* Wired…

OPENAI IS THROWING its support behind an Illinois state bill that would shield AI labs from liability in cases where AI models are used to cause serious societal harms, such as death or serious injury of 100 or more people or at least $1 billion in property damage.

The effort seems to mark a shift in OpenAI’s legislative strategy. Until now, OpenAI has largely played defense, opposing bills that could have made AI labs liable for their technology’s harms. Several AI policy experts tell WIRED that SB 3444—which could set a new standard for the industry—is a more extreme measure than bills OpenAI has supported in the past.

The bill would shield frontier AI developers from liability for “critical harms” caused by their frontier models as long as they did not intentionally or recklessly cause such an incident, and have published safety, security, and transparency reports on their website. It defines a frontier model as any AI model trained using more than $100 million in computational costs, which likely could apply to America’s largest AI labs, like OpenAI, Google, xAI, Anthropic, and Meta. […]

Scott Wisor, policy director for the Secure AI project, tells WIRED he believes this bill has a slim chance of passing, given Illinois’ reputation for aggressively regulating technology. “We polled people in Illinois, asking whether they think AI companies should be exempt from liability, and 90 percent of people oppose it. There’s no reason existing AI companies should be facing reduced liability,” Wisor says.

The Transparency Coalition…

SB 3444, the Artificial Intelligence Safety Act, provides that a developer of a frontier AI model shall not be held liable for critical harms caused by the model if the developer did not intentionally or recklessly cause the critical harms and the developer publishes a safety and security protocol and transparency report on its website. (Sen. Cunningham)

* WMBD…

Illinois lawmakers are looking to regulate AI, including holding tech companies liable for any physical or monetary damages caused by their chatbots. […]

“You need to have guardrails to protect minors,” said state Sen. Sue Rezin. She said she filed her bill after the federal government didn’t pass its own regulations.

That proposal, discussed at a committee hearing on Thursday, would also require parental consent for children to use AI chatbots. […]

“As AI becomes the new front door for everything from banking to mental health support, we cannot allow Illinois families to be the guinea pig for unregulated technology, especially when it comes to exposure and algorithms that hurt and harm our minors,” the Morris Republican said.

* Rep. Bob Morgan…

In a continued effort to combat rising costs, strengthen consumer protections, and promote transparency for shoppers across Illinois, House Bill 228, also known as the ‘Junk Fee Ban Act’, has successfully passed the Illinois House of Representatives with the full support of Governor J.B. Pritzker and Speaker Chris “Emmanuel” Welch, who serves as a Chief Co-Sponsor of the bill. […]

First introduced in the 103rd General Assembly, the legislation requires businesses to clearly advertise the full price of goods and services upfront, eliminating hidden “junk fees” that are often only disclosed at checkout. These charges, commonly labeled as service, processing, or convenience fees, mislead consumers, distort the marketplace, and place transparent businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Junk fees have become a widespread and costly burden on Illinois families. Nationally, the average household pays an estimated $3,000 more per year due to hidden or misleading charges, with some studies showing consumers pay up to 20% more than the advertised price once fees are included. These practices not only erode consumer trust but also make it harder for families to budget and make informed purchasing decisions, especially at a time of persistent inflation.

Beyond their financial impact, junk fees disproportionately affect lower-income households, non-English proficient consumers, and communities of color, further compounding inequities in access to clear and fair pricing.

The legislation also aims to level the playing field for small and honest businesses. By requiring upfront pricing transparency, HB 228 ensures that companies competing fairly are no longer undercut by deceptive pricing practices, helping to strengthen local economies and support Main Street businesses across Illinois. […]

House Bill 228 now advances to the Illinois Senate, where it will be carried by State Senator Omar Aquino.

* WAND…

Illinois House Democrats passed legislation Thursday to help uninsured and underinsured people receive reproductive healthcare.

The plan could create an abortion access fund for the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Funds for the grants would come from a requirement in the Affordable Care Act that insurance companies covering abortions beyond circumstances allowed by the federal government collect at least $1 from enrollees each month.

“The bill requires that insurance companies report how much money they have sitting in this segregated account,” said Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin). “Then, at the end of the plan year, once they have paid for all claims, transfer 90% of what is left in that fund to the Department of Insurance.”

* The Illinois Environmental Council…

At 10 a.m. on Monday, April 13, State Senator Ram Villivalam will join advocates with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition to unveil statewide poll results on data centers and the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513). The POWER Act establishes nation-leading guardrails to protect our water, energy, and ratepayers from the significant threats posed by data centers.

WHEN: Monday, April 13, 2026 at 10 a.m. CT

WHERE: Illinois Environmental Council, 70 E Lake Street Suite 1100 (11th floor), Chicago, IL 60601 and live-streamed via facebook.com/ILCleanJobs/live_videos.

* More…

* WAND | IL House unanimously passes bill banning unnecessary fees for IDOC mail: State representatives passed a bill Thursday to ensure people in the Department of Corrections are not charged unreasonable fees for sending mail. The legislation also requires more transparency surrounding the IDOC mail scanning process. Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) said it is important that families can stay connected with their loved ones, and the state should not make that process harder.

* WAND | House Democrats pass bill providing naloxone to people leaving jail, prison: Sponsors said overdose cases are dropping overall, but there are still high numbers for college students, Native Americans and people reentering society. Experts say there’s a higher chance of overdosing in the first 72 hours after someone leaves prison or jail. “As the Narcan provider is a primary vendor with the state, they have a direct partnership to handle all shipping and storage, removing the burden from local organizations,” said Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago).

* Press release | Grasse Passes Public Health Measure to Prepare for Potential Infectious Diseases: House Bill 4977 makes a simple change to Illinois’ Hospital Licensing Act by including “pathogens of epidemiological concern” as a form of multidrug-resistant organisms. These pathogens are defined by a range of traits which indicate a propensity for rapid transmission, especially within healthcare facilities. It also repeals the MRSA Screening and Reporting Act, which will now be covered by the expanded definition.