104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois House stands adjourned for the week after being in session Wednesday, March 18, through Friday, March 20. Both chambers will reconvene on Tuesday, March 24. The Senate will be in session Tuesday through Thursday of next week, while the House will be in session Tuesday through Friday. Next Friday, March 27, is the deadline to pass House Bills out of House Committees.
Note, the Illinois Senate extended the committee deadline on 700 Senate Bills.
Highlights of this week’s action are below:
There was no action this week in the House on HB 910 (Buckner), which creates a statewide Megaprojects Pilot tool that would help the Chicago Bears move to Arlington Heights and boost other large-scale projects.
Two pieces of Governor Pritzker’s affordability package advanced this week. First, legislation to establish rate regulation for homeowners and auto insurance, SB 1486 (Hastings/Jones), was fast-tracked in the House this week. The bill requires rate review for both homeowners and auto insurance policies to determine that rates are not “excessive or discriminatory.” Pritzker urged passage of the bill in his State of the State Address. The bill is also supported by the Secretary of State’s Office. Members of the insurance industry testified against the measure, particularly regarding the inclusion of auto policies in the legislation. After passing the House 66-40-2, the measure heads to the Senate for concurrence.
Representative Morgan introduced HFA #1 to HB 228, which aims to eliminate deceptive “junk fees” — hidden or misleading charges that appear only at the point of sale, often concealing the true price of goods and services. The proposed legislation, also a piece of the Governor’s affordability initiative, would require businesses to clearly disclose the full price of products and services before consumers reach the point of sale. It would apply to industries where hidden fees are common, including ticketing, hospitality, and certain service transactions. HFA #1 is assigned to the House Consumer Protection Committee and is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, March 24.
The House Insurance Committee approved HB 5259 (Morgan) along partisan lines. The bill prohibits health insurance companies from denying new coverage to individuals or employers solely because they owe premiums from a previous policy. The measure allows insurers to continue to pursue collection of unpaid balances but ensures that outstanding debt does not act as a barrier to accessing care. The legislation also aims to restore consumer protections at the state level by ensuring Illinoisans can obtain new coverage without first resolving prior debt, while still holding individuals accountable for unpaid premiums through standard collection processes. The measure does not apply to grandfathered health plans, those established prior to the Affordable Care Act’s enactment in 2010, which are exempt from certain federal requirements and are no longer available for purchase. HB 5259 now heads to the full House for consideration. The sponsor pledged to continue working on the bill and bring an amendment back to the committee for consideration.
HB 5260 (Morgan) represents the Department of Insurance administrative clean-up bill. The measure passed the House Insurance Committee 14-0 and now heads to the full House for consideration. The sponsor pledged to continue working with opponents to clarify language.
HB 5237 (DeLuca), which prevents counties and cities from imposing business taxes based on the number of employees the business employs, passed the House Revenue Committee unanimously. Prompted by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s recent push for a corporate head tax, the bill now moves to the full House.
Along partisan lines, the House Energy and Environment Committee advanced The Wetlands Protection Act, HB3596 (Moeller). The bill empowers the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to oversee wetland permitting and establish “clear, science-based standards” for protection and mitigation. The bill now moves to the full House.
The House Labor Committee approved, by a vote of 18-9, HB 4980 (Rashid), which creates the Meaningful Human Control of Artificial Intelligence Act. The bill establishes guardrails for the use of AI in the public sector by requiring transparency, bias auditing, and human oversight for automated decision-making systems (ADS) used by government agencies in employment decisions. The sponsor noted he is continuing conversations with stakeholders and will return to the committee with an amendment. The bill now moves to the full House. Read more here.
HB 4565 (Faver Dias) eliminates non-compete agreements for health care professionals. The measure passed the House Labor Committee 18-9 and now heads to the full House; the sponsor pledged to continue working on the legislation. The Hospital and Health System Association testified against the measure, calling it unfair to eliminate non-competes in just one employer type.
Key 2026 Session Dates:
March 27: Deadline — Substantive House Bills out of Committee
April 17: Deadline — 3rd Reading Substantive Bills in First Chamber
May 8: Deadline — Substantive Bills out of Committee in Second Chamber
May 22: Deadline — 3rd Reading Substantive Bills in Second Chamber
May 31: Adjournment
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Governor Urges Federal Government to Release Brandon Road Interbasin Funding: Governor JB Pritzker is urging the Trump Administration to release federal funds for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which is essential for protecting the Great Lakes and the drinking water supply for over 40 million Americans. Last week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a similar request. The project has faced delays since last December. Read more here.
