GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
IDNR Director Finne Steps Down: Natalie Phelps Finne, Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has stepped down. Renee Snow will serve as IDNR’s Interim Director beginning on July 1. She has worked at the Department since 2014, most recently serving as General Counsel. Read more here.
Department of Early Childhood: The new Illinois Department of Early Childhood officially launched on Wednesday. The agency, led by Secretary Teresa Ramos, merged early childhood care and education functions that had previously been housed under the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, and the State Board of Education. The Department was created under legislation approved in 2024. Read more here and here.
OSLAD Grants Available: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grants through August 31. A total of $37.5 million is available for this round. Read more here.
Mentor Program Available for Diverse Businesses: The Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion announced the launch of its new Mentor Protégé Program, an initiative that supports vendors certified through the Business Enterprise Program with structured coaching, mentorship, and growth opportunities. By pairing experienced prime vendors with emerging BEP firms, the program aims to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and create meaningful pathways into State contracting. The launch marks an important step toward advancing equity and helping diverse suppliers access the tools and support they need to compete and grow. Read more here.
Gubernatorial Appointments: Governor Pritzker appointed J. Randal Wexler, who will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Finance Authority.
OTHER NEWS:
As anticipated, Congressman Mike Quigley officially announced his candidacy for Chicago Mayor. Quigley is also seeking reelection to Congress. He joins a growing field of candidates, including outgoing Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Cook County Board of Review member George Cardenas and Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has not yet announced his intentions.
NEW LAWS: Governor Pritzker signed over sixty bills into law this past week.
HB 45, which amends the Sale Price Act to make digital coupons accessible in other formats.
HB 1700, which makes clean-up changes to the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act.
HB 3460, which establishes rules for apprenticeship registrations and establishes structured apprenticeship requirements for licensees under the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act.
HB 3564, which requires transparency for rental fees assessed by landlords and prohibits or limits certain rental-related fines and fees.
HB 3595 modernizes references from “day care” to “early care and education,” allows IDEC to tie background checks to the individual instead of the provider, and streamlines license exemption structure and application requirements to provide consistent licensing decisions and reduce delays.
HB 4206 establishes a process for charities to claim assets when named as beneficiaries of non-probate instruments.
HB 4217 grants statewide public defenders the ability to represent their clients in summary suspension or revocation hearings arising from the same arrest.
HB 4235 ensures those individuals committed to the Illinois Department of Corrections and their correspondents are not charged any fee, surcharge, or cost for mail and scanning services exceeding the standard postage rate.
HB 4247 authorizes school coaches and athletic trainers to administer asthma medication, epinephrine injectors, opioid antagonists, and oxygen.
HB 4255 expands the list of animals not allowed to participate in traveling animal acts in Illinois.
HB 4277 expands eligibility for notary applicants for appointments and commission as noted by the Secretary of State.
HB 4361 amends the Illinois Counties Code to require county building inspectors to meet minimum professional qualification standards beginning January 1, 2027.
HB 4420 defines “public media produced at a state-supported institution of higher learning” to ensure that materials published at an institution are not subject to prior review by an institutional official and that produced public media do not represent the institution.
HB 4421 repeals Section 20-115 of the Illinois State University Law.
HB 4461 prohibits hospitals from filing a lien on a patient’s primary residence for unpaid medical debt.
HB 4464 prohibits insurers from requiring dental care providers to accept payment from the insurer via credit card or electronic funds transfer.
HB 4472 establishes the Blue Envelope Program statewide.
HB 4514 modifies forum requirements for public utility rate increase hearings.
HB 4517 extends electronic audio and/or video monitoring rights to include consenting residents living in assisted living and shared housing establishments.
HB 4533 allows customers who remit international funds to make a voluntary donation to the Illinois DREAM Fund.
HB 4541 clarifies that overpayments to government entities are considered unclaimed property, streamlining the process by which people can recover excess fees and taxes.
HB 4560 amends the State Treasurer Act to clarify the Treasurer’s authority to recover State funds.
HB 4575 widens the filing period for trustee elections for the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
HB 4606 authorizes IDHS to develop the statewide infrastructure for newborn home-visiting services.
HB 4620 requires DHS to provide service recipients with information about the Scott Bennett ABLE Program.
HB 4695 makes several changes to the Crematory Regulation Act.
HB 4702, effective 18 months after the bill’s effective date, requires all diapers sold or distributed in Illinois to bear an ingredient list.
HB 4747 delays implementation of the DHS direct support professional credential pilot program to FY28.
HB 4754 requires private educational lenders to include additional data about default rates and loans originated with a cosigner in the reports that they submit to IDFPR.
HB 4770 modernizes the Illinois Credit Union Act, among other updates, by allowing credit unions to establish relationships with third-party providers of digital asset services.
