104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly stands adjourned for the week. Both chambers were in session Tuesday through Thursday of this week; Friday’s session was canceled. The Legislature will reconvene on Tuesday, May 12, at noon. The House is scheduled to be in session Tuesday through Friday, while the Senate is scheduled to be in session Tuesday through Thursday.
Friday, May 8th was the scheduled deadline to pass substantive legislation out of committee in both chambers. However, after canceling Friday’s session, the House extended the committee deadline for 58 Senate Bills to pass out of committee until Friday, May 15.
There are three weeks left in the Spring 2026 session. Adjournment is scheduled for Sunday, May 31.
A list of Senate Committee hearings for next week is here; House hearings are here.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson visited the Capitol this week to push for ways to boost Chicago’s revenue, including restoring cuts to the Local Government Distributive Fund, creating a digital advertising tax, and giving the city authority to set levies, close the amusement tax resale loophole, institute delivery impact fees, amend taxation regulations on certain types of tobacco, and create a payroll expense tax. Johnson urged the Chicago delegation in Springfield to be more assertive, framing their efforts as a battle between corporate interests and progressive values. He said, “I don’t see why any Chicago legislator would vote for something that doesn’t help their constituents right now. With property values rising and affordability becoming harder, supporting wealthy entities instead of families in need seems quite shortsighted.” Johnson also reiterated his opposition to giving tax breaks to the Bears for a domed stadium in Arlington Heights. Read more about his visit here.
The House Executive Committee and the House Housing Committee held separate subject matter hearings to discuss Governor Pritzker’s affordable housing package. Proponents argue that Illinois faces a statewide housing crisis that requires statewide action, citing a housing shortage, an affordability crisis, and barriers to building affordable housing. Opponents contend that the housing supply and affordability crisis cannot be solved with a one-size-fits-all solution and that the Governor’s plan does not truly address affordability. And still others maintain that the proposal furthers gentrification and accelerates displacement, and any plan enacted needs to ensure racial equity. The Illinois Municipal League countered last week with its own proposal, which was met with swift opposition from the Illinois REALTORS. More information on the Governor’s plan is here.
Revenue committees in both chambers held subject-matter hearings on a list of potential progressive revenue streams to help fund the FY 27 budget, including decoupling from 5 of the tax changes in HR 1, eliminating certain business incentives, creating a digital ad tax, and a mark-to-market tax. Proponents, including the Illinois Revenue Alliance, want the additional revenue to shore up social programs and education. Opponents testified that the various proposals raise implementation and constitutional questions and that the so-called “corporate loopholes” that proponents denounce are actually business incentives passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Pritzker, designed to attract and retain business in Illinois. No vote was taken on the legislation. Read more about the proposals here.
Other Highlights from this week’s action:
Both chambers reviewed bills at the committee level this week: 109 House Bills were approved by Senate Committees, while 98 Senate Bills passed through House Committees. Additionally, the House passed one House Bill and sent it to the Senate. The Senate approved 16 Senate Bills, sending them to the House, and also confirmed several gubernatorial appointees.
Both chambers also positioned potential budget vehicles: HB 131 (Gabel) was assigned to the House Floor, and SB 2512 (Sims) was assigned to the Senate Floor. Shortly after positioning the budget vehicles, Representative Gabel and Senator Sims filed the Governor’s FY 27 introduced operating and capital budgets, as well as the FY 26 supplemental, as floor amendments to the legislation in their respective chambers.
SB 2772 (Ventura) creates the Psilocybin Advisory Board, consisting of 15 voting and 24 non-voting members, to evaluate the medical and psychological uses of psilocybin. The board will study relevant laws and regulatory frameworks at the state and federal levels to recommend safety standards and evidence-based policies. It will review scientific research on psilocybin’s effectiveness in treating conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, and other mental health challenges. Passed the Senate 41-13 and now heads to the House.
SB 939 (McClure) requires a mandatory expulsion of students who commit sexual assault against another student. Passed the Senate 48-3-2 and now heads to the House for consideration.
SB 3508 (Morrison/Morgan) represents the Department of Insurance omnibus. Passed the House Insurance Committee unanimously and goes to the full House.
SB 3449 (Cunningham/Spain) represents a trailer bill to the mobile identification card legislation. Passed the House Transportation Vehicles and Safety Committee unanimously and now heads to the full House.
SB 3336 (Villivalam/B. Hernandez), which creates a framework to regulate low-speed electric bicycles and other micromobility devices, passed the House Transportation Vehicles and Safety Committee unanimously, and now moves to the full House.
HB 4160 (Katz Muhl/Morrison) mandates that all automobile insurance policies in the state include a right-to-appraisal clause for disputed claims, which will allow insured parties or insurers to invoke an independent appraisal process for disagreements over vehicle cash value, repair costs, or total loss amounts. The Senate Insurance Committee debated the measure but held it for further consideration.
HB 4509 (Grasse/Koehler) requires the Illinois Department of Human Services or an appointed representative to visit any individual diagnosed with a serious mental illness who has been admitted to a nursing home within 60 days of their admission. The bill also requires a resident review to be conducted within 72 hours if a resident with a serious mental illness experiences a significant change in their physical or mental health. The legislation further specifies that IDHS must ensure there are no conflicts of interest among employees responsible for administering pre-admission screenings. Passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously and moves to the full Senate.
