Technology

Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that the Act also includes grants and financial assistance for mobile farmers markets and online farmers markets. Provides that, in addition to other purposes, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award grants under the Act for technology upgrades, including software and point-of-sale systems.

Amends the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act. Defines "qualified research program". Provides that the prohibitions on unauthorized therapy services under the Act shall not apply to artificial intelligence-assisted therapy or psychotherapy services provided exclusively within a qualified research program. Sets forth requirements for qualified research programs. Requires a licensed professional participating in a qualified research program to perform certain actions. Provides that academic medical centers shall register existing research programs that meet the criteria for qualified research programs within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides that the exemption shall apply only to services provided within the context of an approved research protocol and shall not extend to certain services. Sets forth requirements for academic medical centers conducting qualified research programs. Provides that research participants shall not be denied access to standard care as a condition of participating in research involving artificial intelligence-assisted therapy. Sets forth requirements for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides penalties for any academic medical center or licensed professional found to have misrepresented a commercial service as qualifying for the research exemption, or to have otherwise violated the requirements of the amendatory Act. Requires the Department to submit a report to the General Assembly evaluating aspects of the qualified research programs. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2030. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Deletes a provision concerning the express prohibition of a municipality's adoption of any ordinance or resolution or the exercise of any power that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting the installation of a solar energy system or low-voltage solar-powered devices. Provides that a municipality may regulate or prohibit the installation of a solar energy system or low-voltage solar-powered devices in a way that is consistent with the municipality's comprehensive plan or zoning authority.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Establishes the data center self-direct program to allow for customers taking service under the data center tariff to receive a reduction in the charges collected for the procurement of renewable energy resources. Provides that the reduction in charges available to the customer shall increase based on the energy or capacity value of the new additive clean energy generation's contribution pursuant to the specified requirements. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency may require that participating customers provide annual reports related to facility operation and performance, customer electricity consumption and load profiles, and other information as necessary. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that, on or after January 1, 2027, at least 180 days prior to commencing any construction activities, the data center operator of a proposed data center shall submit a data center disclosure to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Establishes publication and open meeting requirements concerning the data center disclosures. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State to maintain water consumption data to submit annual disclosures of the data center's water usage to the Department of Natural Resources. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to make an aggregated and anonymized form of data disclosed to it available on a publicly accessible website. Provides that data centers that fail to comply with any disclosure requirements under the Act may be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Commerce Commission to adopt implementing rules. Requires a specified electric utility to, no later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, make a filing with the Commission that proposes revenue-neutral tariff changes, which shall present the Commission with an opportunity to suspend the tariffs and consider revenue-neutral tariff changes related to rate design. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Creates the Online Safety Act. Provides that, no later than January 1, 2027, an owner of a social media platform shall: (1) incorporate an online safety center into the social media platform that provides consumers with specified educational resources; and (2) establish a cyberbullying policy for the social media platform. Provides for restrictions on personal data processors that offers any online service, product, or feature to minors. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Judicial Privacy Act to expand coverage to federal judicial officials and State judicial officials that includes judges and clerks of the State and federal judicial system. Amends "personal information" that may be protected to include financial, date of birth, race and ethnicity, and biometric information. Provides the method of making a written request to protect personal information by a federal and State judicial official. Creates form for the written request. Allows a court file or document to be sealed. Makes other changes.

Creates the Broadband Deployment Act. Sets forth findings. Defines terms. Provides that, conditional upon acquiring the proper agreement or permit with the highway right-of-way controller or holder, a broadband grant recipient may install, maintain, and use broadband infrastructure along a highway right-of-way. Provides that no property owner of property located within the highway right-of-way shall forbid or prevent a proposed broadband grant recipient from entering upon the property for purposes of and in connection with the deployment of broadband infrastructure, nor shall any such property owner forbid or prohibit the broadband grant recipient from deploying upon, beneath, or over that property broadband infrastructure utilized by the broadband grant recipient for such broadband service. Provides that the broadband grant recipient must notify the property owner in writing by sending notification to the property owner's address specified in the online or publicly available records of the applicable county assessor (i) by the United States Postal Service, certified mail, return receipt requested; (ii) by a designated private delivery service, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, that provides the same function as certified mail with return receipt; or (iii) by personally serving the notification. Sets forth requirements for the content of the notice. Provides that if the property owner intends to demand just compensation, the property owner must serve written notice thereof upon the broadband grant recipient within 45 days after the anticipated date of broadband deployment as provided in the notice to the property owner. Provides that neither the property owner's notice to demand just compensation, nor the property owner's assertion of a specific claim for just compensation, nor the initiation of any legal action to enforce the claim of just compensation shall delay or impair the right of the broadband grant recipient to deploy broadband infrastructure and provide broadband service within or upon, beneath, or over certain property. Provides that the rights and obligations of broadband grant recipients and landowners set forth in the amendatory provisions do not apply on and after January 1, 2030. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for a high-impact social media company in the State to fail to make available to its customers, at no cost, a customer support service for customers to notify the company of any harmful content that the customer believes is illegal or violates the high-impact social media company's terms of service. Provides that the customer support service must timely respond to customers within one business day after a customer initially contacts the company. Provides that the customer support service must take active steps to resolve the customer's issue or complaint and communicate the steps taken to resolve the issue or complaint with the customer by mail, telephone, or email, as requested by the customer, within 3 business days after a customer initially contacts the company. Provides that the customer support service shall communicate with the customer at least once every 3 business days until the issue has been resolved or until the issue has been determined to be unsolvable. Provides that the Attorney General may bring an action against a high-impact social media company that does not comply with these provisions. Provides that any company that violates these provisions shall be fined $1,000 per day per violation. Provides that fines collected under these provisions shall be deposited into a fund to support mental health awareness in Illinois. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Protecting Household Privacy Act. Provides that "household electronic device" includes residential security and surveillance systems. In provisions regarding exceptions from the Act, provides that lawful consent shall be obtained in accordance with specified provisions. Provides that a private entity, including the manufacturer or distributor of a household electronic device, or third party which collects, processes, stores, uses, or shares data in partnership with the private entity, shall obtain lawful consent to share household electronic data pertaining only to a single crime investigation with a law enforcement agency through a written opt-in request to the owner of the household electronic device or person in actual or constructive possession of the household electronic device. Provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to permit a law enforcement agency to disclose household electronic data for federal immigration purposes. Provides that any person or entity that collects, processes, stores, uses, or shares household electronic data shall take reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of any household electronic data. Effective immediately.

Amends the Business Assistance and Regulatory Reform Act. Provides that the Office of Business Permits and Regulatory Assistance may establish a matching grant program to incentivize and assist units of local government in improving the use of technology tools for permitting and licensing processes. Sets forth reporting requirements for State agencies with jurisdiction over business permitting or licensing. Creates an Interagency Business Permitting and Licensing Reform Advisory Committee to coordinate business permitting and licensing processes. Sets forth provisions concerning membership of the advisory committee.