Sen. Christopher Belt

Amends the School Code. Creates the Waiver Process Task Force. Sets forth provisions concerning membership, meetings, and support services. Provides that the purposes of the Task Force are to examine the current waiver response process and make recommendations on a more equitable and fair waiver response at the elementary and secondary school levels in this State; develop and use metrics to access the viability of waiver requests and the impact of such requests on students in kindergarten through grade 12; promote training and professional development on creating waiver requests that include accountability measures for teachers and other community stakeholders across this State; identify and seek local, State, and national resources to support an equitable and fair waiver process; and complete such other strategies as may be identified by the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on how waivers should be requested, how waivers should be reviewed for approval, and how to demonstrate the ability to fulfill accountability measures proposed in requested waivers. Requires the Task Force to file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2025. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that the Illinois State Police, in cooperation with the Green Alert Task Force, shall develop as part of the Endangered Missing Person Advisory a coordinated statewide awareness program and toolkit, which shall be referred to as a Green Alert, to be used when a veteran, active service member, Illinois National Guard Member, or reservist is believed to be missing or at risk. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall complete development and deployment of the Green Alert Awareness Program and toolkit on or before July 1, 2027. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall establish a Green Alert Task Force within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act to assist the development and deployment of the Green Alert Awareness Program and toolkit. Provides that the Task Force shall monitor and review the implementation and operation of that program, including procedures, budgetary requirements, standards, and minimum requirements for the training of law enforcement personnel on how to interact appropriately and effectively with veterans or other active or retired service members that are believed to be at risk of being hurt or hurting themselves. Sets forth membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall meet at least twice a year and shall provide a report on the operations of the Green Alert Program to the General Assembly and the Governor each year by June 30th. Provides that the Child Safety Coordinator shall act in the capacity of Green Alert Program Coordinator in addition to the Child Safety Coordinator's other duties. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct a training program for law enforcement personnel of local governmental agencies in the statewide coordinated Green Alert Awareness Program and toolkit. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, the Board shall adopt written protocols and guidelines for the handling of missing persons cases concerning veterans, active service members, Illinois National Guard Members, or reservists that are missing or believed to be at risk of being hurt or hurting themselves based upon protocols developed by the Green Alert Task Force in conjunction with the Illinois State Police.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Establishes reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services for all group or individual policies of accident and health insurance or managed care plans that are amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 or for any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer. Requires a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 or any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer to cover certain medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. Provides that, if the Department of Insurance determines that an insurer or a contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer has violated a provision concerning mental health and substance use parity, the Department shall by order assess a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation. Excludes certain health care plans serving Medicaid populations who are enrolled under the Illinois Public Aid Code or under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act from provisions concerning mental health and substance use parity. Requires the Department to review the impact of the proposed mental health and substance abuse mandate on network adequacy for mental health and substance use disorder treatment and access to affordable mental health and substance use care. Permits the Department to examine out-of-network utilization and out-of-pocket costs for insureds for mental health and substance use treatment and services for all plans to compare with in-network utilization. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, and the School Code to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that in any product liability action based on any theory or doctrine commenced or maintained against a defendant or defendants other than the manufacturer, if the product was manufactured outside the United States and is offered for sale by a seller through an online marketplace, then the seller, the online marketplace, and the high-volume third-party seller are jointly and severally liable with the manufacturer for any harm caused by the product. Defines "seller", "online marketplace", and "high-volume third-party seller" to have the same meaning as used in the Illinois Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act. Applies to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date of the Act.

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides for the election (rather than appointment) of the board of trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago beginning with the 2027 consolidated election. Provides that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by the General Assembly for seats on the board of trustees, in addition to one at-large trustee. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Central Management Services Law. Requires the Department of Central Management Services to develop a fire engine bid specification, in consultation with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Fire Advisory Commission, to provide necessary bidding information. Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. In provisions concerning the fire truck revolving loan program, provides that a loan for the purchase of fire trucks or brush trucks may not exceed $500,000 (instead of $350,000) to any fire department or fire protection district.

Amends the Innovation Development and Economy Act. Provides that the corporate authorities of any political subdivision that (i) is not a home-rule unit and (ii) has established a STAR bond district under the Act may, by ordinance or resolution, impose a tourism tax upon all admission and amusement charges from transactions at places of business located within the STAR bond district, at a rate not to exceed 9% of the gross receipts derived from any admission and amusement charge within the STAR bond district, to be imposed only in 0.25% increments. Provides that the tax imposed under the provisions and all civil penalties that may be assessed as an incident of the tax under the provisions shall be collected and enforced by the Department of Revenue. Provides that, for any STAR bond district created on or after January 1, 2025, the Director of Revenue may only approve a STAR bond district if the Director finds that: (i) the proposed STAR bond district is an eligible area; (ii) the STAR bond district plan includes a projected capital investment of at least $500,000,000; (iii) the STAR bond district plan is reasonably projected to produce at least $100,000,000 of annual gross sales revenues, 1,500 new jobs, and 5,000 construction jobs; (iv) the STAR bond district plan includes a statement of how the jobs and taxes will contribute significantly to the economic development of the State and region; (v) the STAR bond district plan shows visitation expectations in excess of 1,000,000 visitors annually; (vi) the STAR bond district plan includes potential destination users and a potential entertainment user; (vii) the creation of the STAR bond district and STAR bond district plan are in accordance with the purpose of the Act and the public interest; and (viii) the STAR bond district and STAR bond district plan meet any other requirement the Director deems appropriate. Provides that, for the purposes of the Act, "local sales tax increment" includes, with respect to local sales taxes administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, all of the local sales tax paid by, among others, amusement park users. Makes other changes.

Creates the Temporary Immunity for Child Welfare Agencies Act. Creates immunity from civil liability for a licensed child welfare agency that provides service for youth in foster care for a 2-year period unless the agency's acts or omissions constitute willful and wanton conduct. Provides that the immunity extends to the agency's employees, volunteers, and agents acting within the scope of their employment. Defines a "child welfare agency" to mean a public or private child care facility that receives a child or children for the purpose of placing or arranging for the placement or free care of the child or children in foster family homes, unlicensed pre-adoptive and adoptive homes, adoption-only homes, or other facilities for child care apart from the custody of the child's or children's parents. The term "child welfare agency" includes (i) all agencies established and maintained by a municipality or other political subdivision of the State to protect, guard, train or care for children outside their own homes; and (ii) all agencies, persons, groups of persons, organizations, corporations, institutions, centers, or group providing adoption services but does not include a circuit court, appointed juvenile probation officer, or youth counselor of the court who receive and place children under an order of the court. Creates the Child Welfare Agency Liability Task Force to develop and recommend a permanent solution to address the unavailability of liability insurance for child welfare agencies in the State. Requires that the Task Force submit its first report to the General Assembly no later than December 26, 2026. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Banking Act and the Savings Bank Act. Requires specified financial institutions to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and agree to operate subject to 2 U.S.C. 2901 et seq. following a change in control, a purchase of substantially all assets, the assumption of substantially all liabilities of a State bank, or a merger.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall conduct or approve a training program in death and homicide investigation for the training of Department of Corrections internal security investigators. Provides that only law enforcement officers and Department of Corrections internal security investigators (rather than just law enforcement officers) who successfully complete the training program may be assigned as lead investigators in death and homicide investigations. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop a process for waiver applications sent by the Department of Corrections for those investigators whose prior training and experience as homicide investigators may qualify them for a waiver.