Will County Gazette

Michael E. Hastings introduced SB2278 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 7, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities and veterans of World War II, provides that, if the taxpayer is the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was determined to be service-connected or (currently, and) the taxpayer is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a recipient of dependency and indemnity compensation, then the first $250,000 in equalized assessed value of the property is exempt from taxation under the Code. Effective immediately."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Property Tax Code in Illinois to expand homestead exemptions for veterans with disabilities and surviving spouses of veterans. It allows the first $250,000 in equalized assessed value of a property to be exempt from taxation if the taxpayer is the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was service-connected, or a certified recipient of dependency and indemnity compensation. This exemption also applies to surviving spouses of World War II veterans without regard to the veteran's level of disability starting in taxable year 2024. The exemption continues for surviving spouses who retain ownership and residency of the property without remarrying. The changes take effect immediately upon the bill becoming law.

Michael E. Hastings has proposed another 26 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Hastings graduated from United States Military Academy at West Point in 2003 with a BS and again in 2014 from The John Marshall Law School with a JD.

Michael Hastings is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 19th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Maggie Crotty in 2013.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB2278	02/07/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities and veterans of World War II, provides that, if the taxpayer is the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was determined to be service-connected or (currently, and) the taxpayer is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a recipient of dependency and indemnity compensation, then the first $250,000 in equalized assessed value of the property is exempt from taxation under the Code. Effective immediately.
SB2303	02/07/2025	Amends the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act. Provides that any person, entity, or business that offers fire sprinkler contractor services under the Act without being licensed or exempt under the Act shall pay a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $50,000 (rather than $10,000) for each offense. Provides that, if any person, entity, or business commits a second offense within 24 months, the civil penalty shall be no less than $10,000 which shall be deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund. Provides that, if any person, entity, or business commits more than 2 offenses within 24 months, the civil penalty shall be no less than $25,000 which shall be deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund. Provides that any person who practices, offers to practice, attempts to practice, or holds himself or herself out to practice as a fire sprinkler inspector without being licensed or exempt under the Act shall pay a civil penalty not to exceed $50,000 (rather than $10,000) for each offense. Provides that, if any person commits a second offense within 24 months, the civil penalty shall be no less than $10,000 which shall be deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund. Provides that, if any person commits more than 2 offenses within 24 months, the civil penalty shall be no less than $25,000 which shall be deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund. Effective immediately.
SB2468	02/07/2025	Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Provides that, if the injured employee subsequently dies, the employer shall continue to pay the entire health insurance premium for the surviving spouse (rather than the surviving spouse until remarried) and for the dependent children under specified conditions.
SB2469	02/07/2025	Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a prescriber shall not be required to issue prescriptions for a substance classified in Schedule II, III, IV, or V electronically if the prescription is issued by a licensed veterinarian within 7 (rather than 2) years after November 17, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 103-563).
SB2056	02/06/2025	Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. Provides that a patient of record who is provided services through a mobile dental van or portable dental unit does not need to receive an in-person physical examination from a dentist prior to receiving treatment that utilizes teledentistry if such services are limited to certain procedures.
SB2057	02/06/2025	Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the Fire Marshal to develop clear and definitive guidelines to school districts, private schools, and first responders as to how to develop threat assessment procedures, rapid entry response plans, and cardiac emergency response plans. Requires the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to cooperate to adopt rules to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Grants emergency rulemaking powers to the State Board of Education and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act for a period not to exceed 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the State Board of Education to provide school districts with standards outlining what steps or consideration shall be included within the school district's threat assessment procedure. Makes a corresponding change in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Effective immediately.
SB2066	02/06/2025	Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides, in a provision that limits the enforceability of ordinances of units of local government with respect to the remediation, redevelopment, or improvement of certain State facilities, that a unit of local government shall not include a municipal wastewater agency or unit of local government that is organized under the Sanitary District Act of 1907, the North Shore Water Reclamation District Act, the Sanitary District Act of 1917, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act, the Sanitary District Act of 1936, the Metro-East Sanitary District Act of 1974, or the Eastern Will Sanitary District Act. Provides that an ordinance or regulation of a municipal wastewater agency or unit of local government that is organized under the Sanitary District Act of 1907, the North Shore Water Reclamation District Act, the Sanitary District Act of 1917, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act, the Sanitary District Act of 1936, the Metro-East Sanitary District Act of 1974, or the Eastern Will Sanitary District Act regarding the use of or connection to the wastewater treatment or collection system of the agency or unit of local government is valid and enforceable by the agency or unit of local government with respect to the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or installation of a State facility on or after the effective date. Effective immediately.
