"The House will be in order. Members shall be in their chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Representative Grasse. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and please rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Representative Grasse."
"Had to run from a vote, sorry. As we begin this session today, let us ground ourselves in a principle both timeless and clear: to love our neighbor. May we love our neighbor not in sentiment alone but in the laws we write, the truths we speak, and the choices we make with what has been entrusted to us. May we love our neighbor, and let this love for neighbor be wide enough to include every neighbor: those who agree with us and those who don't, those whose lives we understand and those we have yet to know. May we love our neighbor, and let this love guide us to craft no law that narrows another person's life but instead help to widen the way so that all of us may live freely, safely, and fully. May we love our neighbor and may this love give us the courage to speak with honesty, resist the comfort of half-truths, and let the good of the people, not the ease of the moment or any ideology, shape our words and votes. May we love our neighbor and remember that every dollar we direct, every budget we balance is a reflection of our love for our neighbor. Let us use our resources not for gain or favor, but for the common good, investing in the strength and dignity of every community we serve. May we love our neighbor and lead not with fear but with courage, not with judgement but with justice and love, not for some but for all. In the spirit of this universal and 10400030.docx 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 timeless guiding principle to love our neighbor, let it be so, and let us begin right now this day. Amen."
"We shall be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Gill." Gill – et al: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Guzzardi is recognized to report any unexcused… any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle. Leader Guzzardi."
"Speaker, please let the record reflect that Representative Scherer is excused today."
"Leader Keicher is recognized for any excused absences on the Republican side."
"Thank you, Dean. Please let the record reflect that Representatives Hauter and Sanalitro are excused for today."
"Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. There being 115 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. Mr. Clerk, please read the Committee Reports. We'll do the Committee Reports later. Representative Moore, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you. My fellow colleagues, we have some state champions in the House today in the Speaker's Gallery. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that. In the 10400030.docx 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Speaker's Gallery, we have the 2025 Jacksonville J'ettes Dance Team, who earned a state championships in the AA Lyrical at the 2025 IDTA State Finals. The J'ettes scored high… a high point total of, get this, 294 out of 300 to lead all AA routines. Yes, give them a round of applause. I told them Representative Ryan and I would've probably got two points out of three hundred if we were to try it. So, I… they also brought home the high point award. Want to congratulate them for that. And they are led by their coach, Tiffany Hickox, who also won the IHSA Spirit and Dance Coach of the Year Award. Congratulations, coach. On behalf of my colleagues in the House of the State Representatives, I want to congratulate you on a successful year. Let's give them a warm Springfield congratulations. Congratulations, ladies."
"Representative Yang Rohr."
Yang Rohr: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Colleagues of the General Assembly, I just wanted to introduce you to my page for the day, Anushka Jain. Anushka is a Naperville Central junior, and she is interested in political science. She wants to be a lawyer, and there's no better place for her be than here today in the Illinois General Assembly because she's interested in learning more about Illinois politics and policy. She's also a participant in our Illinois Youth and Government program, a program that I know all of us have… have experienced with… with Youth and Government people coming to our offices, talking to us, 10400030.docx 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 advocating for the things that they believe in. Please join me in welcoming Anushka today."
"Representative Johnson seeks recognition."
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"I just wanted to wish a happy birthday to my legislative coordinator, Nick Larson. Nick turned 24 today. Got here in January out of the University of Illinois. Has hit the ground running. He's always there when I need him. He… he gets me from place to place, which, if you ask my wife, it's a very difficult task. Listens to me when I complain about Illinois losing another player to the transfer portal. So, Nick, happy birthday to you, young man. I just found out it's also my colleague, my daughter's favorite legislator in this House, Nabeela Syed's birthday. So, happy birthday, Nabeela, to you as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Leader Morgan, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome Danna Ayres, program director of Montessori School of Lake Forest, who's here today in the gallery behind me. She's here for their biannual seventh and eighth grade student trip to Springfield, just learning about the way that government works. Met with them earlier this morning and some of the best and brightest of our future. If we can give them a warm Springfield welcome."
"Representative Weaver. Representative Weaver." 10400030.docx 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Point of personal privilege."
"State your point."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I have the honor of welcoming my page with me here today. This is Owen. Owen's from Cambridge High School in Henry County. And gosh, this kid's got such a bright future ahead. We talked a little bit about what he wants to do next in life. First of all, he's going to hopefully play college baseball. Just such a hard worker and has learned so many great lessons playing high school sports. And he's debating between going into business or being a physical therapist and likes both of them. But I kind of see him maybe being a physical therapist because I can really tell that he wants to help people. So, thank you all so much for welcoming him here to the floor today."
"Representative Schweizer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a House Resolution that I was going to introduce, House Resolution 224."
"Representative Schweizer, you're… you’re not recognized for that purpose."
"Oh, thank you."
"We'll… we'll get back to you."
"OK."
"Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Moeller, Chairperson from the Committee on Appropriations-Health and Human Services reports the following committee action taken on April 10, 2025: do pass as amended Short Debate is House Bill 2682. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 246, offered by Representative Crawford; and House Resolution 247, 10400030.docx 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 offered by Representative Kifowit, are referred to the Rules Committee."
"Returning to Representative Schweizer."
"Please excuse the freshman fumble, Mr. Speaker."
"It's OK."
"My fellow Members of the Illinois House of Representatives, some, if not all, may have heard of the passing of the legendary actor Eugene Allen Hackman, better known as 'Gene,' and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, whom he married in 1991. They passed away together in their home on February 18, 2025. We all knew Gene from his iconic acting…"
"Members. Members. It's a death resolution, please rise. I apologize, Representative."
"Thank you. We all knew Gene from his iconic acting roles, like his Academy Award winning roles in 'I Never Sang for My Father' or 'The French Connection' or playing the high school basketball coach in one of my favorite sports films, of which was named the fourth greatest sports film of all time by the American Film Institute in 2008, 'Hoosiers.' However, what some of you may not have known is that he lived and went to school in my hometown of Danville, Illinois, or, in 1946, at the age of 16, he lied about his age to join the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a field radio operator. And after his discharge in 1951, he enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he studied journalism and television production. My resolution goes into much greater detail about his life, but I, on the behalf of the Illinois House of Representatives, wanted to give our condolences to his three children, Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie and to the rest 10400030.docx 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 of his and his wife's family and friends. And I ask for a moment of silence in their honor. Thank you."
"The House shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. The clerk is in receipt of a Motion to Reconsider from Representative Hanson for House Bill 3645. The question is, 'Shall the… shall the vote on House Bill 3645 be reconsidered?' Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, you filed the Motion to Reconsider. If you could, explain the reason behind the motion and… and why you're requesting the vote to be reconsidered."
"Thank you, leader. Yes, the Motion to Reconsider is… is to correct a drafting error. This motion right now will allow for the… for the amendment to be posted later today."
"And we anticipate to see that bill again after the correct amendment is filed?"
"That's correct. There's nothing substantiative. It is to correct a drafting error."
"Thank you."
"Once again, the clerk is in receipt of a Motion to Reconsider from Representative Hanson for House Bill 3645. The question is, 'Shall the vote on House Bill 36… 3645 be reconsidered?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this motion is hereby declared passed. Going to page 18 of the calendar appears 10400030.docx 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 House Bill 3187, Representative Deuter. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3187, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2, offered by… offered by Representative Deuter, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Deuter on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Floor Amendment #2, which incorporates a couple of date changes requested by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget."
"Representative Deuter moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3187. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3187, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Deuter."
"Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3187 includes a set of cleanup changes initiated by DCEO that will improve the agency's efficiency by addressing a number of outdated and redundant code sections. The bill passed committee unanimously, and I ask for your support."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she’ll yield." 10400030.docx 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Representative. As you said, just to highlight for our side, this is the DCEO cleanup bill. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"And the purpose behind the bill, as you noted, was to remove redundant or outdated language that the agency has observed in statute?"
"That is correct."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3187 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Members, as a reminder, we will operate on Short Debate. The sponsor will have two minutes to present their legislation, and one Member may rise for two minutes in response. Any additional speakers rising on bills will not be recognized. On page 6 of the calendar appears House Bill 1787, Representative Hirschauer. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1787, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Hirschauer, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Hirschauer on Floor Amendment #1." 10400030.docx 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Floor Amendment #1. It's a gut and replace amendment that becomes the bill and then I'd like to speak to it."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Hirschauer moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 1787. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1787, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hirschauer on House Bill 1787."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1787 is agreed language that we came up with the School Management Alliance. It amends the School Safety Drill Act to require that districts provide training on school evacuation drills and law enforcement lockdown drills to all school personnel serving in substitute capacities. I want to thank the folks from the School Management Alliance for working with me on this agreed language. I would also like to thank a woman named Becky Hruby, who is a substitute teacher in my district who brought this to my attention. These days, our teachers are charged not only with shaping and growing young minds but keeping our students safe. When our teachers cannot be in the classroom, we rely on substitutes to provide instruction and care, and it is important that they have the proper training to keep themselves and our children safe. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Leader Elik."
"Oh, thank you. Will the sponsor yield?" 10400030.docx 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. To the sponsor, wherever you are, I'm not… oh, there you are. Thank you. Could you just talk about the information that's going to be put in classrooms and given to the substitutes?"
"Yes. Thank you for that question. You know, this bill, it… it specifies that we need to ensure that things like maps of the building and evacuation routes are posted in classrooms, which I think they mostly are, but this just specifies it. And then we did leave the language kind of open ended so that districts could choose for themselves the best way to communicate trainings, whether that be with a packet, an in-person training, or what works for each individual school district."
"Thank you. So, ultimately, though, the substitute teacher themself will have to take the initiative to look at the map on the… on the… inside the classroom or make sure they're studying those materials and… but at least it's been provided to them."
"And it's… you know, my hope and understanding that the districts will direct the substitutes to that information. And, again, the districts have the opportunity to invite substitutes to their district training on school safety drills."
"Excellent. Thank you. I encourage an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Thanks."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1787 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's 10400030.docx 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 22 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 3446, Representative Canty. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3446, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #3, offered by Representative Canty, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Canty."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Floor Amendment #3, as it is a gut and replace that becomes the bill."
"Representative Canty moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3 to House Bill 3446. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3446, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Canty on House Bill 3446."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. Within day care licensing, there's a requirement that the teachers obtain six credit hours of early education teaching or credentials. There is currently no way for the teachers or the providers to know which courses will satisfy that list. It can vary region to region. It can vary week to week depending on who comes out 10400030.docx 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 to do your licensing review. This bill will require that within the new agency, once day care licensing transfers over, that the new agency develop a list of the courses that will satisfy this requirement and a review process going forward. We are having ongoing discussions with both the new agency and AFSCME to fine tune this language, and those conversations will continue in the second chamber."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3446 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Stuart on House Resolution 212. Leader Stuart on a point of personal privilege."
"Thank you, Speaker. I'm actually excited today to introduce a page who's here with Leader Hoffman, but since he can't introduce him today, I'm going to try to do this justice. I… we have Hunter Kenison with us today. Hunter is 9 years old. He's in the third grade at St. Clare Catholic School. Hunter wants to be a member of the armed forces, play basketball, and be a union tradesman when he grows up. He enjoys playing outside, planting and growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, playing basketball, 3D printing, and collecting baseball cards. His favorite food is an Andria's cheeseburger with fries, right? Which that's a wonderful restaurant in our region where Rep. Hoffman and I live that Hunter's family owns, and I think Rep. Hoffman owes me a 10400030.docx 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 dinner there for some reason. He has a baby sister named Mildred, an older sister named Kylee, a dog named Heizy, and a cat named Marty Ginsburg. This summer, he's looking forward to attending spy camp at Washington University in St. Louis and military camp at the military academy. So, please welcome Hunter to the Capitol today."
"Welcome, Hunter. Moving to page 11 of the calendar appears House Bill 2466, Representative Ammons. Please read the bill."
"House Bill 2466, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Ammons, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Ammons."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move the adoption of the technical amendment, Floor Amendment #1."
"Representative Ammons moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2466. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2466, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Ammons."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's good to see you up there. House Bill 2466 is a bill that this chamber has passed with unanimous support in the past… well, not quite unanimous, but bipartisan anyway. The… the restoration of the MAP grant eligibility for incarcerated students, we already know that 10400030.docx 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 it brings significant benefit to the state of Illinois, but it is the number one, and I say number one, way to reduce recidivism and improve public safety. It's allowing people to be educated while they are incarcerated and returning them to their communities with certificates and skill sets that are useful in our marketplace. And I move the passage of House Bill 2466, Mr. Speaker. Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, the amendment removed the AIM HIGH program from the bill. Is that accurate?"
"That is accurate. It wasn't supposed to be there. It was simply a drafting error from a old bill that we had initially, and we corrected that."
"I believe the concern that was expressed on our side had to do with diverting some funds from students who are going to be enrolled in institutions of public higher education or higher education to those who are currently incarcerated, which would shrink, potentially, the average MAP grant amount. Would you address that concern?"
"I would love to, and I appreciate the question. Let me just suggest that those who are incarcerated may not be paying taxes currently, but all of their family members are paying into the same pot that we're trying to get them access to. That's number one. Number two, the estimated cost for this is insignificant to the state budget that's allocating $711 million of MAP money in the budget. It only really equates to half of a percentage, half of a percentage of allocation for 10400030.docx 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 students who are already enrolled in programs, 384 of them currently in the state of Illinois."
"Do we know approximately how many funds would be available to those who are incarcerated, the dollar amount?"
"Yes. It's… it really equals about $3.2 million. It's… it's very, very small from the state budget."
"And is ISAC still in opposition to the bill?"
"They have not told me that at all, Mr. Windhorst."
"Well, again, I… I appreciate your explanation and the answers. I believe those concerns that were expressed are still there, so I anticipate you'll see 'no' votes on our side. Thank you."
"Thank you very much."
"Question is, 'Shall House Bill 2466 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 72 voting 'yes,' 39 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Chung, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen of the… the House, I just wanted to introduce my good friend, Cody Hendricks, and his Olympia High School class, that they're here to do something with Senator Sally Turner's youth, sort of, government council, I guess they have. But I told him that he 10400030.docx 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 needs to come over here 'cause… so they can see how, like, a real body works. So, anyway, let's welcome here… them to Springfield. Thank you."
"Moving to page 4 of the calendar appears House Bill 1237, Leader West. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1237, a Bill for an Act concerning education. The bill was read for a second time previously. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments have been approved for consideration. Several notes have been requested on the bill and have not been filed."
"Leader West."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to make sure that the fiscal… the notes are ruled inapplicable before we move… move forward."
"Representative West has moved that the notes be ruled inapplicable. That question, Leader Elik."
"Thank you, Speaker. I would rise in opposition to making the notes inapplicable. Folks, this is going to cost your school districts a lot of money. Please, just because the… the notes are ruled inapplicable, don't be fooled into thinking it isn't going to cost money."
"Leader West, there's actually a… an amendment on the bill. I'm told by the clerk that we should do the amendment first and then go to the issue of the notes."
"Sounds good. The House Amendment… the amendment on the bill, House Amendment #4, becomes the bill. It's a… it's language that I worked extensively with the associations and in my Native American working groups. I ask for its adoption." 10400030.docx 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative West moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #4 to House Bill 1237. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. Representative West has moved that the notes be ruled inapplicable. All those in favor… Leader Elik, would you like to reiterate?"
"I reiterate my opposition, and everyone should be opposed too. Thank you."
"Representative West has moved that the notes be ruled inapplicable. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 70 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 1 voting 'present.' And the notes are ruled inapplicable. Mr. Clerk, Third Reading. Please read the bill."
"House Bill 1237, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader West."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask the body to… to set their eyes on the screen. I want to talk real quick to the Black Caucus Members. I have a logo for you to look at. Tell me how you feel when you see this. Black Caucus Members, tell me how you feel when you see this. To my Latino Caucus Members, tell me how you feel when you see this. To my Asian Caucus Members, tell me how you feel when you see this. To my Jewish brothers and sisters, how you feel when you see this? To my Italian brothers and sisters, how do you feel when you see this? To my white brothers and sisters, how do you feel when you see 10400030.docx 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 this? House Bill 1237 make… ensures that you understand that this in not OK 'cause this is everywhere. And so, House Bill 1237 prohibits schools from using Native American logos, names, and mascots. I worked extensively with the associations for five years, Native American working group for five years. But for 20 years, the American Psychological Association has encouraged us to get rid of these mascots for the sake of the mental health of our young people. I understand that there's a lot of opposition to this bill, and, yes, there's funding that is needed to make these corrections. And one thing we’ve done is make sure that by 2030, in five years, you're able to make these corrections for the sake of the fiscal health of each school. But this is for the vitality and the… and the mental health of our young people. And I know there's going to have much discussion., I ask for a favorable roll call."
"On this question, Leader Elik."
"Speaker, I request Standard Debate, and I'm joined by seven of my colleagues."
"Standard Debate."
"Thank you so much. Leader West, would you perhaps maybe answer a couple questions on the mechanics of the bill? And I understand that you extended the… the date of implementation, and that's certainly appreciated, but there's still significant concerns on the bill that I want to point out. So, maybe first, let me ask this. Illinois Association of School Boards is still opposed. Is that correct?"
"That is correct." 10400030.docx 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"That is correct. OK. And what is the nature of their opposition?"
"The nature of their opposition is that they wanted every school that has this mascot to be able to create a partnership with a federally recognized tribe, any federally recognized tribe, throughout our nation to keep their mascot. And that will water down the significance of this bill, especially when it comes to the Native American community."
"However, you do have a process in the bill to do that, correct?"
"That is correct. That process is for those… the schools that have mascots that are focused on a specific federally recognized tribe. The… they are able to have a conversation with that tribe to see if there's an opportunity for a partnership so that they can keep their mascot."
"And how many of those are in… how many school districts in the state of Illinois are associated with a specific tribe?"
"I don't want to put a specific number 'cause I don't have that on the top of my head, but it's a handful."
"So, I believe in… in testimony in committee yesterday, I believe the School Board Association testified that there were only five districts in the state that are associated with a specific tribe. However, there are 85 additional school districts in Illinois who would be affected by this bill because of the provisions that certain adjectives that are associated with Indian tribes are included. So, what are some of those adjectives?"
"Well, when it comes to the adjectives that we laid out in the bill, one of those adjectives is redskins. Another one is 10400030.docx 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 a tomahawk, an arrowhead, a spear, arrow, or other weapon in… if it's in combination with a feather. We also have braves, chiefs, chieftains, tribes, and Indians, and any other synonyms."
"Thank you. And… and what would you expect that those 90 school districts across the state of Illinois will incur as they potentially have to change their… every… everything about their… their identity as a school district when it comes to their mascot? What do you expect that they will have to change out?"
"I'm sorry, you said what do I expect them to change out?"
"What… what do you… what do you, just anecdotally, think that is involved in changing out a logo and a mascot for a school district?"
"Oh, I understand it's going to take time. It's going to… and it's going to take funding. That's why we extended the timeline of when that can happen. They… all of the schools that are affected by this has five years. What we do know, currently, that all of our schools within a three-to-five- year span updates their jerseys, updates their the… the gear that they have. So, we put it in alignment with that so that when that happens, they are also able to work on changing the mascot using funding to make sure that they have a new mascot at the same time. So, we worked to ensure that the schools have the least… as best as possible, the least amount of fiscal impact."
"Thank you. I think I would probably…"
"Leader, leader, Representative Swanson yields you two minutes." 10400030.docx 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. I'll… I'll wrap up here in just a moment. But I think also, besides just jerseys and… and clothing items, they are looking at maybe scoreboards, logos on their basketball court, various different marquees and signage throughout the school, not just the school but the entire district. So, I think I will tell you two districts in my area have brought huge concerns to me. One, it would estimate $2 million. The other one, approximately $500,000. And while I understand exactly where you're coming from on this bill, they are very concerned about what choices they will have to make to change out those items in the next five years, over the next five years, versus what they're going to have to give up in their school systems. They may have to give up new textbooks. They may have to give up new, you know, career and tech-ed equipment in a… in a lab or lab equipment. So, I think the concerns of our school districts throughout the state of Illinois are very real, and I'll just leave it at that and let my colleagues speak as well. Thank you."
"Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Mr. Speaker, the Republicans request an immediate caucus."
"Leader, how long do you need?"
"We anticipate one hour."
"Republicans will caucus in 118. We will return to the floor at… at noon. The Democrats will stand at ease. The House… the House stands in recess to the call of the Chair. The House will be in order. Resuming debate on House Bill 1237. I believe that Leader West had opened, we had some 10400030.docx 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 questions, went to caucus, further debate. Chair recognizes Representative Weaver."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll go directly to the bill."
"To the bill."
"Colleagues, if you wouldn't mind directing your eyes to the screen, please. Does this mascot offend you? This is the Brimfield Indians in my district, where my nieces and nephews go to school. They're really proud of this mascot. This is the Annawan Braves, another mascot in my district. One woman emailed me, who's an Annawan Brave, who's a (unintelligible) descendant, is incredibly proud to be an Annawan Brave and worries that if they're no longer the Braves, she feels like her heritage will be lost. Of course, we all love this one, was once a sign of immense respect, heritage was something that all Illinoisans, frankly, loved. This is widely regarded as one of the best mascots in professional sports, repeatedly wins awards for being the best NHL sweater, which is a jersey in hockey. There's some red states that do this. Of course, this is the Atlanta Braves, but there's also some blue states that do this. I'd remind you of the Golden State Warriors. I haven't been offended by any one of these pictures so far, hope that none of you have been either. I'm… my apologies if you have been. Others, even still, just use the word without using any sort of mascot to go with it, like the Bradley Braves, which is really, frankly, more of an adjective than… than a noun. And I also want to say, I… I appreciate where this is coming for. You'll… you'll notice I didn't speak on the bill earlier this week on a similar issue because I understood where you're coming from. And I'd be totally in 10400030.docx 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 favor of getting rid of Red Raiders and Redskins. I think that there are bad issues in this area, but you don't throw out a song because there's one bad note. You don't chop down a tree because there's one bad apple. There's… there's bad doctors and lawyers and teachers, and we don't get rid of all of them. Guys, I hate to tell you, but there's bad politicians, and we don't get rid of all of them because we know that the good, I think, outweighs the bad. And so, to the Rock… Rockford West Warriors…"
"Representative, Representative Meier yields you two minutes."
"I'll be… I'll be wrapping up. Thank you. To the Rockford West Warriors, to all the Braves and the Tomahawks and the Blackhawks and the Aztecs and the Chiefs and the Chieftains and the 85 other mascots in the state of Illinois who proudly wear Native American heritage to remember the history of where we all came from, I just want to say that I'm proud of you for standing up for this heritage. If there's bad actors, absolutely, let's get rid of them. And I will also just leave you with this question: These group of people were oppressed, but is oppressed and forgotten better? Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"The name Illinois originates from the Illiniwek, a… a confederation of Native American tribes, and the French, who adopted the name Illinois as a French rendering of the Illiniwek name, which likely means 'speaks normally.' The Illiniwek is also known as Illinois. Are we going to change 10400030.docx 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 the name of our state? When we look at mascots, what is a mascot? Is that something we make fun of? Is that something we walk across? Is that something we stomp down? Or is that something we hold up and revere? This is our history, right? We are holding these things up. Our communities celebrate these as a representation of… of our athletics and our courage and our bravery and all these different things. And you want to get rid of it because some random person wants to be offended by something. A mascot is revered. It is held up. I want to remind everyone in here that we just had a vote before we started this debate on notes. One of those notes was a racial impact note, and every person on that side of the aisle voted that there was no impact on race. At the end of the day, a lot of our history is based on Native Americans. We can't change history, and we can't forget it. Please vote 'no.'"
"Representative Canty. Representative Canty."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill. It's really easy to hold up logos now, today that we think are not offensive. I do want to call the chamber's attention to what the Braves logo used to look like. I don't think that the best way forward is to look for ways that we can continue to exalt racism in our country because that is a big part of our history. That is where a lot of these mascots come from. And so, to say that we are holding them up proudly, as there are opportunities to do better than where we were, that's where we need to be. And so, if I had to choose between being forgotten or remembered as some bucktooth caricature with a feather sticking out of my hat, I think, I think I'd rather 10400030.docx 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that you forgot me. But I think we have a lot of people in this room that are desperately hoping to be remembered. And if we're going to remember you, let's try and remember you with pride. So, let's try and focus less on how hard it is or how much it costs us to be less racist and offensive and focus on how can we move forward together and actually exalt people and recognize them in ways that are respectful. I encourage a strong 'yes' vote."
"On this question, Representative Faver Dias."
"I… sorry. I want to start by thanking Leader West for his immense amount of work. I have followed this bill closely. I actually read about it, I remember, because I taught at a school with one of these racist mascots. I've seen firsthand the division that it creates not only within the school but also the community. And Leader West has worked tirelessly with the opposition to try to do everything possible to remove it, but there is just simply a difference here. This argument that we somehow are teaching history and learning history through these mascots is nonsense. Find a better way to teach and learn history. There is a cost, yes. There's a cost to schools to… to make these changes, but there's a cost to not doing that. And that's at a cost to students' mental health, a cost to the culture and climate of the school, and, frankly, sometimes there is a cost to doing the right thing. Please vote 'yes.'"
"Leader West to close."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank you for all of your words. I had the chance to take some notes. I heard some things said that our heritage would be lost if this happens, 10400030.docx 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that why would we do this, that this is our history. We can't change history. We cannot forget it. How many of us know that the Prairie Band Pottawatomi tribe started here in Illinois? And I'm going to paraphrase the history, but the chairman, Chairman Rupnick, of the Prairie Band Pottawatomi tribe, his grandfather went on vacation to Wyoming in the late 1800s from Northern Illinois to see his family. And when he came back, his land was gone. His land was taken. That's history. We ain't talking about that. And, yeah, we… we want to talk about history? That's why we passed the Native American history bill last year, before changing… talking about the mascots. Because my working group of federally recognized tribal members came to me and said, 'Thank you, West, but please put that mascot bill on ice if you want to make sure our history is taught first.' Speaking of my working group, I want to thank them real quick. For five years, they showed nothing but grace. Do you guys know I received my first death threat from this bill, from this bill. Not Reproductive Health Act, I got a death threat from that too, but from this bill. Because we want to focus on our history, our traditions. When there's a community of people who are crying tears that we are not even thinking about, asking us to help them to reflect and be thankful of their history and make sure that their history is taught and make sure the true history of our state is put into the forefront of the minds of our babies so that as our community grows, we come into a lens of empathy…"
"Leader."
"…into a lens with tradition." 10400030.docx 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Hirschauer yields you two minutes."
"Thank you, sir. Thank you, Representative. I under… this is why we put it out for five years. We're not asking you to make the changes now. We are asking for five years from now. It was asked… talked about the marquee and all others. Yeah, we put that in the bill too. It allows school facilities, marquees, signs, and other permanent school structures to be replaced in the normal course of maintenance. This is not a dis towards tradition. This is uplifting people. That's what's more important than anything. I ask for an 'aye' vote. It's very concerning that we had to go on a hour-long caucus to talk about how we can keep mascots that keep people oppressed, that keep people burdened. It's very interesting. I already know how many of us are going to vote on that side of the aisle. So, I'm asking those who have that spirit of empathy and compassion for people who, even though you don't understand fully their history, you want them to… to embrace and be proud of it, even if their history does not look like yours. I want to thank you in advance for your 'aye' vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1237 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 71 voting 'yes,' 40 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader McCombie, for what reason do you arise?" 10400030.docx 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Point of personal privilege, Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Just to respond to the… the last comment. What we discuss in caucus, just like you, what you discuss in caucus, is our business. And we may continue to have to do that throughout the day to discuss other bills that happen to come up. As much as we would like to not have to caucus, when we are on Short Debate, we have to be strategic because sometimes you have 40 of us that want to open our mouths and we can't. If we had more bills on our side, we wouldn’t have to be discussing only your bills and taking three-hour caucuses. That is not on us. So, what we discuss in caucus is our business. Thank you."
"Moving to House Resolution 212, Leader Stuart."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The resolution is discussing my… the gentleman that's with me here, Caden Hartman, who is also my page for today and has a chance to meet lots of you. But Caden Hartman had a wonderful experience just recently, serving as a U.S. Senate page under our Senator Dick Durbin. And we've just been chatting about his experience there and everything that he learned, and he was… I was lucky enough to have him be able to take a day off of school. He's a junior at Christian Brothers College High School, which is across the river in St. Louis, but he lives in my district in Edwardsville. Caden's in… a really remarkable young man. His favorite class is American Experience, an integrated government and literature class. He also plays high school and club soccer and is on the Model UN team. He's earned first honors at CBC the whole time he's been there. He mentors 10400030.docx 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 underclassmen, and he's an ambassador for the school as well. This summer, he plans to volunteer at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and at the Land of Lincoln Legal Aid. And we're lucky enough to be joined by his dad, Steve, who is also up in the gallery somewhere to meet us. So, please welcome Caden to the Capitol."
"Welcome, Caden. Representative Croke, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"I have some sad news to bring to the body. Earlier this morning, in my district at the 18th police station, a young officer took her own life within the station. There is currently an investigation ongoing, but I work very closely with the 18th District. You know, the officers there are so kind and loving. And we do Easter events and Christmas events, and they care so much about the community. You know, our officers, they give a lot. They give a lot to our community, and you never know what's going on. You never know what they're going through. And I just hope that if there's anything we can take away from this incredibly tragic moment and this incredibly tragic loss of such a beautiful young life is to… to recognize our officers and to tell them when we do see them thank you for what they're doing, trying to keep our communities safe, and recognize what they are giving, that they're giving parts of themselves to our community. So, if we could just take… if the body could give a moment to recognize the loss of Officer Torres, I would… I would greatly appreciate it." 10400030.docx 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Croke, we will go to Representative Guerrero-Cuellar first and then we'll have a moment of silence. Representative Guerrero-Cuellar."
