104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois House was in session Tuesday through Thursday of this week. The Senate was off this week. Both chambers return to session on Tuesday, April 29, at noon.
Note, the Senate extended the committee and/or 3rd Reading Deadline for 214 Senate Bills. Meanwhile, the House extended the deadline on a limited number of bills.
This week, the House reviewed legislation in committees, passing 74 bills onto the full House for consideration. The deadline to pass bills out of committee in the opposite chamber is Friday, May 9. Committees also held subject matter hearings on the budget and a variety of other issues.
SB 1519 (Villa/Ford) which stops the practice of police ticketing students for breaking school rules passed the Education Policy Committee 9-3 and now heads to the full House.
SB 19 (Harmon/Guzzardi) which makes numerous changes to update and modernize the Prisoner Review Board and its processes passed the House Executive Committee 8-3 and now heads to the full House.
SB 67 (Peters) which makes changes to the Nurse Agency Licensure Act to expand the scope of accountability, hold violators accountable, and establish penalties proportional to the specific violation passed the House Labor Committee 17-7 and now heads to the full House.
SB 291 (Morrison/Mussman) which creates the One Health Task Force to develop a framework to promote the health and well-being of the State’s residents, animals, and environment passed the House Public Health Committee unanimously and now heads to the full House.
Both chambers will reconvene next week to continue reviewing opposite chamber legislation at the committee level. A list of Senate committee hearings is here; House committee hearings are here.
2025 Spring Session Key Dates and Deadlines:
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:
Health Insurance Marketplace: A coalition of five state governors—JB Pritzker (IL), Jared Polis (CO), Wes Moore (MD), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), and Tina Kotek (OR)—have formally challenged CMS Director Peter Nelson regarding the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule. Their joint letter argues that the rule would inappropriately restrict states’ regulatory authority over health insurance marketplaces, creating consumer confusion, limiting enrollment options for vulnerable populations, and destabilizing local healthcare systems.
The governors specifically cite three major concerns: restrictions on enrollment management would create market instability, elimination of special enrollment options would increase uninsured rates among low-income families, and changes to premium adjustment calculations would increase costs while burdening healthcare systems with unpaid medical expenses. They have urged the complete withdrawal of the problematic provisions to preserve state flexibility in healthcare governance.
HIV Prevention Available Directly from Pharmacists: Illinois has authorized pharmacists to provide PrEP, an HIV prevention medication, directly to residents without requiring a doctor’s prescription. This standing order from the Illinois Department of Public Health makes the medication more accessible to at-risk individuals while also simplifying the reimbursement process for pharmacists who provide these services. Read more here.
Community Water System Notification: The Illinois EPA identified PFAS contamination exceeding new groundwater quality standards in 21 Community Water Systems, affecting an additional 26 connected systems. State Right-to-Know regulations mandate that these systems notify all consumers about contamination that exceeds Class I standards, following specific notification protocols and timelines. Read more here.
ISAC Letter to Department of Education: The Illinois Student Assistance Commission has written to Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressing serious concerns about the Trump Administration’s restructuring of the Department of Education. The letter highlights potential delays in student financial aid delivery due to staff cuts, with reports of unanswered communications and system outages already occurring. ISAC also warns against transferring the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio to the Small Business Administration, which lacks expertise in loan administration and faces significant staff reductions. Additional concerns were raised about the security and privacy of student and borrower data during these transitions. The letter is here.
Standard Operating Guideline for Fire Departments: Several Illinois agencies, including IL OSHA, OSFM, IFSI, IFCA, and MABAS-Illinois, have jointly created a sample standard operating guideline for structure fires that addresses incident command, accountability, and mayday procedures. The sample SOG is available at osha.illinois.gov/fire. Read more here.
Pre-Apprenticeship Program: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded more than $19 million in funding to 38 program recipients across the state. This investment will expand the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which serves 1,900 community members statewide while creating a qualified talent pipeline of diverse candidates for the construction and building trades. Read more here.
First Measles Case Reported in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed the first measles case of 2025 in Illinois. Laboratory testing on April 23 verified the case, which involves an adult in far southern Illinois. At this time, this remains the only known case. Currently, the risk of community transmission among the general Illinois population remains low.
Governor Appoints Secretary of DoIT: Governor JB Pritzker appointed Brandon Ragle to lead the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology. With over 20 years of experience in IT strategy and management, Ragle stepped into his new role on April 11, having previously served as interim Secretary following Sanjay Gupta’s departure. Before taking on interim leadership responsibilities, Ragle held the positions of Deputy Secretary and Deputy Chief Information Officer from 2023-2025.
