104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly adjourned after a busy week of session. The House was in session Tuesday through Friday. The Senate was in session Tuesday through Thursday; Friday’s Senate Session was canceled. The House will reconvene March 25 – 28 (Tuesday through Friday) to begin considering legislation for final passage; the Senate is off next week and returns Tuesday, April 1.
Yesterday was the deadline to pass substantive legislation out of committee in its first chamber. We will monitor potential deadline extensions.
The Senate moved numerous bills from 2nd to 3rd Reading on Thursday, including bills where sponsors had pledged to hold on 2nd Reading pending an amendment or further negotiations. The Senate President’s office noted that this was done for “efficiency purposes.”
Legislators spent long days in committee hearings this week, with a total of 1,387 bills passed out of committee. Of those, 866 Senate Bills were leader shell bills while 521 were substantive. Below are highlights from this week’s committee action.
School boards must adopt a policy (by the 2026-2027 school year) prohibiting student use of wireless communication devices during instructional time under SB 2427(Castro), which the Senate Education Committee unanimously approved. This includes cell phones, computers, and smartwatches, but excludes school-issued or required educational devices. The policy must allow exceptions for medical reasons, IEPs, 504 plans, English learners, educational purposes approved by school personnel, and emergencies. Policies must be reviewed every three years and posted on the school board’s website. The bill is an initiative of Governor JB Pritzker.
Also approved by the Senate Education Committee: SB 71 (Murphy), which establishes a partnership between Local Emergency Planning Committees, the State Emergency Response Commission, schools, and school districts to address safety threats posed by the storage and transport of hazardous substances near schools. The measure provides requirements for a comprehensive emergency response plan and outlines the duties of the State Emergency Response Commission, which must work with Local Emergency Planning Committees and schools on planning and preparedness.
Yet another bill passing out of the Senate Education Committee (on a vote of 12-2) was SB 1519 (Villa), which eliminates student ticketing for disciplinary actions.
On a partisan roll call, the House Insurance Committee approved HB 1234 (Mayfield) which (as amended) requires the Secretary of State to study auto insurance rates and how they are set.
SB 2156 (Ventura) seeks to reform the child incarceration process. A Child First Reform Task Force would be set up to review and recommend reforms to the juvenile justice system, focusing on training for courts and law enforcement, and integrating restorative practices. The bill prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment, aiming for a compassionate system that protects children’s rights and addresses the consequences of criminalization. The measure passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee by a vote 6-2.
HB 3614 (Ammons) prohibits anyone from engaging in carbon sequestration activities within a sequestration facility that overlies, underlies, or intersects a sole-source aquifer. The goal: protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from contamination due to carbon sequestration. The House Energy and Environment Committee passed the bill 23-3. The Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee unanimously passed similar legislation, SB 1723 (Faraci), as amended.
The House Executive Committee approved HB 2374 (Cassidy) which addresses care of sexual assault survivors who present for treatment at a hospital. The sponsor pledged to continue working on the legislation to address the concerns of opponents including ICASA and IHA. Companion legislation — SB 1602 (Morrison) — unanimously passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Increasing access to non-opioid prescription medication — to avoid the addictiveness of prescription opioids – is the aim of SB 1238 (Villa), which the Senate Insurance Committee unanimously approved. Specifically, the bill would require health insurance providers to develop a plan for providing adequate coverage and access to non-opioid, non-narcotic and non-medication pain management services, which serve as an alternative to opioid and narcotic prescription drugs. Additionally, the measure would allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to publish an educational pamphlet regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for pain management. Companion legislation, HB 2852 (Yang Rohr) also unanimously passed the House Healthcare Availability and Accessibility Committee this week.
Requiring group or individual health insurance plans to cover all medically necessary FDA-approved treatments or medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is the goal of SB 126 (Murphy), which the Senate Insurance Committee unanimously approved. Proponents noted many available treatments are effective only in the early stages of the disease. All diagnostic testing (for a physician to determine the appropriate use of treatments or medications) must be covered.
