* Rep. Will Guzzardi filed HB5776 on Friday. WTVO…

Short-term rentals booked through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo could soon cost a little more under legislation advancing in Springfield that would create a new statewide tax on stays shorter than 30 days.

House Bill 5776 would impose a 4% excise tax on short-term rentals across Illinois, with the money dedicated to a new Community Land Trust Fund to support affordable housing initiatives. The bill applies to rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days and would take effect once it becomes law, with tax collections starting Jan. 1, 2027. […]

Platforms that handle at least $100,000 in short-term rental bookings in Illinois over a 12‑month period would be required to collect the tax directly from renters and remit it to the Illinois Department of Revenue. In most cases, that would shift the tax‑collection responsibility away from individual hosts and onto the platform itself. […]

Under the bill, a short-term rental includes nearly any type of residential property offered for stays under 30 days, as long as the booking is reserved in advance.

That includes:

- Owner‑occupied homes where a room is rented out
- Tenant‑occupied units that are legally sublet
- Non‑owner‑occupied houses or apartments used solely as short-term rentals
- Condos, cottages and similar dwellings
Long‑term rentals of 30 days or more are not covered by the tax.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Backers of a bill aimed at limiting law enforcement’s use of biometric surveillance say they’re not looking to move the measure this legislative session.

House Bill 5521, the proposed Biometric Surveillance Act, would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using or accessing facial recognition tools. But it failed to meet a March 27 committee deadline and was sent back to the House Rules committee the same day a man suspected of killing a Loyola University freshman was arrested with the help of facial recognition, according to authorities. […]

Many witness slips filed in opposition to the bill have come from law enforcement groups like Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and a few individual police departments. […]

The ACLU of Illinois has worked closely with bill sponsor Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, on the legislation. Cassidy didn’t respond to a request for comment, but the ACLU argued biometric surveillance poses risks to privacy and could deter people from activities such as protesting, practicing religion or expressing political views. Privacy advocates warn the technology could eventually be used to track individuals and suppress dissent.

ACLU of Illinois Director of Communications Ed Yohnka said efforts to advance the bill will likely be delayed for several months, in part because the debate has become tied to the March 19 shooting of Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman in Rogers Park, in Cassidy’s district. Authorities said the suspect, who has drawn national attention because of his undocumented immigration status, was identified using facial recognition tools.

Yohnka said the ACLU of Illinois hopes to see the bill discussed through broader concerns about privacy, technological accuracy and potential misuse rather than through the lens of high-profile violent incidents.

* Sen. Steve McClure…

Illinois patients could soon have an easier time accessing needed medications under legislation recently passed by the Illinois Senate.

Senate Bill 3213, filed by Senator Steve McClure, addresses situations where a patient arrives at a pharmacy only to learn that their prescription cannot be filled because the medication is out of stock. Under current Illinois law, some prescriptions cannot be transferred to another pharmacy, even if that pharmacy has the medication available. As a result, patients may be forced to contact their doctor to request a new prescription.

The legislation allows more types of prescriptions to be electronically transferred from one pharmacy to another. The measure is designed to bring Illinois law more closely in line with federal law, which allows broader prescription transfer options.

The legislation is a practical step to help patients avoid unnecessary delays when trying to obtain important medications. Allowing pharmacies to transfer eligible prescriptions can help reduce frustration for patients, families, doctors, and pharmacists.

The idea for the legislation was brought forward by a doctor who raised concerns about the challenges patients face when prescriptions cannot be filled at a particular pharmacy.

Senate Bill 3213 passed the Illinois Senate unanimously and now awaits action in the House.

* WAND…

A plan heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could expand access to life-saving asthma medication at schools.

The bill allows schools to keep a supply of asthma medication in secure locations that are accessible before, during, or after school where someone may be at risk, including practice fields, gyms and other athletic facilities. This comes as exercise-induced asthma can put student athletes at heightened risk of sudden respiratory distress.

“It expands the trained personnel who may administer asthma medication to a student to include coaches and athletic trainers,” said Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove).

House Bill 4247 passed unanimously out of the Senate Thursday. The measure received unanimous support from the House in April.

* Scott Holland…

Halfway through May is a fine time to revisit some of the legislation covered earlier in the session, among more than 11,800 bills and resolutions filed since the current General Assembly started in January 2025.

March 31: The second time might be the charm for a “junk fees” ban. House Bill 288 was among about 150 proposals to advance from committees in late March, then in early April, the full House endorsed the measure 77-18. That gets the plan to a similar proposal in 2024 that never reached the full Senate floor. This version has six Senate sponsors, and on May 6, the Judiciary Committee advanced it 6-2.

According to Capitol News Illinois, House sponsor Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, said the “bill delivers on a promise that’s quite simple: The price that you see should be the price that you pay.” I’m all for making sure nothing gets buried in the fine print only to be sprung on consumers near the end of a transaction, but I won’t be holding my breath on what I really want: a truth in taxation law that spells out which government unit gets what cut on every cash register receipt. […]

April 11: HB 4948, which sets conditions allowing problematic drivers to avoid a suspension by consenting to the installation of a speed control device in their vehicle, has cleared two major hurdles: the House voted 77-24-1 on April 16 to send it to the Senate, where on Wednesday the Transportation Committee approved 18-0.

State Rep. Marti Deuter, D-Elmhurst, has told Capitol News Illinois that “Data indicates that about 75% of the people whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.” As noted earlier, HB 4948 basically concedes that those people have and will continue to beat the system. Which means the other 25% get what benefit exactly?

No driver lands in this precarious position without first earning a license suspension or revocation, so sympathy is scarce. But whether this new technology actually improves roadway safety definitely remains to be seen.

* Rep. Mary Gill…

State Rep. Mary Gill, D-Chicago, is trying to protect consumer experiences by prohibiting streaming services and the companies that manage their advertisements from showing ads that are louder than the show that a viewer is watching. […]

Senate Bill 3222 would require streaming services and third-party ad managers to take “reasonable care” to ensure that the audio of ads shown match the volume of the show. An already existing federal law sets this requirement for broadcast TV. Streaming services and ad management companies can follow these same guidelines to be in compliance. If passed, this law would take effect on July 1, 2027.

“This not only makes the viewing experience more stable and smoother for all audiences,” Gill said. “But it could help specific groups feel safer while watching shows. Older people won’t have to worry about being blasted with uncomfortably high audios or unexpected noise levels.”

The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and is awaiting further review in the House.

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