Technology

Creates the Safe Autonomous Vehicle Act. Provides definitions. Provides that upon notification to the Secretary of State, a Motor Vehicle Manufacturer may commence a safe autonomous vehicle project with a vehicle installed with an Automated Driving System after providing notification to the Secretary of State and after self-certification under certain conditions. Provides that the Manufacturer shall determine the geographical boundaries of the project and shall maintain incident records and provide periodic summaries to the Secretary of State and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Provides that the Participating Fleet in the program shall be insured by the Manufacturer who shall assume liability for incidents where the automated driving system technology is at fault for that incident. Provides that any person operates a vehicle with automated driving system technology without first satisfying the eligibility requirements in the Act shall be fined $10,000 for a first violation and a second or subsequent violation is a Class A misdemeanor. Preempts home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer enrolled in an Employment Eligibility Verification System, including the E-Verify program, shall not impose work authorization verification or re-verification requirements greater than those required by the Employment Eligibility Verification System. Provides that, if an employer receives notification from any federal agency or other outside third party not responsible for the enforcement of immigration law of a discrepancy as it relates to an employee's individual taxpayer identification number or other identifying documents, guarantees specified rights and protections to the employee. Makes changes in provisions concerning the administration and enforcement of the Act by the Department of Labor. Sets forth provisions concerning action for civil penalties brought by an interested party; private right of action; penalties; and review under the Administrative Review Law.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that, for purposes of the Act, "commercial purpose" includes any use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf a request is made. Provides that, for purposes of the Act, "news media" does not include Internet sites, social media channels, or other sites or applications that post law enforcement videos in exchange for compensation based on the number of views. Provides that a public body may charge up to $40 for each hour spent by personnel in searching for, retrieving, reviewing, redacting, and reproducing audio and video records except for the first 8 hours spent by personnel in searching for or retrieving a requested record. Amends the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that requests for a commercial purpose, as defined in the Freedom of Information Act, are not subject to provisions of the Act requiring the release of body-camera footage that has been flagged for specified reasons.

Creates the Civil Liability for Unsolicited Intimate Images Act. Provides that any person 18 years of age or older who knowingly and intentionally transmits obscene material by computer or other electronic means to the computer or electronic communication device of another person 18 years of age or older commits a trespass and is liable to the recipient of the obscene material for actual damages or $500, whichever is greater, in addition to reasonable attorney's fees and costs, if the person who receives the obscene material has not consented to the receipt of the obscene material or has expressly forbidden the receipt of the obscene material and if a reasonable person who receives the obscene material would suffer emotional distress as a result of the receipt of the obscene material. Authorizes the court to enjoin and restrain the defendant from committing such further acts. Provides that "obscene material" means material, including, but not limited to, images depicting a person engaging in an act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, sexual penetration, or masturbation, or depicting the exposed genitals or anus of any person, taken as a whole, that to the average person, applying contemporary statewide standards, appeals to the prurient interest, that, taken as a whole, depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and that, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Provides that the Act does not apply to (i) any Internet service provider, mobile data provider, or operator of an online or mobile application, to the extent that such entity is transmitting, routing, or providing connections for electronic communications initiated by or at the direction of another, (ii) any service that transmits material, including an on-demand, subscription, or advertising-supported service, (iii) a health care provider that transmits material for a legitimate medical purpose, or (iv) any transmission of commercial email. Provides that venue for an action under the Act may lie in the jurisdiction where the obscene material is transmitted from or where the obscene material is received or possessed by the plaintiff.

Amends the Notice By Publication Act. Provides that whenever a municipality is required to provide notice by publication in a newspaper by law, order of court, or contract, the municipality may publish the notice on an official municipal website instead of in a newspaper if the notice published on the official municipal website is also published electronically on a searchable online database website and that website provides independent certification of the publication. Provides conditions concerning the availability and format of the searchable online database website. Repeals a Section concerning the placement of published notices on a statewide website and makes corresponding changes throughout the Act and in the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Emergency Telephone System Act. Makes changes to the definitions of terms defined in the Act. Requires a municipality with a population over 500,000 to provide Next Generation 9-1-1 service by January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2026). Provides that, until December 31, 2028 (rather than December 31, 2025), a municipality with a population over 500,000 may not impose a monthly surcharge in excess of $5.00 per network connection. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2029 (rather than January 1, 2026), a municipality with a population over 500,000 may not impose a monthly surcharge in excess of $2.50 per network connection. Provides that, until December 31, 2028 (rather than December 31, 2025), a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000 may by ordinance continue to impose and collect a monthly surcharge per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis that does not exceed $5.00. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2027 (rather than January 1, 2026), a municipality with a population in excess of 500,000 may impose and collect its wireless carrier surcharge if the monthly surcharge does not exceed $2.50 per commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) connection or in-service telephone number billed on a monthly basis. Removes references to "enhanced 9-1-1". Provides for the repeal of the Act on December 31, 2028 (rather than December 31, 2025). Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Personal Information Protection Act. Provides that, annually, on or before January 31, a data broker operating in the State shall register with the Attorney General. Provides that, in registering with the Attorney General, a data broker shall pay a registration fee in an amount determined by the Attorney General and shall also provide specified information. Provides that the Attorney General shall create a page on its Internet website where the registration information shall be made accessible to the public. Provides for civil penalties. Provides that all moneys received by the Attorney General under the provisions shall be deposited into the Data Broker Registry Fund to offset all reasonable costs of enforcing the registration requirements and establishing and maintaining the Internet website. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Data Broker Registry Fund.

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Secretary of State to accept forms and documents that are manually signed and scanned or signed with a digital signature as an alternative to physical hard copies when processing applications for vehicle registration.

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that an insurer may not seek information derived from genetic testing for use in connection with a policy of life insurance. Provides that an insurer may consider the results of genetic testing in connection with a policy of life insurance if the individual voluntarily submits the results and the results are favorable to the individual. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insurer must comply with the provisions of the Genetic Information Privacy Act in connection with the amendment, delivery, issuance, or renewal of a life insurance policy; claims for or denial of coverage under a life insurance policy; or the determination of premiums or rates under a life insurance policy.

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Removes language exempting insurers that are issuing a long-term care policy from specified provisions. Provides that, with regard to any policy, contract, or plan offered, entered into, issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 by a health insurer, life insurer, or long-term care insurer authorized to transact insurance in this State, a health insurer, life insurer, or long-term care insurer may not: (1) cancel, limit, or deny coverage or establish differentials in premium rates based on a person's genetic information; or (2) require or solicit an individual's genetic information, use an individual's genetic test results, or consider an individual's decisions or actions relating to genetic information or a genetic test in any manner for any insurance purpose. Provides that the provisions may not be construed as preventing a life insurer or long-term care insurer from accessing an individual's medical record as part of an application exam. Provides that nothing in the provisions prohibits a life insurer or long-term care insurer from considering a medical diagnosis included in an individual's medical record, even if the diagnosis is based on the results of a genetic test. Effective July 1, 2025.