Executive Order: Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2026-03, which creates the State Attainment Working Group within the Governor’s Office to recommend a state attainment goal for postsecondary degrees and credentials by December 1, 2026. The Working Group is charged with:
1. Reviewing current education and workforce plans.
2. Ensuring alignment with state initiatives.
3. Engaging diverse stakeholders.
4. Analyzing workforce trends through 2040.
5. Assessing necessary degrees and credentials.
6. Defining credentials of value related to labor market demand.
7. Identifying gaps between workforce needs and attainment levels.
8. Reporting findings to the Governor.
More info here.
Hyundai Translead Announces New Manufacturing Facility in Illinois: Hyundai Translead announced plans to build a new trailer manufacturing facility in Illinois – a $450 million investment expected to create about 2,500 full-time jobs. The announcement came during the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition. See more here.
Gubernatorial Appointments: Governor Pritzker appointed Francisco Velasco to serve as a Member of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Other News:
Judge Grants TRO in Healthcare Grants Case: A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from withholding $600 million in healthcare grants from Illinois, California, Colorado, and Minnesota while the states’ lawsuit proceeds. The judge had previously issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the cuts, but it expired after a month. Judge Manish Shah emphasized that withholding the funds jeopardizes public health in the states and that the states’ interests outweigh the federal government’s intent to influence state governance with the funds. Read more here and here.
Judge Blocks Rollback of Federal Vaccine Guidance: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s recommendation to reduce childhood vaccinations, following a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. This ruling halts changes made in January that no longer recommend vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, certain types of meningitis, and RSV. The judge also suspended all decisions made by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after its members were replaced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last year. Read more here.
USDOT Targets IDOT and CTA: US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is initiating a Safety Management Inspection (SMI) and issuing a Special Directive directed at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), which oversees safety for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) rail system. The FTA found that IDOT has not fully utilized its oversight authority and resources to ensure the safety of Chicago’s passengers and transit workers. The Special Directive instructs IDOT to complete 11 steps to strengthen CTA oversight, including executing recommendations from an April 2025 audit of IDOT’s rail transit safety oversight role. Based on the findings of this inspection, the FTA may consider further enforcement measures, including additional Special Directives or other actions as necessary. More here.
AG Raoul Co-leads Coalition Challenging HUD’s Actions: Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for unlawful actions, including threats to withhold funding from fair housing agencies and imposing illegal conditions on funding. The attorneys general argue that these actions could weaken fair housing enforcement and lead to increased housing discrimination. More info here.
Electric Vehicle Chargers: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 15 other attorneys general and the governor of Kentucky, urged the Federal Highway Administration to abandon a proposal mandating that electric vehicle chargers funded by federal dollars to be made entirely with U.S. components. Currently, federal rules require (as of this fall) that these chargers be assembled in the U.S. and contain at least 55% domestically manufactured components. Raoul and the coalition argue that the proposed increase to 100% is an unattainable standard for manufacturers. Read more here.
Attorneys General File Lawsuit to Block Broadcasting Merger: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with a coalition of eight attorneys general, filed a lawsuit to block Nexstar Media Group Inc.’s acquisition of Tegna Inc. The coalition argues the merger would create the largest broadcast station group in the U.S., leading to greater media consolidation, reduced local control, job cuts, and potential harm to news delivery and consumer prices. Further details here.
Attorneys General Call on US EPA to Rescind New Policy: Attorney General Kwame Raoul has teamed up with a coalition of 13 attorneys general to urge the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw a recent policy that would substantially undermine federal environmental enforcement and postpone action against polluters. In a letter addressed to EPA Commissioner Lee Zeldin, the coalition expresses concern that the EPA’s December 2025 Compliance First memorandum would hinder the enforcement of environmental laws, introduce bureaucratic obstacles to holding polluters accountable, and contribute to increased pollution that negatively impacts communities nationwide. More here.
Public Access Report: Attorney General Kwame Raoul released the Public Access Counselor Annual Report. The PAC seeks to enhance transparency in Illinois government by resolving disputes under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA). The 2025 report also highlights PAC’s efforts to train thousands on transparency laws by holding statewide events. Additional info here.
Data Centers: The Illinois Commerce Commission approved a ComEd proposal requiring higher deposits from data center developers in an effort to protect ratepayers against multimillion-dollar projects that may not become fully operational. Read more here.
Illinois Education Labor Relations Board: Jeffrey W. Crabtree was appointed to serve as the new Executive Director of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB), starting April 16, 2026, succeeding Interim Executive Director Ellen M. Strizak. He has over a decade of experience in labor relations and government affairs, including previous roles as Deputy Executive Director at the Illinois Commerce Commission and Labor Relations Manager at the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The new appointee also has worked with the Teamsters, serving as Government Affairs Director and Business Manager. Crabtree holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Illinois, as well as a Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law.