Bill Tracking
Legislative Bill Tracking Latest Update September 13, 2021
Legislative News Section
Legislative Bill Tracking
Session News/2021 House & Senate Session Calendars
Public Act Highlights
(see below)
COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
For Federal/State/Local Government News & References click here
NACo (National Association of Counties) click here
UCCI Newsletter
Highlights from 'OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST' section found below
lEGISLATIVE BILL TRACKING 102nd Illinois General Assembly
United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) tracks legislation pending before the Illinois General Assembly that is of interest to county government. Access to currently proposed legislation being tracked is available through the reports listed below. A schedule, by date, of those pieces of legislation being tracked by UCCI that are currently set for committee hearing is provided for your review and information, as well as, a listing of all bills that have passed both chambers.
Session News/2021 House & Senate Session Calendars
SENATE 2021 October Veto Session Calendar
HOUSE 2021 October Veto Session Calendar
Special Session - August 31, 2021
The House and Senate met for a special session in Springfield on Tuesday, August 31, and passed an amended state legislative district map for House and Senate members, now based on official U.S. Census data instead of preliminary ACS data, in Senate Bill 927.
A federal court will hold a hearing on the new map as early as September 1st to determine whether the amended map is constitutional. The federal court, if ruling that the map does not conform to federal voting right requirements, can mandate that a new map be drawn by a special master and not by the General Assembly. If that happens, the Democrats will likely file suit that the state has jurisdiction over the district maps, not the federal court, and the determination could instead lie with the Democrat-controlled Illinois Supreme Court - all meaning that the legislative maps could be far from finalized.
Fall Veto Session
The Illinois General Assembly will return on October 19-21 and October 26-28, 2021 for the Fall Veto Session.
Clean Energy Jobs Act (Public Act 102-662) (September 15, 2021)
SB2408 signed into law on September 15, 2021 has an immediate effective date. However, there are multiple deadlines that do not occur until well into the future.
UCCI Bill Summary/Clean Energy Jobs Act (SB2408) can be found here.
PUBLIC ACT HIGHLIGHTS
UCCI Tracked Legislation Signed into Law
Pubic Act 102-662 (SB2408)
Signed by Governor Pritzker September 15, 2021
Clean Energy Jobs Act
Public Act 102-0320 (SB1552)
Signed by Governor Pritzker August 6, 2021
Juvenile Court-Information
Public Act 102-0247 (SB919) Effective January 1, 2022
Signed by Governor Pritzker August 3, 2021
Broadband Advisory Council Membership
Public Act 102-0002 (HB2415)
Signed by Governor Pritzker April 2, 2021
County Cannabis Revenue-Admin
Public Act 101-0653 (HB4276)
Signed by Governor Pritzker February 26, 2021
Extends protections to first responders/frontline workers COVID-19
Public Act 101-0652 (HB3653) Criminal Reform
Signed by Governor Pritzker February 22, 2021
General Assembly Spring Legislative Session
UPDATE Tuesday, June 1st
Spring Session Wraps Up
Over the Memorial Day weekend, Illinois lawmakers acted upon hundreds of bills and addressed major and controversial issues, working into the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 1st, before adjourning. After the Senate went one day into overtime, the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up their Spring Legislative Session.
A high-level overview of the significant legislation undertaken by the Illinois General Assembly during their Spring Legislative Session can be found here.
UPDATE Monday, May 31st
Local Government Distributive Fund
The state budget bill was introduced in the House Executive Committee Monday afternoon. As of 2:00 PM, the Local Government Distributive Fund is untouched and remains whole.
Omnibus Elections Bill
The 2022 primary will be held on June 28 next year if, as expected, an omnibus elections bill passes both chambers today. The bill also requires some new disclosures when filling legislative vacancies, allows people to put their names on a list of those who always want to vote by mail and much more.
