* WCIA…

At-home sexual assault evidence collection kits are a scam sold online. Now a bill on the governor’s desk would ban the sale, marketing and distribution of them.

While companies selling those kits claim they offer privacy and control, the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul warned consumers against these kits since 2019, because they likely would not be able to be used in criminal court proceedings for improper evidence collection and chain of custody. […]

“We need to put an end to companies profiting off of someone else’s trauma,” [Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) said]. […]

The bill was unanimous in both chambers. If signed into law, the proposal would go into effect Jan. 1. After that date, anyone who buys a kit could also sue the seller for damages.

* WAND…

Two Democratic plans in Springfield would begin some of the first regulations to be put on the cryptocurrency industry.

It would start by requiring all cryptocurrency operators to be registered with the state of Illinois.

One proposal would set transaction limits, a maximum withdrawal fee and create a live customer service portal that must be maintained.

The other legislation would create new anti-fraud laws that would protect consumers by notifying them if they’re eligible for anti-theft insurance in the cause they’re defrauded. It would also educate all potential digital asset holders the potential risks of entering the industry.

* Sen. Julie Morrison…

In an effort to strengthen public safety while improving the state’s appeals process for FOID card decisions, State Senator Julie Morrison advanced legislation that would create a more transparent and efficient pathway for individuals whose FOID cards are revoked or denied.

House Bill 850 would establish an expedited review process for individuals who believe they have been wrongly deemed a “clear and present danger,” allowing them to more quickly resolve their case through the existing Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Review Board. […]

Under current law, individuals can lose their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card if they are reported to the Illinois State Police as a danger to themselves or others by medical professionals, school officials or law enforcement. These reports can be based on threats of violence, serious mental health concerns or demonstrating suicidal or violent behavior. While there is a process in place to appeal a FOID card denial or revocation, the person is often unable to effectively challenge the decision because information about the original report — such as who filed it and what was said — is not disclosed.

House Bill 850, an initiative of the Illinois State Police and Attorney General’s Office, would improve this process by allowing the FOID Card Review Board to create an expedited appeals process and share additional information with the individual about their “clear and present danger” determination, allowing them to review the evidence used against them and better respond to the basis of the decision.

In addition to creating a faster path to clearing up misreported determinations, the legislation aims to improve data transparency around untraceable firearms used in crimes by requiring the Illinois State Police to collect and publish data on cases involving guns that are stolen or missing serial numbers. […]

House Bill 850 passed the Senate on Saturday.

* WCIA…

A bill helping the state’s public defenders with a new office in the Judicial Branch is headed to the governor’s desk.

Public defenders are government appointed lawyers for people accused of criminal charges who cannot afford legal representation.

The new independent office would create rules to establish public defenders’ appointments, powers and pay. A commission would also be formed to help with operational costs and funding. […]

In the current system, judges can hire and fire chief public defenders. The American Bar Association discourages that system as it calls for public defenders to be independent.

* Press release…

The Illinois General Assembly has delayed the implementation of the flawed Interchange Fee Prohibition Act to July 1, 2026. This law is currently being challenged in federal court, with a partial preliminary injunction giving protections to federally chartered and national institutions while leaving Illinois banks, credit unions, small business owners and consumers in the path of chaos.

“We thank the Illinois General Assembly, House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon for extending the effective date of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act to July 1, 2026,” said Ben Jackson, Executive Vice President of the Illinois Bankers Association. “This law will cause widespread economic disruption, and mounting evidence shows that the measure overwhelmingly benefits corporate megastores while placing an undue financial burden on small businesses and smaller financial institutions that form the backbone of our local economies. In the coming months, we will urge the Illinois General Assembly to act in the best interest of their constituents by fully repealing this law.”

Last May, an undebated, last-minute provision was included in Illinois’ budget package that will establish Illinois as a radical outlier in the global payments system and will upend the way credit and debit cards work across the state. With no workable technology and no system in place as it has never been implemented anywhere in the world, it is unknown how Illinois financial institutions, business owners and consumers will be able to comply with the law. Illinois consumers could be forced to pay tax or gratuity in cash or by check, and purchases might require two transactions. […]

The Illinois Bankers Association and the Illinois Credit Union League were among a group of plaintiffs who filed litigation to challenge the law last August. A partial preliminary injunction was granted in December, ruling that national banks, federal savings banks and out of state banks would be exempt from complying from the law. However, Illinois’ own state-chartered banks, as well as state and federal credit unions, will still have to comply with this law. […]

Last October, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which charters and examines national banks, filed an amicus brief stating that the IFPA “is an ill-conceived, highly unusual and largely unworkable state law,” and “it is likely that fraud risk would increase significantly, consumer services would be constrained, and public trust would decline.”