"Thank you, Members. I've gotten up here before and you guys heard me. You know this is personal for me. Her badge number is 18548, 18548. I know to some folks it's a badge number, but I really want to make that personal connection that these are people, and they're human, and our first responders need help. And yesterday, Representative Kelly allowed me to carry a bill for him that focuses on… it's a task force on suicide for first responders. And I hate to be up here today and say how much we really needed it, but we don't know what they see. Every district is different. We don't know what they engage. In Chicago, if you have the opportunity, you can go to a website called 'The Crime is Down,' and you can listen to the scanner. And some of those calls and some of the things that are said over the radio, this is reality for them every day. And whether… I can't even say they work eight-hour shifts. They're 10-, 12-, 15-hour shifts. Their days are canceled. We've been here for the majority of the week, and we're tired, right? And we're going through bills, and we're having conversations, and we're having meetings. Now, be in the fields 12, 18 hours, your days are canceled. We don't know what these folks are going through. And so, when you see an officer, the simple words of thank you, we support you, you are important. We don't know if they will change for someone and what the impact will be. And I'm sorry for getting so personal, but I've seen a lot of folks with red flags, and I've worked with Representative 10400030.docx 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 LaPointe and other Members in this General Assembly about mental health for first responders. And the importance is because it's hard to wake up in the morning and to hear this, that a 34-year-old police officer took her life, and she took it at the district. We don't know what they see every day. And so, when you see them, I encourage you to please say thank you and thank you for your service and thank you for protecting the city that you serve. We have Members of the… in the General Assembly who are… who are officers. We have our own firefighter. We don't know what they see and what they endure. And then they still go home and they're a father, a brother, a son, a sister, a daughter, a friend. And so, please, I just encourage you to just say thank you to them and what they do."
"The body shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. Moving to page 28 of the calendar, on the Order of Third Reading appears House Bill 2362, Representative Weaver. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2362, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Weaver."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2362 allows the Secretary of State's Office to issue a special license plate for those that are recipients of the Air Medal. This is a bipartisan bill, bipartisan sponsorship, no opposition in committee. I would appreciate a favorable roll call. Thank you."
"Question shall… is, 'Shall House Bill 2362 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The 10400030.docx 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Walsh on House Bill 3541, on page 23 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading. Representative Walsh. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3541, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Walsh."
"Representative Walsh on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I like the glasses. I'd like to adopt the amendment and then to debate it on Third."
"Representative Walsh moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3541. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3541, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Walsh."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 3541 is a technical fix to the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program that makes the eligibility requirements consistent with other CEJA-funded workforce programs. It allows low income and unemployed and those with employment barriers to sign up for these high-quality training programs. This bill will allow more Illinoisans to 10400030.docx 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 participate in these programs and get more diverse candidates into the construction and building trades. I'd ask for a favorable vote, and happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, I appreciate the description. The… in order to be eligible, it appears the geographic area to be considered must be impacted by economic and environmental challenges, and it must both be an R3 area and an environmental justice community. Is that accurate?"
"That is correct."
"And those are defined in other areas of the law. R3 is defined in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, and the environmental justice community is the Illinois Power Agency. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"And why were those chosen as the designated areas?"
"What we've found as the programs have gone out is there's some… I think it's the C… give me a quick second here. So, what we've found out is the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program has… we've had candidates that they've had to turn away because that program did not fall into these requirements. And so, that would be in the Clean Jobs Network Program. Basically, what we're doing is combining the two to allow them to work intermingling."
"And I… I may have misstated something at the beginning. This is that two-thirds of all programs must be in those designated areas, correct?" 10400030.docx 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Correct."
"Not all…"
"Right."
"…but two-thirds, at least two-thirds. And it's designed to open it up for more people to be involved in the… this program. Do I have that accurate?"
"That is correct."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3541 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 92 voting 'yes,' 21 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Rules Report."
"Rules Report. Representative Gabel, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules reports the following committee action taken on April 10, 2025: recommends be adopted and referred to the floor is Floor Amendment #2 for House Bill 2409 and Floor Amendment #2 for House Bill 3645."
"Moving to page 3 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 1056, Representative Vella. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1056, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Vella."
"Representative Vella on Floor Amendment #2." 10400030.docx 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. Floor Amendment #2 addresses colocated solar projects. It makes sure that if they're the same developer or with shared infrastructure, they're treated as a single project for Illinois Power Agency REC procurements."
"Mr. Clerk, out of the record. Moving to page 22 of the calendar appears House Bill 3487, Representative Syed. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3487, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Syed."
"Representative Syed on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Floor Amendment becomes the bill. Am I good to present the whole bill?"
"Representative Syed moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3487. All those in favor will signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3487, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Syed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3487 will help identify and fill workforce shortages in Illinois' behavioral health care system by requiring the ID… by asking the IDFPR to compile data about the current behavioral health workforce. This idea came from the work of the Illinois Behavioral Health Care Workforce Center, which was created by this… by the Illinois General Assembly in 2019. Illinois is facing a shortage of behavioral health care professionals. We need to 10400030.docx 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 be exploring new approaches to fill this shortage, and without data, we cannot come up with smart approaches. Currently, there's simply not enough information on behavioral health practitioners to accurately approach legislative solutions. So, the data collected would be simple and noninvasive. Right now, the IDFPR collects sex, ethnicity, race, disability, and now, in this bill, we would also include primary language spoken, anticipated date of retirement, type of employment, and zip code on the applications for licensure and renewals. The department mentioned that they will also collect zip code of employment and second language spoken. The report is already being published on the department's website on or before March 1 of each calendar year, and they will also publish the up… additional data that is being collected from this bill. There is no opposition. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, you hit this as a data collection bill. We're expanding data that's being collected. And what is the purpose for that expansion?"
"So, we were just trying to identify… without data it's tough to tell why we aren't able to fill some workforce shortages. So, we are hoping that this data would help us inform some of those legislative policies that we might be able to come up with in the future to make sure that they are data informed and going to actually help alleviate the issue."
"And the… the bill was amended. Floor Amendment 1 looks like it removed opposition from the ACLU and streamlined the 10400030.docx 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 process. Could you briefly describe what the amendment did to remove that opposition?"
"So, it narrowed which category… what kind of data we are collecting, just because ACLU had some concerns about data privacy and the kind of data we're collecting at this moment of time. So, we narrowed that down, and the new amendment was brought to us from IDFPR, and it's language that they feel they'd be able to incorporate easily."
"And this will apply to both licensure and renewals with the amendment?"
"That is correct."
"Is there an opt-out for those who are applying for either their license or their renewal to not include information if they don't wish?"
"Yes. So, it… the… they're permitted to, but they're not required to provide it."
"Thank you. It looks like the amendment still brought up a partisan vote in committee. I appreciate you answering my questions. Thank you."
"There has been one in favor and one opposed. Representative Syed to close."
"Thank you. I think this is just a really great example of this… the Illinois General Assembly in 2019, you know, passed legislation to create the Illinois Behavioral Health Care Workforce Center. And now, you know, an idea came from them about collecting additional data to help address some of these issues. So, I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Question… the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3487 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' 10400030.docx 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 37 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 20 of the calendar appears House Bill 3365, Representative Vella. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3365, a Bill for an Act concerning courts. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Vella."
"Representative Vella on Floor Amendment #1."
"Floor Amendment 1 just makes some technical changes. I'd like to argue that on the underlying bill, please."
"Representative Vella moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3365. All those in favor vote 'aye'… or, signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3365, a Bill for an Act concerning courts. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Vella."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What… House Bill is… 3365 is something we had done in a previous session, and it… it kind of died in the Senate. What it really does is it makes sure that if somebody is a survivor of domestic violence, they will not lose their child to the DCFS court system. It keeps kids with the survivor when that situation is still safe for the child to be there. That's really all this does." 10400030.docx 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"On this question, Representative Reick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, we had a long, long conversation about this last night in committee, and, you know, we're… it was a good conversation. There were many people speak… there were people speaking in favor of it. There were people speaking opposed to it. And I want to preface this by saying I have absolutely no problem with what you're trying to do here because separating children from their families is probably the hardest thing that we can do, and it is the one thing that DCFS has got the most responsibility for making that determination. And if a victim of domestic violence is, in fact, innocent to the point where keeping the child with that person is able to be an option, under many circumstances, I don't disagree with that. But there were considerable concerns raised by the Cook County Public Guardian on this bill as to a lot of things having to do with procedure. And I would like you to discuss what the concerns were and how you intended to address them in this bill."
"Well, I… we've had discussions with the Cook County Public Guardian and many other people over the last three years trying to make sure procedurally this is done correctly. Part of the problem we run into is Cook County has… does one thing and downstate counties do other things, and every county really has its own unique system for determining the right way to implement the Juvenile Court Act. I know that there were some questions about whether just say… saying domestic violence alone puts a box around domestic violence and you 10400030.docx 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 can't use it. Basically, I think it's going to come down to an implementation problem. Either way, I am committed to continuing to work with the Cook County Guardian. I'm continuing to work with everybody. And I've… I've talked to the advocates, and I want to make sure that this is done correctly. I don't want to put any kids in danger. But this at least allows to make sure that if someone is just a victim of domestic violence, they don't lose their kid and the kid is not abused again by the system. So, I… I am committed to working with the Cook County Guardian on all the technical issues, but I think this is… we're… we're ready to pass it in the House right now."
"Representative, Representative Deering will yield two minutes. Even though it's on Short Debate, I will allow it."
"Thank you. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Again, this is one of those kinds of bills where nobody comes out a winner if what we do is the wrong thing. It was made… a point was made in conversation last night that what we have here is a bill that basically takes away a tool from the DC… from DCFS from determining the… the real characteristics of what's going on in a household that may give rise to a child being put in danger. It's… it's, in effect, asking… asking the investigator to ignore the evidence of his or her own eyes as to what is really going on in the household. And, you know, oftentimes, and maybe too often of times, our definition of neglect is so broad in Illinois that the agency maybe takes kids out when they 10400030.docx 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 shouldn't. But I think what we run the risk of here is when the… when… when an investigator is looking at the… at a case, it's seeing a household in the full… the full part of what the household is about. I think what you're looking at is an investigator who's going to be torn by looking at mom sitting there with a bloody nose, dad maybe in the… in jail or having run off, or just the other way around sometimes, and ignoring the… and… and being forced to ignore the fact that that is happening and then looking for some other reason to maybe broaden the definition of neglect, finding something that is even less likely to constitute neglect in order to do the thing that they are tasked to do, which is to take the child and make that child safe. I understand the trauma of removing children from their families, but the fact is, is that this bill does not help in the situation that could result in a… a wrong decision being made. To use the old Solomonic reference, and it's a bad one because we're talking about children here, it's basically asking the investigator to cut the baby in half. And I don't believe that…"
"Representative, please bring your remarks to a close."
"I'll bring… thank you. This bill has good intentions, but it needs work, and it needs work before it comes to the floor. And if the sponsor is serious, and I believe he is, to continue working with all the stakeholders in this, I urge him to possibly take this bill out of the record. Let us make the bill right. Let's take an… a bill and let's… this is an impossible situation almost, but it needs to be fixed. But it can't be fixed under the pressures of us passing a bill and 10400030.docx 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 hoping that we can fix it in the Senate. I would urge a 'no' vote, not because it's a bad bill or not because it doesn't have the right intent in what it's trying to do, but it's just not ready yet. Thank you."
"Representatives, there has been one person speaking in favor, one person speaking against. This is on Short Debate. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3365 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 73 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Kifowit, for what reason do you arise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2362, I meant to vote in favor of. My button didn't work."
"The record…"
"Please… please be recorded as a 'yes' vote."
Speaker Hoffman: "The record shall reflect. Representative Swanson on House Bill 3388, on page 31 of the calendar, on the Order of Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3388, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3388, this bill was brought to me by the fire department districts. And what it is it… it allows fire departments to use recreational off- highway vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, watercraft, or aircraft that is designated or authorized by proper local 10400030.docx 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 authorities, including fire departments in the definition of fire department vehicle. Provides that the permanent vehicle registration plate or license plate shall be issued at no charge to all-terrain vehicles owned by counties, townships, or municipal corporations and used as fire department vehicles. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3388 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take… please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader… Leader Avelar, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Thank you so much. I wanted to take the time to give a big Springfield welcome to a wonderful woman that I have right next to me, who I would say is one of the prides of Will County, so you see a lot of Will County electeds who are kind of sharing her throughout the… we will share her throughout the rest of the day. Here we have Lorraine Guerrero Neumayer. She's a clinical social worker with the Children's Trauma Center at the Will County's State's Attorney Children's Advocacy Center. So, I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming to Springfield. Thank you for all you do for the community, and I'm just happy to be here next to you. Thank you." 10400030.docx 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Welcome to Springfield. Moving to page 17 of the calendar, under the Order of Second Reading, Representative Stuart has House… House Bill 3062. Leader Stuart. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3062, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Stuart."
"Leader Stuart on Floor Amendment #1."
"Can I just adopt the amendment and discuss it at once?"
"Leader Stuart moves for the adoption of… of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3062. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment's adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3062, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Stuart."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill is… sounds like it should be really simple, but, unfortunately, it's taken us about five years to get to this simple point. What we're trying to solve for is that under the Civil Service Act, our state universities, if they have an open job position, if you do not live within the state of Illinois, you cannot apply for the job. I represent a university on a border area. It sure would be lovely to be able to have people from Missouri fill the open spots that we have and then move into our state after they take that job. That's what this bill intends to do. Sounds very simple. Like I said, it's taken five years and a lot of work. I do… I have to be frank and civil service 10400030.docx 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 needs things very well defined in what they consider administratable. I thought I was at that point, but after discussion last night, realized we're probably a few words away from that. So, I hate to say the words that we all dread, but I… I have a meeting already scheduled, or in the process of scheduling the meeting next week, to fine tune those words. So, we'll bring this back here with that perfected, fine- tuned language."
"On this question, Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just heard the sponsor clarify that you've got continued work to do on this bill, correct?"
"Yes."
"And… and when this was introduced, initially it did have some impact on my Western Illinois University security forces, and that's been removed?"
"It should not… I think you're referring to something that we passed. I believe Leader Hammond…"
"Correct. Yes."
"…under that. This should work in conjunction…"
"In conjunction."
"…with what we already have in place there."
"OK. So, they're going to work… OK. Got it. Got it. That was just a concern. And… and, as you said, you're going to continue to work on that, go over to the Senate, and then bring it back here most likely."
"Yes."
"OK. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3062 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The 10400030.docx 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 81 voting 'yes,' 32 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 25 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 3725, Representative Sosnowski. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3725, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Sosnowski."
"Representative Sosnowski on Floor Amendment #1."
"This amendment makes a technical amendment. I'd like to speak to it on Third Reading."
"Representative Sosnowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3725. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment's adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3725, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Sosnowski."
"Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Many Members of the General Assembly may remember a bill similar to this that we passed two separate times. One for home rule and one for nonhome rule water services. And basically, it brings municipal utilities in line with state law as far as billing practices for consumers, both commercial and residential. Essentially, 10400030.docx 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 if there is a mistake or an error on a private utility or a… a water system, they can't go back and bill a residential customer for more than a year. Again, this has to be a mistake that the company actually made, or the utility. This simply takes that practice that is already in state law and expands it to sanitation districts or sanitation systems that are run by municipalities. I'd ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3725 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Returning to page 3 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 1056. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1056, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Vella."
"Representative Vella on Floor Amendment #2."
"I'd like to order… argue it at the primary, please."
"Representative Vella moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1056. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1056, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. Third Reading of this House Bill." 10400030.docx 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Vella."
"Thank you. House Bill 1056 addresses colocated solar projects put together by the same developer over the shared infrastructure and makes sure that’s a single project for the purpose of the Illinois Power Agency REC procurement."
"On this question, Representative Ugaste."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative Vella, the… the bill, exactly what does it do with these solar fields? Why… why are you bringing it forward? We already have the law concerning this, don't we?"
"The… there are some, very few, bad actor developers who are putting together solar projects right next to each other that are just under the utility scale, but they're… but they're putting together with the same infrastructure right… actually right next to each other to skirt the prevailing wage ordinances. So, we just want to make sure people get paid what they should get paid."
"Is this just prevailing wage, or does it also affect project labor agreements?"
"I believe it does."
"It does affect project labor agreements as well?"
"I… yes, I believe it does."
"OK. So, basically, what you're saying is we… strike that. To the bill. We have a statute in place. It describes what falls under the… the jurisdiction of the Climate Jobs Act and… and how these things must be met. We have developers who are putting together areas where they believe they're complying with the law, but apparently others feel they're… 10400030.docx 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 they're skirting it. So, this is basically, to me, an expansion of what prevailing wage and project labor is. So, I will not be supporting it, and I urge a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1056 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 82 voting 'yes,' 30 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Returning to page 23 appears House Bill 3574, Representative Slaughter. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3574, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1's offered by Representative Slaughter."
"Representative Slaughter on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to move that we adopt Floor Amendment #1, which is technical in nature. I'd like to discuss this on Third Reading. Thank you."
"Representative Slaughter moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3574. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3574, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Slaughter." 10400030.docx 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Good afternoon, and thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 3574 will assist our efforts in continuing to be at the forefront of the rapidly growing data center industry. House Bill 3574 is a bill that passed House State Government Committee 8-0, unanimously. This initiative gives Illinois-based data… data storage centers a boost in acquiring state contracts for maintaining state data. As House Bill 3574 moved through the legislative process, we collaborated with the Department of Innovation & Technology, the Chief Procurement Office, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce to create this special new purchasing benefit. More specifically, this bill allows the state chief procurement officer to allocate to any qualified bidder an earned credit for ensuring that all state data that is included in the contract is stored right here in the state of Illinois. It also provides an additional credit if the data is stored within a designated opportunity zone, which is located in underserved communities. A lot of the state's data is stored outside the state, so this is simply an incentive for tech contracts to invest right here in Illinois. We know that data centers can create revenue jobs and economic development. I ask for a favorable roll call. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, it looked like, under the initial bill, TechNet and the chamber were opposed, and the 10400030.docx 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 amendment brought them to at least neutral, if I'm seeing this correct."
"Yeah. That's accurate. That's accurate."
"What did you do with the amendment that brought them to neutral?"
"We worked with the Illinois Chamber, as you referenced to, on this amendment that was brought forth. There was a lot of clarifying language, clarifying of definitions that we crafted together and got on one accord with. And so, we were able to craft this together in collaboration with… with the chamber. There has been some subsequent discussions, and it's been mutually agreed upon that there is one word, literally, that we want to delete. That… that word is 'processing.' There was a need to differentiate between data storage versus data processing. And so, that's where we landed on this, and the chamber is… is not opposing this bill."
"With the removal of that word, are you anticipating that'll happen in the Senate?"
"That… that will… eliminating the one word will happen in the Senate."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3574 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 1 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, committee announcements." 10400030.docx 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
Clerk Hollman: "The following committees will be meeting immediately: Judiciary – Civil will meet in Room 114. Financial Institutions will meet in Room 118. Human Services will meet in Room 115. Education Policy will meet in Room 122."
"Members, we will stand in recess as you go to committees, and we'll return promptly to the floor… we will return to the floor promptly at 2 o'clock. House will stand in recess to the call of the Chair. The House will come to order, promptly at the hour of 2 o'clock. Moving to page 8 of the calendar appears House Bill 1882, Representative Schweizer. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1882, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1882, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Schweizer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill recreates the Veterans' Service-Related Ailments Task Force but renames it the Veterans' Service Task Force. And it's required to make findings and recommendations and present those to the governor, as well as the General Assembly, regarding veteran service-related ailments that are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and other specific matters. And I encourage a 'yes' vote." 10400030.docx 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1882 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 19 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Readings appears House Bill 3252, Representative Ryan. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3252, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Ryan, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Ryan on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present House Bill 3252, legislation that…"
"Representative Ryan, let's adopt the amendment first."
"I apologize, Mr. Speaker."
"That's OK."
"I ask to move… adopt amendment #1."
"Representative Ryan moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3252. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3252, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill." 10400030.docx 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Ryan."
"Let's try this again."
"It's your turn."
"I rise today to present House Bill 3252, legislation that prepares high school students for the workplace by ensuring workplace experience courses fully educate kids on their legal rights as workers in case of discrimination and harassment. Our kids are entering a competitive job market, and to fully prepare them for success, it's essential they are equipped with all the knowledge they need to thrive. ISBE has already released a comprehensive guide to help schools develop these courses, so it will be easier for the schools to make changes. This bill has the support of the AFL-CIO, ISBE, the National Nurses United. I ask for a favorable roll call. Thank you."
"On this… on this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, we show, on this bill, the Illinois Principals Association is opposed. Is that accurate to your knowledge?"
"To my knowledge, it is. I have no… they have not reached out to me to discuss it."
"And was there a reason why these two types of education were selected to be included in this curriculum?"
"What do you mean by these two types of education?"
"Instruction on workplace preparation covering legal protections and then protection against sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination." 10400030.docx 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"There's not a specific reason those two were chosen. It was more of a comprehensive bill to let kids know when they're being improperly treated or what rights they might have to retaliate against their employers."
"And this, if I understand correctly, will only apply to students who are in work… workplace experience courses and not all ninth through 12th graders?"
"That's exactly right. So, if there's a course in place already that we're teaching kids about how to enter the workforce and… and what… what they might encounter, this is just a supplement to that education."
"And this, looks like, has proponents from AFL-CIO, National Nurses Organizing Committee. Is that accurate?"
"I have National Nurses United on my… my notes."
"All right. And that may be correct. It could be just a distinction that may be wrong on our part, but also the AFL-CIO is supportive. Is that correct?"
"Yeah. Illinois State Board of Education also."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3252 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 77 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."
Clerk Hollman: "Committee Reports. Representative Gong- Gershowitz, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary - 10400030.docx 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Civil reports the following committee action taken on April 10, 2025: recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 2696. Representative Costa Howard, Chairperson from the Committee on Human Services reports the following committee action taken on April 10, 2025: recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 923. Representative Mussman, Chairperson from the Committee on Education Policy reports the following committee action taken on April 10, 2025: recommends be adopted is Floor Amendment(s) 1 to House Bill 429."
"Moving to page 29 of the calendar, on the Order of Third Reading appears House Bill 2947, Leader Rita. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2947, a Bill for an Act concerning gaming. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Rita."
"Was this amended?"
"There's no amendment, leader."
"No amendment, all right. I thought there was. House Bill 2947 is an initiative of the hiring casino workers. This is, my understanding, an agreed bill. There was some questions from one of the groups, but this makes it easier for casinos to hire nongaming employees to streamline it while working with the Illinois Gaming Board. Be happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Leader Keicher."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield." 10400030.docx 57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. Representative, appreciate you bringing this. We talked about this a little bit in committee. And… and for clarification, the problem that's running in is… is we've got people outside of the gaming area that are unable to come work on the property because the definition of who needs to be a background check and licensed is too vague currently. And we're trying to help out, create jobs here in the state of Illinois, correct?"
"That is correct."
"OK. Thank you for working on this. I appreciate all you do."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2947 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 30 of the Calendar, on the Order of Third Reading appears House Bill 3096, Representative Ortíz. Out of the record. Moving to page 7 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 1863, Representative Mussman. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1863, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Mussman."
"Representative Mussman on Floor Amendment #3."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House. House Amendment Floor… House Floor Amendment #3 is identical to 10400030.docx 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 House Committee Amendment #1, but it does perform a gut and replace. So, it keeps the underlying provisions of the introduced bill and makes a few changes, including changing the name of the Act to the One Health Commission Act, instead of the One Health Framework Task Force Act. It creates an opportunity to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and collaboration between our physicians, our veterinarians, and other professionals to provide a framework to navigate health threats shared between people and animals. So, the federal government recently created a National One Health Framework, and we would like to do something similar. The commission of… the amendment also makes some modifications to the appointments and pushes out the submission date. Sorry. Thank you."
"Representative Mussman moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3 to House Bill 1863. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1863, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mussman."
"Yes, thank you. As we had started talking about, basically, this creates the One Health Commission Act. And we see that there are increasing problems with health threats shared between people and animals, such as COVID-19, avian influenza, Ebola, Lyme disease, West Nile. And, again, in duplicating what is happening at the federal level, at the state level we also believe that it is important to create 10400030.docx 59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 pathways of conversation between organizations that would help us plan for a future outbreak. I'm not aware of any particular opposition. This has been worked through with IDPH and the University of Illinois Systems, and I would appreciate your support."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1863 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112… 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 18 of the calendar appears House Bill 3177, Representative Olickal. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3177, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Olickal."
"Representative Olickal on Floor Amendment #1."
"The amendment changes the bill from 20% of the program to 500 million annually and ties the threshold to the national highway construction costs, which is published by the U.S. Department of Transportation. I move for its adoption."
Speaker Hoffman: "Olickal moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3177. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk." 10400030.docx 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3177, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Olickal."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3177 adjusts the Innovative Project Delivery Program run by IDOT. Meaning that it uses methods to… to get projects out the door that are different from the traditional design-bid-build. The innovative methods that we are talking about here are design- build, progressive design-build, and Construction Manager/General Contractor. Currently, the Department is limited to 400 million in innovative project delivery projects and two CMGC projects over the course of the multiyear plan. The bill means that IDOT will be able to use design-build, progressive design-build, Alternative Technical Concepts, and Construction Manager/General Contractor methods with a total limit of all… for all those methods combined at 500 million a year, indexed to inflation. The bill will allow the department to deliver more projects via innovative project delivery. This is an opportunity to improve project speed, save money, and deliver high-quality infrastructure. Happy to answer any questions."
"On… on this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, with the amendment, initially, the bill presented a percentage cap on these design-build projects. We removed the percentage cap and went with a hard cap of 500 million. Do I have that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct." 10400030.docx 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And why do we think that increasing the cap from 400 million to 500 million was important to do?"
"It was… I think this is what was agreed to among the stakeholders. So… and there was no opposition after this, so it made… yeah."
"And using design-build as a… something that IDOT wants to continue to do and… and actually be able to use… for more projects. Is that accurate?"
"Yes. Yes, to get more projects out the door."
"Thank you."
"Representatives, we are on Short Debate. One individual has spoke in favor, one has spoke opposed. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3177 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 30 of the calendar appears House Bill 3096, Representative Ortíz. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill back to Second for the purpose of an amendment."
"House Bill 3096, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Ortíz."
"Representative Ortíz on Floor Amendment #1." Ortíz: "I would like to adopt the amendment and explain it on Third." 10400030.docx 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Ortíz moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3096. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3096, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Ortíz." Ortíz: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3096 is an initiative of ISAC. It amends the School Code to provide that each high school designate a FAFSA point of contact for matters of… related to completing the FAFSA. Illinois now requires that every high school student fills out the FAFSA unless they opt out. This point of contact would serve as the individual at the school who would be aware of all of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission's resources available to assist with its completion. The amendment reduces the burden by making the training mandatory only once when the person is initially designated. Every subsequent year, ISAC plans to encourage these designees to participate as a refresher, but only new designees will be required to participate. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Representative Will Davis." Davis, W.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield." Davis, W.: "Representative, I appreciate what you're trying to do, certainly encouraging our young people to do more to secure whatever financial aid is possible. If I remember correctly, back when this… there was a bill, maybe some years 10400030.docx 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 ago, that allowed for a principal to withhold graduation for a student that did not fill out the ISAC. Is that still the case?" Ortíz: "No. So, that is not the case. A student may opt out, but we are… this initiative is being brought forth because, unfortunately, we want to avoid students' diplomas being withheld inappropriately because someone at the school misunderstood the way, you know, the law works. So, and this did, unfortunately, did happen, so that is why we're pushing this initiative forward." Davis, W.: "No. I… I appreciate it…" Ortíz: "Yeah."
"…because we want to make sure students have all the information necessary. Will this individual be a staff person at the school or somebody from out of the school?" Ortíz: "This will be a individual who is staffed at the school, and they are… their duties with this bill would make them knowledgeable on the resources and, just as a point of contact, to be able to direct them to whatever resources ISAC may have." Davis, W.: "Great. Thank you very much, Representative." Ortíz: "Thank you." Davis, W.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3096 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 109 voting 'yes,' 2 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the 10400030.docx 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 7 on the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 1843, Representative Ness. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1843, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Ness."
"Representative Ness on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to amend Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 1843."
"Representative Ness moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 1843. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1843, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Ness."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1843 is a bill designed to lift obstacles to the creation of more CILAs, which are congregated… integrated living arrangements inside municipalities. This was brought to me by an agency that… that creates and operates CILAs around the state, and they have properties that are ready to go but because of restrictive zoning that falls below federal requirements, they've been unable to move forward. So, this bill would just bring standard… standard zoning across the state in… when it comes to the creation of CILAs. Take any questions." 10400030.docx 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
Speaker Hoffman: "On this question… on this question, Representative McLaughlin."
"Thank… thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, quick question. As you know, there are certain communities that have been zoned primarily residential. Are you aware of what the current requirements are for nonrelatives living in a single dwelling?"
"Well, it varies, depending on which community you're trying to put a… a CILA in. So, some of… commonly two."
"I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't hear. I'm sorry, Suzanne."
"It is commonly two unrelated individuals."
"OK. OK. Yeah, so the… the issue that I have with this is I've got a number of communities that have specifically been zoned for residential, and the number is three that… blood-related, but I understand the CILA side. However, this leads to a problem. Have… is there issues, as it relates to group homes, if there's more than three?"
"Yeah. I mean, that… that creates a… that could be potentially a reason to limit or restrict a group home being placed in a community that has that requirement. But the… when it comes to the definition, which is in the bill if you look for that, the definition of a CILA, which is usually four or five individuals in a home, this… this would remove that."
"OK. So, I just want to make sure this is specifically for CILAs."
"Specifically for CILAs, yes." 10400030.docx 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"OK. Yeah, I appreciate that because we have issues as it relates to nonrelated persons moving into towns that don't have… excuse me, that do have restrictions, putting them into school districts. And so, as long as it's specifically for CILAs, and you've confirmed that. I appreciate it."
"Yeah. Thank you, Rep."
"Thank…"
"The… the amendment… actually, that was a concern raised in committee. So, we took… we went back and amended it to restrict it just to CILAs."
"OK. Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1843 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 77 voting 'yes,' 35 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to Third Reading, on page 29 of the calendar appears House Bill 2586, Representative Moylan. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Move it back to Second. I apologize."
"House Bill 2586, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 3 and 4 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Hoffman." 10400030.docx 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Can I do it? OK, it's up to you. Representative Moylan."
"I can handle it. I know it's tough, but I'll do the best I can. This… the… the amendment's simply a clerical clarification."
"On this clerical clarification, Representative Moylan moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3 to House Bill 2586. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #4, offered by Representative Hoffman."
"Representative Moylan on Floor Amendment #4."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the General Assembly. Senate Bill… I mean, House Bill 2586 simply states… it amends… number four? Amendment #4? OK."
"Representative Moylan moves for the adoption of Amendment #4 to House Bill 2586. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2586, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Moylan."
