Amends the Department of Early Childhood Act. Provides that beginning July 1, 2027, 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 of Children and Family Services, through June 30, 2027 (rather than June 30, 2026), or the Department of Early Childhood, on and after July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2026), shall allow day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes to hire, on a probationary basis, any employee or volunteer authorizing a criminal background investigation. Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that information reported to the Illinois State Police under the Act is confidential and shall not be released unless expressly permitted by State or federal law. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall conduct a criminal history background check on an applicant if a qualified entity submits: (1) a request to the Illinois State Police to perform a State and national background check on the applicant in a form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police that includes a statement containing the name, address, and date of birth appearing on a valid identification card or document issued by the State to the applicant; (2) a waiver on a form approved by the Illinois State Police that is signed by the applicant allowing the release of the State and national criminal history record information to the qualified entity; (3) the applicant's fingerprints in an electronic format that complies with the form and manner for requesting and furnishing criminal history record information prescribed by the Illinois State Police; and (4) any fee prescribed by the Illinois State Police. Provides that, upon positive identification, the Illinois State Police shall provide the qualified entity with records of the applicant's conviction of or entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, finding of guilt, jury verdict, or entry of judgment or sentencing, including, but not limited to, convictions, preceding sentences of supervision, conditional discharge, or first offender probation, under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States that is a felony or any crime directly related to providing care, treatment, education, training, instruction, supervision, or recreation to children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities. Provides that any information received by a qualified entity under the provisions shall be used solely for internal purposes in determining the suitability of an applicant. Provides that a background check conducted under the provisions does not constitute compliance with any background check required by law. Provides that, if the Illinois State Police determines that the Illinois records provided to a qualified entity were inaccurate, then the Illinois State Police shall provide updated records to the qualified entity and the applicant. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Makes the bill effective immediately, except that the amendatory changes made to the Child Care Act of 1969 take effect July 1, 2026 and the amendatory changes made to the Department of Early Childhood Act take effect July 1, 2027.

Amends the Township Code. In a provision that authorizes a township board to provide for the cutting of weeds or grass, the trimming of trees or bushes, the removal of nuisance bushes or trees, or the maintenance of a retention pond or detention pond on any real estate in areas within the township, specifies that the required 7-day advance notice to the property owner may be served by certified mail, by personal service, or by posting the notice on the property in a prominent location.

Amends the Health Care Violence Prevention Act. Makes changes to defined terms. In provisions concerning workplace safety, provides that a health care worker may not be discouraged from contacting law enforcement or the Department of Public Health regarding workplace violence, and a health care provider may not maintain a policy that limits such contact. Adds additional requirements to the workplace violence prevention program, including reporting requirements and identifying the need for additional security and alarms, adequate exit routes, monitoring systems, barrier protections, lighting, entry procedures, and systems to identify and flag persons who have previously committed violent acts in the health care provider space. Sets forth provisions concerning violent incident investigations, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements for health care providers regarding violent incidents. Establishes penalties for failure to comply with the Act. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from public disclosure workplace violence records maintained by health care providers as required under a specified provision of the Health Care Violence Prevention Act.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that provisions of the Code concerning single prime projects in which a public institution of higher education is a construction agency awarding building construction contracts in excess of $250,000 apply through December 31, 2032 (currently, December 31, 2026). Effective immediately.

Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2027, a Farmland Conversion Fee of $275 per acre shall be paid by the buyer or lessee of a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose of developing an industrial park, a commercial area, a single-family or multi-family dwelling or for being put to any other use that removes the agricultural land from production. Provides that the fee shall be collected by the Department of Agricultural. Provides for the creation of the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Provides that all Farmland Conversion Fees collected by the Department of Agriculture shall be contributed to the Fund. Further provides that moneys in the Fund may be exclusively used for the following purposes: (i) supporting education and programs that support healthy soil clean water, and climate-smart agricultural practices; (ii) supporting operations funding for soil and water conservation districts; (iii) covering costs associated with administering the Act; (iv) any other purposes that the Department of Agriculture determines are consistent with the purposes of the Act. Provides that, before expending moneys for any other purposes, the Department of Agriculture shall, subject to the availability of moneys in the Fund, ensure that during each State fiscal year, $10,000,000 is distributed to soil and water conservation districts, for the purpose of supporting their operations funding. Provides that $500,000 shall be distributed to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of collecting fees and administering the program created under the Act. Provides for penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Rates for Fire and Extended Coverage Insurance Article. Provides that the Article applies to policies of fire and extended coverage insurance and establishes policies that are exempt from the Article. Provides that rates shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, as specified. Sets forth provisions concerning filing requirements for insurers in competitive and noncompetitive markets and the monitoring duties of the Director of Insurance concerning market competition and the availability of insurance for the policies of insurance to which the Article applies. Provides that a competitive market is presumed to exist for a line of insurance unless the Director, after a hearing, issues an order stating that a reasonable degree of competition does not exist in the market. Provides that the ruling of the Director regarding market competition is subject to judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning appointed boards of review in counties under township organization with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, provides that 3 citizens of the State shall comprise the board of review (currently, 3 citizens of the county). Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules establishing, implementing, and administering the Illinois Down Payment Assistant Grant Program to offer up to $20,000 grants for eligible applicants purchasing their first farms that are eligible farm purchases. Provides that, if more eligible applicants apply than grants are available, then the recipients shall be chosen with a random lottery process determined by the Department, with priority given to priority applicants. Defines terms.

Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a public body may impose a fee upon a requester for the actual, necessary, and direct cost of redacting recorded audio or video content recordings made under the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act. Provides that the public body may not impose the fee under specified circumstances. Requires the public body to provide the requester, in writing, with an estimate of the amount of the fee to be charged before before fulfilling the request.

Appropriates $2,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of providing grants to emerging and socially disadvantaged farms for infrastructure, equipment, operations and market access. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Guardianship and Advocacy Act. Changes references from the federal Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Act to the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. Provides that a majority of members of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, excluding vacancies, (instead of 6 members of the Commission) constitute a quorum. In a provision concerning regional authorities making their findings and recommendations public, provides that it shall include in any such public statement any reply made by the State agency, service provider, or other person investigated, if requested by the provider. Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Makes changes to the definitions of "guardian" and "mental illness" and adds a definition of "under guardianship". Changes references from the Guardianship and Mental Health Advocacy Commission to the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships may also be known as School Social Work scholarships. Includes, as a qualified applicant subject to meeting the other requirements, (i) a person who is pursuing a clinical social work license or social work license and (ii) a person who will obtain a master's degree in social work from an approved program before enrolling the academic program that the scholarship would support. Allows scholarships to be applied to the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at a private, not-for-profit institution of higher education in the State that prepares students to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement in School Social Work. Provides that a scholarship for a recipient attending a private, not-for-profit institution shall not exceed the maximum grant payable to a student enrolled in the most expensive comparable program of study at a public university in the State. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall develop a policy to foster the reverse transfer of credit for any student who has accumulated at least 30 (rather than 15) hours of academic credit at a community college and a sufficient number of hours of academic credit at a State university in the prescribed courses necessary to meet a community college's requirements to be awarded an associate degree. Provides that each State university shall automatically notify any transfer student accepted to the State university with at least 30 hours of academic credit at a community college of the option for the reverse transfer of credit within the student's first term of enrollment. Provides that a community college shall provide notification to a student wishing to reverse transfer earned academic credit with instructions on application for conferral of an associate degree. Provides that a community college or State university may not charge an application, transfer evaluation, or graduation fee or any other fee associated with conferral of an associate degree through reverse transfer. Provides that a community college shall include each student awarded an associate degree through reverse transfer within its student information system. Effective immediately.

Creates the Transparency in Downcoding Act. Provides that the Act applies to certain policies of health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the Act, except for employee or employer self-insured health benefit plans under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and health care provided pursuant to the Workers' Compensation Act or the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from using an automated process, system, or tool to downcode a claim; from downcoding a claim based solely on the reported diagnosis codes; and from using downcoding practices in a targeted or discriminatory manner against physicians who routinely treat patients with complex or chronic conditions. Requires downcoding decisions to be made by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in any United States jurisdiction and of the same or similar specialty as a physician who typically manages the medical condition or disease. Sets forth provisions concerning notification requirements for downcoded claims; the appeal process for downcoded claims; enforcement by the Department of Insurance; and penalties. Provides that any pattern or practice of discriminatory downcoding identified by the Director of Insurance or another regulatory authority shall be subject to enforcement actions, including fines, restitution, or suspension of the health insurance issuer's license in this State. Effective immediately.

Amends the Home Repair and Remodeling Act. Provides that a contractor offering home repair or remodeling services shall not propose to contract or solicit a contract for home repair or remodeling services: (1) while a loss-producing occurrence is continuing at the premises; (2) while the fire department or emergency personnel are engaged at the damaged premises; or (3) between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Provides that a contractor shall not, in person, propose to contract or solicit a contract with a consumer for home repair or remodeling services for a minimum of 72 hours after a disaster proclamation, unless the proposal to contract or the solicitation to contract is initiated by a consumer.