SB1715	02/05/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction for any amount included in gross income as a result of a basis adjustment to investment credit property under the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.
SB1716	02/05/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images is a Class 3 felony if the person who commits the offense of non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images uses an end-to-end encryption messaging system or device to transmit or disseminate the image to the victim or to another person. Defines "end-to-end encryption messaging system or device". Effective immediately.
SB1717	02/05/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom petitions for nomination are filed shall: (i) create a form for a prospective candidate to request a petition for nomination; (ii) provide a prospective candidate with a petition for nomination within 24 hours after receiving a completed request form; (iii) timestamp when a completed petition for nomination is filed; and (iv) make publicly available a list of filed petitions for nomination that shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.
SB1718	02/05/2025	Creates the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday Act. Provides that no sales tax shall be imposed on eligible merchandise purchased by any individual or entity in the State of Illinois during the sales tax holiday period. Provides that the sales tax holiday period is the period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ending at 11:59 p.m. on the following Sunday. Provides that "sales tax" means the taxes imposed under the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Effective immediately.
SB1443	01/31/2025	Amends the Mortgage Act. Provides that the Act does not abrogate the Illinois common law that the payment in full of a debt secured by a mortgage extinguishes the lien. Provides that payment in full of a debt secured by a mortgage pursuant to a payoff statement, as defined in the Mortgage Certificate of Release Act, issued by or on behalf of the holder of the indebtedness extinguishes the lien of the mortgage. Effective immediately.
SB1444	01/31/2025	Creates the Chicago Water Contracts Transparency Study Act. Provides that the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shall commission an independent study on the City of Chicago's water contracts with distributing municipalities, including detailed information on the agreements and costs associated with those agreements. Provides that the study shall also assess the potential cost impacts of establishing an alternative stream of water distribution, such as through the creation of a Southwest Water Authority or similar entity. Provides that the Commission shall hold at least 2 public hearings to solicit input from municipal representatives, water industry experts, and other stakeholders and include any relevant information resulting from those hearings in the study. Provides that the Commission shall complete the study and submit a report that includes an executive summary, detailed findings, and any recommendations resulting from the study to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than one year after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.
SB1289	01/28/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning surplus line insurance, changes the definition of "home state". Makes other conforming changes.
SB1353	01/28/2025	Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Illinois Veteran grant program. Provides that a grant recipient is not required to pay any tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled university or public community college in this State for a period that is based on the length of his or her active duty service, as verified on his or her U.S. Department of Defense form DD-214, calculated at specified credit hour rates (rather than for a period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms). Provides that a grant may be transferred to a qualified dependent beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year. Amends the School Code to make a related change. Effective July 1, 2025.
SB1354	01/28/2025	Creates the Tax Increment Financing and Zoning Ethics and Political Contributions Prohibition Act. Prohibits certain political contributions from those who receive a benefit from a TIF district or a benefit from a zoning variance. Requires corporate disclosure of directors, employees, investors, and family who receive a benefit from a TIF district or a benefit from a zoning variance. Establishes penalties for violations. Exempts certain unrelated persons and unrelated contributions. Defines terms. Effective September 1, 2025.
SB1355	01/28/2025	Creates the Public Official Conflict of Interest and Natural Resource Misuse Act. Provides that it is unlawful for any public official, for personal gain, to offer, propose, or allow the use or allocation of a city's natural resource as a condition for settlement or compensation for damage caused to a resident's personal property, with a Class 3 felony that includes a fine not to exceed $250,000 and restitution to the resident, as well as removal from office in the case the public official is an elected official. Provides for powers of investigation and enforcement for the Attorney General, as well as for local law enforcement agencies in consultation with the Executive Ethics Commission. Provides for protection for whistleblowers. Declares a purpose. Defines terms.