"I knew it'd take a while, but we'll eventually get there. This bill simply amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administration Code of Illinois. Recognizes and expands the training overseen by the Division of the Academy and Training, per rights. And we're going to have a little 10400030.docx 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 technical… as introduced. Clarifies that state employees' indemnification provisions apply to any law enforcement organization created under the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, including any metropolitan enforcement groups. Establishes the ISP's Division of Justice Services shall serve as Illinois' Systems Agency as created under federal law. Limits the authority to enforce Illinois Motor Carrier Safety Law to the ISP's Division of Patrol. Expands the authority of the ISP Division of Criminal Investigation to conduct investigations. And I respectfully ask for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative Moylan, appreciate you bringing this forward. This is a state police initiative. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir. And it has bipartisan support."
"Yes. It was unanimous in committee."
"Correct."
"I believe that that committee has a… a pretty good spokesperson. The… we're trying to protect some individuals who serve in law enforcement capacity with the state police to make sure if they're sued, they have representation of the attorney general. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"And we're also trying to protect the internal criminal justice information system of the state police to make sure 10400030.docx 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that, basically, they have control over that system and not any outside interference or influence. Is that accurate?"
"Yes, sir. That's correct."
"All right. I appreciate you bringing this forward, and I encourage a 'yes' vote."
"Thank you."
"On this question… the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2586 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 5 of the calendar appears House Bill 1600, on the Order of Second Reading, Representative Gong- Gershowitz. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1600, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Gong-Gershowitz."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Gong-Gershowitz on Floor Amendment #2."
"Mr. Speaker, this Floor Amendment is a gut and replace. Can we adopt it, and then I'll talk about it on Third Reading?"
"Representative Gong-Gershowitz moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1600. All those in favor indicate… indicate by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And 10400030.docx 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 the amendment is adopted. Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1600, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Members, on this bill, we will be going to Standard Debate. We will be moving to Standard Debate, and after this bill, we'll go back to Short Debate. Leader Williams for an excused absence. Leader Williams." Williams, A.: "Sir… Mr. Speaker, please excuse Representative Ammons for the remainder of the day."
"Representative Gong-Gershowitz on House Bill 1600."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members. House Bill 1600, as amended, is a commonsense consumer choice bill. It is not a ban. I worked on this bill in collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Council, as well as the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Uber. And all this bill does is ensure that consumers have a choice and can ask for plastic utensils when ordering food from third-party delivery apps, like Uber and DoorDash. So, it makes those utensils by request only and that way consumers are not receiving that… those plastic utensils when they didn't want them, didn't ask for them, and they're having dinner in their home from their favorite restaurant. I want to thank the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, as well as the Illinois Environmental Council and Uber, for working on this with me. Want to note that the Illinois manufacturers are neutral on this bill, and I'm happy to answer questions. Hope for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst." 10400030.docx 71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. So, this is requiring third-party delivery platforms to provide an option to request single-use foodware rather than automatically supplying the single-use foodware upon the order. Do I have that accurate?"
"That's exactly right, leader. And, actually, this is something that's already happening in Chicago. But in my area, in the suburbs, there isn't anything on those delivery apps that gives you the option to select utensils or to tell the restaurant that you don't want them. So, we're simply trying to make sure that everybody has that choice."
"Well, I think it maybe comes to a difference of philosophy on each side of the aisle. This… don't know that I'd even argue that it's not a good idea. Maybe there are good ideas. In fact, some of Chicago is doing this, but does it need to be a law is the question. Is there other ways to accomplish this without putting another law on the books, adding more legislation, putting more burdens on individuals and businesses? But I'd like to ask this question. If there is a violation, what is the penalty for the violation?"
"Yeah. I want to actually look at the language just to make sure that I don't misspeak, leader. So, first, I… it requires notice. So, the first offense is simply notice, no fine, then a civil penalty of no more than $25 per day, and fines are limited to no more than $250 per year."
"We have some exempt either items or places. In particular, exempt are restaurants in O'Hare and Midway. Why were those chosen to be exempt?" 10400030.docx 72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"I don't have an… I don't know that I remember the precise discussion on that, but I know that in conversations between members of IRMA and, you know, folks who would be affected, we wanted to make sure that we didn't overly burden, you know, airports, or like a McDonald's take- out window, for example. You know, this was really meant to be limited to those third-party delivery apps where you might order food to your home and… and didn’t want them to give you the plastic without your request."
"And I believe you mentioned another exemption is drive-thrus. Is that correct?"
"Drive-thrus are also exempt. Yes."
"So, I want to talk about a potential situation. A restaurant has both an in-person and a drive-thru. And let's say an employee makes a mistake and places the item in the… the carry-out bag, rather that the drive-thru bag. That would be a violation of the law."
"I mean, technically, it would be, you know, subject to that… that first violation would be a notice. And… and the intent here, leader, and I… you know, I… I appreciate, you know, your thoughtful comment with respect to just a difference of perspective. I had hoped that we might get consumers to sort of request this from their restaurants and, you know, that in response to sort of consumer demand, that we not have drawers full of plastic that we all kind of keep 'cause we feel bad just throwing it in the… in… you know, in the garbage can, that this might happen on its own. The reality is that the work with these third-party delivery apps in response to ordinances, like what happened in Chicago and 10400030.docx 73 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Oak Park, has pushed this conversation further. And I do want to point out that restaurants are very tight-margin businesses. And so, for restaurants, this gives them the ability to just skip the stuff, not spend the money on the utensils, unless the consumer wants it. And so, my thought is that this will kind of change behavior over time. That's why the fees are pretty de minimis in nature, right? Because I'm not trying to make this, you know… I'm not trying to penalize businesses. I'm trying to make sure that we start to do some smart things. And so, that's why I thought this was a really good, commonsense collaboration between both environmental groups as well as business."
"The enforcement that we talked about is allowed for by the attorney general and the local state's attorney. Is that correct?"
"It is. And that's… that's because… Illinois Department of Public Health really doesn't do this kind of thing. I mean, they're really looking for pathogens and… and things like that. And so, that was the most natural place, you know, at the state for the enforcement."
"Has the attorney general weighed in whether he would like this authority or not?"
"He has not weighed in, but he has also not expressed any opposition."
"All right. Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, Representative Gong-Gershowitz to close."
"I ask for an 'aye' vote." 10400030.docx 74 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1600 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 39 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 28 of the calendar appears House Bill 2436, on the Order of Third Reading, Representative Gong-Gershowitz. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2436, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Gong-Gershowitz."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members. House Bill 2436 authorizes the Cook County public defender to represent Cook County residents in immigration hearings that occur outside the county. Under existing law, the Cook County Public Defender's Office is already authorized to represent persons in immigration court. This simply ensures that lawyers can follow their client even if the case is moved outside of Cook County. This is fundamentally about representation, a bedrock principle of our American justice system. All of these immigration court hearings take place virtually, and so this does not change or require anyone to travel outside of the state of Illinois. This bill does not obligate the Cook County public defender to represent anyone nor does it provide anyone with the right to an attorney in an immigration… in immigration court at government expense. There is no filed opposition to this bill. It does not impose any costs on the 10400030.docx 75 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 state of Illinois, and it does not increase costs for Cook County. It is budget neutral. I'd urge an 'aye' vote. Happy to answer questions."
"On this question, Representative Niemerg."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Representative, can you give me the definition of a resident, please, as it contains in this bill?"
"Yes. Sorry, Representative. I was trying to make sure I could see you across the room there. So, a Cook County resident, it's not defined in… in this statute, I just want to be clear. But as this term is… is used, it is somebody who is domiciled or resides in Cook County. So, somebody who lives in Cook County, has a Cook County address."
"So, they… they need… can they reside… they just need to have a Cook County address. So, they can reside with somebody as long as they're living at that location and share that address. Is that right? If they don't own the home or rent the home, as long as they're just a resident of that household and share that address, then they are a resident. Is that correct?"
"Well, I just want to be clear that I… I'm not sure that what you just described would necessarily be a… a legal definition of resident. I think, as I… I think of it is… it is the way in which we commonly understand the term 'reside.' Somebody who is domiciled, somebody lives at a certain address, somebody who lives in Cook County, has roots here." 10400030.docx 76 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"OK. So, I guess what I'm asking is if… if somebody is in Cook County and they are just living with a friend or somebody that has a residency there, has an address there, and they're just living there, let's say for a day, a week, or month, and they're detained by ICE and then sent to, let's say, Texas or wherever, do they constitute as a resident of Cook County?"
"I… I think, you know, I… as I understand what you're trying to get at is you want to make sure that the Cook County Public Defender's Office is prioritizing representing those who… who are residents and have ties to Cook County. And what I can tell you is the Cook County Public Defender's Office already does this. Typically, these cases come from folks who they're all… already representing in their criminal cases or individuals whose cases are already being heard in Chicago's Immigration Court. So, these are folks… folks who are here, who are residents of Cook County, and that is… is why the Cook County Public Defender's Office is aware of those individuals and their cases."
"OK. Thank you. I'm going to go to the bill, just very briefly."
Speaker Hoffman: "Yes, Representative Grant yields you two minutes."
"Thank you. Thank you."
"To the bill."
"So, to the bill. The concerns that I have is… is the definition of resident is very broad. And that this could cause folks, more illegal immigrants to go to Cook County 'cause if they're detained by Immigration and Customs 10400030.docx 77 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Enforcement agencies away from Cook County, they will have legal representation from the taxpayers in Cook County. At a time where we've spent over $3 billion on illegal immigrants here in the state of Illinois, we're looking at a fiscal cliff that we're staring at this General Assembly. And then just today, President Trump said he's working on papers to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, including Chicago, that we're risking federal funding, pushing the sanctuary city status even further with legislation such as this. So, I'd encourage a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2436 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 68 voting 'yes,' 41 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 16 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 2970, Representative Moeller. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2970, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Moeller."
"Representative Moeller on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Floor Amendment… would ask for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2970. House Floor Amendment #1 does two things. It… it includes language to allow administrators to establish a pattern of behavior if the original warning is reasonably related and, two, changes 10400030.docx 78 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 the time frame for remedial warnings to remain in a personnel file from three years to four years."
"Representative Friess, would you like to wait till Third Reading? Representative Moeller moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2970. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2970, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Moeller."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2970 is an initiative of the Illinois Education… Educators Association that deals with how notices of remedy are administered for teachers in schools. It does a few things. First, it requires that a notice of remedy be… state specifically the causes of the behavior that led to the notice of a remedy. Two, it requires that teachers be allowed to grieve notices of remedy if they feel they have been handed down inappropriately or for inappropriate reasons. And third, it requires these notices of remedy to be removed from a personnel file after four years to more clearly align with other types of disciplinary infractions that are on a personnel file currently in state statute. As I mentioned, this is an initiative of the Illinois Education Association. Would ask for an 'aye' vote and happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Representative Friess." 10400030.docx 79 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"OK. Thank you. There were several comments made during committee, and can you give an example of what would be in this file? What kind of remedial action or…"
"Sure. So, the types of infractions that would lead to a notice of remediation?"
"Yes."
"So, these are typically relatively minor infractions that a teacher might commit. They include tardiness, attendance issues, timeliness in grading or reporting grades, lack of parental communication, classroom management. Those types of more minor issues that… that may pop up with a teacher that can be remediated, that the school… that the administration or principal could work with a teacher to fix in a behavior."
"So, one of the things that's been brought to my attention, there's been some concern that either an email or a text message to a student may be deemed inappropriate, and they don’t want this to get around the grooming."
"Right. Right."
"So, that… that's one of our concerns. So, we don't want those items, although they may be classified as that, we do not want those removed from files."
"Absolutely. We… this does… so, Representative Mussman, several years ago, passed a bill called Faith's Law, which deals with the type of behavior that you're describing, and this… this bill does nothing to interfere with that law. Faith's Law is contained in a separate statute in the School 10400030.docx 80 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Code. This does not affect that statute. This also does not affect the statute that concerns more serious violations that teachers might… that a teacher may engage in, whether it's something that would, you know, be immoral or involve physical violence or anything that rises to a more serious level."
"So…"
"School districts have the ability to bypass this remedial process and… and, you know, discipline teachers for those types of more serious infractions."
"Right. So, one of our concerns…"
"Representative Friess, Representative Severin gives you two minutes."
"Thank you. So, one of our concerns is there's… there's no list of what would be considered remedial versus more serious, and… and there's no distinction. So, that… that's one of our concerns is what… what's going to get removed after four years, what won't. And… and so…"
"Well, sure. The… the list of remedial infractions is pretty inexhaustive. You know…"
"Agreed."
"…you can have a whole host of issues that a principal or an administrator might want to cite a notice for, for a teacher, and I think it wouldn't be practical to put the… all of those items in statute. But I can tell you that the more serious infractions that would not be subject to this… to this legislation are outlined in… in legislation. Whether it's through Faith's Law, which deals with the grooming situation that you described, or any kind of sexual misconduct, violence. You know, the more serious infractions 10400030.docx 81 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 where you would want to either immediately dismiss a teacher or inflict more serious disciplinary action or keep a more permanent record of what that teacher has done. So, this does not touch that ability that currently exists in state statute for school districts to handle."
"OK. And… and another concern with that, that I talked to some superintendents and principals is, it says, 'shall be removed from the file as reasonable as possible.'"
"Right."
"You know, so… so there's really no… in the statute, it doesn't specifically say how and when that has to be done. And our superintendents, at least the one's that I've talked to, they're constantly being peppered with things that… that they're being ordered to do, and this is one other thing. And they're… they're tired of it, and they… they don’t want to do it. So, with that, thank you. To the bill. This puts another burden on our… on our school systems. We don't need this. This is a… what's considered a minor infraction. If it is that minor, then they can stay in the file and… and any future employer will disregard it. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2970 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 78 individuals voting 'yes,' 34 voting 'no,' 1 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 11 of the calendar appears House Bill 2516, Representative Rashid. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 82 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2516, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Amendments 1 and 2 were adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #4 is offered by Representative Rashid."
"Representative Rashid on Floor Amendment #4."
"Thank you, Mr. Speak… thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment becomes the bill. I ask that we adopt it and debate on Third."
"Representative Rashid moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #4 to House Bill 2516. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2516, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Rashid."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. HB2516 is an initiative of the Illinois Environmental Council. PFAS, forever chemicals, are found in many everyday products, including nonstick cookware, cosmetics, food packaging, and dental floss. These chemicals do not break down, meaning they persist in our bodies and the environment indefinitely. Studies show that 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood and exposure has been linked to cancers, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and developmental harm in children. Here in Illinois, PFAS contamination has been detected in drinking water. These chemicals seep into the environment and accumulate over time, making cleanup incredibly costly and difficult. That's why we 10400030.docx 83 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 need to prevent exposure at the source before these harmful substances enter our homes, water, and bodies. HB2516 is a critical step in the right direction. It would ban the sale of consumer products that contain intentionally added PFAS. These are products that people use every day, often in ways that bring them into direct contact with our skin and food. This bill will help protect public health from these carcinogenic chemicals. I ask for your support."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, just so I have this right, beginning in 2032, the state will ban the sale of products containing PFAS that are cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstrual products, intimate apparel, or food packaging or food contact products. Is that accurate?"
"That's accurate."
"And then there are lists of exemptions, products where federal law governs the presence of PFAS: used products, electronic or internal components, refrigerants, foams, products that contain fluoropolymers consisting of polymeric substances for which the backbone of the polymer, and a long list of chemical related things. Do I have that right for the exemptions?"
"Everything up until the last piece…"
"OK."
"…is accurate. There is continued conversation about fluoropolymers." 10400030.docx 84 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And what is the enforcement mechanism beginning in 2032?"
"Subsection (c) has civil penalties that can be enforced by the attorney general or the state's attorney of the county where the violations occur."
"And so, the… that would be enforced against, I'm guessing, the retailer who's selling the products if the sale is what is banned, or would it be against the manufacturer?"
"Give me one moment. Yes, it would be the retailer."
"The retailer would be subject."
"Correct."
"And this… I'm guessing by setting the penalty where you do, you believe that will deter the conduct of the sale of these products."
"That's correct."
"So, again, just illustrating we believe that penalties do deter conduct."
"They sure can. Yes."
"All right. We note there's still opposition from Illinois Manufacturers', Illinois Retail Merchants Association. Did they… Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, American Chemistry Council. Have they expressed that opposition to you?"
"Yes, they have. We've had productive conversations on… on this amendment and would be happy to consider… we are continuing conversations, particularly, as I said earlier, on the fluoropolymer conversation and some other elements of the bill." 10400030.docx 85 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And we… do you expect that to come forward from the Senate on a return bill or…"
"That's the… that’s the hope."
"And our analysis shows Illinois EPA is opposed. Is that accurate?"
"That's accurate. Yes."
"And what is the nature of their opposition?"
"This amendment includes a provision where they would determine whether a product is, in fact, unsafe, and we will have continued conversations about the mechanism to enforce that, to implement that."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."
"I'm done."
"If I remember correctly, yesterday we passed a bill you sponsored setting up the PFAS action plan, or at least developing one."
"That's correct."
"Why do we need this bill? Why don't we wait on that action plan since we've just passed a bill in that direction?"
"That… that bill had to do with wastewater contamination. This prevents that contamination at the source. So, we don’t want to be waiting until folks are being diagnosed with cancer and other kinds of diseases and are… and after our children have already been poisoned by PFAS before… before we take action as a state. This helps prevent the… the problem at the source."
"And I… I think one… the question that I've heard come up is, is compliance even possible? The existence of PFAS is fairly widespread, as you've mentioned. Is it possible for 10400030.docx 86 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 these retailers or the companies that provide to the retailers to come into compliance by 2032?"
"Yes. We… we certainly believe that's possible. There are alternative options."
"And this bill, I believe, was partisan in committee, if I have that correct."
"That's correct. Yes."
"Thank you."
"Members, we're on the Order of Short Debate. One person has spoken in favor, one has spoken opposed. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2516 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? All voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 71 voting 'yes,' 39 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Costa Howard, for what reason do you arise?"
"Mr. Speaker, I had a question about the bill, the… the previous bill. So, thank you."
"Moving to page 26 of the calendar appears House Bill 3799, on the Order of Second Reading, Leader Morgan. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3799, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Morgan."
"Representative Morgan on Floor Amendment #2. Once again, Members, we are on the Order of Short Debate." 10400030.docx 87 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Floor Amendment #2 is a gut and replace to respond to concerns from the industry, and we'll discuss the underlying bill when it gets to Third."
"Representative Morgan moves for the adoption of House… of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3799. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3799, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Morgan. Leader Morgan."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3799 is the Climate Risk Disclosure and Data Call Act. This is an initiative of the Illinois Department of Insurance that addresses, really, the increasing issues of climate change impacting our insurance. So, what the Illinois Department of Insurance is doing and what they're doing nationally is gathering information so that insurers… insurance commissioners throughout the country have a better understanding of the impact on climate change on your rates as insurance. This bill specifically has a few different elements that are still being worked through in response to concerns from the stakeholders. So, I want to be clear that I… additional work will be handled in the Senate, in particular dealing with some of the penalties that are going to be coming for those that violate this. But effectively, it insurance… the bill aims to increase consumer notifications for policy 10400030.docx 88 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 cancelations, especially due to climate change. It includes climate risk disclosure law, and also aims to strengthen DOI's ability to implement and enforce data calls, the collection of information, so that the Department of Insurance can see the impact of these types of things on your rates. Happy to address any questions."
"On this question, Leader Keicher."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I'm going to go straight to the bill, just 'cause it's technical in nature and… and we have the department that's going to continue to work on this and have some discussions over the time. But what we have is we have a… a set of rules here that the department's introduced as a result of some issues that they've ran into with carriers in the state of Illinois. Unfortunately, what they've done is they've ratcheted up the fine level to assess without any third-party involved. There are certainly situations where the department may be in the right or the carrier may have valid concerns. Most recently what we ran into is concerns on behalf of the carrier that the department didn't have security or inconfidentiality protocols sufficient enough to protect the integrity of the consumer data that that carrier had, had on hand. So, what we encouraged the director to do yesterday is to work with the… with the carrier groups in order to… to solidify that understanding, come to a better solution, tighten up some of the language, yes, over in the Senate, but, most importantly, to make sure that carriers had an independent body that was able to take a look at the situation 10400030.docx 89 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 without bias, make a determination of whether the carrier or the department was in the right because of the hefty amount of fines. And when you're issuing a fine against an insurance company that translates to higher rates against the consumer. And we just want to make sure that that's not used as a cajole for the department to hold it over carriers' heads. So, we're going to vote 'no' on this today, but thank you very much for the work the department's put in so far."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3799 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Going to page 17 of the calendar, on the Order of seven… on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 3065, Leader Tarver. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3065, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3065, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Tarver."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill is a bill that is directed at CPS. It follows up on a bill that I ran a few years ago that requires CPS to provide incident reports to parents of students who've been involved in, let's just say, 10400030.docx 90 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 a skirmish. This follows up and makes sure that those reports are provided to both parents and that they have redacted information for each student. Happy to answer any questions."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Leader Tarver, our analysis shows that the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education is opposed. Do you know if that's still the case or what the nature of the opposition is?"
"I do understand they slipped in opposition. Unfortunately, they've never reached out to my district or state office. Never had a conversation with them, so I couldn't say the nature of their concerns."
"And the way I understand or the purpose behind the bill is to make sure that the parents of all the children involved have knowledge of… of the incident that’s occurred. Is that…"
"That's correct. And… and, again, just to be clear, the information is redacted. But you have a situation with two students, they… they know each other's names. But this is just so that both people get the same exact document with it redacted. Nothing more than that."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3065 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who 10400030.docx 91 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 wished? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 9 of the calendar appears House Bill 2142, Representative Meier. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2142, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Meier."
"Representative Meier on Floor Amendment #1."
"I'd like to move the amendment and then tell what it does in the bill."
"Representative Meier moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor indicate by say… to House Bill 2142. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment's adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2142, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Meier."
"This bill is a simple cleanup bill for the ambulance bill that we ran last year, 4179, which allowed the establishment, if it was voted on by their district, to start ambulance services where we were losing ambulance services in the rural area. And all this does is state that if a fire department was receiving money for the ambulance service, they no longer 10400030.docx 92 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 can tax for that ambulance service. That money goes to the ambulance service. Raises nobody's taxes, it just makes sure they're not getting double taxed."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2142 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 10 of the calendar appears… on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 2425, Representative Mayfield. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2425, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Mayfield."
"Representative Mayfield."
"Thank you so much. This bill has no opposition. Worked with the insurance industry on the language. Basically, what this does, it provides… it corrects an issue. Any that… any individual with a felony is not allowed to purchase life insurance, regardless of how old that felony is. So, it could be someone who made a mistake and then 20, 30 years later, they're still denied purchasing life insurance. So, what this bill does, it allows them to buy…"
"Representative, let's adopt the amendment and then we'll go to Third Reading."
"Sure." 10400030.docx 93 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Is that OK?"
"All right. The amendment came from the insurance industry."
"OK. Representative Mayfield moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2425. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2425, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mayfield."
"Thank you so much. So, again, what this bill would do, it provides that if an individual has a felony on their record that they will be allowed to buy basic burial insurance. This thereby saves the family from trying to come up with 10 to 12,000 dollars that they do not have, you know, 10, 30 years after this individual has been released from prison. So, there are some issues with them not being able to provide additional insurance, but this will allow them to purchase a basic policy for burial only. It does not provide for additional income to be left to the family members."
"On this question, Leader Keicher."
"Thank you, Speaker. To the bill. I want to…"
"To the bill."
"…thank the Representative for coming a long way on this. I really appreciate all the work that she's put in on this, and she's been a tenacious fighter to get this across the 10400030.docx 94 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 line. So, we appreciate that. I just want to clear up a little bit of misconception. What the industry does is it's able to use it as a characteristic in evaluating the risk for life insurance. It isn't a thumbs up or a thumbs down. It's a very slippery slope once we start removing characteristics, especially something that is based on the determination of how long you're expected… life expectancy is supposed to go. So, just on the core idea that we're interfering with the ability to evaluate an insurance risk, we're going to be a 'no,' but I appreciate all the work that the Representative has done to bring everybody to neutral. Thank you."
"On this question… on this bill, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2425 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 21 of the calendar appears House Bill 3399, Representative Mason. Read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3399, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Mason."
"Representative Mason on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Floor Amendment 2 makes some technical changes to the bill. My hope is to adopt the amendment and then explain it with the underlying bill." 10400030.docx 95 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Mason moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3399. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3399, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mason."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3399, as amended, creates the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Act. It provides that long-term renewable resources… the renewable resources procurement plan developed by the Illinois Power Agency, or IPA, shall include a geothermal homes and business program for the procurement of geothermal renewable energy credits, and the bill sets forth all of the provisions and guidelines surrounding that. This is one of those rare, amazing occasions where the environmental advocates and labor are both excited about this bill. So, the IEC, Sierra Club, and others, as well as Local 150, IBEW are all in support. And I ask for your vote."
"On this question, Representative Halbrook."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, we had a little bit of a discussion in committee about this a few weeks ago, and my questions was… and I just want to… want to reiterate some of those again for this body. This creates a new pilot project 10400030.docx 96 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 for geothermal. Is that for residential or commercial or all the above?"
"All of the above."
"OK. And… and so, what do you expect the expense of this program to be?"
"There will be no state fiscal impact."
"So… but my question is, what is the expense of the program? I didn't ask what the state fiscal impact was. I asked what the expense of the program was."
"There will be no state fiscal impact and…"
"I… I've heard that before, but my question is, is what is the…"
"Can you let me answer the questions, sir? You asked me a question, and I will answer, and then you can ask another question."
"Thank you."
"So, no fiscal impact to the state. This is a ratepayer program. However, long-term, it will dramatically reduce ratepayer impacts and spur economic development by creating jobs."
"So, what is the cost to ratepayers?"
"We can't estimate that impact right now. However, they are committed to adding a rate cap to it, and that will continue as the bill goes forward."
"So… so, why has the utility… why has the utilities been given the… the express written ability to collect their cost back? Why is that a part of it?"
"I… are you… are you thinking about the other geothermal energy bill?" 10400030.docx 97 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Yeah. It's… it's the bill we're talking about. It's… in Section 60… 60, Section 60. And… and, Mr. Speaker, if I'm running out of time, I'd appreciate someone granting me a few more minutes, 'cause this is… this is going to have a…"
"I… I unilaterally granted it, even though we're on Short Debate."
"Thank you. Fifty-five is the section. We're… we're just kind of wanting to understand what that's about."
"One moment."
"Yeah. And I'll just read it for you so we have it. So, it says, 'Utility cost recovery. The electric utility shall be entitled to recover all of its costs associated with the procurement of geothermal renewable energy credits under the Program.' OK. So, there is a cost, and we'd like to understand why… what those costs are and… and what this really means and what this is ultimately going to cost consumers and ratepayers."
"Yeah. This is no different from any other type of energy cost for any of green or otherwise energy. It goes to the ratepayers."
"Well, I understand that that this is no different, but the issue is that our electric rates have doubled and tripled in this state in the last few years because of policy that's passed out of this building. And so, I get that part. My question still remains is, what is the cost of this program going to be to consumers? I hope that you don't tell me that we have to pass it to see what those costs are."
"Let me add that geothermal energy uses 50% of the electricity that… using electricity or other methods of 10400030.docx 98 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 energy would be. So, ultimately, we are hoping to lower the electrical costs. That's the aim."
"So, why do we have to charge…"
"Representative Halbrook, please…"
"…more to make it less for others?"
"Representative Halbrook, please bring your remarks to a close."
"OK. I… again, ladies and gentlemen, to the bill. This is an expensive bill. We don't have any idea what it's going to cost. More pie in the sky. We've got to raise the rates to make it cheaper. This is proven technology that's readily available, and we don't have to do these kind of bills day in and day out in this chamber to make it better for people. They can choose today to just do this or not. This is a bad bill. I would recommend that the sponsor pull the bill from the record and continue to work on it to make it better for people in this… in this state rather than taxing them and… out of their homes and increasing their electric rates. Ladies and gentlemen, if she continues to persist with this bill on record, please vote 'no.' Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3399 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 77 voting 'yes,' 36 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 30 of the calendar appears House Bill 3328, Representative Manley. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 99 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3328, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Manley."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3328 requires that individuals seeking admission to assisted living facilities be assessed prior to admission with tools approved or recommended by recognized Alzheimer's and dementia care experts while ensuring those tools are validated for accurately identifying and evaluating cognitive impairments related to Alzheimer's and related dementias. These tools will be reviewed and updated as needed to align with the current best practices and clinical standards in dementia records. And I'll take any questions."
"Seeing no… no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3328 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 17 of the calendar appears House Bill 3019, Leader Mah. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3019, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Mah."
"Representative Mah on Floor Amendment #2."
"I wish to adopt the… the amendment and discuss it on… during the bill." 10400030.docx 100 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Mah… Leader Mah moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3019. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr.…"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3019, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Mah."
"Thank you… thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3019 is an initiative of the Illinois State Dental Society. It's an update to the Illinois Dental Practice Act and includes opportunities for dental school and dental hygiene program graduates to begin practicing while waiting for licensure. It's an attempt to address the current delays in licensure processing and allows graduates to work under supervision during that time period. The amendment brings all parties to neutral… to agreement and basically has provisions that allows both dental school graduates with an application pending at IDFPR and also dental hygiene program graduates to practice during that time period. I welcome any questions and happy to answer them."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Leader, what is this bill attempted to address?" 10400030.docx 101 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Delays in the licensure process for dentists because of issues at IDFPR. This bill basically provides an opportunity for these folks who have applications pending to practice while they're waiting."
"And I appreciate you bringing that up. I would note we've had several bills, either already through this body or pending in this body, giving more responsibilities or duties to IDFPR. So, I… we see on one hand we're giving them more to do, and, on this hand, we're saying they're not fulfilling their obligations. So, I appreciate you addressing some of the concerns that are there. The… as you mentioned, the amendment removed opposition from, I believe, the Illinois Dental Hygienists Association."
"That's correct."
"What did the amendment do to remove their opposition?"
"It allows the… the dentists to practice after they… they've completed their training and are waiting for their licensure rather than before."
"And this bill, it appears, went through… both the underlying bill and the amendment came through the committee unanimously."
"That's correct."
"Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Are we anticipating any cost or fiscal impact to the state?"