SB 3044 (Stadleman/West) helps close gaps in protection for survivors of domestic violence and stalking by ensuring emergency orders of protection remain in effect until the final order of protection has been served. Passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously and goes to the full House.
HB 4844 (Hoffman/Martwick) is an initiative of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association that requires employers to compensate employees at their regular rate of pay for time served on jury duty. The measure does not apply to employers with fewer than 25 employees. Passed the Senate Executive Committee 9-4 and heads to the full Senate.
HB 4461 (Briel/Guzman) prevents hospitals and their agents from filing for, or being granted, a lien on a patient’s primary residence or other real property owned by the patient for unpaid medical debt. Passed the Senate Executive Committee 9-2 and moves to the Senate floor.
SFA # 1 to HB 5081 (Hanson/Porfirio) allows communities to lower their speed limits on IDOT roads from 30 mph to 25 mph without a speed study if certain conditions are met. The legislation also sets clear transparency standards that municipalities must uphold, including requiring that any revenue from speed cameras be spent on public safety, infrastructure, and community programs. Having passed the Senate Executive Committee 10-2, the amendment now heads to the full Senate.
HB 3169 (Canty/Lightford) amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to increase transparency and protect parental rights during Department of Children and Family Services investigations involving medical professionals — including ensuring that parents know when a child abuse pediatrician is reviewing their case and giving them the right to obtain a second opinion. Passed the Senate Executive Committee unanimously and moves to the full Senate.
SB 4041 (Murphy) requires O’Hare and Midway airports to perform studies every five years to determine which residences qualify for sound insulation programs. The studies must employ advanced modeling methods to collect data, ensuring that all households affected by significant airport noise can receive sound insulation support. Passed the Senate Executive Committee unanimously and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Key 2026 Session Dates:
May 22: Deadline — 3rd Reading Substantive Bills in Second Chamber
May 31: Adjournment
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Community Development Block Grant Funding: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is offering $56 million in grant funding for the Community Development Block Grant Program for Public Infrastructure ($25 million), Housing Rehabilitation ($15 million), Community Revitalization ($13 million), and Emergency Assistance ($3 million). Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process. More info here.
IDOA Specialty Crop Block Grant: The Illinois Department of Agriculture will distribute more than $796,000 over the next three years to expand access to fresh, locally grown produce and boost the competitiveness of the state’s specialty crop industry. The funding is from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Applications are available on the Illinois DoA website and must be returned by noon on June 5, 2026. The program will run from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2029. Read more here.
IDOL Prevailing Wage Enforcement: The Illinois Department of Labor has recovered significant unpaid wages and assessed penalties against three employers that violated the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. IDOL also recovered more than $398,000 in back wages for 29 workers. Read more here.
Gubernatorial Appointments: The Governor appointed the following:
· Lara Shayne will continue to serve as Chair of the Educational Labor Relations Board.
· Michelle Gibson will serve as Chair of the Illinois Pollution Control Board.
· Jerry Womick will continue to serve as a Member of the Labor Advisory Board.
OTHER NEWS:
COGFA April Report: In April, the State’s General Funds revenues increased by $146 million (2.0%), totaling $7.305 billion—the second-highest month on record. Personal Income Tax receipts were up 1.0% to $5.371 billion, reflecting strong tax payment activity, with net receipts rising $47 million. As expected, Corporate Income Tax receipts declined because of legislative changes, but still exceeded $1 billion for only the fifth time. Federal Sources experienced the largest percentage gain (123.4%), rising $116 million to $210 million, largely due to a low base last year. Sales Tax collections increased by $24 million (2.4%), supported by inflation, though growth slowed compared to earlier in the fiscal year. Other State Sources grew by $50 million (17.5%), mainly driven by increases in Insurance Taxes and investment income, while most other categories were flat. Transfers In saw a modest net increase of $10 million, with gains in Sports Wagering, Lottery, Cannabis, and Other Transfers offsetting a decline in Gaming Transfers. Overall, April revenues were in line with expectations and recent trends.
As lawmakers finalize the FY 27 budget over the next three weeks, COGFA has offered insight into expected revenues, noting “revenues deposited into the State’s General Funds since the Commission released its updated FY 2026 and FY 2027 forecasts have generally tracked in line with expectations. While minor adjustments remain possible following a more detailed review, no significant revisions appear necessary at this time. The Commission will evaluate the latest revenue data and updated economic forecasts in the coming days to determine whether any changes to the FY 2026 and FY 2027 outlooks are warranted.” Read the Commission’s full report here. CNI offers more here.
FY 2027 Capital Plan Analysis: COGFA has also issued its analysis of the FY 27 Capital Plan; read it here.
DOJ Sues Illinois to Access Voter Data: The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois to gain access to its full, unredacted voter registration database. According to federal court documents, the agency is seeking this data to remove suspected noncitizens by cross-checking names with a federal database, which many critics argue is unreliable. Similar lawsuits have been filed in 29 other states and Washington, D.C., and judges in six states have dismissed the cases so far. To date, no judge has ruled in favor of the DOJ’s request. Read more here.
Attorney General Reaches Final Settlement Over No-Poach Agreements: Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement with Vee Pak LLC, also known as Voyant Beauty, over allegations of no-poach agreements with several staffing agencies. Vee Pak will pay $625,000 to compensate affected temporary workers. This settlement resolves the lawsuit filed in 2022 against Vee Pak and six staffing agencies, resulting in a total recovery of $2.52 million from all defendants. Read more here.