SB1356	01/28/2025	Creates the Video Gaming Ethics and Political Contributions Prohibition Act. Prohibits a video game terminal operator, landlord, or property owner, the board of directors or investors of a terminal operator, landlord, or property owner, or immediately family members of a terminal operator, landlord, or property owner from making a contribution to: (1) a municipal or county official responsible for issuing gaming licenses; or (2) a political action committee that supports or is affiliated with such officials. Provides that any corporation, organization, or entity receiving benefits from a gaming license shall disclose the names of directors, employees, investors, landlords, and their immediate family members who receive a benefit to the appropriate governmental body. Requires political organizations, candidates, political action committees, and independent expenditure committees to maintain records and disclose contributions from individuals or entities subject to the Act. Imposes penalties on any person or entity found to have made prohibited political contributions and on any municipal or county official who knowingly accepts prohibited political contributions. Allows the Illinois Gaming Board, the Illinois State Board of Elections, and the Illinois Ethics Commission to enforce the Act. Allows the Attorney General to prosecute violations of the Act. Effective immediately.
SB1357	01/28/2025	Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that an elected official of a unit of local government shall not use an alias, false identity, or any other deceptive means to submit a request for public records under the Act if the intent of the request is to cause the unit of local government to incur unreasonable or excessive costs. Sets forth penalties for a violation of this prohibition. Provides that, if an elected official of a unit of local government submits a request or series of requests resulting in unreasonable or excessive costs and if the use of an alias or false identity is discovered, then there is a rebuttable presumption that the request or requests were made to cause the unit of local government to incur unreasonable or excessive costs. Authorizes a unit of local government to seek reimbursement from elected officials who violate this requirement. Authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with units of local government, to investigate alleged violations and to take appropriate legal action against persons it alleges to have committed violations.
SB0268	01/24/2025	Creates the Insurance Fairness and Consumer Protection Law Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that insurers must submit a request for approval to the Department of Insurance for any proposed rate increase for homeowners insurance premiums or automobile insurance premiums. Prohibits implementing any rate increase without prior written approval of the Department. Prohibits using nondriving factors, such as credit score, occupation, and education level, to determine automobile insurance premiums. Provides that, for homeowners insurance, factors unrelated to the insured property's location, age, and condition shall not be considered in rate setting. Requires a public disclosure and comment period for any proposed rate increase exceeding 10% in a 12-month period. Prohibits an insurer from increasing premiums by more than 15% per year for any policyholder without exceptional justification, which must include specified evidence. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; penalties; reimbursement of consumers; market conduct actions; Department approval of rate increases; and rulemaking. Effective immediately.
SB0269	01/24/2025	Creates the Insurance Rate Transparency Law as an Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, each insurer offering automobile and homeowners insurance policies in Illinois shall maintain a publicly accessible website displaying a summary of the annual percentage increase or decrease in premium rates for homeowners insurance policies and automobile insurance policies. Requires the website to display the rate-change data for the previous 5 years, updated annually by no later than January 31 of each year, and specified other data. Sets forth provisions concerning the format of the renewal notice; enforcement of the requirements by the Department of Insurance; penalties; and rulemaking. Effective immediately.
SB0099	01/17/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities and veterans of World War II, provides that, if the taxpayer is the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was determined to be service-connected or (currently, and) the taxpayer is certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a recipient of dependency or indemnity compensation (currently, dependency and indemnity compensation), then the first $250,000 in equalized assessed value of the property is exempt from taxation under the Code. Effective immediately.
SB0100	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Gambling Act. Provides that the Illinois Gaming Board shall (1) allow sworn law enforcement personnel employed by the Board who retire in good standing to keep their previously issued Board identification cards or (2) issue photographic identification cards to sworn law enforcement personnel employed by the Board who retire in good standing that indicate their separation from service and identify the person as having been employed by the Board as sworn law enforcement personnel. Provides that, if a Board-issued identification card is lost or stolen, the Board shall immediately reissue a replacement identification card upon written request by the retired sworn law enforcement personnel. Effective immediately.