The Illinois Junk Fee Ban Act would be created by SB 1486 (Aquino) which passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a vote of 6-3. Under the measure, businesses (like hotels, restaurants and live ticket companies) would be required to disclose all fees before the customer decides on the transaction. The bill excludes wholesale clubs, car rental companies, airlines and broadband or satellite internet companies.
Legislation creating the Homeschool Act — HB 2827(Costa Howard) — came under extensive debate in the House Education Policy Committee. The bill’s sponsor testified that the measure would provide accountability, transparency, and protections for families who choose homeschooling. The bill: (1) requires families to submit a declaration form stating they are homeschooling; (2) allows the Department of Children and Family Services to verify the homeschooling declaration if there is a hotline call; (3) mandates that homeschooling families maintain an educational portfolio documenting their child’s progress; and (4) requires regional education offices to collect certain data and report homeschooling numbers by region, grade, and gender to the General Assembly. Opponents criticized the legislation and argued that it applies not only to homeschoolers but also to private schools. The sponsor noted that she is working on another amendment. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 8-4-1. Read more here.
Phasing out the use of certain single use plastics statewide is the focus of two measures that passed out of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee. As amended, SB 1531 (Fine) phases out single-use foam food ware; it passed the committee 7-2. Also getting a vote of 7-2 was SB 1872 (Castro) which, as amended, phases out single-use plastic shopping bags at large retailers.
SB 2306 (Ventura) expands the scope of clean energy projects under the Climate Bank Loan Financing Act to include storm resilience, nature-based solutions, and water and climate risk mitigation. This may include federal or other funds that can be used for clean water, drinking water, and wastewater treatment, or climate resilience projects. The Senate Executive Committee passed the measure unanimously.
HB 2982 (L. Hernandez), which amends the minimum wage law to eliminate the tipped credit on July 1, 2027, passed the House Executive Committee (on a vote of 8-4).
One of the Department of Insurance’s initiatives advanced out of the House Insurance Committee this week on a partisan roll call. As amended, HB 3799 (Morgan) strengthens the Department’s existing data call enforcement authority. The bill also changes consumer notifications for policy cancellations, extending them from 30 days to 60 days. Finally, the bill allows DOI to issue separate climate surveys to Illinois companies if necessary. The sponsor expects negotiations to continue, and a floor amendment will be forthcoming.
Another initiative of DOI is HB 3755 (Jones), prohibiting auto insurance companies from denying coverage for vehicle theft when there is no evidence of forcible entry. The bill passed the House Insurance Committee on a partisan roll call. A floor amendment is expected.
Overhauling how police execute search warrants is the focus of HB 1611 (Buckner), which the House Judiciary Committee passed 8-5. Under the proposed legislation, officers would be required to knock, announce themselves, and wait at least 30 seconds for a response before entering a residence. Forced entry without this protocol would be permitted only in emergency situations or with judicial approval to prevent injury or other harm. Anjanette Young, whose home was wrongly searched by Chicago police six years ago, testified in support of the legislation. Read more here.
The Senate Criminal Law Committee unanimously passed SB 2323 (Morrison) which includes the development of a strategic plan to enhance the victim-centered, trauma-informed approach of law enforcement in responding to individuals who have been trafficked. The bill also calls for training standards to improve the detection, investigation, and response to human trafficking.
Increasing transparency and disclosure in the local government procurement process is the aim of HB 3742 (Rita), unanimously approved by the House Executive Committee. The sponsor indicated that he would continue to work on the legislation.
Amendments including Governor Pritzker’s proposed PBM reform package were filed on HB 3705 (Manley) and SB 1390 (Koehler). Both bills were scheduled for a hearing this week; HB 3705 in the House Executive Committee and SB 1390 in the Senate Insurance Committee. However, neither bill was considered by either committee this week.