Small businesses will be left with headaches from this law while corporate megastores will be the beneficiaries. A new study analyzing the cost implications of an Illinois credit card law shows 40 of the largest retailers will soak up nearly 40 percent of the estimated $118 million reduction in interchange. This is why corporate megastores have publicly supported similar legislation in other states.

“The Illinois General Assembly took a step in the right direction by delaying the implementation of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, a law that will disrupt a system that has worked efficiently for decades and threaten the economic vitality of small businesses across our state,” said Lou Sandoval, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “The Illinois Chamber of Commerce urges lawmakers to repeal this law and focus on policies that support small businesses across Illinois.”

The Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have advocated for a repeal of this law due to the harmful impact it will have on small businesses across the state.

“Delaying the implementation of this misguided policy gives small business owners the protections they deserve while the law continues to be challenged in federal court,” said Larry Ivory, President and CEO of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce. “We urge Illinois legislators to repeal this law before it harms over one million small businesses across the state.”

* Tribune…

Another measure the Democratic-controlled General Assembly passed with a specific eye on the Trump administration centered on abortion rights.

The bill is intended provide more protections under Illinois’ 2023 shield law, which prevents health care workers from facing disciplinary action by the state if, for instance, they provide abortion care to someone from a state that has more stringent abortion restrictions.

The legislation also would ensure prescribing abortion medications such as mifepristone would remain legal in Illinois even if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revokes approval, as long as the World Health Organization recommends the drug’s use.

Democrats have warned that access to these drugs could be jeopardized following declarations toward that end by Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation policy group thought to have influence on the Trump White House.

* WCIA…

A bill expanding access to contraception options, including medication abortion, on Illinois college campuses is heading to the governor’s desk.

On Monday, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) announced the passage of House Bill 3709/Senate Bill 2444, which began with a PPIA GenAction University of Illinois student-led movement. This bill amends the Public Higher Education Act to mandate that public colleges in Illinois with health services and a pharmacy have the ability to prescribe and dispense contraception and medication abortion.

This initiative started with the PPIA Generation Action (GenAction) chapter at the U of I. This change will go into effect in the 2025-26 school year. […]

This legislation was inspired in part by a spring 2024 U of I campus-wide student election referendum question that asked about student support for increasing access to contraception and medication abortion on campus through McKinley Health Center.

While the referendum received strong support, the health center needed a requirement from the state prior to implementing the new policy. Governor JB Pritzker’s Office became involved after the UIUC co-President, Emma Darbro, spoke at a patient experience panel at the Illinois Department of Public Health Women and Families Health Conference.

* WAND…

A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could help guide the use of artificial intelligence in schools.

The legislation requires the Illinois State Board of Education to develop statewide guidance for districts and teachers on the use of AI in elementary and secondary education.

This guidance would include explanations of basic AI concepts and specific ways the technology can be used at the district, school, and classroom levels. It also calls for guidance on how districts and teachers can evaluate and address bias, privacy, transparency, and risk assessment for use of AI. […]

A separate provision of the bill requires ISBE to encourage school districts to collect teaching resources to support American Sign Language programs by July of next year. The resources may include information on the importance and benefits of ASL instruction for early ages and its prevalence in the United States, ways to implement ASL instruction into K-8 curriculum, and how to properly administer ASL instruction for students K-8.

* Higher Ed Drive…

Illinois lawmakers passed a bill Friday to send high school and community college students direct admissions offers to the state’s public universities depending on their academic performance. […]

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker plans to sign the bill, he said in a statement Friday. “It’s a commonsense solution that reflects our commitment to breaking down barriers and expanding opportunity to higher education,” Pritzker said. […]

The bill also establishes an outreach campaign to encourage students who meet certain criteria to apply to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago, which are not listed as participants in the direct admissions program. However, the bill does not dictate that they guarantee admissions to certain students. […]

The bill comes after Illinois partnered with Common App in January on a direct admissions initiative. Under that program, called One Click College Admit, students can provide their GPA to Common App and receive automatic admission to the eight public universities participating, depending on whether they meet their criteria.