Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Reducing Expenses and Advancing Local (REAL) Housing Act. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Middle Housing Incentive Program. Amends the Department of Labor Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Authorizes the Department to establish workforce development initiatives. Amends the Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Extends the Veteran Property Tax Relief Reimbursement Pilot Program to July 1, 2030 (rather than July 1, 2028). Describes administrative responsibilities of the Department. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Veterans Property Tax Relief Reimbursement Pilot Program Fund and the Middle Housing Incentive Program Fund as special funds in the State treasury. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code and the Counties Code. Provides that a county or municipality may opt in, by resolution, to participate in the receipt of Local Government Distributive Fund revenues exceeding 8% of State income tax collections. Authorizes by-right overlay districts for middle housing and other housing-related innovations. Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act. Makes changes to the definition of "redevelopment costs." Amends the Use Tax Act, the Services Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Changes the rate of tax on qualified residential development building materials to 1.25% (rather than 6.25%). Amends the Property Tax Code. Makes changes concerning the distribution of moneys collected from the Real Estate Transfer Tax. Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Modifies the definition of "public works". Amends the Illinois Housing Development Act. Establishes grant-making and reporting requirements for the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Amends the Real Estate License Act of 2000. Limits commissions charged in residential real estate transactions. Amends the Security Deposit Return Act, the Security Deposit Interest Act, and the Landlord and Tenant Act. Makes changes regarding screening reports of prospective tenants and upfront rental costs of residential units. Makes conforming changes in the Condominium Property Act and the Common Interest Community Association Act regarding middle housing. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2028.

Declares October 8, 2025 and October 8, 2026 as One Hope United Day. Congratulates One Hope United on its 130th anniversary.

Condemns any statements, threats, or insinuations of political violence, from any official, including the President of the United States, that seek to intimidate or punish elected representatives for upholding the Constitution or for reaffirming the duty of service members to refuse unlawful orders. Reaffirms the constitutional and statutory obligations of all uniformed military personnel to obey only lawful orders, to protect the Constitution of the United States, and to reject any directive that violates the rights of the people or the rule of law.

Urges full, sustainable funding for Mandated Categoricals (MCATs), as well as greater transparency and predictability in MCAT funding levels. Urges all future education funding discussions to account for the cumulative impact of underfunded categoricals, particularly transportation and special education costs borne disproportionately by districts. Encourages school districts to respectfully urge legislators to ensure Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) in conjunction with MCATs ensure an equitable approach to education funding.

Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, beginning with taxable year 2026, the amount of the homestead exemption for persons with disabilities shall be the greater of (i) $2,000 or (ii) an amount that, when deducted from the property's value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, will cause the total aggregate property tax liability for the property for the taxable year for which the exemption is claimed to equal a specified base amount. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that not less than 50% (rather than 75%) of the amounts collected by a municipality within DuPage County pursuant to the municipal hotel operators' occupation tax and municipal hotel use tax shall be used to promote tourism within that municipality. Effective immediately.

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning a Large Electing Provider's transition to IP-based networks and service, provides that a Large Electing Provider shall provide telecommunications service, including telecommunications service over traditional circuit switched networks, to existing business and residential end-use customers until at least December 31, 2031. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2032, a Large Electing Provider shall start the process of returning the salvage value of traditional circuit switched networks to the people of the State. Requires a Large Electing Provider to complete the salvage of the Large Electing Provider's traditional circuit switched networks by January 1, 2038. Provides that the Large Electing Provider shall document and report to the Department of Public Health and the Illinois Commerce Commission, on a quarterly basis, all activities related to the salvage of the Large Electing Provider's traditional circuit switch networks, including, but not limited to, the total realized salvage value, a per-mile salvage value, the geographic location of all salvages, and the value of such salvages. Provides that, if a Large Electing Provider retires a traditional circuit switch network, the Large Electing Provider shall, beginning on December 1, 2032 and annually thereafter, transfer the salvage value of the retired networks to the Lead Service Line Replacement Fund for the sole purpose of providing grants to municipal and private water utilities to replace lead service lines. Effective immediately.