Governor Appoints Director of OEMA-OHS: Governor JB Pritzker appointed emergency management veteran Ted Berger to head IEMA-OHS, subject to Senate confirmation. Berger brings extensive experience to the role, having previously served as Executive Director of Cook County’s Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.
Gubernatorial Appointments: Governor Pritzker also appointed the following:
· Subhash Sharma will serve as a Member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
· Daniel Hayes will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
· Sarah Barnett Bruckmann will serve as a Member of the Lottery Control Board.
OTHER NEWS:
2026 Election: Illinois’ U.S. senior Senator Dick Durbin announced he will not pursue a sixth term in 2026. At 80 years old, Durbin would reach 88 by the end of another term. Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton quickly announced she will seek the Democratic nomination to replace Durbin. Others preparing potential candidacies are U.S. Representatives Lauren Underwood, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Robin Kelly as well as State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. On the Republican side, Congressman Darrin LaHood and former State Representative Tom Demmer are considering running to replace Durbin.
While not official, US Representative Jan Schakowsky is expected to announce her retirement on May 5.
Two Republicans have announced their intentions to seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Joseph Severino, who previously ran for Congress in the 10th District in 2022 as a Republican and in 2024 as an Independent. Severino, who made his announcement on a talk show, has yet to file paperwork with the State Board of Elections. Also running as a Republican is DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick. Two-term Democratic Governor JB Pritzker has not announced if he plans to seek reelection in 2026.
Nick Uniejewski announced he will challenge Senator Sara Feigenholtz for the Democratic nomination in the 6th District. Uniejewski works as a policy analyst for the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services. He previously worked as an organizer for NARAL Pro-Choice America (now Reproductive Freedom for All) and Indivisible. He also served as Outreach Manager for former Representative Marie Newman’s 2020 campaign and managed her 2022 campaign.
Healthcare Mergers: Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have joined the FTC’s lawsuit to block GTCR BC Holdings LLC from acquiring Surmodics Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger would be anticompetitive, combining the two largest manufacturers of medical device coatings and giving them over 50% market control. Officials argue the acquisition would eliminate competition that has spurred lower prices and innovation, ultimately harming both manufacturers and patients. Filed in the Northern District of Illinois, the lawsuit seeks to prevent the acquisition until a full administrative hearing can be conducted. Read more here.
AG Joins Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Tariffs: Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s tariff increases. The legal challenge targets executive orders imposing significant tariffs worldwide: 145% on most Chinese products, 25% on Canadian and Mexican goods, and 10% on products from other countries, with additional increases planned for July 9.
Filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, the lawsuit argues these tariffs are unconstitutional because only Congress has taxation authority. While the administration cites the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Raoul and the coalition contend this law requires an “unusual and extraordinary threat” that doesn’t exist in this case, making this unprecedented use of the IEEPA illegal. Attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont have joined the lawsuit. The lawsuit is here.
Google Lawsuit: Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a bipartisan coalition of 17 attorneys general secured a legal victory against Google when a U.S. District Court ruled the company maintained illegal monopolies in digital advertising technology. The 2023 lawsuit alleged Google’s market dominance allowed it to control online ad sales, extracting higher fees from advertisers while paying publishers less, ultimately harming consumers. Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google violated antitrust laws by monopolizing publisher ad server and ad exchange markets, unlawfully tying services together, and implementing anticompetitive policies that increased prices. A second trial phase will determine remedies for Google’s conduct. Read more here.
Study Indicates Support for Increased Funding for Higher Education: The nonpartisan research group Public Agenda released a new study indicating strong bipartisan support among Illinois residents for increased public college funding, with many non-degreed respondents expressing interest in pursuing higher education. According to the study, approximately half of Illinois residents lack college credentials, with many citing financial barriers or choosing to work immediately after high school instead. Nearly 75% of non-degree holders reported negative life impacts, particularly limited career advancement. Black and Latino residents were more likely than white residents to perceive college as financially unattainable.
Illinois Treasurer Announces New Student Loan Option: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs launched a new program offering college loan options for state residents. The initiative includes the Funding U Illinois No-Cosigner Loan, which serves students who have exhausted other financial aid options and lack access to co-signers, with fixed rates between 7.99% and 9.49%. The program also features Partnership and College Family loans through ISL Education Lending, with competitive rates ranging from 3.45% to 6.77%. The Treasurer believes these options can make higher education more accessible for Illinois students attending in-state institutions. Read more here.
Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Challenge to Venue Law: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that a 2023 law limiting constitutional challenges to courts in Sangamon and Cook counties does not violate due process rights. The law was enacted following challenges to various state policies, including COVID-19 measures and weapons bans. The court found that while litigating in Sangamon County might be less convenient for the plaintiff than their preferred Madison County, this inconvenience does not constitute a constitutional violation. The ruling applies only to the specific plaintiff in this case. The ruling is here.