property is included in a new residential construction development that is located in a county with fewer than 300,000 inhabitants. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that amendments to bills filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives that contain appropriations for more than one State agency for the current year or budget year shall be accompanied by certain supplemental documentation. Effective immediately.

Creates the Farmer Tax Benefit Act. Provides that, for taxable years ending on or after December 31, 2027, landowners may apply to the Department for an income tax credit in an amount equal to either (i) 100% of the fair market value of a qualified donation of a land protection agreement or (ii) 50% of the fair market value of the qualified donation of a fee simple interest or a remainder interest in qualified real property. Specifies that the total aggregate amount of tax credits issued under the Act in any State fiscal year shall not exceed $7,500,000. Further provides that the amount of the credit that may be claimed by a landowner for any single qualified donation shall not exceed $500,000. Contains additional provisions concerning allocation of the credit by the Department of Natural Resources and other powers of the Department of Natural Resources, allowable credit use, the Illinois Land Protection Tax Credit, legislative findings, and other related matters. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Repeals provisions requiring the Illinois State Police to develop a separate statewide statistical police contact recordkeeping system for the study of juvenile delinquency. Amends the Criminal Identification Act and the Liquor Control Act of 1934 to make conforming changes.

Amends the Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit Act. Renews the program for incentive periods beginning on or after July 1, 2025 and ending on or before June 30, 2032. Removes language concerning the Put Illinois to Work Program for the second series of incentive periods. Provides that the term "full-time employee" means an individual who is employed for a basic wage for at least 35 hours each week (currently, employed for a basic wage for at least 35 hours each week or renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment). Provides that a net increase in the number of full-time Illinois employees shall be treated as continuous if a different new employee is hired as a replacement within 8 weeks after the position becomes vacant (currently, a reasonable time). Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that an amount equal to 10% of the net revenue realized from the State income tax during the preceding month shall be transferred from the General Revenue Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund (currently, the amount transferred is equal to the sum of (i) 6.47% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon individuals, trusts, and estates during the preceding month; (ii) 6.85% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon corporations during the preceding month; and (iii) 6.47% of the net revenue realized from the tax imposed upon electing pass-through entities). Effective immediately.

Amends the State Comptroller Act. Prohibits the State Comptroller from withholding, offsetting, or otherwise applying against any debt any funds payable to a unit of local government if those funds are restricted for a specific purpose by federal or State law, county ordinance, or grant agreement. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Exempts all funds, revenues, or accounts that are restricted by federal law, State, law, county ordinance, or grant agreement for a specific public purpose from garnishment, attachment, or any other legal process to satisfy a judgment or debt. Effective immediately.

Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2027, a Farmland Conversion Fee of $275 per acre shall be paid by the buyer or lessee of a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose of developing an industrial park, a commercial area, a single-family or multi-family dwelling or for being put to any other use that removes the agricultural land from production. Provides that the fee shall be collected by the Department of Agricultural. Provides for the creation of the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Provides that all Farmland Conversion Fees collected by the Department of Agriculture shall be contributed to the Fund. Further provides that moneys in the Fund may be exclusively used for the following purposes: (i) supporting education and programs that support healthy soil clean water, and climate-smart agricultural practices; (ii) supporting operations funding for soil and water conservation districts; (iii) covering costs associated with administering the Act; (iv) any other purposes that the Department of Agriculture determines are consistent with the purposes of the Act. Provides that, before expending moneys for any other purposes, the Department of Agriculture shall, subject to the availability of moneys in the Fund, ensure that during each State fiscal year, $10,000,000 is distributed to soil and water conservation districts, for the purpose of supporting their operations funding. Provides that $500,000 shall be distributed to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of collecting fees and administering the program created under the Act. Provides for penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning the exercise of eminent domain powers by a public utility, provides that an owner or operator of a pipeline designed, constructed, and operated to transport carbon dioxide to which the Illinois Commerce Commission has granted a certificate under the Carbon Dioxide Transportation and Sequestration Act shall not seek or exercise eminent domain authority from the Commission. Amends the Carbon Dioxide Transportation and Sequestration Act. Provides that a certificate of authority does not grant an owner or operator of a carbon dioxide pipeline the authority to take and acquire an easement in any property or interest in property for the construction, maintenance, or operation of a carbon dioxide pipeline through the exercise of eminent domain power. Removes corresponding provisions concerning eminent domain.