"I don't believe so. It's just an update to the practice act and provides for an… an opportunity for graduates to practice while they're waiting for licensure." 10400030.docx 102 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3019 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 1 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 24 of the calendar appears House Bill 3652, Leader Lilly. Leader Lilly. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3652, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3652, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Lilly."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentlemen of the General Assembly. House Bill… HB3652 creates a gas… fuel… a fuel gas detective act, which is lifesaving for many of our residents here in Illinois. This piece of legislation will create an act that will require gas detectors to install in all new constructions at specific existing structure, including single and multiple-home units, similar to the law that we already have in place for codes for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. On average, there are 4200 home structure fires annually here in the state of Illinois that are caused by natural gas or liquid propane gas. These fires cause an average of 40 deaths per year. A 2018 testing report from the 10400030.docx 103 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Fire & Risk Alliances shows that the use of fuel gas detector can provide up to 11 minutes of escape time from the… the start of the detected leak to an explosion. And every minute is important, it counts. And as you may or may not know, from the year 2011 to the year 2024, Illinois experienced 46 gas explosion, resulting in 13 deaths and 48 industries, including two Woodstock fire detectors. This piece of legislation was brought to me by a constituent that has lost her father due to a gas explosion. She lives in my district, and I've spoken to her on occasion, and the pain still exists because of this unforeseen accident. The bill… legislation will cover definitions, installation requirements, compliance and implementation, transfer of property requirements, funds for low-income household penalties and enforcement, law government grants, gas detectors, and home rule."
"Leader…"
"With that…"
"…we have a two-minute time limit. Please bring your remarks to a close, and then Leader Windhorst has asked for recognition."
"And I was about to ask for an 'aye' vote. So, thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Leader, we are requiring, with this bill, requiring residential, commercial, and institutional structures to have a fuel gas alarm in each room with a gas appliance, and it can be battery-powered or hardwired, and that compliance would begin in 2028. Is that accurate?" 10400030.docx 104 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"That is accurate."
"So, I think… I appreciate what you're trying to address, and it kind of goes along with some of the discussions we've had on bills. This is a good idea. I don't think anyone would argue that having these may be a good idea. The question is, does it require legislation or should this be a mandate versus an educational program? So, if you could, please, explain why you think having a legal mandate for these alarms is important."
"As I mentioned, we are just following the lines of mandates that are already in law for codes related to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide. This is such a vital issue. As I mentioned, over 48 lives have been lost due to explosions since 2011. And we already are concerned about our residents with fires through the smoke detectors and the fumes from carbon monoxide. It's truly important that we take a look at the natural gas that are causing these incidents across our state."
"There will be, under the bill, grants available through the state fire marshal to local governments. That, I believe, is subject to appropriation. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"Do we know what appropriation would be necessary? The amount…"
"What we do…"
"…the amount. I'm sorry."
"Yeah. What we do know is the cost of a unit, and in general the cost will be about $65 per unit, with a lifespan 10400030.docx 105 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 of 10 years. And that would average out to about $6.50 a year."
"But, overall, in the grant program, we don't yet have number for what we expect that to be?"
"We do not, but I will say that we are working with the municipalities, we're working with the fire marshals, and we're working with the realtors so that we can make sure that we have the best number possible."
"And I… I believe the realtors had expressed opposition, but my understanding is there may be more work on this in the Senate. Is that accurate?"
"That is correct. We have a couple amendments that we will take up in the Senate after, I would call, fairly diligent conversations with the realtors and the Office of the Fire Marshals."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3652 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 25 of the calendar appears House Bill 3761, Representative LaPointe. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3761, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative LaPointe."
"Floor Amendment #1, Representative LaPointe." 10400030.docx 106 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Floor Amendment 1 integrates feedback from the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Hospitals Association. Happy to explain, you know, the whole bill on Third Reading."
"Representative LaPointe moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3761. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3761, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative LaPointe."
"Thank you, Speaker. This bill directs our Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, which is housed at DHS, to post information on their website on how a hospital or health care provider can connect a patient who's experiencing homelessness with shelter and homeless support services for each of our 19 continuums of care in the state. This information has to be updated every January and July, and the bill outlines minimum information to include for somebody to begin to access shelter or homelessness services. Just as a quick background, CoCs are regional or local planning bodies mandated by HUD that coordinate homelessness services and funding for families and individuals. We actually have 19 of them in Illinois. I bet very few in this chamber have heard of them. They work behind the scenes. They vary in sophistication. We have All Chicago and the city of Chicago. 10400030.docx 107 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 We have the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook in Suburban Cook. Right here in Sangamon County, we have the Heartland CoC. The idea for this bill came from our experience in our district, as we have hospitals that were inappropriately discharging people who are experiencing homelessness and not connecting them to services. Many in homelessness are in and out of hospitals. We know that hospital staff, including social workers, are not always equipped to connect these patients to services because it's not easy to find the information. But, more importantly, we just don't have enough emergency homeless shelters in Chicago or around the state. So, this bill solves one of those problems by making the information publicly available and updated twice a year. But I do want to be clear that this bill does not solve the larger problem. And just as an example, in suburban Cook County, if you are a single adult without children and you need emergency shelter, it takes an average of 117 days to access that shelter. So, this doesn't solve this problem, but it puts information on how one would begin to access shelter and support publicly on the website of the Department of Human Services. Happy to answer any questions, Speaker."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. What is the position of DHS on the bill?"
"I'd have to double-check to see if they've publicly slipped in support, but they gave feedback for this bill. I've been in conversation with them about this before I filed 10400030.docx 108 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 it in February, and we integrated their feedback for the first update of the website to be January 2026 instead of October '25."
"Have they reported to you whether they anticipate a fiscal impact to their budget?"
"They have reported that they do not anticipate a fiscal impact, and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has been incrementally growing. They have staff there that are capable of executing this."
"And this passed… the underlying bill and the amendment were unanimous in committee?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3761 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 6 of the calendar, appears House Bill 1788, Representative La Ha. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1788 a Bill for an Act concerning conservation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative La Ha."
"Representative La Ha on Floor Amendment…"
"I move to adopt Floor Amendment #2 and discuss on Thirds."
"Representative La Ha moves to adopt Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1788. All those in favor indicate 10400030.docx 109 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1788, a Bill for an Act concerning conservation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative La Ha."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Each of us in this room had something that made us stand up and want to advocate and get started in this political arena. For me, it was building and inspiring inclusive and access… accessible parks so all children of all abilities can play. Today, we're seeing that realized with the amazing OSLAD grant program. I'm proud to present HB1788 because we can do even better. This bill strengthens Open Space Lands Acquisitions and Development Act. It gives priority to park projects that go above and beyond the ADA requirements. It encourages communities to think creatively, use new designs, materials, and technologies to make public spaces more accessible for people of all abilities. I want to thank Keith Wallace, of the LWSRA, for being a champion in this space; the team at IDNR for continuing to push this work forward; and the State Government Committee for joining and supporting this bill. Today, we lead the way with accessible parks, and I ask for your support for House Bill 1788."
"On this question, Representative Canty."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield." 10400030.docx 110 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you so much. Representative La Ha, this is a… a great bill, and I appreciate it. I love our open spaces and our parks. I was wondering if this has a fiscal impact at all?"
"No. The grants, OSLAD grant, already has specific money specified for these projects. What this does is it incentivizes and gives extra points to parks that offer a universal park design, and we define that in the bill."
"OK. That sounds great. Where does the money come from for the grants themselves?"
"For the…"
"For OSLAD grants."
"…the IDNR."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"So, it comes from our budget?"
"I think so, yes."
"OK. I was just… I was just curious because this is a great program that it looks like you're trying to support. And I hope that that also means that we can enjoy your support when we pass the budget to help fund these grants."
"Well, that remains to be seen."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"This specific bill only incentivizes by giving more points for the program already, so."
"Thank you so much. Mr. Speaker, to the bill. I am glad to see our colleagues joining us in these very, very good programs. I look forward to their collaboration later in the session. Thanks." 10400030.docx 111 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1788 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Kifowit on House Bill 1872, which appears on page 7 of the calendar under the Order of Second Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1872, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Kifowit, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Kifowit on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask that we adopt Floor Amendment #2 and debate that… Floor Amendment #2 becomes the bill."
"Representative Kifowit moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1872. All those in favor indicate by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1872, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Kifowit." 10400030.docx 112 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1872 is a bill that addresses critical gaps in mental health services for our state's most vulnerable youth, youth in care. So, currently, our system technically offers mental health screenings and services, but too often they aren't effective, leaving foster parents and families navigating a confusing, inadequate process on their own. Access to timely and consistent mental health care remains a serious challenge, especially when finding providers who are covered under the state's Medicaid managed care program. This legislation is the culmination of three years of work, working with stakeholders. And these changes are mandating that regular evidence-based mental health and wellness screenings for youth in care, ensuring these children aren't evaluated occasionally but regularly and reliably. It establishes clear and accountable requirements for case workers to coordinate follow-up care so families aren't left unsupported. Furthermore, it sets concrete standards for managed care organizations, guaranteeing timely and geographically accessible mental health services. This isn't just about six… fixing a broken system. It's fulfilling our obligation to provide the highest-quality comprehensive care to the young people that we take care of in our foster care service and these other services that they deserve."
"On this question, Representative Reick."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield." 10400030.docx 113 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative, the first question obviously we asked in committee and I'd like you to answer here is, what's this going to cost?"
"Thank you, minority spokesperson, for asking that question. This bill is about preventative care, and initial and early investment can actually save us money. It can identify a child who is not in crisis but has issues that need to be resolved, maybe even preventing a child going into crisis and going into in-home care or in-service cares. It can also prevent emergency room visits. So, this is health care, Representative, and as I said in committee, health care is a service, and if an individual requires services, there will be a cost. If they don't require services, there won't be a cost. This is part of health care."
"Yeah, but the assessment itself is going to cost money. And, again, we had DCFS explaining, you know, that… that fact as well. Do you have a cost of the… providing this mental health assessment?"
"The cost will be covered under the Medicaid… or the… the Medicaid provider and it's part of office visit. It would probably be just an office visit help for these individuals. And so, again, it's preventative. Preventative care saves money. We know this, and we embrace this, is that sometimes preventative care… $1 preventative care can save $7 of acute care later on."
"To the bill."
"To the bill."
"This is another one of those situations that is an extremely difficult one to deal with because there's… there's 10400030.docx 114 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 nothing about this bill, as terms of giving mental health services to children in care, that I disagree with. Yes, these children have been traumatized. Yes, this kind of assistance will possibly bring them back faster than not having the services. I'm not… I'm not arguing with that. The thing I'm arguing with is the fact that we're dealing with a situation here where we can't figure out how much this is going to cost in a world of limitations. And if we can't make a reasonable assessment, how are we going to know whose ox is going to be gored in order for us to provide this service? Who else is going to be without services when this… when this is imposed upon people? Yes, it is health care. I think it's going to be more than just an… an office visit cost, but nobody was able to give us any kind of an indication of what that was. I'm not against the idea of… of mental health screenings for children in care. I'm in favor of it, but it's not thought through in terms of the actual resources we have to do it. And until we start coming to the table with cost estimates as to… and who's going to… who else is going to… whose services are going to be cut in order for us to take those limited resources and apply them here?"
"Representative, please bring your remarks to a close."
"So… thank you. We vote… we came out this in committee on partisan leave, not because we object to the… what is trying to be done here, but by the fact that we just don't have an idea of what it's going to cost and who else is going to have to pay the bill. And we also didn't find out what's going to happen in situations where you have rural areas where there 10400030.docx 115 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 are no providers locally. Are we going to do the… what's telemedicine going to cost and all that kind of thing? Vote your switch, vote your feelings, or vote your judgement on this thing, but just remember that somebody else is not going to get a service because these people are getting a service. That's not fair, but that's the world in which we live. Thank you."
"One person has spoken in favor, one person against. We are on the Order of Short Debate. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1872 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 35 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Jones, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Point of personal privilege."
"Please state your point."
"I would like the body to help me honor a fallen firefighter. Recently, I had the privilege of serving in the first line of duty death for a firefighter, a person who I appointed as the deputy fire chief in Calumet City. But he was much more than Calumet City, he was regional. And recently, I asked the Speaker and Representative Kelly, who's carrying the next bill, to honor his life by making the next bill the Pete Bendinelli Act. And Pete Bendinelli was a firefighter's firefighter. I mean, this gentleman… just briefly, I got emotional at the services because I've never 10400030.docx 116 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 been through line-of-duty death. And if you have not been to it, we need to honor all those who are called to service. And I got emotional because when that bell rung at his end of watch, three times, and they came in and honored him, they put his legacy not only into focus for me and Calumet City and the region, but I also want to thank MABAS 21 for coming out and honoring him. So, if you'll allow me, Mr. Speaker, let me read a little bit about Pete Bendinelli. Pete Bendinelli was the deputy fire chief in Calumet City. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 25 years, Lisa; his daughter, Mariana and Mia; his devoted father, Jim, who was a fire chief in Burnham. But he also leaves behind his sister, Cissy Bendinelli, and his brother, Nicholas. Deputy Chief Pete Bendinelli began his fire service career with the Burnham Fire Department before joining Midlothian in 1997, and then he found his home in Calumet City Fire Department. Deputy Chief Bendinelli honorably served the citizens of Calumet City, but he was also a regional trainer. Deputy Chief Pete Bendinelli, while serving the residents of Calumet City, he obtained his bachelor's degree in 1998 from Southern Illinois. He received his master's degree from Indiana University. He also became the highest honor of a firefighter, and there are only two in Illinois that actually reside in Calumet City. And I would read more, but I'm emotional. And in joining me today, in the gallery, is my chief of staff, Erica Jenkins, and also the president of Calumet City firefighter, Mr. Scott Hinko of Local 621. We know that Pete's legacy… Pete passed away from pancreatic cancer, and many of my friends, my brother, Stevon, passed away from pancreatic 10400030.docx 117 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 cancer as well. So, it's emotional for me. We know that the bill coming up is looking at banning harmful chemicals in firefighters' gear that will allow them to have a longest… longer service in life. I ask that this body not only honor Pete Bendinelli by supporting this and making House Bill 2409 the Pete Bendinelli Act, but I also ask that we honor our firefighters. It struck me at the service, and I will conclude with this, Mr. Speaker, while I was at the service, the firefighter's call was read by the pastor, and I just think it… it honors Pete. Whenever I'm called to duty, God, wherever flames may rage, give me strength to save a life, whatever its age. Help me embrace a little child before it's too late, or save an older person from the horror of that fate. Enable me to be alert to hear the weakest shout, and quickly and efficiently put the fire out. I want to fulfill my calling and give the best in me, to guard my neighbor and protect his property. And… and if it's according to your will I have to lose my life, bless with your protecting hand my family from strife. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that we have a moment of silence for Pete Bendinelli and ask this body to take a moment of silence."
"The body shall observe a moment of silence. Thank you. Moving to page 28 of the calendar, on the Order of Third Readings appears House Bill 2409, Representative Kelly. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move the bill back to Second Reading. Read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2409, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by 10400030.docx 118 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Representative Kelly, and has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Kelly on Floor Amendment #1."
"Recommend to adopt the amendment, and we'll talk on it on…"
"Representative Kelly moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2409. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Kelly, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Kelly on Floor Amendment #2."
"Recommend to adopt the amendment."
"Representative Kelly moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 2409. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Representative Kelly on House Bill 2409."
"House Bill 2409, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Kelly."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Representative Jones, for bringing to my attention Chief Bendinelli's untimely passing last week. Happy to add his name to the title of this… this bill. And to this bill, this bill does a few 10400030.docx 119 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 things. It… as of January 2026… January 1, 2026, any person who sells or manufactures firefighters' protective equipment will have to advise any purchaser that there are PFAS materials… in the materials. And as of January 1, 2027, any person that sells firefighting personal protective equipment to any person, local government, or state agency shall not manufacture, knowingly sell, or distribute PPE equipment containing PFAS chemicals. And this bill also provides additional time for manufacturers to develop PFAS-free gear, particularly for auxiliary firefighting PPE until January 1 of 2030, before the application of restrictions on the sale, distribution, and manufacture of personal protective equipment. Additionally, adds a definition for firefighter protective equipment. This has been a negotiated bill. I'd like to thank Chuck Sullivan and Steve Shetsky from AFFI for working with the manufacturers of the equipment and working to get to 2030, give them some time to work on some other equipment that we know there's no replacement for right now. This bill passed unanimously out of committee. This is in regards to the equipment that we put on to go into dangerous buildings and turns out that it's going to kill us in the future. So, I respectfully ask for a 'yes' vote, and I'm happy to take any questions."
"On this question, Leader McCombie."
"Thank you. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"I just rise in thanks for this bill coming forward as the wife of a fireman, as well as Jackie Haas' husband, Brad Fritts' brother, Dan Ugaste's family members. We understand 10400030.docx 120 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 the importance of turnout gear. However, I don't know if everybody really understands how expensive it is. And in my district, within the last month, we have had five firefighters injured in grass fires, flown out, and without the turnout gear, they would not be with us right now. Where their body was not covered is… is their danger. I hope that this bill comes forward in the timing coming forward. This is a very expensive for our municipalities, for our volunteer firefighters around the state. Cost shouldn't matter. Today, people are wearing expired turnout gear because their municipalities and villages and… and protection districts can't afford them. This is extremely important. We talk about the budget and funding the most vulnerable, protecting… protecting public safety. This is a great instance where this should be a priority in our budget. We need to protect our first responders. And thank you, Mike, for your service. I appreciate that."
"Representative Kelly to close."
"Thank you very much. And, leader, to your point, in particular with this bill, it doesn't mandate that they replace it now. When it does become expired, we replace that equipment with PPE that is available through other companies. And it's… it's readily available, and that's what they have to replace it with. So, and… and to your point, it is a very expensive undertaking for every municipality. And, hopefully, we can figure out a way we can get some funding for local firefighters and especially our volunteer firefighters to get them the proper equipment they need. And with that, I would ask everybody for a 'yes' vote. Thank you." 10400030.docx 121 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2409 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 17 of the calendar appears House Bill 3049, Representative Katz Muhl. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3049, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3049, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Katz Muhl."
"Thank you, leader. House Bill 3049 is brought in partnership with the Lake County clerk and with the support of the Cook County clerk. To prepare this transparency bill, which does not change the marriage law but makes it easier for a layperson to read, the Lake County clerk sampled a geographically diverse group of his colleagues representing both parties to help us answer a voter question. Are we correct in reading Section 209 to say that either a statutorily approved officiant or, in the alternative, both parties to the marriage can complete the marriage certificate and file it with the county clerk? The answer from clerks and vital records directors who had received self-completed 10400030.docx 122 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 certificates uniformly was yes. Despite being awkwardly worded and buried towards the end of Section 209, Illinois law recognizes spouses' rights to have either the officiant solemnizing the marriage or, in the absence of a solemnizing officiant, both parties to the marriage complete the certificate. The Illinois Department of Public Health concurs. They have accepted marriage certificates signed by both parties to the marriage without an officiant. Given that this is already the state of the law, I'd like to share why rewriting this particular section in plain language is so important. For many of us, a wedding day is one of the best of our lives and the process of securing a license and having a ceremony that is meaningful and personal as well. Nearly half the couples on popular wedding website The Knot shared that they want a wedding ceremony conducted by a friend or family member, and that's borne out by University of California article reporting that 20 million people have received online ordination, often for the purpose of performing these ceremonies. Under Illinois law, however, that added time and cost was never necessary, and we should be making clear to people what their existing options are under Illinois law. This shouldn't be like the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger, where you have to know to know. I want to thank the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Committee for their assistance in drafting the amendment to this bill to make clear that no license requirements are changing. We are only restating in plain terms couples' existing options in order to make them more accessible to everyone. Thank you, and I'm open to questions." 10400030.docx 123 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"On this question, Representative Ugaste."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Representative, I… I understand you state this is the way it's been interpreted. I think most or many of us would… would have had a different interpretation going into this. This is your intent, so be it. I… I don't know that there's a big issue here other than, as some people have raised, if there's someone officiating over a ceremony, at least then there's someone to tell whether someone may or may not be being forced into something. If we allow for the self- solemnization, that is removed. So, people will vote how they want. I just wanted to point out to, especially to folks on our side, there will be some opposition. Thank you for bringing the bill."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3049 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' Voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 5 of the calendar appears House Bill 1540, Leader McCombie. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1540, a Bill for an Act concerning… concerning criminal law. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Leader McCombie, has been approved for consideration." 10400030.docx 124 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Leader McCombie on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you. Can you go ahead and adopt the amendment, and I'll go to the bill?"
"Leader McCombie moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1540. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1540, a Bill for an… for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader McCombie."
"Thank you, Speaker. HB1540 is a bill that is designed to protect consumers and the liability of pharmacists to keep Schedule II controlled substances out of the… the wrong hands. This bill was crafted to not place undue burdens on pharmacies, small businesses, or consumers. Worked closely with stakeholders, the chairman and committee members of the Health Care License Committee. I want to thank you for that, but I also want to thank Representative Amy Grant of Wheaton. This is her bill that she and I have been working on. She brought this bill forward for two years. Many of you have talked to her about this. This bill's a little different now, but I really want to say thank you for advocating for your district as well. But I… I will take any questions. We feel this is a… a better-balanced approach and has no opposition."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1540 pass?' All those in favor vote 10400030.docx 125 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 108 voting 'yes,' 2 voting 'no,' 3 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to… moving to page 11 of the calendar appears House Bill 2521, Leader Keicher. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2521, a Bill for… for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Mason, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Keicher moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 2521. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2521, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Keicher."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to thank our… my cohorts, my cosponsors, chief cosponsors on here for really working through this. This is a furtherance of some of the work that we had done on the Make S.A.F.E. Task Force, dealing with protecting children from predatory activities in our schools. What this deals with is interscholastic sports officials who are only name-checked, which is not enough. 10400030.docx 126 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Teachers, school volunteers, and school staff, including janitors, office workers, bus drivers are all fingerprint/background check. We're asking that sports officials do the same. An estimated additional cost is 20 to 30 dollars, which would be borne by the sports official as well as… just as substitute teachers, regular teachers, and staff pay for their own fingerprinting. This would not be annual. I believe it's extended for five years. And the sponsors worked with the Principals Association to bring them to neutral. We just had some headlines made, and in the I believe it was the OIG report out of CPS, 36 former CPS employers… employees with do-not-hire designations worked as CPS sports officials. And this really highlights the inadequate controls and checks that are in place. So, all we're seeking to do is to close that gap and make sure that our students, when they're on the sports field, are protected from predators."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2521 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 109 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 27 of the calendar appears House Bill 1630, Representative Johnson. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1630, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill." 10400030.docx 127 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Johnson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1630 amends the Nursing Home Care Act. It requires the directory that's published each year by the Department of Public Health for each public health region listing facilities to include the facility website address, if there is any."
"Seeing no one seeking recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1630 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' Voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 26 of the calendar appears House Bill 3790, Representative Huynh. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3790, a Bill for an Act concerning government. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Huynh and has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Huynh on Floor Amendment #1."
"I move to adopt Floor Amendment #1. That becomes the bill."
"Representative Huynh moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3790. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?" 10400030.docx 128 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3790, a Bill for an Act concerning government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Huynh."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3790 is a bill to make Lunar New Year a commemorative state holiday. The bill passed out of the State Government Committee unanimously with bipartisan support. I know of no opposition. I… I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, just so I have this correct. We would be… this bill would be making the Lunar New Year a state holiday or a state commemorative day?"
"It's… it's to make Lunar New Year a commemorative state holiday. So, that's under… it's the latter. It's under the Commemorative State Holiday Act."
"And… so, I understand the difference, this would be a day off for state employees, affect certain time calculations for various things under acts that you have included, would be a school holiday. Do I have those things correct, or would it not work that way?"
"No. That's not correct. So, it's not a day off for state employees. It's a commemorative holiday, only recognizes specific patriotic, civic, cultural, historical activities. So, it's not a day off for state holiday…"
"All right." 10400030.docx 129 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"…for state employees."
"So, similar to other days we've… or ones we've… we've…"
"Diwali. Very much like Diwali, or Muhammad Ali Day, or Vietnam War Veterans' Day. It's a… it's a day to recognize the… the community."
"Thank you."
"I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Had one person speak… speak in favor, one against. We're on Short Debate. Representative Huynh… House… the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3790 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? On this question, there are 103 voting… oh, Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 103 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 3 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 10 appears House Bill 2419, Representative Hirschauer. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2419, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Hirschauer, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Hirschauer on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Floor Amendment #2. It reflects compromise language with the waste haulers and several other key stakeholders. At their request, 10400030.docx 130 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 we removed references to 'cumulative environmental impact' and 'disparate environmental impact,' and we made some other technical changes."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Hirschauer moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 2419. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2419, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hirschauer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2419 will amend the Environmental Protection Act as it relates to local siting reviews for pollution control facilities. Specifically, the bill ensures that local governing boards have the ability to request traffic impact studies to consider vehicle emissions and truck traffic in their siting decision. A key tenet of this bill is the ability for public act… for the public to access these important community siting decisions. It establishes public accessibility requirements that governing bodies must meet when making these decisions. This bill reflects very small changes to the local pollution control siting review process, but these changes will allow communities to be more informed and involved in these decisions that, in many cases, affect their health and well- being for years. Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst." 10400030.docx 131 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. I believe on the underlying bill there was opposition from the Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers' Association, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. What was their stance after the amendment?"
"That's right. Their… they were opposed to those two definitions I mentioned in the amendment but that we struck, 'cumulative environmental impact' and 'disparate environmental impact.' We do not have any clear definitions of those things in statute. They were too squishy, so we struck those completely from the bill."
"And there's a requirement that the siting hearings be conducted in a language for individuals who are not native speakers of English. Is that correct?"
"Yes. You know, the purpose of this is to make sure that these siting hearings are accessible to the community, whether they're folks with disabilities or people for whom English is not their first language."
"Does it matter if the person is now fluent in English but it's not their native language? Would you still have to provide the original language a person…"
"The… the intent of the… I'm sorry to speak over you."
"That's all right."
"The intent of the bill is to ensure that people in the community can access the information and understand it."
"So, it's more about the community than any one individual person. Is that…"
"Correct." 10400030.docx 132 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"What is the standard for requiring an additional language to be presented at the hearing? Is there a certain percentage of the community that must not be native speakers or…"
"We did not… you know, the bill is… does not speak to that, per se, because what we wanted to do is to allow the local governing bodies to meet the needs of the community when they were asked. So, for example, if there's a… a large group of Spanish speakers in a community that do not understand the siting review process and want… you know, would like to understand, the governing body needs to make that accessible to them."
"And so, that decision whether the additional language is to be provided will be made by the local government entity. Is that correct?"
"That's correct."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2419 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 6… 76 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 21 of the calendar, on the Order of Second Reading appears House Bill 3385, Representative Norma Hernandez. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3385, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was… was read a second time previously. 10400030.docx 133 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Norma Hernandez, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Hernandez on Floor Amendment #1." Hernandez, N.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm here today to present House Bill 3385, which would address the…"
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Hernandez, let's adopt the amendment and then we'll go to Third Reading, OK?" Hernandez, N.: "Yes. I'd like to adopt amendment 1."
"Representative Norma Hernandez moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3385. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3385, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, N.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm here today to present House Bill 3385, which would address the pressing issue of unsufficient access to mental and behavioral health care by requiring that public colleges and universities each have at least three mental health professionals available on campus. Under current law, there is not a consistent requirement as to the number of professionals or their hours of availability. This bill would ensure each public college or university above a certain size benchmark to have no fewer than three mental 10400030.docx 134 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 health professionals available and hired through the university or college. Amendment 1 removes concerns and all opposition that I know of, and I urge an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, do we know yet how many colleges or universities are below the standard in this bill?" Hernandez, N.: "We do not, but there is colleges that have either eliminated in-person mental health and hired either apps… or are not… are not hiring any retired mental health providers in the schools."
"Have the… any of the institutions of higher education expressed concern about staffing or costs? Have any reached out to you about those concerns?" Hernandez, N.: "Yes, they have, which is the amendment that we worked on that clarifies not only the ratio for… you'll have… if schools are under the 1,250 benchmark, then they are not required to have three mental health professionals, along with having not only just in-person but telehealth available."
"Thank you." Hernandez, N.: "Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3385 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 110 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And 10400030.docx 135 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 5 of the calendar appears House Bill 1598, Representative Barbara Hernandez. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1598, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill… bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Barbara Hernandez, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Hernandez on Floor Amendment #2." Hernandez, B.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment makes changes to defined terms, including 'health care facility,' and it also specifies the health care facility located more than 60 miles from a national accredited surgical technology program located in Illinois shall not be included in the definition. And it will also include… that it provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1 of 2028 shall meet specified requirements. And it also adds the section that does not apply to a person assigned to a temporary basis who are hired on behalf of a out-of-state staffing agency. Can… can I adopt the amendment now?"
"Representative Hernandez moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 1598. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 136 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1598, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hernandez." Hernandez, B.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act, which provides each surgical technologist hired or contracted by health care facility on or after January 1, of 2028 shall meet specified educational certifications. This is very important because if you're getting surgery performed, you might not realize this, but there's certain individuals that might not be nationally accredited or certified to be able to help the doctor when performing surgery. So, it could be very dangerous. It could be a liability to the hospital or to other individuals, and that is why we would like to pass this bill. Luckily, when I was under surgery, I had someone that was accredited. However, we might have not known until after. So, we want to make sure people are safe in the state of Illinois."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Representative, there is a long line of proponents and opponents to this bill. I think probably on our side you'll see perhaps a mixed vote. So, I'm going to ask some questions kind of covering both sides, both the opposition and the… the support. So, first, medical decisions and medical policy should be rooted in data, particularly peer-reviewed data. Are you aware of any peer-reviewed data 10400030.docx 137 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 showing poor outcomes from surgical technologists that do not have an associate's degree?" Hernandez, B.: "I don't have that information with me, but I… I'm certain there's going to be a few cases. Maybe not in the state of Illinois but across the country."
"And I think this question's getting to the fact there may not be any peer-reviewed data. There may be instances that have occurred, but the data may not be there as a collective. Once this bill's in effect, what will happen if a hospital or surgical center is unable to find an eligible candidate to hire?" Hernandez, B.: "Well, most individuals are grandfathered in that are already currently performing, so they won't have to go back to school."
"In… in looking at the bill, it appears that there are many exceptions to the bill. If there are concerns about patient safety, why are there so many exceptions?" Hernandez, B.: "This was… we were trying to work with the Hospital Association on this. We are… of course, they are maybe not with us at the moment, but we are trying to get as close as possible. And this is what we were able to come up with."