Late Sunday, SB825 was amended in the House to include the one-time change to the state’s biennial primary date. The 2022-only election change is necessary because the congressional remap has been delayed until after Census data is published in a few months.
Petition-passing season usually begins in September, but because of the pushed-back primary date, candidates and volunteers will be seeking signatures starting January 13. The petition filing period, however, will run from March 7th through the 14th.
More on the massive election bill to come.
Other Session Updates
- State’s annual spending plan introduced as an amendment to Senate Bill 2800.
- Possible compromise on the FOID issue attached to HB562.
UPDATE Saturday, May 29th
Late Friday night, the Illinois House of Representatives passed the new legislative redistricting maps by a partisan roll call vote of 71-45.
The new Illinois Senate maps are found here and the new Illinois House maps are found here.
Of note in the House is the amount of incumbents whose districts have been consolidated. 14 Republicans have been drawn to face one another in the 2022 primary.
46th District - Conroy (D) vs. Mazzochi (R)
47th District - Grant (R) vs. Lewis (R)
50th District - Wheeler (R) vs. Ugaste (R)
51st District - Bos (R) vs. Morrison (R)
90th District - McCombie (R) vs. Chesney (R)
99th District - Frese (R) vs. Davidsmeyer (R)
107th District - Caulkins (R) vs. Halbrook (R)
108th District - Bourne (R) vs. Murphy (R)
The General Assembly still has a lot to tackle before adjourning Monday night by midnight. Topics that still need to be addressed: Moving the primary election from March to June to allow for congressional remap; an ethics bill; a major Medicaid bill; FOID card system addressed as part of a possible criminal justice bill; pro-choice groups are pushing a repeal of the state's parental notification law; an energy omnibus bill; and, a state budget.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF HOUSE & SENATE COMMITTEES
The 102nd Illinois General Assembly House Committees and Chairs have been announced by Speaker Welch, including six new committees to work on pressing priorities facing Illinois residents during this time of crises.
* The House Committee Chairs list can be found here. Speaker Welch’s memo to his members, in which he also talks about committee hearings being held throughout the week instead of just Tuesday through Thursday can be reviewed here.
The 102nd Illinois General Assembly Senate Committees list combined the two previous Appropriations committees into one, established the following new committees ... Behavioral & Mental Health, Health, Healthcare Access & Availability, Human Rights, Public Safety, Redistricting, and Tourism & Hospitality ... while eliminating the Human Services and Public Health Committees.
* The full Senate Committees list is available here.
The Senate's new rules now allow for bills to be assigned to multiple committees for hearings, and when that happens those bills will have to be approved by all the committees which are given jurisdiction before they can be heard on the Senate floor.
The Parliamentary Rules adopted by the Senate are also available.
CONTACTING SPONSORS OF LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS
From time to time, UCCI will be requesting that our members contact the primary sponsor of various legislative proposals, be they proposals that might be beneficial to local government or proposals that would be detrimental.
This can be done electronically, which is maybe not the best method but the one that is available to us during the current COVID-19 environment.
When opposing a legislative proposal, you should not only indicate your opposition but also state your reasons why! It is an appropriate courtesy to extend to the sponsor.
As elected county board members you expect your constituents to express the basis of their opposition or support. We should extend the same to members of the Illinois General Assembly.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & POLICE REFORMS ... HB3653, the criminal justice and police reforms bill, was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on February 22, 2021.
Among the policy reforms is the elimination of monetary bail, which allows judges to release people before trial, with the exception of those charged with certain felonies or if the accused person presents a risk of harming others or fleeing.
The package also includes a requirement that all police officers wear body cameras by 2025, a ban on all police chokeholds, new guidelines for decertification of police officers, and an end to suspended licenses for failure to pay, among several other changes.
Different sections of Public Act 101-0652 have different effective dates. A table showing when specific sections will become effective is available at this link.
Full HB3653 UCCI Summary is available at this link.