SB0101	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that the certification of service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses is an exclusive power and function of the State. Denies home rule powers. Effective immediately.
SB0149	01/17/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that victims shall be provided access to all discovery materials, including, but not limited to, police reports, relevant cellular communication data, and communications between parties, upon request, in accordance with the Crime Victims' Rights provision of the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution and the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act to aid in their protection against future harm and preparation for civil litigation. Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that crime victims shall have the right to discovery information, upon request, for protection and civil litigation preparation. Provides that victims of crimes shall have the right to request and receive, upon request, discovery information that is directly relevant to the criminal case and pertinent to the victim's involvement in the case. Establishes procedures for the victim to obtain discovery information. Provides that the disclosure of discovery materials must be done in a manner that safeguards the victim's personal safety and privacy, especially in cases in which there is a known risk of further harm or retaliation by the defendant or others involved in the case. Provides that discovery materials disclosed may only be used for the purpose of understanding the criminal case and preparing for potential civil litigation. Provides that the information may not be disclosed to third parties or used for any purpose unrelated to the criminal proceedings or related civil litigation. Provides that failure of law enforcement or the office of the prosecuting attorney to comply with the disclosure of discovery materials within the required time frame may result in a civil penalty of up to $50,000, or disciplinary action, or both, as determined by the appropriate oversight body. Effective immediately.
SB0176	01/17/2025	Creates the Procurement Bid Ethics Transparency Act. Provides that no director, employee, investor, or immediate family member of any director, employee, or investor of any corporation, organization, or entity that directly or indirectly operates a procurement bid process for a unit of local government shall simultaneously submit and compete for a procurement bid in that same unit of local government unless they have formally disclosed their involvement to the Executive Ethics Commission. Effective immediately.
SB0024	01/13/2025	Amends the Missing Persons Identification Act. Requires a law enforcement agency to attempt to obtain a biological sample from closely related family members of the missing person or a personal item of the missing person beginning 30 days after the date of the missing person report (rather than within 30 days after receipt of a report). Provides that a law enforcement agency may not establish or maintain a policy that requires the observance of a waiting period before accepting a missing person report. Modifies the circumstances under which a law enforcement agency may not refuse to accept a missing person report. Requires a law enforcement agency to notify a person responsible for the missing person's welfare, or other specified individuals, about specified efforts to locate a missing person. Provides that, if a person remains missing for 30 days after the date of report, the law enforcement agency shall immediately (rather than may) generate a report of the missing person within NamUs, and the law enforcement agency shall (rather than may) attempt to obtain specified information and materials that have not been received. Modifies the follow-up action required by a law enforcement agency after creation of a missing person report. Modifies the definition of "high-risk missing person". Upon receipt of a missing person report (rather than immediately), requires the responding local law enforcement agency to enter all collected information relating to the missing person case in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System and the National Crime Information Center. Makes other changes to reporting requirements. Modifies requirements for submission of fingerprints from unidentified remains for analysis as well as other requirements relating identified human remains. Provides that an assisting law enforcement agency, a medical examiner, a coroner, or the Illinois State Police may not close an unidentified person case until the individual has been identified and must keep the case active. Requires the coroner, medical examiner, or assisting law enforcement agency (rather than the coroner or medical examiner) to obtain a biological (rather than DNA) sample from an individual whose remains are not identifiable, and modifies how the sample may be analyzed and labeled. Makes other changes.
SB0025	01/13/2025	Amends the Swimming Facility Act. Defines "cold spa" and provides that it is lawful for a licensee to operate a cold spa in a manner that complies with the provisions of the Act and the rules adopted under the Act.
SB0026	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015. Provides that the court shall apply Illinois law, including the rules on choice of law, to adjudicate the parent-child relationship, and that such applicable law may (rather than does not) depend on the place of birth of the child or the past or present residence of the child. Effective immediately.
SB0027	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Defines "child" for purposes of child support to include any child under age 18 and any child over the age of 18 who has not attained age 19 and is still attending high school (instead of any child under age 18 and any child age 19 or younger who is still attending high school.) Effective immediately.