"It appears that other states that have implemented similar legislation haven't… have experienced workforce shortages. Have… are you aware of that, number one? And then, number two, how do you feel this bill would address a potential workforce shortages?" Hernandez, B.: "Well, if I remember correctly, today, in one of our committees in higher ed, there was a discussion about university that was celebrating that there was 30 new surgical 10400030.docx 138 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 technicians that graduated in the state of Illinois. And that is going to be able to help with the shortage, especially now, being able to not only keep people safe but be able to have a guideline of what is exactly required from them."
"Currently, in Illinois there is a critical workforce shortage. Do you believe it's appropriate to create additional barriers to employment for qualified individuals?" Hernandez, B.: "Sorry, can you repeat that again?"
"Yeah, so, we have a workforce shortage in Illinois. And do you believe that at this critical time it is appropriate to create additional barriers to employment for qualified individuals?" Hernandez, B.: "Well, let me give you this piece of information. There are currently 19 accredited surgical technology programs located in various parts of the state, which have the capacity to graduate up to 500 surgical technologists per year, which is more than double the projected by the Illinois Department of Employment Security of 234 new positions annually over the next decade. So, this bill will not cause a job shortage, but it would do is raise the bar for patient care reducer to go at state site infections, reduce surgical errors, and reduce the under… time under anesthesia and cost."
"Currently, under law, there are three paths to this certification. We're reducing that to one. Is that accurate?" Hernandez, B.: "We are trying to make sure, like I said, that everybody is safe, that there is a clearer path. Currently, they would need a high school diploma. However, we are asking them to complete accreditation of a… I believe 12 months to 18 months of a program." 10400030.docx 139 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"A provision in the amendment adopted to the bill permits surgical techs from other states to practice in Illinois via a staffing agency with none of the same barriers to this profession that Illinoisans would be subject to if this bill were enacted. At the same time, the bill does not permit Illinois hospitals to operate their own programs where the hospitals pay those in their program to earn while they learn. Why was that second part, allowing the hospitals to continue their program, not included in this bill?" Hernandez, B.: "We have seen that there are some hospitals that are adopting programs that would do online classes, and this is something that should not be done through online. When you have someone, well, help in surgeries, you probably don't want them to be their first time operating on you or helping in that situation."
"Well, I think that one of the issues raised is they're not actually operating, they're assisting, but…" Hernandez, B.: "They're assisting, but they still are involved with the patient and themselves."
"There are a couple things that you've done with House Floor Amendment #2, I believe, that's attempted to address industry concerns and may have brought some opponents to neutral. One is this pushes back the effective date by two and a half years to 2028. Is that correct?" Hernandez, B.: "That is correct."
"And we also have the clarification that nurses, PAs, APNs, and physicians can continue to perform any surgery… surgical-related tasks." Hernandez, B.: "That is correct." 10400030.docx 140 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"What about a hospitals that are more than 60 miles from an accredited program in Illinois? How are they treated?" Hernandez, B.: "Like I stated earlier, under the… the term 'healthy care facility' specifies a health care facility located more than 60 miles from a national accredited surgical technology program located in Illinois shall not be included in this definition."
"And with regard to larger hospitals located in a medically underserved area or health professional shortage area, how are they treated in this amendment?" Hernandez, B.: "Shall… they shall be exempt from the requirements but shall have the… a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from a national accredited… a surgical technology program."
"I appreciate you answering my questions. I think there'll be some yeses and noes on this side. Thank you for your time." Hernandez, B.: "Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1598 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 73 voting 'yes,' 35 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 30 of the calendar appears House Bill 3067, Representative Harper. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk." 10400030.docx 141 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3067, a Bill for an Act concerning agriculture. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Harper."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to present House Bill 3067, the Small Farmer Restoration Program, which creates a land conservation program and a farmer training program that benefits beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, and limited-resource farmers. We passed this same bill in the 102nd General Assembly and twice during the 103rd General Assembly, and it has not been taken up in the Senate. I know of no other opposition, except for the Illinois Farm Bureau, who opposes this bill simply because they want 30-year easements instead of permanent easements. I have told the Farm Bureau I have no problem making 30-year easements an option here, but I have not received any amendment language from them as of today, even though I have asked for it. So, I will be providing my own to address those issues and promise to make those changes to include 30-year easements in the Senate. I encourage an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she’ll yield."
"Thank you. There is a… a term used in the bill, 'socially disadvantaged group.' How is that defined?"
"Sure. Give me one second here. So, a socially disadvantaged group is a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identities as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. So, this includes American Indian or 10400030.docx 142 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or other Pacific Islanders. It also includes women as well."
"And being a member of that group, how will that impact them as it relates to this bill?"
"So, this bill is a program that helps small farmers, including socially disadvantaged farmers, limited-resource farmers, which are also defined in the act, and also new and beginning farmers, also defined in the act."
"There, I believe, initially was a pretty substantial cost associated with the bill. Has that been addressed with the amendment?"
"I have no cost estimates at this time. I believe…"
"And…"
"…that there is a note that the Department of Agriculture is still coming up with the cost estimate at this time. That was their latest response."
"And you've talked about the easements. Are you expecting, if this bill passes, that there will be any movement on that in the Senate or additional conversations about the easements?"
"Well, I would hope so. I've been, again, working on this bill for about three General Assemblies now. The biggest opposition was the issue of the 30-year easements with the Farm Bureau, and they told me one on one that if I added the easements, they would be in support of this bill. So, I am hoping that that is the case and that the goal post isn't changed again once we make it to the Senate and that finally, this year, we will be able to pass this bill." 10400030.docx 143 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"I know there is one thing that Members on our side of the aisle and I believe some Members on your side of the aisle have wanted to see, and that is an adjustment to the estate tax to help small farmers. Is there anything in this bill that deals with alleviating the burden of the estate tax in Illinois?"
"Not in this bill."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3067 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? On this question… Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 71 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 1 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Remain… remaining on page 30 of the calendar appears House Bill 3005, Leader Evans. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3005, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Evans."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the great Members of this Assembly. This bill was brought to me by the mechanics who work for the Department of Transportation. For over a decade, the department has outsourced their work and paid a private company millions of dollars, more than it would cost to fill the open positions. IDOT pays the company $170 an hour while a mechanic is paid an average of $32 an hour. IDOT pays approximately $3,000 a month to outsource this work. Of the 10400030.docx 144 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 18 facilities in Cook County, at least 50% of them have no state mechanics. The other facilities are understaffed as well. This bill will require IDOT to set a goal of filling 85% of mechanics positions and file a yearly report with us, the General Assembly. This report will list how many mechanic positions remain unfilled and if the agency was meeting its goal. IDOT would also be required to give a detailed report on their efforts to recruit mechanics to fill these positions. Filling these positions will save taxpayer dollars and restore a more efficient way to service our state's vehicles. The union has tried to work with IDOT to fill these positions thoroughly, many administrations going back to former Quinn. An arbitrator had ruled that IDOT had violated the union contract and ordered IDOT to fill the positions, but IDOT hadn't done so. This legislation simply requires the agency to be more transparent and accountable to the General Assembly regarding the issue. It does not interfere with the collective bargaining process or any other ruling that has been made. I request your support and available for questions."
"On this question, Representative Ugaste."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"As this is… requires IDOT to create a report and apparently provide more transparency. I don't know what more transparency they could give the Governor's Office than to answer the person to whom they report. Not quite certain why this is needed, looks like an extra report. I assume that the Governor's Office and IDOT, an agency under his direction, is 10400030.docx 145 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 of course working in the taxpayers' best interest, and therefore I will not be supporting this bill. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3005 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 81 voting 'yes,' 33 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Andrade, what reason do you arise?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"Please state your point."
"Please let the record reflect that I wanted to vote 'yes' on House Bill 30… my intention was to vote 'yes' on 3067."
"Record shall reflect."
"Thank you."
"Moving to page 31 of the calendar appears House Bill 3510, Representative Hanson. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill back to Second."
"House Bill 3510, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Hanson."
"Representative Hanson on Floor Amendment #2."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. Recommend that House Floor Amendment #2 be adopted to House Bill 3510."
"Representative Hanson moves for the adoption of House… of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3510. All in favor 10400030.docx 146 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 say 'aye'; all opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3510, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3510 is a Capital Development Board initiative, and the bill attempts to realign the implementation dates of future iterations of the Illinois Stretch Energy Code to better coincide with the implementation of future versions of the Illinois Energy Conservation Code. What it does is the legislation allows the adoption dates for future versions to be staggered to get public feedback after the adoption dates of the base code."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Representative, if you could, what or who does the Illinois Stretch Energy Code apply to?"
"State-funded facilities have to comply with the Stretch Energy Code and privately fund… funded commercial facilities and residential buildings must comply with the Stretch Code only where adopted by local municipalities."
"And so, the… the question that has been presented to me is if this code is a… a good and worthwhile code, why are we extending it out a year… delaying it, rather, a year? Why aren't we putting it in… in force now?" 10400030.docx 147 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"That's a good question. Thank you for asking. So, the… it creates a… a staggered effect so that when it's implemented, we can take… we will have actually time to get public input and… and basically feedback on what we're doing before we go to the next phase."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3510 pass?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to Supplemental Calendar #1 appears House Bill 3645, Representative Hanson. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill back to Second Reading for the purpose of an amendment. Representative Hanson on Floor Amendment #2. Sorry. Read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3645, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Floor Amendment #1 has been adopted. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Hanson."
"Representative Hanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. This is moved back to Second Reading due to a, I believe what's described as a clerical clarification, and looking to correct that error. The technical nature was in the original House Floor Amendment #1, where there was a line error in its presentation. And this House Floor Amendment #2 10400030.docx 148 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 will correct those… those errors in… in its entirety. I look for the adoption House Amendment #2."
"Representative Hanson moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2 to House Bill 3645. All those in favor vote 'aye'… or signify by saying 'aye'; all those opposed say 'no.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. Amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3645, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen. This… this bill passed yesterday unanimously. There's been no changes other than setting of… of the line that needs to be corrected and modified in state statute. Ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3645 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, 114 voting 'yes', 0 voting 'no', 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 31 of the calendar appears House Bill 3616, Leader Guzzardi. Leader Guzzardi. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill to Second Reading for the purpose of an amendment. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk." 10400030.docx 149 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3616, a Bill for an Act concerning housing. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Guzzardi."
"Representative Guzzardi on Floor Amendment #1."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment adds an additional category of data reporting. I urge its adoption."
"Representative Guzzardi moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3616. All those in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments have been approved for consideration. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 3616, a Bill for an Act concerning housing. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Guzzardi on House Bill 3616."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3616 aims to add clarity to the affordable housing picture across our state. This simply requires IHDA to report data that it's already collecting with a little bit more granularity. So, this bill will allow us to understand the available of… the availability of affordable housing for extremely low-income households, for households with incomes between zero and 30% of area median income, as well as what we've been categorizing as missing middle housing, housing that's affordable to households up to 140% of area median income. So, middle-class households looking to rent or buy in different communities. This is data IHDA already collects. We're just asking them to 10400030.docx 150 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 break it down differently so there's no additional workload. It's actually an initiative that IHDA has helped support. There is no opposition to the bill, and I would ask for its favorable roll. It passed committee unanimously on its amendment last night, and I would ask for a favorable roll call."
"On this question, Representative Coffey."
"Will the speaker yield?"
"Indicates he'll yield."
"Yes, Representative, just as we… we gave consent because, like you… you told us, that this information is already recorded, correct? We already get this. This is not burdensome."
"That's right. We… we've estimated it'll take about five to 10 minutes a year for them to update these spreadsheets."
"And the purpose of this is just to know about the deficit in housing. Is that correct?"
"Exactly, yeah, where… where is there enough housing that's affordable to middle-class families and where do we need more."
"OK. Thank you very much."
"Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3616 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the 10400030.docx 151 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving to page 27 of the calendar appears House Bill 1441, Representative Guerrero-Cuellar. Please move this bill to Second Reading, Mr. Clerk. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1441, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendment… no Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Guerrero- Cuellar."
Speaker Hoffman: "Representative Guerrero-Cuellar on Floor Amendment #1."
"Floor Amendment 1… can we adopt Floor Amendment 1? Floor Amendment 1 adds that we can go ahead and push the date to start for 2026. There will be 30 credit hours for open-water training in order to serve as a lifeguard on the Chicago beaches. And if you participated in a junior lifeguard program hosted by the Chicago Park District, you're allowed to be a lifeguard as well."
"Representative Guerrero-Cuellar moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 1441. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill, Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 1441, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Guerrero-Cuellar."
"Thank you, Speaker. House Bill 1441 is regarding the Chicago beaches. It stipulates that if you are 10400030.docx 152 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 16, 17, 18 years old, it's not… you're not allowed to serve as a lifeguard unless you've had open-water training, which is very different than a controlled environment in a pool setting, or if you participated in a junior lifeguard program. And the effective date is 2026."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. This bill would apply to beaches on the Chicago lakefront?"
"Correct."
"Is that correct? And that's…"
"That's it."
"…that's it."
"Yeah."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 1441 pass?' All those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 101 voting 'yes,' 10 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 29 of the calendar appears House Bill 2774, Representative Haas. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2774, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third… Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Haas." 10400030.docx 153 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2774 will bring a single accessible phone number for domestic violence services across Illinois, ensuring consistent support for all survivors regardless of their location. This bill will codify that DCFS is the main provider of the domestic violence hotline and able to select the best nonprofit entity to administer this service across Illinois. There's no opposition to this bill. It has bipartisan support and passed committee unanimously. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2774 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'no.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 28 of the calendar appears House Bill 2493, Representative Grasse. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2493, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Grasse."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. House Bill 2493 would require county clerks to create their own remote marriage application process to allow individuals with disabilities or health conditions to apply for a marriage license and to do so through a remote video option. This bill is intended to make the marriage license application process more accessible for people with disabilities, including those who are homebound, hospitalized, or receiving hospice care. 10400030.docx 154 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Currently, only Cook County has allowed this remote marriage license application for people who are physically unable to get to the courthouse in person to apply for a marriage license. This bill comes from my hospice experience and aims to address situations where individuals were unable to fulfill their dying wish to marry due to health-related barriers and in-person attendance required to get a marriage license. I ask for your 'aye' vote, and I'm open for any questions. Thank you."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield."
"Thank you. Is there any concern with cost to the counties, or does the bill address that potential cost?"
"I have heard of none. And what is so wonderful about this is it allows each county to establish their own process."
"And this would not… or there are some requirements in order for the remote process to… to be used. It wouldn't apply to everyone, if I understand correctly."
"Correct. It's for those who are physically unable to get in person to get a marriage license… and apply for a marriage license, I should say."
"Does the… does the bill address the current requirement for signatures and how that would be accomplished when this is implemented?"
"The exact same process for applying for a marriage license happens through the remote live interview. I've… I've been at many of these, and it's exactly the same as in person. It's just through a remote video visit." 10400030.docx 155 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And the other legal requirements for the ceremony would remain the same, as far as…"
"This has nothing to do with the marriage ceremony. This is just to get your marriage license. So, that would… all of… that is… all that is required to get a marriage license remains the same, yes."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2493 pass?' All those in favor vote 'yes'; all opposed vote 'no.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wished? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 80 voting 'yes,' 34 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Blair-Sherlock, for what reason do you seek recognition?"
"I'd like to correct the record. I wanted to vote 'yes' on House Bill 2774. I thought I pressed my button hard enough, but I didn't."
"The record shall reflect. Moving to page 27 of the calendar appears House Bill 1605, Leader Gordon-Booth. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1605, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Gordon-Booth."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Bill 1605, the Indigenous Peoples Conservation Rights Act, which would empower Illinois landowners to enter into a voluntary land protection agreement with a federally 10400030.docx 156 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 recognized Indian tribal nation. This bill was heard in Exec and was brought to Third Reading by Leader West. This bill was inspired by a partnership between the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation and the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, who for several years have been working together to manage and interpret the Ho-Chunk cultural and archeological sites located on foundation-owned lands in Northwest Illinois. Several of the foundation-owned lands contain burial sites for ancestors of the Ho-Chunk people, which prompted the foundation to consider how to grant the Ho-Chunk Nation legal rights to the lands that their ancestors were buried upon. Under the current law, the Real Property Conservation Rights Act, the conservation foundation is unable to enter into a land protection agreement with the Ho-Chunk Nation. This bill would give an alternative option for tribal nations to enter into a land protection agreement. And, in this case, it would allow the Ho-Chunk people to access specific Jo Daviess Conservation-owned lands for ceremonial, traditional, and educational purposes and would allow for the Ho-Chunk Nation certain powers to prevent harmful activities on that land. Finally, to provide more clarification, this bill does not obligate any landowner in Illinois nor any tribal nation to enter into a land protection agreement. It simply grants landowners and tribal nations the ability to enter into these agreements, a right that they currently do not have. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"On this question, Leader Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates she'll yield." 10400030.docx 157 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. Appreciate the description when we began. If you could, briefly describe what a conservation right would be."
"Repeat the question, please."
"If you could, briefly describe what a conservation right… right would be."
"In the state of Illinois, the conservation rights is a legal mechanism for property owners to protect certain aspects of their land from future development or alteration."
"And that can be granted by the landowner but is not mandated to be…"
"Correct."
"…granted by the landowner. It's discretionary, basically…"
"Correct."
"…with the landowner. And would that conservation right run with the land? Meaning when the property's sold, the conservation right stays with the land."
"That would be correct."
"That is correct, you said?"
"It is."
"And part of the conservation right with this bill would include preserving cultural heritage sites."
"Yes."
"Do I have that correct?"
"Yes."
"And if the entity granted the right believed that there was a violation, how would they enforce that right? What would be their legal rights to enforce it?" 10400030.docx 158 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"There would have to be an agreement with the owner if the land is sold at some point."
"Mr. Speaker, I hesitate to do this, but I request Standard Debate on this bill."
"Yes."
"Thank you. People detected I needed some help, so I'm going to get a lifeline here. Thank you for answering my questions."
"On this question, Leader Davidsmeyer."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicates she'll yield."
"And I am… I'm only doing this because this did come through one of my committees, and I… I just wanted to clear up any… any misconceptions or concerns. It's my understanding that the owners of the… these properties, they have the right to just sell this to these individuals, but they're not at the point where they're willing to sell it… sell the property. Is that correct?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"Yeah. So, in… in committee Republicans had concerns that this had something to do with some of the former bills that came through this… this floor. This has nothing to do with that. This is to maintain heritage sites to… to allow, more specifically, things like Indian tribes, Indian nations to come in and help maintain properties that are of great importance to them, correct?"
"Yes. That is correct." 10400030.docx 159 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"'Cause currently, they can only go… enter into these contracts with governmental organizations or not-for-profits, and these Indian tribes are not considered those."
"Yes. That is correct."
"OK. So, I… I just wanted to clear that up for the body to make sure that people understand. I think this is an OK bill. I worked with Leader West on it as well, and… and I think this is a… a good direction to go. Thank you."
"Seeing no one seeking further recognition, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1605 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 97 voting 'yes,' 17 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Evans in the Chair."
"Remaining on page 2 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 742, Representative González. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 742, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative González."
"Representative González." González: "Would like to adopt the amendment."
"Representative González moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?" 10400030.docx 160 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 742, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative González." González: "House Bill 742 will create the Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act and provide a pathway to regulation for legitimate digital asset businesses while protecting consumers, especially in light of an announcement on Tuesday that Trump's Justice Department will pull back enforcement against cryptocurrency fraud. It is time we build trust between industry and consumers and investors."
Speaker Evans: "Any questions? Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"We'd like to go to Standard Debate on this."
"Please continue your question."
"Move for Standard Debate."
"This is Standard Debate."
"Thank you. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Representative, we had some conversation about this and want to make sure the body fully understands. First of all, this would create a new department or division within IDFPR, correct?" González: "Yes. They will… they… this will be a new regulatory framework."
"OK. And they would be responsible for overseeing basically what is the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. Is that right?" 10400030.docx 161 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 González: "The… the… cryptocurrency is, specifically we're really focused on the financial services aspect of crypto."
"OK. But at… at the committee hearing, both crypto, the Coinbase company, as well as the Blockchain Association, appeared and testified in opposition to this. Is that correct?" González: "Yes."
"And not only does this bill allow for IDFPR to oversee crypto, it really goes pretty far in its authority by establishing things such as, should an investigation be conducted by IDFPR, they're going to charge the company an… a hourly fee in order to do it. Isn't that correct?" González: "That's standard for these… for these types of services to make sure that that doesn't fall on the taxpayers."
"But if the people are found not to have done anything wrong, they're still going to be charged. Isn't that correct?" González: "Again, it's to avoid making sure the taxpayers don't have to pick up the bill for it."
"The department at any time gets to examine any business office inside or outside the state of any person or agent that’s a covered person within the meaning of this act. Is that right?" González: "Say that one more time. Say that one more time."
"They have a right to go in, with or without due process, and just inspect a covered person's office or business at any time. Is that correct?" González: "That's standard for financial institutions."
"And this also allows IDFPR to start sharing information not just with regulatory agencies within the United States 10400030.docx 162 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 but also outside the United States in conducting investigations. Is that right?" González: "That way the onus doesn't fall fully on the department. They're making sure that they're collaborating with other departments that also have the technical expertise to deal with these sort of issues."
"Isn't it true that the crypto industry already has to have licensing under IDFPR?" González: "In the way that we're looking at it, no."
"Well, I'm sorry, didn't they testify and IDFPR even admit they have to have a money transmission license?" González: "Yeah. Some are money transmitters but not all. And that's what we're trying to do."
"Well, the people involved in the blockchain that you said this wouldn't apply to that… but they told… the blockchain industry said they would may not have one, but the Coinbase companies and other that are in the crypto field with the exchanges, they already have the money transmitter license, don’t they?"
"Representative, your time's expired. Would anyone like to yield? Please continue."
"Thank you." González: "The money transmitting part is… is a separate business. So, again, what we're really trying to focus on is the financial services aspect of this."
"OK. To the bill. Ladies and gentlemen, IDFPR is asking for a huge expansion of their department and creating a new agency within that department for which they really don't have that much expertise. This is crypto, this is blockchain 10400030.docx 163 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 and really needs to be governed on a national level, and the federal government is taking steps. The industry already has money transmitter license in the state of Illinois. If state of Illinois believes they're missing some oversight, slight modifications in that license could be made without greatly expanding IDFPR, who we listened earlier to one of your leaders on the other side of the aisle say isn't able to fulfill their job in getting licenses out right now. Therefore, we need to let people in the health care industry start practicing before they actually get their license once they've graduated through school. IDFPR, obviously, is not equipped nor ready to handle something like this. This is no way to approach this. This is going to stifle an industry. Currently, we heard testimony that Illinois is a blockchain leader in the country. We have a significant blockchain presence. The Blockchain Association testified that this is going to stifle their innovation and move things backwards. We're looking to expand our footprint in these high-tech fields. And by doing this, we are going to be doing great harm to ourselves in one of the few industries in which we are actually seeing some growth. There is no need for IDFPR to have this type of expansion with this type of…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"Thank you. This type of authority…"
Speaker Evans: "Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized. Representative Ugaste is recognized. I thought you were done. I'm sorry."
"Thank you. I… I'm just about done. This type of authority. We need to vote 'no.' If we need a slight 10400030.docx 164 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 modification of another bill, fine, but let the federal government regulate this. Thank you."
"Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to go to the bill. We had a… a pretty good discussion, interesting discussion in… in committee the other night, and we continue to hear the same answer from IDFPR: 'I don't know. We'll have to get back to you.' That's the continuous answer that we get. And that's from the banking side in the Financial Institutions Committee. Think about your interactions with IDFPR and how they're currently doing with all these issues. Are they doing great in your districts? 'Cause I know both Republicans and Democrats are having issues with IDFPR's ability to timely follow through with licensing from everything from doctors to hairstylists. So, IDFPR is not ready to step up and do something like this. As Leader Ugaste mentioned, IDFPR, they're… they're just not prepared to do this. They're already licensed. This is not a time to create a whole new department under the bank… under the banking area, right? We're creating a whole new bureaucracy instead of filling in the gaps that are missing. They're currently being regulated. I think that we need to step back for a second. I know that the federal government is currently working on this. And think about this from the financial institution's standpoint. When we look at what financial institutions regulate, they regulate state- chartered banks, not federally chartered banks. They may work with federally chartered banks, but they regulate state- chartered banks. We are talking about blockchain and cryptocurrencies that are… that are being sold 10400030.docx 165 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 internationally. And we need to make sure that the people who are used to regulating things nationally and internationally are doing so. This is something that needs to…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…be left to the federal government. And… and I certainly urge a 'no' vote. And make sure you understand that $150 fee, banks and credit unions pay fees outside of that to cover their regulators to come in and look at them. This is… this is different. This is completely different. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Members, we're on Standard Debate. It'll be three on… there's been three on the Republican side. There'll be three on the Democrat side. Representative Croke is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you, Leader González, for bringing this bill. I know that Representative… or Senator Walker, when he was over here, worked a lot on this legislation too before you took it up, but I do have some questions. So, you have the second amendment. Can you tell the body who you worked with on that second amendment, where those kind of changes came from?" González: "Yeah, we were making sure we were working with other industry players in order to make sure they would be OK with the bill. So, it… it prevented them from actually having opposition. So, once we had the bill, they were OK with it."
"And that was specifically DRW and CME, right?" González: "Yes."
"So, industry?" 10400030.docx 166 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 González: "Mm-hmm."
"Yeah. And then do you know the specific issue right now that the Blockchain Association has with the bill? 'Cause I believe there is a specific definition, and it's one issue right now that's still outstanding." González: "They… they sent… they sent a text to me today with a… with a potential amendment to the… to the definition, but, again, that was a few hours ago."
"And I totally understand that. But I… and I… and I say that because I think that there's still potential conversations that you are willing to have with the… the Senate sponsor and IDFPR. But I want to point out that this is a large bill, and there is one, only one thing that the Blockchain Association still seems to have an issue with this bill and that the amendment is something that you worked with industry on. And so, I just want to applaud you for all of that work that went into getting, you know, 95% of the way there. But, yeah, it's that definition change. Because I do want to… I want to stress that blockchain and cryptocurrency are two separate things. And this bill really is going for crypto, for… for digital assets, where we're talking about the financial services versus kind of the software that blockchain could be using. And actually, you removed software from this bill too, correct?" González: "Yes. Yes."
"Yes. What… how long does IDFPR have for enforcement? I know there seems to be a lot of concern about whether IDFPR can take this on." González: "I… I trust the capacity of IDFPR to deal with this." 10400030.docx 167 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Yeah. I believe it's 18 months." González: "Mm-hmm."
"So, 18 months. Just in case there's maybe anything that comes up in that 18 months, I… I want to stress they… they have a…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"Oh, OK. Thank you. Oh, may I…"
"Please continue, Representative Costa Howard. Please continue."
"OK. So, 18 months. And I… I also heard a lot from the other side about the federal government taking on this issue. I thought I heard something in your opening remarks about that. Do you mind repeating your opening remarks about the Trump administration currently as it pertains to crypto?" González: "Yes. Two days ago, the Trump's Justice Department decided they was going to pull back enforcement against cryptocurrency fraud, which is the main point of this bill, to making sure that we're, you know, attacking this consumer fraud."
"And then are you familiar at all with FTX or some of the larger scale exchange issues that we've had?" González: "Yes."
"So, FTX was actually based in the Bahamas, and I heard, again, like, concerns about dealing with other states or other countries. But it seems like that's very relevant because of the way that these exchanges work. So, that is part of your bill, correct? That… that IDFPR would have that ability to work other states and other countries." 10400030.docx 168 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 González: "Yeah. The point of being able to work with regulators from other states and countries in the bill is so the department wouldn't have to ever have the reason to travel and to ease the administrative burden on them."
"Yeah. I think that makes sense just because of what we've seen with some of these large-scale situations. I just want to… I also… one… one last part. There's a special purpose trust company in your legislation, which passed out of this chamber unanimously I think three years ago. I believe the chief sponsor on that was me. Great bill. I appreciate you including that in there. And that actually has the support of industry because I think that it allows for legitimacy. But thank you. Thank you so much for your… for your time and your work on this bill." González: "Thank you for your help."
"Thank you. Following Standard Debate, Leader Tarver will be our final speaker. Leader Tarver is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"I'm a little nervous. Walker was over here breathing over my shoulder. I just want to better understand this digital asset administration definition. Are you opposed to focusing on those who have the custody and control over the… over the asset?" González: "Say that one more time."
"Sure. My understanding is that the concern, as Margaret said, you all are 95% of the way there, but there was an issue with the definition. And so, I guess my question is, do you 10400030.docx 169 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 have an issue focusing a definition on the… those who have the custody and control over the actual digital asset?" González: "Considering the deadline we're working with, I think that that question, I'll leave it to the Senate. But, you know, I think that, obviously, if… if it would help with the full intention of bill, which is to attack consumer fraud, then I think any definition is worth looking at."
"So, part of why I'm asking is because if it goes to the Senate and comes back, it has to come back on concurrence. So, you… you need to have some kind of a position or some thought about whether or not that… that would be as acceptable definition." González: "Mm-hmm. Yeah, I… I think that, you know, if… if we come up together and, you know, I think that if… you know, the department is going to continue to have conversations and if… if they seem amenable to it, you know, happy to work with them and industry on this."
"I will tell you, I'm a little less concerned about what the department thinks for many reasons, not the least of which is I passed a bill a couple years ago dealing with financing. And I'm assuming… is this going to have rules drafted?" González: "Say that one more time."
"Is this bill, if it becomes law, is it… are there going to be rules drafted by IDFPR?" González: "Yes."
"OK. I'm going to caution you. I had a bill a couple years ago. We're still dealing with the rules to that bill, and FPR has not been incredibly helpful in working with the industry. So, one, I want to definitely talk to you about the… the 10400030.docx 170 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 definition pieces, see if we can get to somewhere we can land on that. But, two, be very, very wary about IDFPR and actually drafting rules."
"Our final speaker, following Standard Debate, we have Leader Spain."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Leader González, can you talk about the effective date for your legislation?" González: "IDFPR has to come up with rules by January 1, 2026."
"Is that the…" González: "And the entities have to be in compliance by July 1, 2026."
"I'm sorry, so, IDFPR must introduce rules by January 2026…" González: "Mm-hmm."
"…with a anticipation of effectiveness one year later. Is that correct?" González: "No. So, that'll be six months."
"Six months of… so, July 1, 2026?" González: "Or, 18 months later, my bad. Eighteen months later."
"Eighteen months." González: "So, 2027."
"So, we're looking at January 1, 2027?" González: "July 1, 2027."
