* Sun-Times…

[A] bill awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature would classify e-bikes and e-motos that travel over 28 mph as motor vehicles starting Jan. 1 and subject those operators to the state’s drunken driving laws. […]

E-scooters, electric skateboards and electric unicycles would be prohibited from operating over 28 mph on roads, bike lanes, bike paths and sidewalks.

The bill, introduced to the public in January by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, fills a gap in the state’s vehicle code, which hasn’t addressed the rising popularity of powered micromobility devices. […]

Riders of Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which go up to 20 mph, must be at least 15 years old, according to the bill. Riders must be at least 16 years old for Class 3 e-bikes, which go up to 28 mph.

* Capitol News Illinois…

House Bill 3663 would increase the amount of money paid to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois and bring the state in line with federally recommended minimum standard set in 2004.

The Court of Claims would now be able to award an exoneree up to $50,000 for each year wrongfully spent in prison and $25,000 for each year wrongfully on parole, probation or a sex offender registry with no upward cap. The court could also pay out associated attorney fees and costs.

The previous system set specific payouts based on the range of years served, with a maximum total payout of $199,150 that’s hit once a person has served at least 14 years wrongfully. […]

The bill is the product of years of work by the Illinois Innocence Project.

* Tribune…

A bill aimed at strengthening protections for vulnerable adults under guardianship gained approval from Illinois lawmakers six months after a Tribune investigation revealed troubling consequences of area hospitals’ use of guardianship.

If signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, the legislation will create a number of additional oversight mechanisms for hospitals and other parties that request guardianship for an adult with whom they have no personal relationship, as well as for private professional guardians. […]

The bill also encourages private professional guardians to meet with the allegedly disabled adult prior to being appointed to the case or as soon as is feasible. An earlier version of the bill had required that such guardians attest in court that they had met with and assessed the adult prior to their appointment. […]

Other guardrails in the bill include naming an individual on the guardianship petition instead of an organization, requiring certification of all staff working in guardian roles at private guardianship organizations, and periodic background checks of those employees.

Private guardians will also be required to notify the court at least 60 days prior that they are planning to refer the disabled adult under their care to the state or county guardian, and to estimate as part of the budgeting process how much longer the disabled adult can afford their fees and services before their estate is depleted. They also need to notify the court if the disabled adult’s home would be required to be sold to pay for continued services within the next 36 months.

* Cook County Record…

Illinois has become the latest state to restrict the involvement of private equity and other non-lawyer interests in owning or running law firms, enacting legislation supporters say will help to protect the attorney-client relationship and wall off attorney fees from non-lawyers.

In the closing hours of the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved the legislation known as House Bill 5487.

In an unusual political alignment, the measure drew support from both the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, which speaks for the state’s influential lawsuit filers, as well as from the group that normally lines up opposite them in court and on political issues, the Illinois Defense Counsel. […]

The legislation explicitly places limits on the creation and use of so-called alternative business structures (ABS) and management services organizations (MSOs) in law firms.

* Sen. Sue Rezin…

After years of advocating for stronger protections for children online, legislation sponsored by Illinois Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) aimed at improving online safety for minors and giving parents additional tools to navigate the challenges of the digital age passed out of the General Assembly in the early hours of June 1st.

House Bill 5511, also known as the Children’s Online Safety Act, establishes additional safeguards for minors on social media platforms, including enhanced privacy protections, parental controls, and restrictions on certain interactions between minors and adults.

“Over the last five years, I have worked with parents, educators, mental health professionals, technology experts, and young people to better understand how social media and other online platforms are affecting our children,” said Senator Rezin. “One thing has become very clear: doing nothing is not an option.”

Senator Rezin has long been a leading voice on online safety issues through her Safe Screens, Healthy Minds initiative, which focuses on helping families better understand the impact of technology and social media on youth mental health and well-being.

* Capitol News Illinois…

The goal of House Bill 5511, the Children’s Online Social Media Safety Act, is to prevent children under the age of 18 from being exposed to harmful content and addictive features by requiring social media companies to confirm a user’s age through the device’s operating system.

