Sen. Julie Morrison

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that every automobile insurance policy issued, renewed, or delivered in Illinois that includes first-party coverage for physical damage shall contain a provision granting either the insured or the insurer the right to invoke appraisal in the event of a dispute over (i) the actual cash value or amount of a loss, including repairable or total loss amounts; or (ii) the value of a settlement offer made to a third-party claimant. Sets forth provisions concerning the selection of appraisers; appointment of an umpire in the event of a disagreement between appraisers; issuance of the award following the appraisal; the binding effect of an agreement between appraisers or one appraiser and the umpire; cost allocation and consumer protections; the right of appraisal for third-party claimants; and enforcement and penalties. Creates the Automotive Appraisal Standards Advisory Board to provide guidance on rulemaking, enforcement priorities, and best practices. Sets forth membership provisions and provides that the Board shall meet no less than quarterly and may issue nonbinding recommendations to the Department of Insurance regarding updates to rules and emerging trends impacting fair claim resolution. Requires the Department to publish meeting summaries and any formal recommendations on its public website. Provides that the Department may adopt rules necessary to implement and enforce provisions concerning the right to appraisal. Effective 90 days after becoming law.

Amends the Eminent Domain Act. Provides that quick-take proceedings may be used for the acquisition of permanent and temporary easements for a period of one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act by the City of North Chicago to support the installation of hazard mitigation and stormwater conveyance measures aimed at reducing the effects of flooding in Lake County. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2026, the authority and responsibility to conduct a fingerprint-based criminal history check on providers of day care at day care centers, part day child care facilities, day care homes, and group day care homes shall transfer to the Department of Early Childhood from the Department of Children and Family Services. Provides that the Department shall require that each day care license applicant and each applicant, employee, and volunteer of a licensed day care facility to authorize an investigation to determine if such applicant, employee, or volunteer has ever been charged with a crime and if so, the disposition of those charges. Contains provisions on the submission of such persons' fingerprints to the Illinois State Police to be checked for a fee against State and federal criminal history record databases. Provides that any conviction information obtained during the criminal history records checks shall be provided, upon request, to the applicant, employee, and volunteer. Contains provisions on the probationary hiring of employees or volunteers authorizing a criminal background investigation. Makes conforming changes to the Child Care Act of 1969. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall be accessible by owners and operators who intend to remove underground storage tanks installed over 30 years before removal if the eligibility requirements of specified provisions are satisfied and (1) neither the owner nor the operator is the United States Government; (2) the tank does not contain fuel which is exempt from the Motor Fuel Tax Law; (3) the costs were incurred as a result of removing an underground storage tank installed over 30 years prior to removal; (4) the owner or operator registered the tank and paid all fees in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Gasoline Storage Act; (5) the owner or operator notified the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the State Fire Marshal of the owner's or operator's intent to remove the underground storage tank; and (6) the costs have not already been paid to the owner or operator under a private insurance policy, other written agreement, or court order.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if a consistent DNA profile has been identified by comparing evidence with a known standard from a suspect or with DNA profiles in the CODIS database, the Illinois State Police shall utilize the Electronic Laboratory Information Management System to notify the investigating law enforcement agency of the results in writing, and the Illinois State Police shall provide an automatic courtesy copy of the written notification to the appropriate State's Attorney's Office for tracking and further action, as necessary.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning biomarker testing: makes changes to defined terms; requires applicable health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to update and make publicly available medical policies and coverage guidelines within 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act; provides that, if a health insurer or nonprofit health service plan denies a claim for coverage of testing that is supported by any specified evidence, the insurer or nonprofit health service plan shall provide to the requesting entity specific written justification explaining in detail why the claim for coverage was denied as it pertains to the individual for whom the test was ordered; sets forth provisions concerning utilization review and prior authorization; provides that the Department of Insurance may conduct periodic audits and reviews to ensure entity compliance; and makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Provides that, for any law implementing the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Department of Insurance may adopt rules that include incorporations by reference of federal rules and regulations without identifying the incorporated matter by date and without including a statement that the incorporation does not include later amendments. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Makes changes concerning the assignment or transfer of property and casualty policies; formatting requirements for the insurance company supplier diversity report; and insurance coverage for dependent parents. Provides that the Director of Insurance shall maintain as confidential any records or information received from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies (instead of insurance regulatory officials of other states) that are confidential in that other jurisdiction. Provides that the Department may waive registration and course certification fees if the pre-licensing or continuing education course is provided by a government entity free of charge. Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. In applicability provisions, removes language concerning exemptions for short-term, limited-duration health insurance coverage with a network plan. Repeals the Health Care Purchasing Group Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Children's Social Media Safety Act. Provides that, no later than January 1, 2028, an operating system provider shall: (1) provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both; (2) provide an operator who has requested a signal with respect to a particular user a signal that identifies the user's age by category; and (3) send only the minimum amount of information necessary to comply with the provision. Provides that an operator shall not offer a platform in the State without conducting age verification as required under the Act to determine whether a user is a minor. Provides that, for all users that the operator has actual knowledge to be a minor, the operator shall use specified default settings for the minor. 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 Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits authorizing a discharge from a facility designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a major facility, shall, at a minimum, require for publicly owned treatment works, periodic sampling of influent, effluent, and biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods and, for all other facilities, periodic effluent sampling for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall require any NPDES permit application for a discharge of wastewater that has potential to contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to fully characterize the discharge through sample results for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall not issue any permit under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids unless the application includes sample results for the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that any permit issued under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids shall require, at minimum, periodic sampling of the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods.

Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Transportation to create an expedited process for municipalities or counties to submit a request for an expedited review for intersections on State roads.