"July 1…" González: "January 1, 2026 is the first one, and then… and then…"
"Eighteen months after that?" González: "…July 1, 2027. Yes." 10400030.docx 171 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"OK. Thank you for that. So, you feel there's a tremendous urgency in the need for this legislation in… in this third deadline… Third Reading deadline week, and then we're looking to get this regulation up and running in July of 2027. Is that correct?" González: "Yes."
"OK. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to the bill."
"To the bill."
"Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, this is an interesting piece of legislation, to say the least. Here we are in the state of Illinois, where all of us are interested in being a place of innovation, a place where businesses can thrive and be successful. And, you know, quite frankly, I think we have to look in the mirror and say we're not always really good at that in… in certain areas. I know that we want to do better. One place that we are good is in this environment of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. And this is a place where innovation is thriving in Illinois, where we have a number of great businesses that are effective, that are assembling in Chicago and other places in our state. And this is a source of strength and innovation for the state of Illinois. And what we're doing through this legislation is jeopardizing that innovation, that success. And we're doing it with an… an intense urgency to come up with a bill and put it together and move it forward here in this deadline week for something that will not take effect until…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…July… I will, Mr. Speaker… July of 2027. It's an incongruent proposition that has everything to do with the 10400030.docx 172 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 governor's political ambitions and his interest in creating differentiation with what is happening in Washington, D.C. And it's problematic because this is a great strength for the state of Illinois. Let's not jeopardize it and flush it down the toilet because of a political purpose that serves an ulterior motive. Please vote 'no.'"
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 742 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 74 voting 'yes,' 37 voting 'no,' 1 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 15 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2927, Representative Ford. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2927, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Ford."
"Representative Ford on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2927 is a gut replacement. So, House Amendment #1 becomes the bill."
"Representative Ford moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor vote (sic-say) 'aye'; opposed vote (sic-say) 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 173 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2927, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Ford."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. I move for the passage of House Bill 2927. It is a bill that’s subject to appropriations, and it does three things. One, it requires that the Department of… the Board of Education do a… a study to learn the experiences of our Illinois educators as they teach history to students across all grade levels in accordance to the state standards. It requires that the department provides a report to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. It also mandates that the department provides professional learning opportunities to educators across all grade levels. That's all the bill does, and it's subject to appropriation. And for the record, the amount would be approximately $500,000 for the entire public act. Move for the adoption of the bill."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, originally the bill created the Inclusive History Act and there was some things about suspending history education. That was removed with this amendment. Is that correct?"
"That's right." 10400030.docx 174 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And now, we're asking ISBE to conduct research to understand the experience of educators teaching history. Is that accurate?"
"That's correct."
"And that is subject to appropriation. Do we know what the appropriation would be needed to cover the cost?"
"There are two components to the bill. The first component is to do a study to learn the experiences of the teachers that teach social studies and history. That portion and component of the bill would be approximately $200,000 to conduct a study that will be delivered to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026. The second component of the bill is to provide professional development for teachers, up to 300 teachers, that may want to have the professional development program. It's approximately $1,000 per teacher, and we suspect that it could be up to 300."
"As part of that learning opportunities for educators, we're… it's designed to support the inclusive inquiry-based teaching of history in schools. What… what is meant by inquiry-based?"
"That's a… you know… well, what the intent of the bill is to make sure that inclusive history is taught and that our educators… and we learn where they stand on the state standards and how to best teach inclusive history in our public schools."
"Thank you for answering my questions."
"Thank you, leader."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2927 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all 10400030.docx 175 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 37 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 16 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2980, Representative Fritts. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2980, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Sanalitro."
"Representative Fritts on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment's a simple change, at the request of Democratic leadership, to remove the rulemaking authority for IDOT in the bill. I move for its adoption."
"Representative Fritts moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2980, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Fritts."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 2980 is an initiative of ABATE of Illinois. 10400030.docx 176 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 It will modernize cycle rider safety training in the state of Illinois. It will open up the ability for more training providers in the state who will be able to teach more students and restore training in areas of the state where training is not currently available. This legislation allows current university providers to still continue providing training at existing sites, while opening up additional providers who have experience in training throughout the United States, while making sure that the training needs… the training meets national and IDOT standards. House Bill 2980 will keep motorcycle training free for residents in the state of Illinois on a grant program, which is funded by registration collection fees from motorcyclists. There is no impact to the state budget, and the bill will lead to a more efficient use of grant money, lending to better service for the motorcycle community in Illinois. I want to thank Representative Kifowit and Representative Sanalitro for their leadership on this bill. The bill has no opposition. It has over 40 bipartisan cosponsors, and I'd appreciate an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Tarver is recognized."
"Thank you. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Just very quickly, I want to make sure. I… I looked at the amendment, and you removed the emergency rulemaking. Thank you for doing that. I appreciate it. Do you have any intention… have you talked to the Senate sponsor about whether or not they will add potentially emergency rulemaking on the other… in the other chamber?" 10400030.docx 177 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"It's my understanding that this was done at Democratic leadership's request, taking that out. ABATE has taken the lead on this, and I would anticipate them to not return that rulemaking authority at this time."
"OK. And if it comes back with emergency rulemaking, you wouldn't want to concur with that. Is that correct?"
"Excuse me?"
"If it comes back with emergency rulemaking authority, based on the representation of you removing it out of the bill, don't want to be presumptions, but you wouldn't concur with the emergency rulemaking, would you?"
"No emergency rulemaking."
"OK. Thank you. I just wanted it for the record. Thanks."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2980 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 114 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 9 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2937, Representative Faver… 2337, Faver Dias. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2337, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Faver Dias."
"Representative Faver Dias on the amendment." 10400030.docx 178 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to adopt amendment 2 and discuss the bill on Third Reading."
"Representative Faver Dias moves to adopt Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2337, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Faver Dias."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to present House Bill 2337. Mediation sponsored by the State Board of Education is commonly used to resolve disputes between a parent and a school district concerning a child's IEP services or educational placement. There's a rapidly growing use of prospective waivers of legal rights by attorneys representing school districts as a condition of settlement in mediation agreements and settlement agreements in Illinois. Lawyers and advocates are seeing prospective waivers used to waive rights to FAPE and… to a free and appropriate public education under IDEA indefinitely. They are seeing waivers that waive rights that are completely unrelated to the dispute being settled and even waivers of rights of siblings who are not the subjects of the mediation or settlement agreement. House Bill 2337 addresses this by placing guardrails around the use of prospective waivers with three conditions: the legal right being waived is related only to the student who is the subject of mediation, the legal right being waived is related to the 10400030.docx 179 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 claims raised in the complaint being settled, and the prospective waiver is for a reasonable duration not to exceed the duration of the mediation agreement. It is important that we protect the rights of our most vulnerable students. And I'd encourage an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, on the underlying bill, it looked like the Alliance of Administrators of Special Education as well as the Illinois Association of School Boards were opposed. I believe the amendment brought them both to neutral. Is that accurate?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"What did the amendment do to bring them to neutral?"
"It… it narrowed the scope of the use of prospective waivers."
"All right. Thank you."
"The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2337 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 15 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2863, Representative Elik. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 180 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2863, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Elik."
"Representative Elik on the amendment."
"Thank you so much. The amendment just makes some language changes, and I'll discuss more on Third."
"Representative Elik moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2863, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Elik."
"Thank you so much. This bill relates to the public notice requirements for water or sewer utilities being acquired by a large public utility. This brings some more transparency to the process that must be done before the acquisition. I'll let you know that we are probably going to continue to do some more work on the language at the request of one of the large public utilities. So, we may be seeing this again after it goes back to the Senate."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2863 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please 10400030.docx 181 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Morgan, what reason do you seek recognition?"
"Thank you… thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the record reflect that Representative Chung is excused for the rest of the day?"
"The record will reflect. At the top of page 14 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2757, Representative du Buclet. Mr. Clerk."
"House Bill 2757, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1 and 2 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative du Buclet."
"Representative du Buclet on the amendment." du Buclet: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill… I… I would like to move to adopt Floor Amendments 1 and 2."
"Representative du Buclet moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative du Buclet."
"Representative du Buclet moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 182 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2757, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative du Buclet." du Buclet: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2757 is a downtown revitalization task force. The task force will examine factors impacting downtown Chicago's economy and explore best practices for revitalization and consider potential policy solutions that'll strengthen the economic activity and long- term growth. The task force will include state and local officials, business representatives, and policy experts."
"Representative Windhorst."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, the amendments place this task force under DCEO rather than DCEO and the Department of Revenue. Is that accurate?" du Buclet: "So, there are two amendments. The first amendment says that the Department of Revenue will… will not be responsible for providing administrative or other support. And the second amendment, as it relates to DCEO, is that DCEO will just have a seat on the task force and will become a nonvoting advisory member, meaning they will not… not have… they will not have voting power but will provide guidance and advice."
"The… it appears that it is subject to appropriation. Is that accurate?" du Buclet: "Yes, Representative." 10400030.docx 183 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Do we know how much the appropriation would require to be funded?" du Buclet: "It will be minimal appropriation, Zoom time. I believe that the other organizations will absorb any costs if there are any."
"All right. Thank you." du Buclet: "Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2757 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 82 voting 'yes,' 20… 29 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the top of page 2 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 32, Representative Didech. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 32, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #4 is offered by Representative Didech."
"Representative Didech on the amendment."
"Thank you. I'd ask for the adoption of Floor Amendment #4. It makes a few minor changes to local government codes. I'll explain it in detail on Third Reading."
"Representative Didech moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #4. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 184 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 32, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Didech."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 32 addresses three distinct issues, all of which I would describe as cleanup measures. First, it ensures that in the event of a vacancy in the office of township supervisor, there is a procedure in place so the general assistance program can be administered with minimal interruption. It does this by clarifying that the ministerial functions of the deputy township supervisor include the administration of general assistance. Second, it clarifies that the provisions in the Child Labor Law that apply to park district and municipal park and rec departments also apply to township park and rec departments. Third, it cleans up some outdated language in the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act by making nonsubstantive changes to the law. I'm happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Halbrook is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, so there's been a lot of back and forth as we've tried to work out the details here. Originally, your bill would put into place that a township would have to put into a… they would have to nominate their longest-serving trustee to be a temporary general assistance administrator. Is that still part of the language or that's 10400030.docx 185 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 went away in lieu of all these other amendments that have come in?"
"The answer is no. That was in the original version of the bill, and you're correct. We've had a series of conversations, and we landed on this language, which I… I think accomplishes the same goal that we were trying to accomplish, and I was happy to adopt that language."
"OK. So, you've… you've added some definitions. The… the definition about an… you've… a bona fide emergency has been added. Is that correct?"
"So, you're referencing the provisions in the Open Meeting Act that the… provide what constitutes a sufficient emergency to allow the meeting to take place without the 48-hour posting requirements. For this situation, we decided that that should include the appointment of a deputy township supervisor because they have the responsibility of administering general assistance programs, including emergency assistance, which is the provision of life-sustaining aid. And we don't want there to be any delays at all in the process for authorizing somebody to provide that aid that will address life- threatening circumstances."
"OK. And so, you've also added… you… you've further defined what ministerial functions are. Is the correct?"
"Correct."
"Right. And so, just explain that for this body just exactly what you've done there and… and why that is important to this bill."
"Yeah. So, current law authorizes a township board to appoint a deputy township supervisor when there's a vacancy 10400030.docx 186 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 in the office of township supervisor, but it limits the deputy township's authority to only ministerial functions. And what we are doing in this bill is clarifying that ministerial functions include the administration of the general assistance program."
"OK. Thank you. And… and, Mr. Speaker, there may be an additional speaker that may have a question that I may… and so, I may ask for Standard Debate. I think there's only maybe one other speaker or… on our side that may want to question. I don't know that I'm going to cover all the bases here, so I would like to request Standard Debate. I know we'll be brief. Representative, so there were some changes in some language to satisfy the Downstate Forest Preserve District. Why… why did we replace language with… that says 'his or her' with kind of nongendered terms like 'the commissioner' or 'the appointee'? Why did we have to make those changes when it clearly says 'his or her'?"
"Yeah. So, I… the… the impetus for this change came from the forest preserve presidents in my district. If you look on page 18 of the bill, it reads, 'The presidents of the board of any district organized hereunder, shall preside at all the meetings of the board,' et cetera. Current law says, 'He shall sign all ordinances.' Obviously, women can serve as presidents of forest preserve districts, and I think our statute should reflect that."
"OK. And then there was a… a situation here where about Child Labor Law was added in. Why was that important that we add in these changes about 12- and 13-year-olds, and… and how is that affected in this… in this language?" 10400030.docx 187 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Yeah, so, in our… in our Child Labor Law, we have some particular provisions about how it applies to park districts and municipal parks and rec departments, primarily because they operate a lot of seasonal employment programs. For example, they hire lifeguards, they have youth sports coaches, they have summer camps. And the nature of those programs are as such that the requirements in most context of our Child Labor Law makes it not workable in those contexts."
"OK."
"We also have townships that provide those similar programs, and we think the township should be treated the same way as the park districts and the municipal park and rec departments."
"Thank you. As I begin to close out here, back to this matter of… of why we… we need to put these different language changes in it for the emergency assistance for the supervisor, for a temporary supervisor. How many times do you anticipate or has this happened in the history… is this… this happens a few times or a lot of times? What… what would you… how would you characterize that?"
"Well, I mean, there's over a thousand townships in Illinois. I… I think some supervisors leave their term early. It probably happens every year. And most townships administer a general assistance program, so I think it's a good thing to ensure there's no gaps in those programs during the periods of time when there aren't a township supervisor in office."
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"Thank you. Representative, in closing, is there anything in this bill that we'll have to fix in the Senate?" 10400030.docx 188 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"I… I'm sorry, can… can you say that again?"
"Is there anything in this bill that we'll need to fix in the Senate?"
"Not… not that I'm aware of, but, you know, I'm not in the Senate. So, that's…"
"Thank you. No further questions."
"Representative Fritts is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative Didech, I'm very familiar with the role of township supervisor. My dad is just actually finishing his 12th year in Dixon Township and will be retiring. So, can you tell me, when we're talking about the vacancy here, what's the current statute say about the process for filling a vacancy for a supervisor?"
"Thank you for that question. I'm also familiar with the role of township supervisor 'cause I used to be one."
"Yeah. Very nice."
"So, the way that it… the process for filling a vacancy in township supervisor works is it can be filled by the township board."
"And isn't… is there a statutory outline for how long that process takes?"
"I… I believe it's… they can do it within 60 days, and if they don’t do it within 60 days, it gets kicked to a town meeting that can appoint the supervisor."
"OK. So, they have 60-days' timeline. So, I guess then my question becomes, do you foresee any issues with the longest- serving trustee being appointed to temporary supervisor with… 10400030.docx 189 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 with regards to them delaying that out if that longest-serving trustee potentially doesn't have the votes for the candidate that they want to fill that?"
"I believe that the Township Code allows the board to appoint any of the trustees to be the deputy township supervisor. So, it would not necessarily be the longest- serving trustee."
"OK, perfect. So, obviously, general assistance, incredibly important program. One other question that I had with regards to this is, as you being a former township supervisor know, the township supervisor basically serves as the treasurer of the township. Illinois audit statute surrounding townships states that unless you go above 850,000, you have to have an audit done once every four years or at the change of a supervisor. In that case, will you have to have a full CPA audit done when the current supervisor leaves and when the new one leaves and in that normal four- year period?"
"Well, it… it would not… it would not get triggered by the appointment of a deputy supervisor, if that’s what you're asking. That individual would not be serving as…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…township supervisor."
"So, even though they have the ability to be over the accounts, they would not have to go through a CPA audit?"
"I believe the answer would be no."
"OK. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 32 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all 10400030.docx 190 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On the question, there are 82 voting 'yes,' 30 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 14 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2790, Representative Deuter. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2790, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Deuter."
"Representative Deuter."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt Floor Amendment 2, which exempts two types of businesses from the bill. The change was made to remove opposition."
"Representative Deuter moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2790, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Deuter."
"Thank you. House Bill 2790 is an initiative of the Metro West Council of Government. The bill would allow non-home rule municipalities to license and regulate commercial operations within their boundaries in the same way that home 10400030.docx 191 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 rule communities are currently allowed. This proposal does not allow non-home rule communities to impose any tax upon its operations. Instead, it provides a crucial tool for cities to maintain public safety, support economic growth, and protect consumers. The proposal passed committee unanimously, and I ask for your support."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, it appears in the bill there's some exemptions for agritourism, agricultural property, agribusiness, agritourism, and pollution control… or pollution control facility. Is that right?"
"That is correct."
"How were those chosen as exemptions?"
"Those were specific objections that were expressed, and those were ones that were easy to pull out."
"We show on the initial bill the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association was opposed. Do they remain opposed with the amendment?"
"I have not heard anything from them."
"They have not communicated their opposition to you?"
"I… I've no heard that, no."
"And this is supported by IML, the DuPage Mayors and Managers, as well as some individual communities. Is that accurate?"
"That's correct."
"Thank you." 10400030.docx 192 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2790 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 12 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2588, Representative DeLuca. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2588, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative DeLuca."
"Representative DeLuca on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentlemen. I move to adopt amendment #2 to House Bill 2588, and we can discuss it on Third, please."
"Representative DeLuca moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. But several notes have been requested on the bill as amended and have not been filed."
"Representative DeLuca on the notes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've reviewed the notes, and the bill was on Second Reading since March 13, so I'm going to move that the notes are inapplicable."
"Representative Jones is recognized." 10400030.docx 193 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Mr. Speaker, I request that this bill be put on Standard Debate. This is an important bill not only to my district but poor communities in… in Illinois, and I want Standard Debate on this bill. So, please move this to Standard Debate."
"Representative Rosenthal is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll… I'll wait until Representative DeLuca to… presents the bill."
Speaker Evans: "Representative… regarding the notes, Representative DeLuca has moved to rule the notes inapplicable. All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 68 voting 'yes,' 29 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the notes are deemed inapplicable. Anything further, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2588, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative DeLuca is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm bringing forward House Bill 2588 in response to an issue in my district where currently there's an inability of the municipalities to resolve debts accumulated in intergovernmental agreements. House Bill 28 (sic-2588) allows the State Comptroller's Office to intervene to draw a warrant on the treasury or other state funds to resolve the debt owed from one municipality to another. House Bill 2588 aligns with 10400030.docx 194 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 recent actions by the State Comptroller's Office to hold local governments to their obligations and to protect taxpayer funds. Amendment #2, which was adopted in committee yesterday, specifically clarifies that an action shall be accompanied by a written agreement between the two parties or a court order to that effect. Be happy to answer any questions."
"Standard Debate has been requested and granted. Representative Jones is recognized."
"Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, we all respect Representative DeLuca, but this bill is wrong. There's no way that a municipal… municipality… Ford Heights is in my district. I grew up in Ford Heights. Ford Heights has 2,000 residents. There's a issue in the dispute with city of Chicago Heights and Ford Heights. We cannot get blood from a turnip and make the Village of Ford Heights pay Chicago Heights' outstanding water debt. The reason that amendment 2 was filed on this bill was there's a recent court order. So, by passing this bill, we're going to say that a… one municipality that has a dispute with another has a right to take their money because they owe them a bill. And we're going to interject ourselves in a legal dispute over a intergovernment agreement that Representative DeLuca understands. Representative DeLuca has said many times that he's willing to make sure that he negotiates this. Why are we negotiating intergovernment agreements for one municipality and trying to take their money because they have a outstanding water bill? Now, I know the Representative is solely representing the city of Chicago Heights, but this does not belong in the General Assembly. 10400030.docx 195 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 And passing this bill will say to the Village of Ford Heights and other municipalities in the same situation that if you can't handle your problems, let the General Assembly do it for you. This is wrong on so many levels. This is my district. Representative DeLuca filed this bill. Yes, he did in March and April, but we should not allow him to take and allow him to have the Comptroller's Office get involved in a dispute that should be resolved between two municipalities. There was a recent election where a new mayor was elected in Ford Heights. Will the sponsor yield, Mr. Speaker?"
"Your time has expired. Please bring your remarks to a close."
"I'm sure somebody going to yield they time 'cause this bill is important."
"Representative Ford would like to yield his time. Continue your question."
"Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Representative DeLuca, have you spoken with the new mayor of Ford Heights regarding this issue and this bill?"
"No."
"Has the city of Chicago Heights made any communications with the new mayor of Ford Heights regarding this bill?"
"I do know that they have sent a note recently to the… to the Village of Ford Heights. I don't know the exact date, but I know that they have contacted the village about this issue recently."
"So, Representative DeLuca, I filed several notes. Why do you say that the home rule municipality note doesn't apply, 10400030.docx 196 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 and why do you say that the racial note… impact note doesn't apply to this bill? Can you please explain that?"
"Upon review, they do not impact and are not applicable to this legislation."
"But no department has told you that. No department… we haven't even allowed a department to provide us with impacts of this bill, and now you just ruled them all inapplicable, and we can't get an answer that we need of why this… this bill has long-term implications on so many municipalities, Representative. I would ask that you pull this bill from the record. Are you willing to pull this bill from the record, Representative?"
"I am not."
"Are you willing to make sure that Ford Heights not only has some safeguards with them, but this bill does not allow them to not only create a agreement, but you're forcing them to give up all their future grant money. You're forcing them to give up all their future funds that are going to come in. Are you willing to do that, Representative? Because this bill doesn't allow that to happen…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close. You can answer the question."
"Thank you. That… that's not what the legislation does. So, the answer to the question is no."
"Representative, this bill is so wrong, Representative. We are not protecting… Ford Heights is in my district, Representative. This bill does not allow me to represent Ford Heights, a poor community that can barely pay their water bill. Now, we're going to make sure that in the future you're 10400030.docx 197 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 not certain that City of Chicago Heights is going to shut off the water to Ford Heights. So, why… why are we doing this now to a poor community, Representative? And I know you're better than this. Let Chicago Heights settle they own disputes. They're big boys. Let them handle they own business. This is not the right course to do, Representative. So, I would ask, Representative, that you reconsider this 'cause this is not in the best interest of Ford Heights and Chicago Heights."
"Well, just to give you a little idea of how cooperative Chicago Heights has been over the years on this issue, they've worked hard to seek remedies. This is kind of their last remedy to resolve this. If you go back to 2016, the Village of Ford Heights owed the City of Chicago Heights $1.9 million in unpaid water bills. And as you've said, it's a very small, economically depressed community, 1.9 million. At that time, we negotiated an agreement where Cook County intervened. Even Cook County was willing to help to provide $1.2 million in road and infrastructure projects on behalf of the City of Chicago Heights, and Chicago Heights forgave $750,000. That was in 2016. Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars the City of Chicago Heights forgave the Village of Ford Heights. In January of 2023, Chicago Heights filed a lawsuit, and it's pending and unresolved at this time. This…"
"So, why go… why go forward, Representative?"
"Let me finish. Just let me finish my point because this legislation, the way it's drafted, nothing happens with the Comptroller's Office. The comptroller has to take no action until there is a court order and a judgement clearly spelling 10400030.docx 198 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 out what the responsibility would be of the Comptroller's Office."
"Representative, do… do you…"
"So, that's the way it's drafted."
"Representative, do you have a copy of the… the lawsuit and the current pending? So, can you state for the record, Representative, where the current lawsuit is, Representative?"
Speaker Evans: "Representative, your time has expired. Representative Rosenthal is recognized."
"Thank you, Madam… or, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"So, Representative DeLuca, we've had a… a lot of discussion in committee about this on the original bill and then the second amendment. And the second amendment, because of that, the comptroller had concerns about it. But with amendment 2, it requires either an intergovernmental agreement or a court order because of ongoing litigation. And so, the comptroller would not get involved until you either have the intergovernmental agreement or the court order. Is that correct?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"So, right now, we're continuing to wait on the litigation, and it'll go forward from there, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Thank you."
"Any further discussion? Representative Cabello is recognized." 10400030.docx 199 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the House, with all due respect to both Representatives, who I respect immensely, this is what happens when we file bills that deal with other people's districts. Representative Fritts knows this all way too well. And how many people are very upset with this type of an issue? Yet, I don't know how to vote on this because they didn't really seem to care about when it was dealing with Representative Fritts. So, I think when we decide to start filing bills that have to deal with somebody else's district, we decide we should talk to those people. And, again, Representative DeLuca, this is… this is more about Representative Fritts than anybody else. It just… it makes no sense to me that we are filing bills that deal with other people's districts in the House of Representatives and not talking to those people and dealing with it and coming to a resolution. Thank you."
"Representative Mayfield is recognized to yield his time to Representative Jones. You have two minutes."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And with the previous speaker, I will say this is less about Representative Fritts and more about the poor people in Ford Heights. This is less about Representative Fritts and more about getting involved in local disputes, legal disputes between two municipalities. Representative DeLuca and I have talked about this bill, and I've asked Representative DeLuca not to run this bill because this bill doesn't serve the interest of Ford Heights or Chicago Heights. The city of Harvey is in this same exact 10400030.docx 200 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 situation with the city of Chicago. And the city of Harvey, if they get a grant, 50% of that money is taken by the Comptroller's Office to settle a debt from the city of Chicago. That doesn't help serve the people of Harvey, just like this bill will not help serve the people of Ford Heights and not serve the interest of Chicago Heights as well. Let the legal system handle this bill. We should not be interjecting ourselves into a legal dispute between two municipalities over a water bill that will eventually cut off water to poor people in Ford Heights. So, Representative, I… I really ask… and to… to the Representative, a question, I would encourage you to vote 'no' on this bill. If you're stuck between myself and Representative DeLuca, look out for the people of Ford Heights and vote 'no' against this bill because it doesn't serve the interest of anything, except trying to resolve a legal dispute that we shouldn't get involved in."
"Representative DeLuca to close."
"To close? OK."
"Representative DeLuca to close."
"Representative Jones, I would ask that you acknowledge, and you don't have to do it on the floor, but keep in mind what Chicago Heights has done with the Village of Ford Heights over the years and being reasonable. Right now, the water bill is back up to $1.4 million, and this does impact my district. This is all about my district. It's the largest town in my district. And the taxpayers of Chicago Heights, they're carrying this debt. They're carrying this debt. So, Representative Jones, Mayor Jones, you know, we need to have a commitment from the new leadership in Ford Heights. We have 10400030.docx 201 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 to have a commitment that the new leadership in Ford Heights is going to work with Chicago Heights to get this resolved because the reason why I'm here right now with this legislation is because it hasn't happened. It hasn't happened up until this point. So, I'm going to pull this from the record. I'm going to work with Representative Jones because we have no other choice. It's the right thing to do for both communities. Thank you."
"Mr. Clerk, please take this bill out of the record. Moving forward to page 6 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 1821, Representative Delgado. Representative Delgado. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 1821, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Barbara Hernandez."
"Representative Delgado on the amendment."
"The amendment becomes the bill. I would like to move it to Third Reading and discuss it on Third Reading."
"Representative Delgado moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 1821, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Delgado." 10400030.docx 202 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1821 creates an administrative review process for IDOT. It amends the Highway Advertising Control Act to create the administrative review process to allow applicants for new outdoor sign permits, the transfer of existing sign permits, and various other permits related to outdoor signs so that… so that an entity can appeal the actions of the Illinois Department of Transportation. Currently, there is no review process. This creates one. The amendment was negotiated alongside IDOT. There is an agreement to how this review is going to proceed, and we believe that with this amendment there are no more opponents. So, I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1821 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Buckner. DeLuca. Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 29 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 2961, Representative Davis. Will Davis. Mr. Clerk, read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please put this bill on the Order of Second Reading."
"House Bill 2961, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. No committee… no Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Will Davis."
"Representative Davis on the amendment." 10400030.docx 203 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Davis, W.: "Mr. Speaker, if it's OK with the… with you, I'd like to adopt the amendment and then debate the bill on Third Reading."
"Rep. Davis moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2961, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Davis is recognized." Davis, W.: "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This bill is affectionately called the Best Interest of the State, and what it seeks to do is to suggest that on any state project where there is a project labor agreement in place that the project labor agreement is enforced by using workers or individuals in the respective areas of the state where the project labor agreement is based on the project. So, if the project is in downstate Illinois and there's a project labor agreement on the project, what it suggests is that we use workers, preapprenticeship workers, in that part of the state where the project is being… being done. Many of you know that I led the… led the way and sit on what is called the Illinois Works Review Panel. The Illinois Works Review Panel is the state's preapprenticeship program where we are training individuals all over the state of Illinois to be able to work on state… state-led projects. So, this bill is an effort to 10400030.docx 204 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 embrace the use of project labor agreements, but also embrace the work of Illinois Works, where people are being trained and then allow those individuals an opportunity to work on projects in a respective area. That's the basic premise of the bill. With regard to the amendment, the amendment replaces a couple of definitions. But also, the amendment states that the Commission on Equity and Inclusion shall make determination of the demographic makeup of counties in Illinois based on the most recent federal census data and that all goals in the act shall be based on that determination of the commission. The determination shall include minority persons as… as the term is defined in the BEP Act but also include veterans, persons… persons with disabilities, and persons who are located in rural regions of the state. It additionally adds procedures for contractors and unions that have been found to not meet the requirement of the act to appeal that determination with the commission. The commission shall determine by appeal… excuse me, the commission is… is to determine appeal procedures by rule. The term 'penalty' is replaced with 'remediation fee,' and the effective date of the bill is pushed out to January 1, 2026. So, that's the basic premise of the bill. Be more than happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Representative Davis, thank you for bringing this forward. Just to make a few clarifying points. I think you 10400030.docx 205 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 covered them, but I just want to certain everyone understands. What this does is this also takes sort of a regional approach to the Climate Works Act and starts looking at the diversity requirements in a… a much broader way. Is that accurate?" Davis, W.: "I… I would say yes, but I won't… and like I made clear in committee last night, yes, I am a Black legislator. And often when I talk about equity, I am talking about people of color. But acknowledging with this bill, when we're looking at the state, we understand that diversity like that doesn't exist in every part of the state. But this does include every part of the state where maybe not racial diversity exists, but also we want to include women, people with disabilities, as well who may not necessarily be people of color. So, this is a way to bring in all aspects of the state, all populations of the state and give them the opportunity to work on projects that we… that we like to do here in the state of Illinois."
"And are veterans included in that analysis as well?" Davis, W.: "Yes, veterans as well."
"OK. So, we have veterans and… and other people as well. And that would allow projects in areas of the state where maybe they don't have the same racial makeup to meet the standards required of the act without having to worry about if they can get someone from a different part of the state to come down and do the work. Is that correct?" Davis, W.: "Correct."
