104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois House stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 18; the Senate was off this week. Both chambers will reconvene next week, Tuesday through Friday. The committee deadline in both chambers is next Friday, March 21. Unlike in past years, both chambers are indicating that committee deadlines will be “firm,” although extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. A list of upcoming House hearings is here; Senate hearings are here.
In total, 1,479 bills advanced out of House committees this week. Of those, 1,314 were leader shell bills while only 165 were substantive bills.
Highlights from this week are below. These bills all head to the House Floor for consideration.
· The House Insurance Committee unanimously approved HB 1360 (Gill) which would expand access to Alzheimer’s treatment in Illinois.
· Also passing out of the House Insurance Committee, by a vote of 11-6, was HB 35 (Morgan) which regulates the use of AI in health insurance.
· Artificial intelligence – and guiding its use in schools – was also part of the focus of HB 2503 (Faver Dias), which the House Education Policy Committee approved 9-4. The measure directs the State Board of Education to establish the State Instructional Technology Advisory Board, which will collaborate to provide guidance, integration, oversight, and evaluation of educational technologies, including but not limited to artificial intelligence.
· Receiving unanimous approval by the House Consumer Protection Committee was HB 1865 (Scherer), which attempts to protect older adults and patients at risk of exploitation from deceptive sales tactics by insurance companies.
· The Household Hazardous Waste Stewardship Act, HB 1893(Chung), was passed by a vote of 19-10 by the House Energy and Environment Committee.
· The full House will now consider legislation to allow doctors to prescribe some HIV medication without needing prior authorization. HB 2584 (Cassidy), passed the House Insurance Committee by a vote of 13-3 this week.
· The PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Act would be established by HB 2955 (Rashid), which the House Energy and Environment Committee passed by 19-10.
Committees continue to hold subject matter hearings on the impact of the loss of federal funding. This week, the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee convened such a hearing on the negative impact of the USDA funding freeze, tariffs, and the delayed farm bill on Illinois agriculture. Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II testified, as did key stakeholders representing farmers, research institutions, and food banks. Read more here and here.
Reforms to public transit in the Chicagoland region — in the form of two bills — were the topic of the Senate Transportation Committee subject matter hearing. SB 5 (Villivalam) would consolidate the Regional Transit Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and PACE into a single entity called the Metropolitan Mobility Authority, outlining its responsibilities for coordinating and overseeing public transportation. Meanwhile, SB 1938(Villivalam) seeks to improve service board coordination and accountability, safety measures, agency integration, and a universal fare system, as well as modify the composition and governance of the service boards. Read more about the hearing here and here.
2025 Spring Session Key Dates and Deadlines:
March 21: Deadline – Committee Deadline Both Chambers
April 11: Deadline – Third Reading Deadline Both Chambers
May 9: Deadline – Committee Deadline Bills in Opposite Chamber
May 23: Deadline – Third Reading Deadline Bills in Opposite Chamber
May 31: Adjournment
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Governor Pritzker traveled to the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas to showcase Illinois’ position as a leader in emerging high-tech industries and highlight the state’s recent economic development successes. At the event, he pitched Illinois as an attractive destination for prospective businesses and entrepreneurs looking to build the industries of the future. Read more here.
Staffing Changes: Two agency directors are departing the Governor’s Administration in March — Alicia Tate-Nadeau who serves as Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) and Sanjay Gupta who is the Secretary of the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT).
Adnan Khayyat, a 26-year veteran of IEMA-OHS who currently serves as the agency’s Acting Chief of Staff, will take over as Interim Director on April 1, 2025.
And beginning March 21, 2025, the role of DoIT Interim Secretary will be filled by Brandon Ragle, who has worked at the agency for over eight years and most recently held the position of Deputy Secretary.
Bond Sale: This week the State of Illinois sold $725 million in Build Illinois Bonds through a competitive bidding process; the funding will finance projects under the State’s capital program and pay issuance costs. State sales tax revenue and transfers from the Capital Project Fund support Build Illinois Bonds, and proceeds can be used for such wide-ranging purposes as infrastructure, economic development, healthcare, education, and environmental initiatives.