Members of the 102nd Illinois General Assembly were sworn into office on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
State of the State Address/Budget Address …
On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, Governor Pritzker delivered a combined State of the State Address and Fiscal Year 2022 State Budget Address. The documents below are provided for your review and information:
The Budget Address, as required by the Illinois Constitution, is an important early step in the budget process. However, it is ultimately up to the Illinois General Assembly to pass a budget.
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
'CONNECT ILLINOIS' News & Updates
Office of Broadband
Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Broadband USDA/e-Connectivity@USDA
Resources for Rural America
DCEO/Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Newsletter
Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to Launch by May 1
February 22, 2021 'Amidst a Winter Freeze'
January 25, 2021 'Seizing the Broadband Moment'
January 11, 2021 'New Data on Illinois' Digital Divide
December 21, 2020
December 7, 2020
November 23, 2020 "Illinois' Digital Equity Push'
2020 U.S. Census … Your Response Matters
The Census is more than a population count.
It's an opportunity to shape your community's future.
Counting every person living in the United States is a massive undertaking, and efforts begin years in advance. Here's a look at some of the key dates along the way, as they are currently scheduled:
- By December 31, 2020: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President as required by law.
- April 1, 2021: By this date, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to the states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.
Click here to learn more
Census Bureau Intergovernmental Affairs Updates
Adapting the American Community Survey Amid COVID-19 (6-8-21)
Quality Assessments for 2020 Census (12-9-20)
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) ... Impacting County Boards
As this pandemic continues to ravage our state and our country, it is best for County Boards to be familiar with the guidelines and adjust accordingly to specific scenarios as they arise.
Get the latest Federal, State and Local Government COVID-19 information here.
MADIGAN ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION 
On Thursday, February 18, 2021, Mike Madigan submitted his resignation as State Representative of the 22nd Illinois House District, effective at the end of the month. Madigan served 36 years as Speaker of the House and 50 years as a State Representative.
The resignation announcement comes a month after Representative Emanuel 'Chris' Welch replaced Madigan as Illinois House Speaker.
Read Madigan's resignation statement here.
Minimum Wage Bill .. Public Act 101-0001
Illinois law provides that the minimum wage will increase gradually to $15 by 2025, with the first increase from $8.25 to $9.25 having gone into effect on January 1, 2020. On July 1, 2020, the minimum wage will increase to $10.00, followed by one-dollar increases on January 1st each year until it hits $15 in 2025.
Public Act Archives
Public Act 101-0640
Government Emergency Administration Act
Public Act 101-0631
Allows restaurants and bars to serve cocktails-to-go to provide establishments with financial relief in the wake of COVID-19 challenges
Public Act 101-0593 Recreational Cannabis
(Clean-up language on previously passed recreational cannabis legislation)
Public Act 101-0177 Illinois Equal Pay Act NOTICE
Public Act 101-0544/Legislation Summary
Public Act 101-0419 Audits
Illinois Law Prohibits Employers from Asking for Wage History (October 2019)
Pursuant to Public Act 101-0177, the Illinois Equal Pay Act bans employers and employment agencies from asking about applicants’ past wage and compensation histories.
This law became effective on September 29, 2019.
Employers can be penalized for asking the applicant or the applicant’s current or former employers for wage or salary history. Employers are reminded to review their employment applications to make sure they do not ask for salary and wage history. They should also train those involved in hiring on this law.
For more information you may contact the Illinois Department of Labor at the Equal Pay Hotline 866-372-4365.
Prevailing Wage UPDATE (May 2019)
Amendments to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act made by Public Act 100-1177 became effective on June 1, 2019. Some of the changes to the Act can be found in this May 23, 2019 Prevailing Wage Update prepared by UCCI Legal Counsel.
All prevailing wage information can be found on the Illinois Department of Labor’s website. https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Laws-Rules/CONMED/Pages/prevailing-wage-act.aspx.
You will note on the Department of Labor's website, how they post the prevailing wage rates has changed from fixed text on a page to an interactive table.