The bill doesn’t prevent children from downloading or using social media apps. During device set-up, parents would set the child’s age, which would adjust certain design features in apps such as algorithmic feeds, the visibility of the child’s profile and what media can be shown to them.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Monday with a vote of 57-0. It passed the House a second time on Monday with a 113-0 vote.

Gov. JB Pritzker proposed the bill during his February budget address, and he celebrated its passage on Monday and said he would sign it.

* WAND…

A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could protect medical records related to abortion and gender affirming care provided in Illinois.

Sponsors said the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act will ensure people receiving care in Illinois will not have their sensitive records shared without their consent.

The bill requires electronic health networks to prevent all medical codes related to abortion and gender dysmorphia from leaving the state unless the patient approves that the information can be shared. […]

Pritzker said he looks forward to signing the bill into law to fortify the protections around choice and consent. He also stressed anyone receiving safe and legal abortion care in Illinois will not be criminalized.

* Rep. Nabeela Syed…

State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, passed tough new legislation June 1 to ban the use of AI agents or complex software programs, often called ‘bots,’ to buy up thousands of tickets in seconds, before real consumers can do so, and then sell them on ticket resale sites for a huge markup. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for signature.
“Shady operators using underhanded tactics to restrict supply and drive prices up shouldn’t be allowed to be the gatekeepers to concerts and events in our state,” Syed said. “This legislation is not aimed at regular consumers who want to resell a ticket. This is about putting a stop to industrial-scale operations that scoop up tickets by the hundreds or even thousands, and then sell them back to people at highway-robbery prices. That’s not okay, so we’re giving authorities the tools to shut it down.”
Bot-driven ticket purchases don’t just harm consumers, but also venues and surrounding small businesses, when fewer people can afford inflated ticket prices. Venues often get very little of the ticket price and make money from people entering the gates and purchasing food, drinks, and merchandise. Less foot traffic around the venue leaves surrounding local businesses with lower profits.
The Syed-backed Senate Bill 318, also known as the Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Act, bans using bots to purchase tickets in excess of posted limits, including by using more than one account, IP address, or email addresses—or to circumvent or disable a queue, waiting period, pre-sale code, or any other limitation. Ticket sellers are required to report violations and identify violators if known.

* More…

* Tribune | Illinois OKs immigration detention limits and e-bike rules while prescriptions board and police bill stall: Among the most significant measures to clear the legislature was a bill barring federal immigration detention centers from being built within 1,500 feet of schools, parks, homes, churches and other community spaces — a direct response to the violent clashes that roiled the Chicago suburb of Broadview last fall during the Trump administration’s mass deportation operation. The bill passed 39-17 in the Senate during the overnight hours on Monday after clearing the House in April by a 72-35 vote. It was introduced by House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, of Hillside, whose legislative district includes the Broadview’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility at 1930 Beach St. — the flash point for weeks of confrontations between federal immigration officers and protesters during what became known as Operation Midway Blitz.

* Capitol News Illinois | Lawmakers at the end of session try to appease both sides in drug pricing controversy: Illinois lawmakers gave hospitals and community health centers much of what they wanted this session by passing a bill that prohibits drug manufacturers from interfering with their access to discounted medications through a federal drug pricing program. But they also gave drug companies what they wanted by passing another piece of legislation that calls on the Illinois Department of Insurance to conduct an audit to find out how much money these hospitals and clinics are making off that program, and what they are doing with the profits.

* Kankakee Times | Illinois legislature approves bill raising agricultural bond caps: The proposed law adjusts the Illinois Finance Authority Act, allowing issuance of a higher amount of notes or bonds for individual agricultural real estate borrowers above the current $450,000 cap adjusted for inflation, if bigger amounts are permitted by law or regulation. Restrictions remain preventing bond proceeds from going to agribusinesses with over 100 employees and those whose gross receipts exceed $2 million, except as specified for research and development and out-of-state applicants. The legislation becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.