"OK. Thank you. I appreciate it. I will be supporting the bill. Thank you." Davis, W.: "Thank you." 10400030.docx 206 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2961 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 84 voting 'yes,' 27 voting 'no,' and 1 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Toward the bottom of page 11 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2517, Representative Davis. Lisa Davis. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2517, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Lisa Davis."
"Representative Davis on the amendment." Davis, L.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move for the amendment to be adopted."
"Representative Davis moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2517, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Davis. Lisa Davis." Davis, L.: "House Bill 2517, as amended, expands the implicit bias training required of all health care workers to include information on racial disparities and maternal health, 10400030.docx 207 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 specifically for all maternal health care workers renewing their license, on or after July 1, 2026, to take a one-hour implicit bias training course that includes training and potential maternal health risks for individuals who are part of a marginalized racial or ethnic group with increased maternal mortality rates. I'd ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, is this an additional hour of training, or will it be included in the current required number of hours?" Davis, L.: "It will be included in the current one-hour requirement already."
"All right. And we, with the amendment, have delayed implementation from January 1, 2026 to July 1, 2026. Do I have that correct?" Davis, L.: "That is correct."
"And this is… first off, why do you believe this is necessary to… to make this change in the law?" Davis, L.: "So, I believe this is necessary to just make sure that our health care professionals, who are caring for the most vulnerable women during and throughout the course of their pregnancy, that they are understanding that there might be some biases that they have toward… towards these women. So, I would want to make sure that these groups of women, specifically maybe Black women, Brown women, that they feel safe going to their health care professionals during this vulnerable time." 10400030.docx 208 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And if you could, briefly describe what is an implicit bias." Davis, L.: "So, implicit bias is where an individual might have some form of… I guess maybe if I can put that in my own words without giving you a definition would be some type of bias because of a person's race, nationality, gender, socioeconomic status, any of those things. That to me would be some type of bias that they are not necessarily cognizant of. That's what I believe implicit bias means."
"So, this would be training for these health care professionals in biases they are not aware they have?" Davis, L.: "Correct."
"And the bill calls for this training to apply to health care professionals who report to IDFPR that they provide maternal health care services. They're… in some health care professionals, not specified areas where people serve. So, for someone who is a nurse, for instance, how would it be designated that they are providing maternal health care services versus just being a… a nurse who works in a general practice?" Davis, L.: "So, like a nurse in… in obstetrics, they would be providing maternal care."
"And would IDFPR know that? Do they know which nurses are only working in obstetrics versus working in other areas?" Davis, L.: "No."
"So, how would they know who is to get the training?" Davis, L.: "So, that's why we included language. That's why it was amended to include that they would report to the department to which they serviced or was licensed under." 10400030.docx 209 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you for answering my questions." Davis, L.: "Sure. No problem."
"Seeing no… we are on Short Debate. Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2517 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 82 voting 'yes,' 29 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Towards the bottom of page 15 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2907, Representative Crawford. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2907, a Bill for an Act concerning children. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Crawford, has been approved for consideration."
"Rep… Rep. Crawford on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment is a… a gut and replace and becomes the bill. I ask that we adopt and debate on Third."
"Representative Crawford moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 210 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2907, a Bill for an Act concerning children. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Crawford."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to present House Bill 2907, which is a proposal to create a new act, the Child Welfare Disclosure to Parents Act, otherwise known as a parents' bill of rights. The previous amendment simply removed language referencing impact family services or reunification to focus more on any parent who may be involved in Illinois' child welfare system, not just those receiving those services. It also removes some provisions regarding parent communication with their attorney, which is not relevant to this bill because a parent could always communicate with their attorney. It makes provisions regarding visit schedules subject to state law or any applicable court orders. This proposal is… well, it's developed in conjunction with the Statewide Parents Advisory Council. This act acknowledges existing rights of and empowers birth parents to be involved in decision-making for their child. The department's compliance with the proposed statute would also ensure improved services to children and families in Illinois. Under current law, there are two similar statutes. One is a foster child's bill of rights and the other is a foster parents' bill of rights. So, this one… this new bill… law is well overdue and would give the remaining population, the birth parents, equal standing. Codifying this will improve services and empower parents to enforce their 10400030.docx 211 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 rights to help make decisions, from placement with relatives to education and health… hair care plans. It also empowers them to give… in decision-making as well. The bill primarily codifies existing practice and services that the department should be providing to parents. This bill will also require that DCFS provide a copy of this act at the time of the case opening for intact family services or reunification services. Given the genuine testimony that we heard a couple of days ago in… in committee from a group of birth parents, this bill has garnered bipartisan support. And I feel that while this is not a reform bill, it is a step toward having another set of eyes with a vested interest in protecting children, that being their birth parents, on a system that has recently had its challenges. And I ask for 'aye' vote."
"Representative Reick is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Representative, we had some really good conversation… where are you? Oh, there you are. We had some really good conversations in… in committee. And I would like to know, what… at what point does the parents… do the parents now have the ability to get involved in the case? I mean, you mentioned intact family services or… or some subsequent involvement. When do they get… when do they start getting involved here?"
"This bill calls for them to be involved at the opening of the case."
"Right after the hotline call and the case… and the case is opened."
"Absolutely." 10400030.docx 212 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"OK. What… what does this actually give the parents the right to have access to or to do?"
"So, there's a… a list that I'll… I'll read off pretty quickly here for the… for the record. So, one, to be treated fairly with dignity and respect; two, to receive a copy of the act; three, to consider… have relative placement considered as a first option or… if it's relevant option; three… four, to be… the noncustodial parent to be assessed and considered for custody of the child; to have financial means… to not have financial means considered as a basis for removal or reunification with the child; subject to state law, as I mentioned before, to have input on visits and rescheduling of visits; to receive timely visits with the child; to have parent-child visits conducted in a comfortable, family-like setting; to be notified and invited to all of the child's medical appointments and school meetings; to be permitted communication with the child's substitute caregiver… giver…"
"We're running out of time here. I…"
"…for the purpose…"
"How does this intersect with the KIND Act that we passed last session, the Kinship and Care Act?"
"Give me one second."
"Yes, sir. I guess my question is, does this add to or take away any of the kinship rights… or the rights that are granted under the Kinship and Care Act?"
"So, this act supports the KIND Act, which seeks to have… have students… I'm a… have parents, relatives, 10400030.docx 213 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 grandparents, and others place… have the child placed with relatives and… and parents."
"OK. You… you had… you had some very compelling testimony in front of us the other night. And can you tell me what the intent of the group that is sort of spearheading this thing, what is their intent going forward?"
"Absolutely."
"How are they going to intersect with the agency and everything?"
"Absolutely. So, their intent going… the intent is to keep the parents involved. And their intent going forward… and let me just clarify who we… who Representative Reick is speaking of. So, we had a group of parents from the Parent Advisory Council testify in committee. Most of these parents, many of them actually have been reunified with their children already. So, they are going to help us in several ways. They're going to stay involved with the… with DCFS and… and involved with other parents. They're going to mentor other parents as they come into the system. And as I said before, they're going to act as an additional set of eyes on the system who can help us because they have the most vested interest, in my opinion, being the birth parents, in the success and… and safeguarding that… that child."
"To the bill. This is… I believe this is a very, very good bill. I was… I was very impressed with the… with the testimony of the advocates who were there. They answered the questions that I needed to have answered and they made a commitment that birth parents… this organization wasn't going to let these birth parents out there hanging on their own. As a 10400030.docx 214 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 matter of fact, I signed on, I believe, as a cosponsor to that bill, and I would strongly urge a 'yes' vote on this bill. I think it's the right thing. It's… it's moving… it's moving parents' rights and helping children in the right direction. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2907 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 111 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 6 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 1807, Representative Costa Howard. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 1807, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Costa Howard, has been approved for consideration."
"Rep. Costa Howard on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can we adopt the amendment and debate on… on Third?"
"Representative Costa Howard moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 215 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 1807, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Costa Howard."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1807 amends the Nurse Practice Act as it pertains to the application procedural process for a registered professional nursing education program. The amendment brings IDFPR, ANA-Illinois, Illinois Nurses Association, the Chicago Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association all as proponents of this bill. This bill is because a great example of parties working together to produce something that has taken a couple of years to accomplish, and that is to make sure that we have evidence- based practices within our nursing education programs and, once again, that Illinois is going to be graduating the best and brightest of our nurses."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Jacobs is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Health Care Licensing went over this and over this and over this, and I think that two years is probably a little bit less than what they did do. There were a lot of people that were not happy with it, and every bit of that, I believe, with this amendment, all the opposition has been removed, with maybe exception of one. But I think that it's… it's doing what it's want… what we want it to do. And I… I appreciate that the Representative brought this forward again, and… and we kept going for a few weeks 10400030.docx 216 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 doing it. So, I… I recommend a good, strong 'aye.' Thank you very much. Thank…"
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1807 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the top of page 25 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3711, Representative Cassidy. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3711, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3711, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Cassidy."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. House Bill 3711 is a continuation of some work that we did last year. We passed House Bill 3285 out of this chamber and… and into law in response to a really disturbing revelation that came out of a… an investigative piece that… that the Chicago Tribune did that revealed that there were hundreds of cases of sexual abuse by medical professionals that had not been properly handled. The most egregious case in that situation 10400030.docx 217 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 was… was one in which the hospital chose to move the offending doctor to a satellite facility so they were not obligated to turn him in. So, House Bill 3285 from last year simply closed that loophole. At that time, we talked about the need to do more to make sure that we are addressing this… this problem more holistically, and House Bill 3711 is intended to be that answer. Over the course of the last several months, we've been meeting with stakeholders and trying to come up with a comprehensive response. Our cancelation last week, frankly, challenged some of our negotiation sessions, and we had to make a difficult decision to continue the conversation. We wanted to get it a little further down the field before we sent it over to the Senate, but we… we weren't able to. We worked very closely with the stakeholders, the Hospital Association, the Medical Society, and others to get their understanding and agreement that we intend to keep working together to get to… to language that we can all live with as we make it over into the other chamber. So, I would simply ask for a 'yes' vote and your faith in our ability to continue to work together."
"Representative Jacobs is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Chair… or, Mr. Speaker. Does the sponsor yield?"
"Indicated she will."
"If you look, we all voted against this bill in committee. But since they were willing to actually do a lot of writing when we get it into the Senate, this is definitely a fix-it- in-the-Senate bill. And as long as we have that agreement, I believe that all of the physicians on licensing, Health Care 10400030.docx 218 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Licensing, are willing to move it over to the Senate if we can do that. I know that Representative Cassidy does not break her word. She said she's going to take it over there and they're going to continue with it. So, we are basically for it with the minor changes that they're going to do in the Senate. That's what I want to hear from Representative Cassidy."
"Yes, absolutely. I commit to you that this conversation will continue in the Senate. I will remain engaged. I'm not just tossing it to a Senate sponsor and walking away. And as such, I will be able to keep not only the stakeholders informed but my partners here in this chamber."
"With that, Mr. Speaker, I… I would also recommend an 'aye' vote. Thank you. And that's from an optometrist."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3711 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 87 voting 'yes,' 26 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 16 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2973, Leader Buckner. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2973, a Bill for an Act concerning government. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Buckner, has been approved for consideration." 10400030.docx 219 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Leader Buckner on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that we adopt the amendment, and I will debate the bill on Third Reading."
"Leader Buckner moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2973, a Bill for an Act concerning government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Buckner. Leader Buckner is recognized."
"There we go. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. HB2973, as amendment… as amended, amends the Public Labor Relations Act to prevent… to prevent… I'm sorry, to create the ability for state's attorneys, assistant public defenders, assistant appellate defenders, assistant appellate prosecutors, and attorneys in the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian from automatically being classified as managerial employees. It creates the ability to… to allow them to… to unionize. This is an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees initiative, and that's the largest public employee union in the United States. I also worked on the Teamsters on this. This is substantially similar to a bill that we moved in this House last year, which passed and came back to the Senate but didn’t have time for concurrence. I'm happy to answer any questions."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized." 10400030.docx 220 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, does this apply statewide or just in Cook County?"
"It is… it is statewide, leader."
"This also applies to assistant public defenders. Do I have that accurate?"
"That is correct."
"How does this interplay with the bill we passed establishing the statewide public defender and potentially having them involved with appointing public defenders in the various counties?"
"And so, this… as I said, we… this bill was filed before that bill came up. It would not impede anything that’s going on with… with that office, and that bill would not, from our analysis in the last couple weeks, impede anything that this puts forward."
"I have a… a fundamental issue as a former state's attorney with assistant state's attorneys unionizing, but I think, in particular, the issue I have is for smaller counties. I worked in a county where at times you only had one assistant, or one assistant full time, and then a part- time assistant. The relationship in those offices is more like a close law firm than a large governmental entity. So, I'd like, if you could, to address why you think having counties… and that, I think, applies to most counties in the state where there are fewer than five assistants, why you think in those situations it's appropriate for unionization to occur." 10400030.docx 221 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"I thank you for that, leader. You know, looking at, I guess, the… the way public defenders and state's attorneys work around the state, we wanted to level the playing field, give them the… the rights to be able to bargain, and to operate in that space that many other public employees do. I share some of… I shared some of your same initial concerns, which is why this bill, you know, preserves collective bargaining rights, but also balances some of the power by not allowing strikes in… in these cases. It will increase the, I think, instances of arbitration when necessary. But I think that some of those things are assuaged, based on some of the things we put in the bill in this most recent version of it."
"I showed the Illinois State's Attorneys Association is opposed. Is that accurate?"
"They are still opposed. That is correct."
"And they've raised some constitutional issues under Article VI of the Constitution. Have… have you or had someone review this bill for constitutionality?"
"We reviewed it. We don't agree with… with those questions, with… with those flags they've raised. I've had a number of conversations with them, starting back since last year, and we just weren't able to get to peace in the valley on that particular part. But we don’t agree with the constitutional questions there."
"We also show that the attorney general is opposed. Is his office opposed?"
"I have not had a conversation with them about opposition."
"Thank you for answering my questions. Thank you." 10400030.docx 222 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, leader."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2973 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 78 voting 'yes,' 33 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the top of page 7 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 1836, Representative Canty. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 1836, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 2 and 3 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Canty."
"Representative Canty on the amendment."
"Thank you. I move to adopt amendments 2 and 3 and discuss the bill in its entirety on Third Reading."
"Representative Canty moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Canty."
"Representative Canty on the amendment."
"I move to adopt amendment 3 and discuss the entirety of the bill on Third Reading." 10400030.docx 223 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Canty moves for the adoption of amendment #3. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 1836, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Canty."
"Thank you. House Bill 1836 is an initiative of the Illinois Attorney General's Office and seeks to remove certain judicial inefficiencies in the operation of the statewide grand jury. The bill amends the Statewide Grand Jury Act in the three following ways: one, it aligns permissible venue for methamphetamine trafficking with that of other narcotics trafficking. Two, it expands jurisdiction of the statewide grand jury to include offenses that routinely occur across multiple counites and for which the OAG's Statewide Grand Jury Bureau has received requests from local law enforcement agencies to assist, while clarifying that the OAG's Statewide Grand Jury Bureau may prosecute the additional offenses of continuing financial enterprise and internet crimes when those offenses are committed in connection with the charge of organized retail crime. And three, authorizes the statewide grand jury to seek eavesdropping warrants without the unnecessary assistance of a local state's attorney. I will note that there is a minor drafting error that replaced a colon with a semicolon in Floor 10400030.docx 224 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Amendment #3. Given the deadlines, we determined that this error could be modified in the second chamber."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. As you mentioned, this was an issue of the Attorney General's Office. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"And we're expanding the attorney general's jurisdiction under the statewide grand jury to assist with crimes that are often multijurisdictional, occurring across county lines and…"
"Yes. They must be multijurisdictional."
"There is also a provision regarding a notice to state's attorneys regarding eavesdrop, and I believe that notice is being taken away. But the notice to the state's attorney's office is still there?"
"It's still there, sir."
"I appreciate you bringing this forward. I think the expansion is appropriate. I wish we would have left in some of the elements that were pulled out with that third amendment, but I understand that that was needed to get the bill to where it is right now. Thanks."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1836 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 107 voting 'yes,' 6 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And 10400030.docx 225 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 2 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 871, Representative Briel. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 871, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading." Clerk Hollman: "House Bill 871, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Briel."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and House. Today, I'm presenting House Bill 871, which strengthens background checks for those wishing to adopt a child or foster a child. Explicitly this bill would prohibit any child from being placed in a home where the foster or adoptive parent has a sex trafficking or human trafficking conviction. Illinois has had a long, protective stance on child welfare and safety, and this bill is simply a recommitment to that by explicitly weeding out any individual that could harm a child through human or sex trafficking in adoptive or foster care. By fine-tuning background checks to exclude these type of actors from adopting or fostering a child, we're ensuring that our kids will go to responsible, safe homes. I respectfully ask for an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Weber is recognized." 10400030.docx 226 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill. I think this is a great bill. It's a first step. I think we're… there's a lot of work to do to protecting children in our state. But one thing we should definitely not do is place children in the household of someone that has human or sex trafficked someone. So, thank you very much. Please vote 'yes.'"
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill'… Members, we're on Short Debate. Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 871 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 12 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2568, Representative Blair-Sherlock. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2568, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #3, offered by Representative Blair-Sherlock, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Blair-Sherlock on the amendment."
"Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We'd like to adopt Floor Amendment 3. It is a gut and replace."
Speaker Evans: "Representative Blair-Sherlock moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3. All those in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' 10400030.docx 227 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2568, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Blair-Sherlock."
"Thank you. So, Floor Amendment 3, which is gut and replace, was a gut and replace to make it cleaner. It was not a whole overhaul. We amended the bill to accommodate some requests from the bankers, and that was the changes in the third amendment. But this bill amends the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act to establish a licensing process for finders and prove the period of abandonment for nonretirement tax advantage accounts, address final pay for deceased state employees, streamline the process for unclaimed property owned by state agencies, and addressed unclaimed property for nondepository state-regulated financial institutions. And it updates the Trust Code to clarify which records need to be maintained and for how long they need to be maintained. I'd like to point out that this new process, with respect to finders and registering them and establishing the licensing, that would actually not be handled by IDPFR. I want to make that clear. It will be handled in the Treasurer's Office, and they are set up and equipped to do that. I think it's an important bill, and I would ask for an 'aye' vote. I'm happy to answer any questions, if I can."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized." 10400030.docx 228 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"This a setting up a new license for those who are finders of unclaimed property. Is that correct?"
"Correct. Because currently to be a finder, you have to be a private detective, which is much more expansive than, you know, what should be required of a finder."
"Is there a license fee for the finder to become licensed?"
"I can't remember, but I believe so, and I think it's… it's very minor. It's… it's not an expensive fee. Yes."
"I couldn't actually see where… what that was or where it was, so if maybe we could look into that while we ask these other questions."
"Yeah."
"What is the amount that a finder is… is there a cap on the amount the finder can keep from the amount that's found? Basically, the finder's fee. Is there a… is that set?"
"Well, they have to deposit their agreements. I believe that the cap is 10%."
"And is there a penalty for failing to obtain the license?"
"There… there's no fee… first of all, there's no fee and the… so, I'm just going to presume there isn't one or there'll be one set in the future. Give me one second on your other question."
"There's no fee to the license. Yes. OK."
"Right. Not… not in the statute. Yes. Yeah, give… give me a second." 10400030.docx 229 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"It… it looks like, if I'm seeing this correct, that the penalty is that anyone who violates the license… provision of license agreement is to forfeit what's collected and pay a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $10,000 per violation. Does that sound correct?"
"I thought that was changed in the last… now that you say that, I'm remembering it, but I thought that that was changed in the third amendment. Give me a second. I'm sorry, leader. Could you tell me what section you found that in? 'Cause I want to find it in the third version 'cause I thought it came down in the third version. I could be wrong."
"Looks like it is on page 37 of Floor Amendment 3. It's in Section 15-1303, subsection (i), and that's on page 37. Next to last page."
"If… if you say it's the third version at 10,000, I'm going to concede that 'cause my pages aren't matching up with yours, and my apologies."
"That's all right. Mr. Speaker, I'd request Short Debate. I believe we have one more speaker who'd like to speak. Thank you."
"Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll keep this short. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, just a couple of quick questions…"
"Yeah."
"…in addition to what Leader Windhorst asked. Does this, in fact, create a… a new power within the Treasurer's Office in that they're actually going to be licensing these people 10400030.docx 230 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 and controlling the license themselves? It's not going to be handled by IDFPR, correct?"
"I did say that, yes."
"Oh, you did?"
"That is correct."
"OK. I missed that."
"Yes."
"I… I only heard part of part of your initial introduction."
"Yes."
"And in addition to that, any money in a health savings account is currently considered abandoned at 30 years. Is that right?"
"In 30 years? No, I… I thought it was shorter than that."
"Well, it's 30 years now. This bill would shorten it to…"
"Yeah."
"…20 years, correct?"
"Correct."
"So, we're taking…"
"But…"
"…10… this… this was make it 10 years shorter?"
"Right."
"And also, and maybe you covered this, but I just want to make sure people understand, this would move money directly into the treasurer's account instead of going into the General Revenue Fund going forward, correct?"
"Which money are you talking about? Because it's… if it's unclaimed property, the treasurer… it doesn't go into 10400030.docx 231 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 his account to spend. He holds it for people to get it. So, you know, when we're talking about the 20 years, the 10 years, whatever, that's when the institution holding the money sends notice to the person whose money it is to give them an opportunity to say, yes, my money's still there and that's where I want it to be, or it goes to the treasurer. It doesn’t escheat to him so he can spend it."
"Well, it… at some point it's used by the state of Illinois. We just don’t hold it in perpetuity, do we?"
"Probably."
"OK. All right. Thank… thank you. To…"
"I'm not sure the exact time frame for that, but that would after it was held as unclaimed property and they had the opportunity to get it from the Treasurer's Office."
"To… to the bill."
"To the bill."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Treasurer's Office, I believe, currently does a… a good job with unclaimed property. The need to create a new license, have it overseen in his office rather than by IDFPR, one, speaks to a problem I think we previously tried to address with IDFPR but also isn't a place where we should be putting new licensing and… and having it done there. If a new license is needed, IDFPR should be the ones to handle it. This isn't the way to approach this. I would ask that the treasurer work on this, remove that from the language. Also, go back to extending the period of time for the health savings account. There's no reason to shorten it to claim… or to bring that property under his control any sooner. And just slow down and… and not make changes we don't 10400030.docx 232 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 need in this… in this act going forward. So, I would request that the treasurer actually pull it and… and the sponsor pull it and work on those things. But if not, I… I urge a 'no' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2568 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 19 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3266, Representative Benton. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3266, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3266, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Benton. Representative Benton."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3666… correction, 3266, prevailing wage and TIF districts. It amends the Prevailing Wage Act and provides that all private projects that are located within tax increment financing districts, paid for wholly or in part with public funds, unless the total project is less than 25,000 or the project is performed in a 10400030.docx 233 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 designated historic district with specialty contractors because of the designation. Take any questions."
"Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Representative, we discussed this in committee, but I want to make certain all the Members of the floor are aware. By doing this, we're defining… or giving a new definition to public works so that prevailing wage fits under it by saying that any private project done with TIF money is now a public work. Is that accurate?"
"No. So, to clarify, it's within the Public Works Code, but it doesn't have to do with public works. And this is projects under 25,000. Or, I'm sorry, over 25,000."
"Well, why… why would we put it in the public… OK, sorry. I… I thought you were done."
"Go ahead."
"Why would we put it in the Public Works Code if it's not a… going to be a public work?"
"That was just a section that had to be done. I ended up working on this with LRB, and I asked the same question. 'Cause, you know… well, they said public works, so I wanted to make sure this is the act that it has to be put in for that prevailing wage within the TIF districts."
"And TIF districts under our current law are to be districts created in blighted areas. Is that accurate?"
"It could be used for multiple reasons. Sometimes it's historic for facade grants. Sometimes it's for grants for 10400030.docx 234 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 necessary improvements. Sometimes it's blighted. Sometimes it's megacommercial. There are multiple ways to utilize TIF."
"The TIF district, though, under the statute, refers to blighted. Am I correct?"
"Yes."
"Are you aware?"
"Yes."
"OK. Thank you. And a blighted area is somewhere where there's not much money and we're really trying to incentivize investment. Is that accurate?"
"Correct."
"And prevailing wage is going to be a wage that's higher than those being used currently in the area, which is why you're making it prevailing wage by including it in the Public Works Code, correct?"
"Not necessarily. According to the III FFC, when you ask does the prevailing wage law cost taxpayers more money, no. Prevailing wage laws result in the best possible finished product in the return of taxpayers' investment. In fact, 83% of peer-reviewed studies conducted since 2000 find that the prevailing wage has no effect on total construction costs."
"To the bill. Just to finish up, there's no reason to make the wage a prevailing wage if it's not going to cost more. If they're already paying at that level or higher, there's no reason to do this whatsoever. These are TIF districts. They're supposed to be in blighted areas where we're trying to encourage investment. It's very hard to encourage investment in blighted areas if all we keep doing 10400030.docx 235 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 is driving up the cost and making it less… less affordable to… to actually develop the area. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3266 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 77 voting 'yes,' 35 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 31 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, in the middle of the page, we have House Bill 3566, Representative Avelar. Mr. Clerk, read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill to the Order of Second Reading."
"House… House Bill 3566, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Avelar, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Avelar on the amendment."
"Thank you. I move to adopt House Floor Amendment #2, which is a page and line amendment that makes a clarifying change to limit the provision that allows minors to recover damages from the landlord to situations when they willingly and wantonly named the minor in an eviction."
"Representative Avelar moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. 10400030.docx 236 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3566, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Avelar."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. HB3566 provides that an eviction complaint should be dismissed in its entirety if a minor is named as a defendant. While everyone agrees that minors do not have the ability to enter a contract, including a lease, and are not responsible for the rent of the unit, eviction actions are still being filed naming children. Indeed, we have heard from legal aid organizations that have seen multiple cases with children under the age of 10 named in the lawsuit, some as young as two. This practice has long-term and devastating consequences. Evictions remain on tenant screening reports, in public records, and background checks, even if the minor was never responsible for the lease. Some minors may even face negative credit reporting due to collections attached to this… to these eviction filings. Naming a minor in an eviction, before they are even considered a responsible adult, can set them up for a lifetime of housing instability and potential homelessness. This bill will end that practice by creating consequences for a plaintiff who names children in evictions and protections for the children who are named in an eviction, like sealing of the court file. This is an initiative of Legal Action Chicago. I also want to 10400030.docx 237 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 mention that Floor Amendment 2 brings the Chicagoland Apartment Association and the Illinois Association of Realtors to neutral. And I'm open to any questions."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Leader, have we looked… or have you had someone look at the issue of a minor who is living at a residence, has established that as their residence, there is an eviction proceeding that begins, the minor's not named in the eviction proceeding, everyone else leaves under the eviction, but the minor does not leave? What authority is there to remove the minor from the premises without an eviction order?"
"Yeah. We haven't looked into that. That… the bill does not address that situation."
"Well… and I think… I'm trying to explain basically in a roundabout way why I… I'm a 'no.' If you do not name a party in an eviction, you cannot remove them from… that person from the property. I think a more effective way to address this issue would be to allow for an immediate expungement of any referenced party who is a minor after the eviction process has completed."
"It is my understanding there as long as there are tenants who are in the eviction process, they can be evicted whether they're on the eviction notice or not."
"So, by learned counsel, we have information that they… you believe that would encompass everyone in the house, even if they're not listed on the order or the pleading." 10400030.docx 238 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"As… as long as they're listed as unknown occupants, all occupants can be evicted. But what we're trying to make sure is in… that what we want to address is making sure that if we know that minors cannot sign a lease, they should not be in eviction documents as well."
"Thank you for answering that question. I still see that as a concern. I… I know we have wise attorneys in this chamber that deal with this issue more than I do. But in speaking with attorneys that have dealt with this issue, they see that as a potential problem in not being able to name them. Appreciate you answering my questions. Thank you."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3566 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 73 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 10 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2461, Representative Andrade. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2461, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Andrade, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Andrade on the amendment." 10400030.docx 239 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Mr. Speaker, will… bless you. Mr. Speaker, may we adopt the amendment and then debate it since it's only just one number?"
"Representative Andrade moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2461, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Andrade."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill passed the… the House unanimously last session, just ran out of time in the Senate. The… the amendment reduces the amount from 10% to 3%. So, in over a decade, this… and also, to clarify, this bill will only affect the city of Chicago since speed cameras are only in the city of Chicago. What this bill does is, for example, in the camera in my district was number two just by less than a couple thousand. In… in one year, it collected close to $2.5 million. What this bill would say is that 3% of that funds would go directly to the park or school that's being protected, so-called protected, by that camera for speed. It was so profitable, that camera, instead of just get… getting you on the way home, they got you… they added two more cameras on the way out. So… on the way in. So, I just… I ask that instead of being the cash cow that this funds of this camera 10400030.docx 240 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 go directly to the school or the park… the park that's being protected. It does not go into the general fund of the park district or the school."
"Representative Guzzardi for an announcement. Representative Guzzardi."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please excuse Representative Crespo for the remainder of the evening."
"Record will reflect. Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2461 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 2 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 643, Leader Hoffman. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 643, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 643, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Hoffman."
"This is a very simple bill. It only deals with the joint-use airport, which is located in St. Clair County. Joint use means… meaning it is… it is used by the military as well 10400030.docx 241 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 as civilians. That is MidAmerica Airport. And this indicates that a municipality cannot put a sales or excise tax on that joint-use airport."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 643 pass?' All in favor… all in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting in 'favor,' 0 voting 'against,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. The clerk is in receipt of a Motion to Reconsider from Representative Cabello for House Bill 742. The question is, 'Shall'… the question is, 'Shall the vote on House Bill 742 be reconsidered?' Again, the question is, 'Shall the vote on House Bill 742 be reconsidered?' The voting is now open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 38 voting 'no'… 38 voting 'yes,' 73 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this motion, have… have failed to receive a majority and is hereby declared failed. Leader Hoffman is recognized. Representative Cabello is recognized. Moving forward in the calendar, page 29, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 2894, Leader Hoffman. Mr. Clerk, please place this bill on the Order of Second Reading."
"House Bill 2894, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. This bill was read a second time previously. Amendment 1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2, 10400030.docx 242 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 offered by Representative Hoffman, has been approved for consideration."
"Leader Hoffman."
"I just ask that we adopt Floor Amendment #2 and debate it on Third Reading."