The bonds are rated A with a stable outlook by S&P, A+ with a stable outlook by Fitch, and AA+ with a stable outlook by Kroll Bond Rating Agency.
The bonds were issued in three series:
· Series A ($276 million, maturing 2026-2035) received 9 bids and were awarded to RBC Capital Markets at a true interest cost of 3.268%.
· Series B ($218 million, maturing 2036-2040) received 8 bids and were awarded to Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at a true interest cost of 3.933%.
· Series C ($231 million, maturing 2041-2045) received 8 bids and were awarded to BofA Securities at a true interest cost of 4.464%.
Governor Responds to Federal Education Cuts: In speaking before the IEA Representative Assembly on March 13, Governor JB Pritzker addressed a crowd of hundreds, including leadership and educators from the Illinois Education Association (IEA), state legislators, and other stakeholders. Pritzker highlighted the state’s education investments proposed in his FY26 budget and underscored the importance of defending public education amidst the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Pritzker emphasized, “Every student in every community from Cairo to Chicago, from Rockford to Champaign deserves a high-quality education taught by a well-paid teacher in a school with a library and a gym and a nurse and a social worker. Education is either the foundation for the nation’s future success, or if we fail, it can be our undoing. When we invest in our schools, we are building stronger communities, a more stable democracy, and a healthier economy.” Read more here.
Lead Service Line Inventory Grants Awarded: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced the recipients of the fourth round of Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) grants, to assist 15 additional community water supplies in meeting the requirements of the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act. The program provides $20,000 to $50,000 to local governments to create a complete lead service line inventory. Since launching in October 2022, LSLI grants have aided 264 Illinois drinking water systems. Read more here.
Water Infrastructure Loans: The IEPA also offered a recap of another of its funding opportunities. The agency announced that $112 million in water infrastructure loans was granted to local governments and water districts for the first half of Fiscal Year 2025 (July – December 2024). Monies come from IEPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provide low-interest loans to fund wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects. These investments include more than $9.9 million in loan forgiveness, provided to recipients meeting the program’s Small Community Rate or Hardship Rate criteria.
Two loan programs make up the SRF: the Water Pollution Control Loan Program, which funds both wastewater and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program for drinking water projects. Both parts offer a low 1.87% interest rate for FY25. The SRF programs receive not only annual federal capitalization funding but also state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money, and periodic bond sale proceeds. Read more here.
Protections for Those Experiencing Homelessness: A letter reminding public officials and local government entities of their obligations under a number of laws — the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003, and the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act — has been sent by the Department of Human Rights and Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court opinion on laws about camping and other sleeping activities on public property prompted the letter. The communication underscored that Illinois law requires the administration of public spaces in a non-discriminatory manner, including for individuals seeking shelter. Most localities continue to provide care and compassion for people experiencing homelessness, the letter said, but some local governments have enacted or are considering ordinances restricting access to public spaces by imposing penalties, fines, and even incarceration of those without shelter. Read more here.
OTHER NEWS:
Teacher Shortage Report: A new educator shortage report says that “poor working conditions” and low wages contribute significantly to the teacher shortage in Illinois. Of schools surveyed, 87% said that they have a teacher shortage problem and an overwhelming 91% said that they struggle to find substitute teachers. Read more here and here.
ICC Issues Supplier Diversity Report: Diverse spending by the state’s largest investor-owned utilities has steadily increased for the fourth consecutive year, exceeding $2 billion, according to the 2024 Annual Report from the Illinois Commerce Commission’s (ICC) Office of Diversity and Community Affairs (ODCA). Some utilities reported that diverse suppliers, including minority, women, veteran, and small business enterprises, accounted for nearly 45 percent of their total spending. Read the report here. More information is here.
Illinois Gaming Board: The Illinois Gaming Board met Thursday. A summary of their meeting is here.