Creates the Best Customer Price Act. Provides that a public institution of higher education or a State agency may require best customer pricing for any goods it procures. Provides that, if goods are to be purchased by the State from a supplier or reseller, the supplier or reseller shall attest that the price is the best customer price. Provides that the supplier or reseller shall include a provision in the letter of supply from the manufacturer that the supplier or reseller can secure the supply and quantity of goods to be purchased, and that the manufacturer has extended the same best customer pricing from the manufacturer to each of the suppliers or resellers registered with the State for the goods to be purchased. Provides that, if a public institution of higher education or a State agency requires best customer pricing for the goods but does not believe the price is competitive, the public institution of higher education or the State agency may decline to award the bid. Effective immediately.
Amends the State Treasurer Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Treasurer may make a matching contribution of $50 to an ABLE account opened on or after January 1, 2026 for a beneficiary who is a resident of Illinois. Provides that the matching contribution shall be limited to one contribution per beneficiary and shall not be treated differently from any other contributions to the account. Provides that if there are insufficient funds available, the State Treasurer may reduce the matching contribution amount or forgo contributions. Provides that the Illinois ABLE Matching Contribution Fund shall be the official repository of all contributions, appropriated funds, interest, and dividend payments, gifts, or other financial assets received by the State Treasurer in connection with matching contributions to ABLE accounts. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois ABLE Matching Contribution Fund.
Amends the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act. Permits the following persons to appeal a municipality's denial of a proposed supportive housing project, including a project to develop a permanent supportive housing apartment building or community integrated-living arrangement, for low-income persons with disabilities: (1) the affordable housing developer of the proposed project; (2) a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the proposed project; and (3) the community group or supportive housing advocacy group advocating for the proposed project. Provides that if a municipality fails to respond to an appeal within 60 days of its receipt, the State Housing Appeals Board (Board) shall automatically reverse the municipality's decision to deny the proposed supportive housing project. Provides that if the municipality timely responds to the appeal, it must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the proposed supportive housing project would be detrimental to the fair operation and interest of the municipality or would place an unreasonable and disproportionate financial burden on the municipality or on municipal services. Requires the Board to reverse the municipality's decision to deny the proposed supportive housing project if the Board determines that the municipality has not met this burden.
Amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of 4 times and shall submit, no later than 12 months after the first convening of the Task Force, a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ licensed school librarians in future academic years from available State and local resources. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code. In a provision concerning the development of scope and performance criteria for design-build projects, deletes a provision that requires the county to develop preliminary design plans. Specifies that a design-build entity shall not be disqualified solely due to having previously been awarded a project or projects under any applicable public procurement statute of the State. Provides that, if a county receives one Phase I response, nothing prohibits the county from proceeding with a Phase II evaluation of the single respondent, if the county, in its discretion, finds proceeding to be in its best interest. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. In a provision concerning the development of scope and performance criteria for design-build projects, deletes a provision that requires the municipality to develop preliminary design plans. Specifies that a design-build entity shall not be disqualified solely due to having previously been awarded a project or projects under any applicable public procurement statute of the State. Provides that, if a municipality receives one response to Phase I, nothing shall prohibit the municipality from proceeding with a Phase II evaluation of the single respondent, if the municipality, in its discretion, finds proceeding to be in its best interest. Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Provides that the Act's competitive bidding provisions do not prohibit a fire protection district from entering into design-build contracts.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a water or sewer utility owned by the State or any political subdivision thereof and being acquired by a large public utility must inform the public of the terms of its acquisition by the large public utility by holding a public meeting prior to the acquisition and mailing a notice to the public residing in the area that the water or sewer utility operates (rather than publishing a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area that the water or sewer utility operates). Provides that the notice shall include (i) information about the public meeting being held prior to the acquisition, (ii) information on what public body will be making the decision regarding the sale of the water or sewer utility, and (iii) an estimate of the potential rate increases that may be incurred in the next 5 years due to the acquisition, including the maximum rate increase that the large public utility estimates rate payers would incur each year for the next 5 years. Provides that, for a period of 5 years after the acquisition of the water or sewer utility, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall deny any proposed rate increase that exceeds the maximum estimated rate increase provided in the notice.
Creates the Illinois Curriculum Overview and Alignment Act. Requires, beginning January 1, 2026, the State Board of Education to conduct a comprehensive review of all mandated units of study every 5 years. Sets forth what the review shall include. Provides that the review process shall incorporate feedback from educators and administrators, parents and guardians, students, via surveys or focus groups, and subject matter experts and community organizations. Requires the State Board of Education to publish a public report summarizing findings and recommendations from the curriculum overview. Provides that following each curriculum overview, the State Board of Education shall: (1) develop an action plan to address identified gaps or areas for improvement; (2) provide professional development for educators on updates or changes; and (3) monitor the implementation of curriculum updates and assess their impact on student outcomes. Requires the General Assembly to appropriate funds necessary for the State Board of Education to carry out the requirements of the Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that all youth in care shall be assigned a mental health provider to manage their mental health care needs. Requires a youth's mental health provider to visit the youth and conduct a well-being assessment within 30 days after the youth is removed from his or her home and placed in the temporary custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services. Provides that additional follow-up visits and well-being checks shall be scheduled and conducted until the youth is no longer under the custody or guardianship of the Department. Provides that any mental health care services provided to the youth shall be in addition to any care or services the youth receives from his or her primary care provider. Grants the Department rulemaking authority.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person to charge a consumer an additional fee or surcharge for: (1) not enrolling in an automatic payment program; or (2) requesting business documents, including, but not limited to, invoices and statements, be mailed to the consumer's address rather than delivered electronically.
Amends the Energy Transition Act. Adds electrification industries to clean energy jobs. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that a gas utility may cease providing service if the Illinois Commerce Commission determines that adequate substitute service is available at a reasonable cost to support the existing end uses of the affected utility customers. Provides for cost-effective energy efficiency measures for natural gas utilities that supersede existing provisions concerning natural gas energy efficiency programs and take effect beginning January 1, 2025. Provides that gas main and gas service extension policies shall be based on the principle that the full incremental cost associated with new development and growth shall be borne by the customers that cause those incremental costs. Provides that, no later than 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed rulemaking reviewing each gas public utility tariff that provides for gas main and gas service extensions without additional charge to new customers in excess of the default extensions as specified in administrative rule. Adds the Clean Building Heating Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning emissions standards for heating in buildings, as well as related and other provisions. Adds the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Standard Article to the Act, with provisions concerning options for compliance, measures for customer emission reduction, customer emission reductions, tradable clean heat credits, banking of emission reductions, equity in emission reductions, enforcement, the 2050 Heat Decarbonization Pathways Study, gas infrastructure planning, a study on gas utility financial incentive reform, and reporting requirements. Adds the Statewide Navigator Program Law Article to the Act, with provisions concerning creation of a statewide navigator program, as well as related and other provisions. Effective immediately.
Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. Limits home rule powers in provisions allowing a county or municipality to provide by ordinance for a system of administrative adjudication for ordinance or code violations.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that a social club shall not charge a member who is delinquent or in poor standing with the club for the time the member is not allowed in the club or is unable to access the club's services. Provides that a contract that violates the provision is void and unenforceable. Provides that the provision shall not apply to any contract entered into prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that a violation constitutes an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act. Effective immediately.
