* HB4154 from Reps. Natalie Manley and Ryan Spain…

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall authorize the examination of applicants as pharmacists at such times and places as it may determine (rather than not less than 3 times per year). Provides that the Department and the Board of Pharmacy shall regularly monitor the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or its successor to ensure that the examination of applicants is of a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the applicant to practice pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists for the calendar years 2025, 2026, and 2027 shall be required to pass only the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Provides that the results from the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination for such applicants shall be disregarded and shall not prohibit an applicant who has successfully passed the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination from engaging in the practice of pharmacy. Provides that applicants for examination as pharmacists shall be required to pay, either to the Department or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (rather than the designated testing service), a fee covering the cost of providing the examination. Provides that the Department shall notify applicants taking the examination of their results no later than 2 weeks after (rather than within 7 weeks of) the examination date.

Indiana is also looking at ditching the exam. The Statehouse File…

[Veronica Vernon, chair of pharmacy practice at Butler University,] said the exam is outdated and the questions on it are often two years behind on the law. […]

“The MPJE was created in the late ’90s; it was a very different time then,” said Vernon. “We didn’t have the technology to ensure compliance with the law like we do now.”

The removal would not leave students unaware of the law as each pharmacy school demands a pharmacy law class. […]

All three pharmacy schools in Indiana showed their support for the bill and the removal of the MPJE.

* Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) filed SB 3977 last month…

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.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate AI and Social Media Subcommittee. Friday is the deadline for substantive Senate bills to be advance out of committee.

* WBEZ…

For years, state Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. has championed a plan to make Illinois’ shores home to the first offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes. But the effort to bring wind power to Lake Michigan stalled in Springfield. Again.

“I did not refile the bill in this general assembly because I didn’t have the support,” said Evans, a South Side Chicago Democrat. “But I will file in the future.”

The legislation, known as the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act, was designed to direct state planners to solicit proposals for a new utility-scale offshore wind farm and begin purchasing offshore wind power. First introduced in 2022, the measure has long failed to pick up enough momentum to break out of the statehouse. In 2025, Illinois Sen. Robert Peters refiled the bill, but it still awaits a committee assignment.

* WAND…

The Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee unanimously approved a bill Tuesday to create new protections for students sexually assaulted by other students.

This plan would require any student who commits sexual assault or attempted sexual assault at school, a school-sponsored activity or event, or activities related to school to be expelled for at least one year.

Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) filed the legislation last year after a Taylorville Junior High student said she was sexually assaulted multiple times by an older student. She said she had to see the alleged abuser before he ultimately moved to an alternative school. […]

The plan has gained support from over 35 senators. It now moves to the Senate Education Committee for further consideration.

* Capitol City Now…

The Wetlands Protection Act was discussed in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly last year but failed to get traction or make it to the House and Senate floors, partly due to budget constraints in the 2025 budget year. […]

A proposal from the Trump administration adds urgency to a longstanding issue in Illinois. Last November, the federal EPA proposed a new rule to the Clean Water Act that would bestow protection only to wetlands that hold water during the wet season and with visible connections to major waterways. Excluded are seasonal streams, marshes, bogs, swamps and mangrove forests. […]

If the EPA rule change is finalized this year, over two-thirds (707,566 acres) of Illinois’ wetlands would be without protections, according to a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study released in September. Neighboring states like Wisconsin, Missouri and Indiana already have safeguards in place to protect their wetlands, but Illinois does not.

Senate Bill 2401 would give the Illinois Department of Natural Resources authority over wetland permitting on private land before construction begins. The bill exempts certain agricultural activities like normal farming, silviculture and maintenance of farms and stock ponds

The bill was re-referred for assignment at the end of the last session, and no action has been taken on it this session.

* Rep. Kam Buckner…

State Rep. Kam Buckner has introduced legislation to designate a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago as the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Memorial Highway, honoring the late civil rights icon.
“Reverend Jesse Jackson’s legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Chicago and our nation,” Buckner said. “Dedicating part of the Dan Ryan Expressway as his memorial ensures that the courage and leadership he brought to the fight for civil rights will be remembered and his impact will remain felt for generations to come.”

“Rev. Jackson dedicated his life to expanding opportunity and giving voice to communities that were often unheard. This recognition reflects the impact he has had on our state, our city, and the movement for justice.”

The legislation creates the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Memorial Highway Act, designating the portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway beginning at 47th Street and extending south to 95th Street in Chicago as the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Memorial Highway. “From organizing for civil rights to building national coalitions for justice, Rev. Jackson has helped shape the course of American history,” Buckner said. “It is fitting that one of Chicago’s most traveled corridors reflects the name of a leader who helped move our country forward.”

* More…

* Press release | New Ellman measure aims to expand rehabilitation credit opportunities for individuals in pretrial detention: Senate Bill 3333 would allow individuals held in county jails prior to trial to receive sentence credit for completing certain programming such as work assignments, parenting programs, volunteer activities, and supervised community work. Currently, similar programming can earn credit for individuals incarcerated in Department of Corrections’ facilities, but not for those in pretrial detention due to gaps in statutory language. The bill would also allow individuals in pretrial detention to receive up to half a day of sentence credit for each day they participate in self-improvement programming, volunteer work, or work assignments not currently eligible under existing law.

* WAND | IL Senate committee approves bill requiring insurance coverage for seizure detection devices: The Illinois Senate Insurance Committee approved legislation Tuesday night to require private insurance companies cover seizure detection devices. There are currently multiple devices approved by the Food & Drug Administration to alert people of oncoming or ongoing seizures. Sponsors said these tools could cost between $250 to $2,000. This proposal would require group insurance companies to provide coverage for medically-necessary devices with a maximum cost-sharing amount of $50 per year. The measure also bans insurers from requiring prior authorization to obtain the devices.

* WAND | IL bill could require dealerships provide vehicle history reports for used cars: State lawmakers could pass a plan this spring to require car dealers to provide vehicle history reports to anyone buying used cars. The bill states licensed Illinois vehicle dealers must provide customers with a same-day VIN-specific history report for all used or pre-owned vehicles. That report would need to include information about title issues, odometer accuracy, recalls and accident history. […] Opponents also noted that license revocation could cause significant interruption of business for car dealerships, potentially leading to closure.

* Press release | Porfirio continues support for veteran suicide prevention through extending advisory council: Senate Bill 3926 would continue the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Advisory Council through 2027 and place the council under the Illinois Department of Public Health. The council, established in 2023, advises the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services on guidelines and infrastructure to support innovative therapies for veteran suicide prevention.