In other news, the “Care Can’t Wait” campaign – a coalition of seniors, care workers from SEIU Healthcare Illinois, the Alzheimer’s Association, and Addus Healthcare — rallied at the State Capitol this week. Attendees called on the state legislature to increase the wage floor for home care workers serving seniors in the Community Care Program from $18 per hour to $20 per hour by 2026. The goal is to ensure seniors can access quality, affordable, and dignified care in the setting of their choice. Bills to enact the wage increase are pending in both chambers — HB 1330 (Canty) and SB 120 (Villanueva).
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:
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker launched a statewide “Standing Up for Illinois Tour” this week, to focus on the impacts that recent actions of the Trump Administration are having on Illinois. The tour kicked off in Champaign-Urbana, where Pritzker joined Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski at Sola Gratia Farm for a roundtable with farmers and environmental leaders affected by the loss of climate-smart agriculture funding.
Pritzker also met with laid-off workers at the University of Illinois Soybean Innovation Lab, which is set to close next month due to cuts to the federal USAID program. Additionally, the governor teamed up with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood in Romeoville to address the Department of Government Efficiency’s impact on Social Security. Pritzker ended the week with a visit to Rockford to discuss mass transit and infrastructure projects, as well as a stop in Peoria to address Medicaid.
Staffing Updates: Two agency directors have been reappointed to their roles. Mary Killough will continue as Director of the Illinois Department on Aging, and Heidi Mueller will remain as Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Get Covered Illinois: Get Covered Illinois, along with 18 other state-based health insurance marketplaces, issued a joint letter to Congressional leaders. Coordinated by the National Academy of State Health Policy (NAHSP), the letter emphasized the value of the enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of this year and urged Congress to extend them because of their critical role in helping Americans afford health coverage. A record 24 million Americans, nearly 466,000 of whom are Illinoisans, enrolled in healthcare plans through the marketplaces for Plan Year 2025. Read the letter here. More information is here.
CEJA Grants Awarded: Some 88 awards totaling $57 million have been announced by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The grants include the Community Solar Energy Sovereignty Grant Program ($7.7 million), Equitable Energy Future Grant Program ($10.3 million), and Energy Transition Community/Zion Grant Program ($39 million). These programs aim to boost energy efficiency, renewable energy projects, and support Illinois’ clean energy workforce. Read more here.
Community College Enrollment Surges: The 2025 Spring enrollment at Illinois Community Colleges has surged, increasing by 8.9% compared to the previous Spring semester. This increase is the largest Spring-to-Spring enrollment growth since the late 1990s when the Illinois Community College Board began collecting such data. Furthermore, this marks the third consecutive year of Spring enrollment increases, according to the state’s latest 2025 Spring Enrollment Report. Read more here.
Vehicle Emissions Testing: The Illinois Vehicle Emissions Testing Program is undergoing several updates, according to The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Effective Monday, March 17, the Forest Preserve Drive location in Chicago will reopen. Also scheduled for that on that date was the launch of Mobile Testing Units, an updated multi-lingual website, and program updates shared via social media. Read more here.
OTHER NEWS:
Groups Call for Expanding Sales Tax to Services: A new report calls for the expansion of sales taxes to some services; the document was issued by the Civic Federation, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. The report argues Illinois’ tax structure is outdated and modernization would promote more fairness, and new revenue could help support essential services. Among the recommendations is that a service tax be imposed on a broad set of consumer services to comply with the Illinois Constitution’s uniformity clause, which requires that taxes be consistently applied, with reasonable exemptions. Also suggested – working with local governments to avoid double taxation.
The groups suggest allocating the additional revenue to a number of areas, including:
· Addressing the $770 million public transit funding deficit estimated by the RTA and total $1.5 billion needed annually to enable significant improvements to the transit system in northeastern Illinois;
· Paying down Illinois’ $144 billion in unfunded pension obligations;
· Fully funding the evidence-based K-12 education funding formula;
· Making additional contributions to the state’s rainy-day reserve fund; and
· Funding tax relief for low-income households by increasing resources allocated to programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Circuit Breaker Property Tax Relief program.