Amends the Natural Resource Restoration Trust Fund Act. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall establish the Natural Resource Restoration Trust Grant Program to make grants to applicants for the restoration or replacement of injured or damaged natural resources resulting from claims pursued under the laws of the United States, the laws of this State, other statutory laws, or common law. Provides that the following entities may apply for grants under the Act: (i) units of local government; (ii) soil and water conservation districts; (iii) area-wide agencies, including counties, regional planning agencies, or both; (iv) nonprofit organizations; (iv) public or private institutes of higher education; (v) port authorities; and (vi) federally recognized tribes. Provides that the Department shall issue grants if (i) the requested grant complies with the purpose for which the Department was to provide funds and is subject to the requirements of all applicable court orders and (ii) the grant complies with the criteria established by administrative rule for the issuance of the grant. Provides that grants shall not be awarded to a grantee that is responsible for the pollution event that is the subject or basis for the issuance of the grant. Effective July 1, 2027.

Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that, by January 1, 2027, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program, shall establish an efficient process by which information about the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program is disseminated through the State Board to students, parents and guardians, transition planning and services coordinators at school districts, special education joint agreements, and other relevant educational agencies. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that not less than 50% (rather than 75%) of the amounts collected by a municipality within DuPage County pursuant to the municipal hotel operators' occupation tax and municipal hotel use tax shall be used to promote tourism within that municipality. Extends the repeal dates of the provisions from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2029. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Condominium Governance and Transparency Task Force to study the transparency, financial integrity, and safe living conditions of residents of condominiums and common interest community associations.

Urges Illinois Health Information Management Association (ILHIMA) to form a working group to evaluate the following: (1) Patient identity challenges across care settings, including acute care, ambulatory, long-term care, public health, and others; (2) Data quality issues that impact matching accuracy, including data capture, standardization, and governance; (3) Operational, workflow, and policy factors influencing patient identification; (4) Interoperability and information exchange considerations; (5) Workforce, education, and best-practice gaps; and (6) Existing state and federal initiatives related to patient identity. Urges this working group to focus on drafting a comprehensive set of recommendations that include potential legislative suggestions designed to improve and expand on the aforementioned items for evaluation in relation to patient identity, data quality, privacy, and information governance. Requests the working group's findings and recommendations to be presented to the Illinois General Assembly to help inform legislative efforts aimed at better supporting the needs of ILHIMA and patients while ensuring patient safety, privacy, and data integrity.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a course and certification program for certified therapy dog teams consisting of officers employing the use of therapy dogs in relation to crisis and emergency response.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may develop, by rules, a credential valid for an individual to serve as an educator in a specific education area or grade range for a temporary period of time and upon meeting the conditions set forth in those rules, to be known as a Short-Term Approval. Provides that a Short-Term Approval may be issued on an existing educator license or may stand alone, as applicable to the particular Short-Term Approval. Requires a Short-Term Approval to have an expiration date without the ability to renew. Provides that before the expiration of an educator's Short-Term Approval, the educator must obtain a license or endorsement in the same specific education area or grade range as the Short-Term Approval, and if the educator does not obtain the required license or endorsement in the specific education area or grade range and the Short-Term Approval expires, the educator is not eligible to continue serving as an educator in the specific education area or grade range. Provides that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may consider extending the expiration date of the educator's Short-Term Approval if the educator can demonstrate that a serious health condition inhibited the educator's ability to timely apply for and receive the license or endorsement for the specific education area or grade range for which the Short-Term Approval was issued. Allows an educator to receive only one extension for each Short-Term Approval for no more than one year.

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following change. Provides that if the parties cannot reach agreement over the decision on whether to incorporate a student growth component into the teacher evaluation plan and there is no collective bargaining agreement that includes or incorporates by reference the use of a student growth component in the teacher evaluation plan (rather than that includes or incorporates by reference the teacher evaluation plan), then the student growth component shall be removed from the teacher evaluation plan. Effective immediately.