HB 4834 removes testosterone from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program, effective immediately.
HB 4896 creates a limited legal pathway for tenants in common to obtain full title to a property when someone dies without a will.
HB 4948 creates an Intelligent Speed Assistance Program.
HB 4977 requires hospitals to develop comprehensive interventions to prevent and control all pathogens of epidemiological concern.
HB 5047 adds the Long-Term Care Ombudsman to the list of individuals who must be notified when a long-term care facility intends to voluntarily close.
HB 5070 prohibits the Illinois Pollution Control Board from adopting federal environmental rules that are less stringent than current state regulations.
HB 5093 modifies in-state tuition requirements by allowing students who attend an Illinois high school for at least three years to receive in-state tuition, regardless of whether they had established residency outside Illinois prior to enrolling.
HB 5095 codifies the self-selection process for gender markers on state IDs and driver’s licenses effective January 1, 2027
HB 5148 expands requirements for prescribers to check the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program.
HB 5166 creates a dissolution procedure for drainage and sanitary districts.
HB 5234 delays the effective date of HB 3564 to January 1, 2027.
HB 5285 establishes an interest-bearing fund dedicated to supporting the ongoing monitoring, surveillance, and maintenance of the Sheffield Low-Level Radioactive Waste disposal site and its surrounding buffer zone in Sheffield, Illinois.
HB 5290 makes changes to the Sales Finance Agency Act to eliminate outdated and inconsistent language and update license application fees for sales finance agencies.
HB 5316 grants IEMA-OHS the authority to enter both public and private property to collect environmental samples in response to disasters that could cause radioactive contamination.
HB 5364 allows the HFS Inspector General to maintain jurisdiction over programs moving from IDHS to IDEC.
HB 5376 updates the Illinois Insurance Code regarding the Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund.
HB 5384 amends the Currency Exchange Act, the Sales Finance Agency Act, the Debt Management Service Act, the Consumer Installment Loan Act, the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act, the Safety Deposit License Act, and the Payday Loan Reform Act to add language to set forth that any fees in the various acts to be amended by rule.
HB 5390 requires the Illinois Attorney General to adopt provisions for a uniform financial assistance form for hospital use.
HB 5411allows certified veterinary technicians to administer the rabies vaccine.
HB 5480 updates the mandatory reporting standard for fire and hazardous material incidents from the older National Fire Incident Reporting System to the new National Emergency Response Information System.
HB 5492 requires Insurance companies to cover up to six months of prescribed hormone therapy, effective January 1, 2027
HB 5551 makes a series of changes to finance provisions of the School Code pertaining to annual retention bonuses, tuition reimbursements for youth-in-care, Equalized Assessed Value adjustments, and the Illinois Teaching Excellence Grant Program
SB 454 exempts Minor League Baseball players who are under contract and compensated pursuant to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) from the Illinois Minimum Wage Law.
SB 2713 establishes stricter reporting procedures for violence perpetrated against healthcare providers in emergency care settings.
SB 2859 designates a railroad trestle bridge along the Kickapoo Rail Trail in the Kickapoo State Recreation Area as the Senator Scott Bennett Memorial Bridge
SB 2899 expands insurance coverage for rehabilitative services for speech-language disorders.
SB 3205 extends the Illinois Insurance Guarantee Fund’s work.
SB 3223 requires pharmacies to post a notice with a QR code informing patients that they can sign up for medication recalls on the FDA website.
SB 3295 expands insurance coverage for durable medical equipment for insurance plans beginning on or after January 1, 2028,
SB 3645 is the omnibus sunset extension bill.
SB 3815 amends the Illinois Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, prohibiting health insurance companies from denying coverage because of past-due premiums from a prior policy.
SB 4006 enhances homeowner insurance protections for consumers facing the worsening impacts of climate change.
104TH ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly stands adjourned until the call of the Presiding Officers. Veto Session is scheduled for November 17 – 19 and December 1 – 3.
Republican Scott Doody was appointed to replace Representative Paul Jacobs in the 118th House District. Jacobs was appointed in June to replace retiring Senator Dale Folwer. Doody is running for election in November.
After the Legislative Inspector General completed his investigation into unspecified allegations against Democratic State Representative Harry Benton, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch called for Benton’s resignation on Wednesday. Welch said the internal investigation found “clear patterns” of conduct that were “outrageous, unethical, and unbecoming of a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.” Welch added that if Benton does not resign, Illinois legislative leaders will begin proceedings to expel him from the House. The allegations against Benton and the Inspector General’s findings have not been publicly released. Following the allegations in February, Speaker Welch removed Benton from all committee assignments and expelled him from the Democratic caucus. Read more here.