Budget & Taxes

Amends Public Act 103-0589. Increases the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriation to the Department of Agriculture from the Partners for Conservation Fund for grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts for ordinary and contingent administrative expenses from $4,500,000 to $8,500,000. Effective immediately.

HB 1956 appropriates $2 from the General Revenue Fund to Chicago State University. This funding is designated for the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026 and becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Department of Agriculture determines are eligible for grant funding. Provides that eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, and fuel dispensers. Provides that an eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding. Provides that no funding under the program shall be made available to a public body. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund, unless the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. Sets forth membership and duties of the Task Force. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Illinois State University for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, as follows: General Funds $82,175,300; Other State Funds $30,000; Total $82,205,300.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall establish and implement a Veterans' Economic Center pilot program for the purposes of assisting veterans in finding employment and addressing the problem of veteran homelessness. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act and the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act. Provides that a taxpayer who receives a credit under the Act for a taxable year ending on or before December 31, 2027 pursuant an Agreement entered into on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act may apply only 98% of that credit amount against his or her State income tax liability in any taxable year. Provides that the remaining 2% of the total credit amount awarded shall be transferred from the General Revenue Fund into the Veterans' Economic Center Fund. Provides that moneys in the Veterans' Economic Center Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to administer the Veterans' Economic Center pilot program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Veterans' Economic Center Fund. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $1,558,900 to the State Universities Civil Service System to meet its operational expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. Effective July 1, 2025.

House Bill 2005 proposes to appropriate two dollars from the state's General Revenue Fund. This funding is designated for Illinois State University. The money would cover the university's ordinary and contingent expenses for Fiscal Year 2026, becoming effective on July 1, 2025.

Creates the Emergency Co-Response Grant Act. Provides that the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall, subject to appropriation, make grants to law enforcement departments to establish or maintain a co-response unit. Defines terms, including "co-response unit" to mean a unit of a law enforcement department featuring a specially trained team focused on de-escalation that includes at least one law enforcement officer and at least one clinician or trained civilian directly dispatched to emergency calls in which a behavioral health crisis is likely to be involved. Establishes requirements for applications for grants and use of grant moneys from the Emergency Co-Response Grant Fund. Requires each law enforcement department receiving a grant under the Act to submit a report to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Agency, which shall also be posted on each law enforcement department's website, after July 1, 2031 but before January 1, 2032 on the programmatic and fiscal savings associated with co-response units, key conclusions, populations served, the benefits conferred or realized, and resulting policy recommendations to provide guidance to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Agency in fully implementing and scaling permanent units. Requires joint adoption of rules to implement the Act, including requirements for law enforcement department co-response units receiving grants under the Act. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2033. Amends the State Finance Act creating the Emergency Co-Response Grant Fund. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Youth Protection and Nicotine Accountability Act. Prohibits flavored electronic cigarettes. Provides for inspections, enforcement, and penalties with respect to the ban on flavored electronic cigarettes, and limits home rule powers. Creates the Youth Protection and Nicotine Accountability Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, with certain requirements. Provides for a tax on e-cigarettes, with certain penalties and with enforcement and rulemaking by the Department of Revenue. Provides for the Department of Public Health to develop educational curricula and a statewide campaign. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall establish and maintain the Illinois Nicotine Exposure Reporting Database for certain purposes. Requires the Department to submit a report regarding the Database within 10 years, and after 10 years the provisions regarding the Database shall be inoperative. Makes findings and declares purposes. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Sets forth a tax upon the privilege of engaging in business as a hemp beverage manufacturer or as a hemp beverage importing distributor. Adds hemp beverages and hemp beverage manufacturers, hemp beverage distributors, hemp beverage importing distributors, and hemp beverage retailers to provisions concerning the taxation of alcoholic liquor. Creates the Hemp Beverage Commission as part of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Specifies the powers and duties of the Hemp Beverage Commission. Establishes hemp beverage distributor registrations, hemp beverage importing distributor registrations, hemp beverage manufacturer registrations, hemp beverage non-resident dealer registrations, and hemp beverage retailer registrations. Sets forth provisions concerning fees for registration; registration issuance; and discipline of a registrant. Prohibits happy hours in connection with hemp beverages, the delivery of a hemp beverage in combination with an alcoholic beverage, the distribution or sale of intermediate hemp products to a person or entity that is not a hemp beverage manufacturer, and certain other practices. Provides that no hemp beverage may be given, sold, transferred, or delivered to any person under the age of 21. Provides that hemp beverages shall not contain a total THC concentration of greater than 10 milligrams in a container not less than 7.5 ounces and 60 milligrams of THC per package for products sold in multiple servings or units. Sets forth provisions concerning hemp beverage manufacturing, labeling, testing, and advertising. Specifies provisions of the Act that apply to hemp beverages and registrants. Preempts home rule authority to regulate hemp beverages and registrants under the Act. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective immediately.