* Subscribers know more. Press release…

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, the laws surrounding the safety and privacy of consumers must as well. Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus released an eight-bill package Monday that would put forth protections against harmful AI outcomes as it relates to mental health help, identity security, price gouging safeguards and much more.

To enhance commonsense guardrails on large AI companies – and in turn build public trust – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) is leading Senate Bill 315. The measure would require large developers – such as ChatGPT and Claude – to provide an independent, third party annual report explaining what mechanisms they have in place to mitigate catastrophic risks, provide transparency reports and report critical safety incidents. Further, it would require the companies to report a critical safety incident within 72 hours of learning about it, or 24 hours if the incident poses an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm. […]

Throughout the country, there have been instances of teenagers and young adults turning to AI during a mental health crisis. In some cases, the person confided in the AI chatbot about their suicidal thoughts – and a real person was never alerted. Under Senate Bill 316, led by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), AI companies would be required to implement methods for detecting user expression of suicidal ideation or self-harm, work to prevent such harm, and provide a notification to the user that refers them to a crisis service provider, such at the 9-8-8 suicide hotline. […]

When people turn to companies for questions or assistance, often they’re forced to talk with a chatbot rather than a real human – but with technological advancements, it’s not always clear who you’re chatting with. To increase transparency and accountability, State Senator Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) is leading Senate Bill 317. Under the measure, if a person is talking with an AI chat interface as it relates to trade or commerce, the consumer must be notified it is an automated system at the start of the conversation. […]

Every time someone interacts with a website or mobile application, it holds onto the data – often leading to consumers receiving unwanted targeted ads. Under State Senator Laura Murphy’s (D-Des Plaines) Senate Bill 340, consumers would have the option to opt out of having their data used for such ads or sold to third parties. Further, it would protect people from being subjected to algorithmic profiling that could influence major life decisions like loan approvals, job screenings or insurance rates. Senate Bill 340 would prohibit the sale of a consumer’s most sensitive data, without requiring a consumer to opt of the sale. […]

AI-driven rental pricing platforms are known to facilitate rent price-fixing, causing artificial, double-digit rent increases in an era when people are already struggling to afford their day-to-day life. Under Senate Bill 343 from State Senator Graciela Guzmán (D-Chicago), landlords would not be able to coordinate pricing indirectly through a shared third-party service or software, such as an algorithm that sets prices across multiple competing landlords. […]

AI is also becoming more prevalent in education in all forms. However, students and their families shouldn’t have to worry if their identity or data is being taken advantage of or discriminating against them – especially at school. Senate Bill 415, led by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), would only allow school districts to use biometric data for legitimate instructional purposes.

Further, the scores students receive should be fair and accurate – determined by a real person, not a computer. State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is ensuring that is the case in schools across the state through Senate Bill 416. The measure would prohibit teachers from using artificial intelligence to assign grades on students’ work.

* Crain’s…

Cook County is liable for what could amount to tens of millions of dollars for violating homeowners’ constitutional rights with its tax sales, a federal judge ruled today, nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared the tax sale system unlawful in Illinois and about a dozen other states. […]

In February, [Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas] secured legislation in Springfield that allowed her to push Cook County’s delinquent tax sales back a second time, to December. Delaying the sale avoids adding further properties to the pile of liabilities that have stacked up in Cook County during past tax sales.

At the time, Pappas’s policy director, Justin Kirvan, issued a statement saying the delay should allow time for “stakeholders and legislators to enact comprehensive property tax foreclosure reform that ensures all taxpayers in Illinois are treated equitably.”

Pappas has been a leader in trying to get Springfield to pass legislation bringing Illinois into compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling, but the effort failed in 2025 and has not yet achieved the goal in the legislature’s spring session.

* Canary Media…

Lawmakers backing an Illinois bill that would clear the way for balcony solar have ended their push to pass the measure this year. With three weeks still to go in the legislative session, they hit a stalemate as opponents, including the state’s powerful electrical workers union, raised concerns about safety.

Advocates and lawmakers who had championed the bill were unhappy with an amendment filed on April 24 that would have prohibited the small plug-in solar panels until national standards are updated to include them.

Supporters say that other states have passed balcony solar laws without that provision. They contend that plugging in a small solar panel is no more dangerous than plugging in a washing machine or hair dryer.

“The whole point of the bill is to make these things safe,” said Kady McFadden, an Illinois lobbyist who focuses on clean energy and was leading legislative strategy for Senate Bill 3104. ​“It’s finding the right pieces to make sure consumers are safe, and also balancing that with being able to deploy these things.”

Given the amendment and concerns from stakeholders including the union, the lawmakers sponsoring the bill decided against further action, according to McFadden. […]

“Illinois is unique — we like to do things our own way in the legislative process,” said McFadden. ​“It takes more than a year to pass a bill.”

* House Republican Leader Tony McCombie filed HB5767 last week. Synopsis…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires the Secretary of State to provide the option to renew a 2-year registration sticker both online and in-person. Effective immediately.

* Illinois Times…

The only revenue Springfield city government might forfeit to help pay for the proposed BOS Center expansion and new hotel next door would be the city’s share of hotel taxes on room rates at the site and part of the expected increase in city sales taxes.

Those were guarantees that Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter made in recent interviews with Illinois Times about the effects of pending state legislation in which Van Meter has been intimately involved. And he said the Springfield City Council would have to vote to agree with those diversions of revenue before the changes could take place.

Van Meter’s assurances referred to the Springfield project tucked inside a “megaprojects” bill – a bill also containing plans for a new Chicago Bears stadium – that passed the Illinois House on April 22 and may be considered by the Senate before the General Assembly’s scheduled adjournment later this month. […]

Van Meter, a Springfield Republican, acknowledged that some sections of House Bill 910 may be misleading when it comes to the impact on the capital city. Those sections, he said, likely will be clarified before the legislation is passed by both chambers and sent to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature.

* Center Square…

House Bill 34 would ban the ability to carry a firearm at any building, property or parking area of polling locations, creating a 24th restriction on open carry laws in the state.

While state peace officers would be exempt, any other person discovered to be carrying a firearm at a polling place would be found guilty of a misdemeanor.

State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, told lawmakers during a joint hearing last week between the House Gun Violence Prevention and the Ethics and Elections Committees that his bill seeks to address safety of poll workers and voters during a rise in political intimidation, threats and violence. […]

Ed Sullivan, on behalf of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the bill seeks to address a non-existent threat, citing crime data he said shows people with a concealed carry license are less likely to commit crimes when compared to the rest of the population.

“So it says ‘any building, real property, or parking area.’ So any building – think about the areas that are not governmental buildings. Think about your communities where you might have a condo association that has a community center within that condo building, and they’re having a polling place,” Sullivan said. “On that day of polling, I’m not allowed to have a firearm in that building.” […]

The joint committees hearing the bill did not vote on the bill, which has sat in the legislature since late 2024.

HB34 has not received a House committee vote and has been referred to Rules.

* More…

* WRMJ | Local State Rep. Swanson’s SoyFoam Fire Department Bill Passes Committee: Local State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) has passed a resolution out of the Police and Fire Committee last week directed at a couple of entities. One is the State Fire Marshal to help fire officials dispose of carcinogenic foam that’s still on the shelves of fire departments around the state, and the second encourages the State Fire Marshal and local departments to begin looking at investing in SoyFoam.