"Representative Hoffman moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2894, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Hoffman."
"This bill, as amended, now contains three provisions, none of which are controversial, and I believe passed overwhelmingly, if not… if not totally 'yes' votes in… in the committees. First, it would provide for a design-build procurement process for fire protection districts. We also… we already have design-build procurement for municipalities, and therefore you could build a municipal firehouse using design-build. This just says you can also use it for fire protection districts. It also contains a provision that would increase for architects, engineers, and land surveyors from 25,000 to 40,000 dollars that… to $40,000 per year that would allow them to bypass the long RFP process and would allow the state to just make that decision on its own. That mirrors what we already do for local governments as well. And then 10400030.docx 243 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 finally, there's an initiative of the University of Illinois that indicates if… if a project that is a nonteaching facility, a noninstructional facility and is over a certain dollar amount, I believe it's $2 million, it would not have to get the State Board of Education's approval, which is really just a rubber stamp. These are non… noninstructional facilities only. They still have to be approved by the… the University of Illinois or the other college boards."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, we show that AIA of Illinois is opposed. Are you aware of that opposition and the nature of it?"
"Yes. I believe that they're opposed to the… the design- build portion, but they would be in favor of the increasing from 25,000 to 40,000, the amount that you wouldn’t have to go through an RFP process for the architecture."
"All right. Right. So, their… their issues…"
"They're opposed… they're opposed to design-build."
"They're opposed to the design-build. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2894 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 29 of the 10400030.docx 244 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 2967, Representative Benton. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2967, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Benton."
"Thank you. House Bill 2967 is a higher education misconduct survey. What it does is change it from annually to biannually. And there was an original House Amendment that made it through committee. For the four-year institutions, it added a member to the board. It came out of committee unanimously. Take any questions."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2967 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Page 24 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, towards the top, we have House Bill 3632, Leader Buckner. Leader Buckner. Out of the record. In the middle of page 20 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3312, Representative Canty. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3312, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Canty, has been approved for consideration."
"Rep. Canty on the amendment." 10400030.docx 245 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"I move that we adopt the amendment and talk about the bill in the Third Reading."
"Rep. Canty moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read it on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3312, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Canty."
"Thank you. Federal laws have provided property owners with a number of tax incentive rebates and grants for saving energy in commercial and residential buildings. More and more, Illinois building owners are benchmarking energy use so they can better manage their buildings, respond to investors, meet municipal benchmarking requirements, reduce energy costs, cut emissions, and enhance property values. Unfortunately, there's no standardized and easy way for utilities in Illinois to provide the whole building data needed to do this review for multitenant buildings. Around 70 utilities across the country have a process in place to provide this aggregated data to building owners, and this bill will help Illinois move further and faster on our path towards more energy efficiency. I also want to make clear the data will be aggregated and anonymized. We don't need to know how much power apartment C uses to wash their dirty argyle socks. And the bill has the backing of multiple environmental groups and the Building Owners and Managers Club of Chicago. 10400030.docx 246 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 In addition, we're continuing to work with key stakeholders, including Illinois utility companies and the Illinois Commerce Commission, and anticipate those discussions to continue in the second chamber."
"Any discussion? Representative Davidsmeyer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative Canty, this… this bill came in front of our committee, Public Utilities, multiple times, and I know that you've been working on it. My understanding is that you are continuing to work on it in the Senate. I believe that I have heard that there is an agreement. This is not quite the agreed bill but… but… and… and I don't want use this, you're going to fix it in the Senate. You fixed it here. We just didn't have the timeline to get it done before it heads to the Senate, correct?"
"That is correct."
"OK."
"It does not need fixing so much as it needs discussion to be able to get the amendment onto the bill, and we're going to continue that work in the second chamber."
"I… I appreciate that, definitely. I… I will probably remain a 'no' vote in its current form 'cause I have no control over… no control over your side but certainly the other side of the Capitol. So, I want to ensure that it comes back. When it comes back, I look forward to supporting it. Thank you so much."
"Thank you so much." 10400030.docx 247 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3312 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 72 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Towards the bottom of page 20 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3352, Representative Cassidy. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3352, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Cassidy, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Cassidy on the amendment."
"I'd like to adopt the amendment and debate the bill on Third, please."
"Representative Cassidy moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3352, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Cassidy."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. House Bill 3352 is an initiative of The Network, advocating to end domestic violence, and other organizations representing 10400030.docx 248 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 survivors of gender-based violence. And it would prevent collection agencies from collecting debts which were incurred because an… of an act of domestic violence or exploitation through fraud, intimidation, coercion, undue influence, or the nonconsensual use of a person's identifying information by a family or household member. It does all of this. And I'm grateful to the folks from the… representing collection agencies as well as the bankers and credit union folks, who worked with us to make sure that the processes and procedures were in place to ensure that we got justice for survivors and didn't leave them saddled with financial obligations that they shouldn't be, while also protecting the… the ability of the collectors to actually go after the appropriate party to… to address the debt. We had some very spirited discussions in committee, including… that let us actually understand it a little bit better, including, you know, the… the reality of how credit card fraud has… has, you know, proliferated and what happens in those cases. And this is not unlike that. It's just a very small subset, a very small fraction of the number of people, but the impact of that coerced debt… Mr. Speaker, could we get some crosstalk down, please? The impact of that coerced debt can leave a survivor, frankly, unable to escape their… their situation. If they're… if they are unable to access credit, if they are unable to secure new housing, they… they are… they're more trapped than ever. So, putting these tools in place is critically important. And, as I said, I am really grateful to the folks from the collection agencies as well as some of our other financial institution 10400030.docx 249 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 representatives who helped us make this work. So, I ask for an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative Cassidy, first of all, I… I do appreciate all the work you've done on this. I have heard from the various financial groups that you talked to that they're… they're OK with the bill now. And you and I have had quite a few talks, both in committee and outside committee, to help better understand. And just to… just to go through a few things, coerced debt is debt incurred by… in what type of situation? Just so people have a… a good understanding."
"So, coerced debt could be someone whose partner does not allow them to control their own finances and uses their name, uses their credit cards, accesses their credit. Coerced debt could be somebody who believes that they… who… who's been told to purchase this or else. This… this coerced debt could be someone whose identity has been completely stolen and they don't even know it. It… it really runs a… runs the gamut."
"OK. And within the bill, though, you have an… outlined certain aspects that the individual alleging the coerced that is going to have to show and prove and…"
"Absolutely."
"…state so that there's some substance to what they're doing and not just making a simple allegation, correct?" 10400030.docx 250 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Absolutely. I mean, you… this is not somebody who's just to come in and, you know, say this wasn't mine while they're wearing the clothing that they bought."
"Right."
"You know, this… this is… they are required to provide documentation. They are required to provide witnesses. There… there is documentation that then the collectors can use to trace the actual debtor."
"OK. And finally, in the event that the individual has the property they were coerced into signing for, doing whatever, or purchasing, to the extent that the lender wants to recover the property, the same way that if someone defaulted on the loan or the credit card or whatever it is, the person… the company making the loan would be able to recoup the property, correct?"
"If… if that asset was connected to the debt, yes."
"Sure. OK. To the bill, quickly."
"To the bill."
"You and I have had some long discussions. I think you may see a little bit mixed voting. I'm not certain what everyone's going to do over here. As I told you, I had some considerations. I… I understand needing to help people in this situation and help them get out from under debt like this. I also understand that we then spread that… that money out, because someone's going to pay for it, over everybody. Much like credit card debt when someone doesn't make a payment there, and we have very low-income people that that will affect as well. But given the… the context of what you're doing and who it's going to impact and knowing that if it 10400030.docx 251 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 looks like it's not working out quite the way you intended, you'll probably come back and work on it, I'm going to support it this time. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the… the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3352 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 89 voting 'yes,' 23 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 16 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2962, Representative Crawford. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2962, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Katz Muhl."
"Representative Crawford on the amendment."
"I ask for adoption of the amendment, debate on Third."
"Representative Crawford moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2962, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Rep. Crawford is recognized." 10400030.docx 252 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Colleagues, House Bill 2962 allows the secretary of state to create a restricted license for bus drivers, specifically to cover a shortage of drivers for multifunction school activity buses, the MFSABs. These are the smaller school buses that may carry up to 15 passengers point to point to… point to point to school activities, not making stops or picking up children, dropping them off or picking them up at home. These buses are not making stops, like I said; rather, they're driving schools… students to school-related activities. Currently, these vehicles are underutilized during the school day. These assets are paid for mostly by state dollars, so we want to utilize them. In fact, I commonly see these vehicles parked in school parking lots as I drive through my district. And those seeking a… a permit have to find a… a bus that is 15 or 11 or more passenger in order to drive… take the test. So, we're looking to alleviate some of this with this bill."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. I believe initially under the bill the secretary of state had either expressed concerns or been opposed. What is the position of his office now that… with the amendment?"
"They are… so, they are not opposed. We've worked closely with them to come… as well as ISBE, to come to a… a point where no one is in opposition."
"And this is effective essentially a little more than a year from now, July 1 of 2026?" 10400030.docx 253 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"July of 2026."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2962 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 111 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 19 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3275, Representative Davis. Lisa Davis. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3275, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Lisa Davis."
"Representative Davis on the amendment." Davis, L.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would move to have the amendment adopted."
"Representative Davis moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3275, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Davis." 10400030.docx 254 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Davis, L.: "Thank you. In 2024, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed legislation that requires schools and school athletic facilities to have comprehensive cardiac emergency response plans. This new law further encourages CPR and AED knowledge and preparedness in schools for both students and teachers. House Bill 3275 builds upon that bill to ensure that our schools are prepared to respond in the event of… of a sudden cardiac arrest. The bill requires that any association or entity that provides interscholastic athletics shall require all paid head coaches to obtain and maintain certain certification in CPR, first aid, and the use of AED. Currently, at least 33 states require CPR certification for coaches. It also requires the creation of a cardiac response team in each school. The cardiac emergency response team shall be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an AED. The response plan shall also include the use of annual cardiac response drills to practice the steps established in the cardiac emergency response plan. These changes are coming largely because of implementation issues due to a lack of administrative rules. I would ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, there… the amendment addressed some of the concerns, I believe, but the… it appears that the Principals Association… I'm sorry, the School Board Association is still opposed. Is that accurate?" Davis, L.: "That is correct." 10400030.docx 255 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And what is the nature of their opposition?" Davis, L.: "So, they have various concerns regarding various aspects…"
"OK." Davis, L.: "…of the bill, including the drills. I will tell you that they did reach out on Monday of this week, like maybe less than an hour before session started. I know the organization the American Heart Association has been conversing with them. And while there is potential, I'm not making a commitment, but there could be further discussions possibly for an amendment in the Senate."
"And the cardiac response drill that was mentioned, is it permissible for the schools to use that drill to replace another drill if it's duplicative?" Davis, L.: "You know what, leader, I'm not sure of the answer to that question specifically."
"You said you're not sure of the answer to that question?" Davis, L.: "Specifically, yes."
"And the amendment makes it so that instead of all coaches having to obtain a certification, this will apply to paid head coaches or chief sponsors of the activity. Is that accurate?" Davis, L.: "That is correct."
"All right. Thank you." Davis, L.: "Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3275 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all 10400030.docx 256 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 85 voting 'yes,' 27 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward in the calendar, page 26, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3772, Representative Davis. Will Davis. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3772, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Will Davis."
"Will Davis on the amendment." Davis, W.: "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I respectfully move to adopt the amendment and debate the bill on Third."
"Representative Davis moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3772, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Davis is recognized." Davis, W.: "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 3772 is an initiative of the State Board of Education to build upon this state's progress of ensuring evidence-based supportive discipline practices for our youngsters, for our youngest learners. As amended, the 10400030.docx 257 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 bill would ban expulsions for students K-2. In 2017, we passed Public Act 100-0105 to prohibit expulsions in state-funded preschool programs. So, this extends it upward to eliminate expulsions of kids K… in K… grades K-2. Require approval of a district superintendent or early childhood director for a suspension of four days or more for pre-K-2 students. This bill does not prohibit the ability to suspend a student. It just, for those ages and for those classes, engages the superintendent as part of the process. Extend the effective… extends the effective date of those changes to July 1 of 2026, at the succession… at the suggestion of stakeholders. Particularly, the IEA talked about a bill that we passed previously that was a guideline or… ISBE was supposed to provide guidance to help deal with situations in this space. They said that this bill would cut off the ability of ISBE to offer guidance, so at the request of the IEA, the extension was… the bill was pushed out for another year to allow for the guidance to take place. Clarifies that school districts and state-authorized charter schools are required to report discipline-related data to the State Board of Education each year for the previous school year. And this is simply cleanup language. And at last, it… and last, as it… as it relates to services for students, the bill would expand eligibility of the alternative learning opportunity programs, or what we call ALOP programs, for grades that come down… that extend up to… or include, excuse me, K-3. Currently, push-in or in- district model services are only available from students 4- 12. So, this extends it down to include K… to include K-3. Over the last several years, the state has made historic 10400030.docx 258 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 investments and supports for districts to transition to restorative and trauma-informed alternatives. ISBE has invested in efforts to train educators and… and school mental health professionals as well as setting up regional training hubs across the state to provide tailored support to local school districts need… their needs in the areas of trauma responsiveness, mental health, crisis response strategies, and social-emotional learning. This will be another tool in the toolbox for districts. With that, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, with the amendment, we still show that the Principals Association and the Association of School Administrators are opposed. What is the nature of their opposition?" Davis, W.: "Well, it's my understanding that this additional work, with the work that will take place if this passes the House into the Senate, has brought the IASA to… closer to neutral, I'll put it that way. The Principals Association will never be brought to neutral. I think they will remain opposed to this bill. And I mentioned the IEA earlier, they had that one objection about… about implementing guidance. Again, the extension of the effective date allows for that guidance that they wanted to take place to take place."
"We are going to be using the ALOP program for these students, who I don't believe are currently eligible. This 10400030.docx 259 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 law would make them eligible for that program. Is that accurate?" Davis, W.: "For the ALOP program?"
"Correct." Davis, W.: "Yes. It stops at four now. It'll take it all the way down to pre-K. Kindergarten, I'm sorry. Kindergarten."
"Has… kindergarten. Has there been an evaluation to see if those… that… those age groups are right for the ALOP program?" Davis, W.: "So… so, Representative, I'm told that a lot of school districts have been actually been asking for these types of services because of the increased need for them. Now, it's just a matter of how they're implemented."
"There's an… an argument that I have heard, and I want you to address it, so I'm just going to lay it out for you and… and allow you to respond, if that's all right. And it revolves around the issue of teacher shortage. What I have heard from a lot of individuals in the education field is that we have a teacher shortage because of issues of discipline, that discipline has, in a large way, been removed from the school system. My concern is that a bill like this would continue us down that path even more where we'll issues with, number one, student discipline, school discipline as a whole, and then issues with the teacher shortage. If you wouldn't mind to address that and why you think this bill does… will not make those situations worse." Davis, W.: "So… so, let me say that several… a few years ago, and I don't know if you were in the GA at the time, we passed what was affectionately called Senate Bill 100. And that was 10400030.docx 260 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 about alternative ways to discipline kids in school before you push them out of the school. We've seen districts, who had struggled with it, embrace it and are using it effectively to make sure that they address discipline in their school districts. I have visited programs that operate in my district to see, you know, how they use Senate Bill 100 to use trauma- informed discipline, restorative justice practices in order to address those challenges. So, what I would say to this is that this is building upon Senate Bill 100, acknowledging that, you know, children are… are a little different and that they need more help, that they need more support. So, the idea here, again, absent of the expulsions, we just philosophically feel that you shouldn't expel a kid that young. That… I think that poses a lot more challenges for the kid trying to understand and embrace why I can't go to school with my friends anymore, why am I just sitting at home every day. So, expulsions, that was the ban on expulsions. As far suspensions are concerned, again, we're not saying that suspensions can't happen. But we're simply saying that if they… first of all, if they're beyond four days, that, A, the superintendent has to agree. Because… because part of that conversation is what happens with that young person. What do we need to do to help provide additional supports? Which is the ALOP piece that we talked about earlier, which provides an opportunity, whether it's a push-in model where it's taking place in the school or, for those districts that can, it's a pull-out model using the ROEs that we have all over the state to make sure that we're still providing some educational supports for these young people if they have to be disciplined 10400030.docx 261 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 in or out of the buildings, which we understand. But we still need to provide some supports for them. Now, you mentioned teacher shortage. That's a conversation that we're having right now about teacher shortage. So, absent of this bill, and, again, I talked about Senate Bill 100, which is a way to provide in-service opportunities for young people before you have to push them out of the building. Now, this talking about, kind of, the aftermath of what happens when you have to push them out of the building. So, again, ALOP is a way that they can receive services outside of the building if it… if it comes to that. And one more thing I want to add about the expulsions. While we are prohibiting them, we are not limiting how the federal government addresses expulsions. So, if we talk about guns or weapons, that's automatic. So, we're not… we're not changing that. We're simply saying in other situations where an expulsion would have been necessary, we're saying we… we can't push kids this young out of the building."
"One final question. The… the principals, I believe, have… or the Principals Association has expressed concerns partly because their authority has being removed or placed in the hands of the superintendent that they… that currently exists to the principals. Why do you feel that that change in law is appropriate?" Davis, W.: "So, the way I would answer that, Representative, is that, A, we're talking about making sure that discipline is done equitably and appropriately. So, this is not in any way taking the authority away from principals. Remember, up to… up to four days, that's solely a principal discussion. When 10400030.docx 262 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 it gets beyond four days and you're talking about anything longer than that, we just feel that having the superintendent engaged and bringing their expertise into the conversation is appropriate. It doesn't mean that the suspension can't happen, but we're saying that the superintendent must be involved and engaged in the process. And then at the very least, let's reflect on the experiences of Elgin U-46, which is the second largest school district in the state of Illinois and just happens to be the school district that our current state superintendent came from where they did not do any of that. They… they utilized… or should I say, this… what we're putting forward now is the example that they set in U-46. And they've had success in their school district dealing with discipline."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3772 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 62 voting 'yes,' 46 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Returning to page 27 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 1615, Representative DeLuca. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 1615, a Bill for an Act concerning government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative DeLuca." 10400030.docx 263 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, House Bill 1615 allows a county courthouse to fly the United States flag prominently on the grounds of the courthouse instead of exclusively on the top of the courthouse. I ask for your support and be happy to answer any questions."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1615 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 27 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 1083, Representative Didech. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1083, a Bill for an Act concerning property. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Didech."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 1083 is an initiative of the Illinois REALTORS. This bill exempts the recording of quitclaim deeds from recording feeds if the deed was executed solely to reflect a legal name change. It also makes technical changes to various statutes to adopt gender-neutral language. I'm happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." 10400030.docx 264 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. I believe in some of the language changes that referenced to 'husband and wife' or 'husband or wife' is changed to 'spouse.' Is that accurate?"
"Correct."
"And what was the reason behind that change?"
"Yeah. So, those… those are designed to solve a real problem that is causing unnecessary inconveniences to same- sex couples. For example, the statutes that say 'husband and wife,' when there is property being transferred between those two couples, the title companies are, for good reasons, very diligent to ensure the property transfers are in strict accordance with state statutes. Because of that diligence, there have been several instances of property transfers being delayed while the property is transferred between same-sex couples who are not a husband and wife. So, we're trying to resolve that problem."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1083 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 74 voting 'yes,' 83 voting… excuse me, 38 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving back in the calendar on page 9, House Bills-Second Reading, at the top of the page, we have House Bill 2139, Representative Elik. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 265 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2139, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Elik."
"Rep. Elik on the amendment."
"Thank you. The amendment is just language for America's Central Port."
"Representative Elik moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2139, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Elik."
"Thank you, Speaker. The mighty Metro East bipartisan legislators have band together to present language that effects America's Central Port in the Metro East. It is updating various parts of their act. And I don't know of any opposition. Nothing is… is controversial, and I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2139 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having 10400030.docx 266 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Representative Manley is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. I would like to be recorded as a 'yes' vote on House Bill 3772. Thank you."
"The record will reflect. Representative Delgado is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be recorded as a 'yes' on House Bill 3312."
"The record will reflect."
"Thank you."
"Moving back to the calendar, toward the bottom of page 9, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2346, Representative Faver Dias. Representative Faver Dias. Out of the record. Representative Faver Dias on House Bill 2346. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2346, a Bill for an Act concerning health. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Faver Dias."
"Representative Faver Dias on the amendment."
"I would like to adopt amendment 1 and discuss the bill on Third Reading."
"Representative Faver Dias moves for the adoption of amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading." 10400030.docx 267 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2346, a Bill for an Act concerning health. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Faver Dias."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2021, the General Assembly passed a bill to establish a prescription drug repository program for prescription and over-the-counter medication that remain unexpired and unopened. It… under this program, it can be return… or under the I-DROP law, it can be returned to pharmacies and reused for eligible populations at little to no cost. This program is known as I-DROP. Under this bill, 2346, I-DROP will remain a voluntary participation program with the same protections and guidelines currently in law. However, as a voluntary program lacking clear statewide coordination and educational efforts, it has the potential to be more effective and widespread, ultimately providing much- needed medication to those in need. This bill simply requires that the ID… that the Illinois Department of Public Health take on the role of program oversight and promotion. Amendment 1 brings IDPH to neutral, and I ask for your 'aye' vote."
"Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, just briefly, IDPH had some concerns with the initial version, now are neutral with the amendment. What did you do to alleviate their concerns?"
"We are requiring the pharmacies to contact IDPH to tell them of their participation in the program rather than the reversal."
"Thank you." 10400030.docx 268 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2346 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 110 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 29 of the calendar, House Bills- Third Reading, we have House Bill 2877, Representative Grasse. Representative Grasse. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2877, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Grasse is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. House Bill 2877 is… is quite a simple bill that would require the Hospice and Palliative Care Advisory Board to submit a report to the General Assembly on the state of care for those experiencing a serious or life-limiting illness. This report will address actionable recommendations for hospice and palliative standards in the state of Illinois. This bill received unanimous support in committee, and I ask for your support. I'm also open for questions. Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2877 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 111 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And… and the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared 10400030.docx 269 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 passed. At the top of page 20 in the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 3281, Representative Hanson. Representative Hanson. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3281, a Bill for an Act concerning domestic violence. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Hanson."
"Representative Hanson on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Move to… move to adopt… recommend to adopt House Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 3281."
"Representative Hanson moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3281, a Bill for an Act concerning domestic violence. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the General Assembly. House Bill 3281 takes a look at and makes changes to the Domestic Violence Act of 1986. It differentiates between… or it looks to make a differentiation between juveniles and adults. In code, this will end up giving law enforcement officials who are responding to a domestic violence call the discretion to differentiate between a juvenile and an adult. They still may have the ability to 10400030.docx 270 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 make an arrest, and upon the development of a… a risk criterion, a risk assessment criterion, they can use that criterion to decide one way or the other whether or not an arrest is… is warranted."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts is opposed. What is the nature of their opposition?"
"That's correct. And that's a… a wonderful question. So, this… I'm looking to move this across to the Senate this evening, knowing that that's the one piece of this bill and the amendment that needs to be rectified. They reached out and… and found that it… they are not able, in statute, to create such a risk criterion. And for… just for background knowledge, there is risk evaluation criterion used for… for adults in these situations all over the nation. It won't be difficult to develop one for juveniles, but they won't be the ones that can… that will be the… they won't be the… the entity in Illinois that can approve what we develop."
"Do we know which… or do you know, rather, which entity you intend to amend it to?"
"Not at this point, but looking at language from those in charge of probations, looking at models from other states that are there right now. So, that language is being teed up and worked on right now in consideration for… for the other chamber."
"Thank you." 10400030.docx 271 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3281 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 18 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 3160, Representative Hernandez. Norma Hernandez. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3160, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Norma Hernandez."
"Representative Hernandez on the amendment." Hernandez, N.: "Yes, I'd like to adopt amendment 1 for HB3160."
"Representative Hernandez moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3160, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Norma Hernandez." Hernandez, N.: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm here to urge the passage of HB3161 (sic-3160). Ensuring that the most vulnerable people in our state have access to high-quality 10400030.docx 272 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 care is a process with a lot of moving parts. It requires coordination between patients, providers, and families to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Home health care is among the most important resources for vulnerable Illinois families. Many who depend on these services have them partially or entirely funded through state programs that reimburse private providers. Providers know how much they will be reimbursed for service based on rate sheets given to them by the Department of Human Services. Without this information, providers are left unsure whether they will end up providing unpaid services. However, DHS has not provided rate sheets in many cases since 2019, leaving providers and, through them… through them, patients in the lurch. This is unacceptable. That's why HB3160 would require DHS to furnish each… each provider of home and community-based health care service with… with updated rate sheets for each client the provider serves annually and within 60 days of any changes being transmitted to DHS. This is commonsense, compassionate measures. Yesterday's amendment extending the time for DHS has to… to provide new rate sheets from 45 days to 60 days brought DHS to neutral. Advocates for these patients and providers are on support. Vulnerable patients should not bear the burden of agency corner-cutting and disfunction. This shouldn't have been an issue to begin with. I urge an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will." 10400030.docx 273 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. Representative, you hit on this in your comments, just want to highlight it. DHS was opposed before the amendment. Is that right?" Hernandez, N.: "That's correct."
"They are now at a neutral position?" Hernandez, N.: "That's correct. We extended the time frame for them to be able to set their system to properly be able to do this."
"It also appeared that they thought the intent of the bill was to be restricted to CILAs, but it wasn't specific in the bill." Hernandez, N.: "Sorry. Do mind repeating again? Sorry."
"Yes. It… it also appeared that the… that DHS expected this to be limited to CILAs, but that that wasn't specifically outlined in the bill. Do you… is that correct that it was… this is to be limited to CILAs?" Hernandez, N.: "Yes. They limit it to residential."
"To residential." Hernandez, N.: "Correct."
"All right. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3160 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 26 of the calendar, 10400030.docx 274 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3850, Representative Huynh. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3850, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #3 is offered by Representative Huynh."
"Representative Huynh on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Floor Amendment 3 to be adopted."
"Representative Huynh moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #3. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Ant further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3850, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Huynh."
"Thank you, Mr.… Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3850 allows for simulation training from approved sponsors to be counted for CTE. The bill passed out of… of the Health Care License Committee with no opposition, bipartisan support. I ask for an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will." 10400030.docx 275 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you. Representative, on the underlying bill, the State Med Society was opposed. And they are now neutral, I believe. Is that accurate?"
"Yes."
"What change was made to bring them to neutral?"
"We made sure to… just to allow for the simulation training to be from approved sponsors, and there's two approved sponsors in the state of Illinois."
"Would you repeat that last part? I'm sorry."
"There's two approved sponsors in the state of Illinois. That's it."
"And that change brought the committee vote from a partisan vote to a… it was unanimous?"
"Unanimous decision. That's correct."
"Has IDFPR expressed an opinion on the bill?"
"They are also neutral as well."
"Neutral."
"With the… with the new amendment. That's correct. Yep."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3850 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 23 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3572, Representative Hirschauer. Mr. Clerk, read the bill." 10400030.docx 276 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3572, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative LaPointe."
"Representative Hirschauer on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amendment is a gut and replace, so I'd like to adopt it and then discuss the bill on Third."
"Representative Hirschauer moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3572, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Hirschauer is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3572 is a bill aimed at ensuring that people found unfit by the courts to proceed with their criminal case do not unnecessarily languish in county jails while awaiting treatment. On any given day, there are approximately 190 people in our county jails awaiting admission to the DHS forensic treatment program and there are another 100-plus people awaiting evaluation. Due to an inadequate number of beds, accused individuals found unfit by a court to stand trial remain in jail rather than receiving the clinical treatment needed to restore them to fitness in a timely manner. This bill will… 10400030.docx 277 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 will reduce these fitness waiting lists in… in a few ways. Number one, we will prioritize the use of outpatient fitness restoration services whenever appropriate and clarify the standards that courts should use to determine inpatient to outpatient placement. We are reducing the use of fitness restoration for individuals with the lowest level of offenses by encouraging courts to consider the Diversion of Unfit Misdemeanants Act to direct eligible people charged with misdemeanors to other forms of mental health treatment. Correcting custody time calculations… custody time credit calculations to ensure that people accused of misdemeanors who are found unfit do not spend more time in confinement than fit people who are convicted of the exact same offenses by ensuring their max time in custody mirrors the county jail sentences with good time credits applied. And finally, we will create the Fitness to Stand Trial Task Force, bringing together representatives from across the criminal justice system, including the Supreme Court, state's attorneys, public defenders, DHS, sheriffs, clinical psychologists with experience conducting court-ordered evaluations, and organizations dedicated to the promotion of mental health services. This bill provides small efficiencies that will give relief to a larger systemic issue. Many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been working for years on this issue. I just happen to be the one standing up with this bill today. I want to thank Representative LaPointe for spearheading this legislation and sharing it with me. I want to give a little shoutout to the hardworking team in my district at the DuPage County Public Defender's Office, who 10400030.docx 278 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 have been leaders in this space. And finally, I will close with the fact that this bill has no opposition. No opposition. We worked together with DHS, forensic mental health experts, public defenders, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, AI… AOIC, and House colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We're committed to continuing this conversation with all interested parties in the Senate, and I urge an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Tipsword is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, thank you so much for this bill. You handled everything eloquently there. So, everything I had to ask and point out to my side, you've already taken care of. So, just to reiterate for our side, this… this is a bill that will deal with those who've been found unfit to stand trial and are languishing in our county jails. Is that right?"
"That's correct."
"OK. And there's a long wait list, which I believe I heard you say in there DHS is not moving folks out in a timely manner."
"That's right."
"OK. Is… is there also a task force involved with this to maybe address this issue?"
"There is, Representative. It's the first time I've ever run a bill with a task force that people wanted to do, who are excited."
"Absolutely. Yeah, and… and I… I couldn't agree with you more. To the… to the bill, Mr.… Mr. Speaker." 10400030.docx 279 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"To the bill."
"So… so, this is a… a very important bill when it comes to DHS and how they're handling these folks who have been found unfit to stand trial. These folks are falling further and further behind while they're languishing in our county jails without any services. And I'm… I'm very happy to see that we're going to take up a task force now to try to take a bigger swing at this issue and really try to… to hold DHS accountable. So, I look forward to that. There's some issues I have with the task force that I talked with the sponsor in committee the other day, and I'm… I'm confident that we can get this task force where we need it. So, I'm happy to support your bill, and thanks for your work on this."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3572 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' Voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 111 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' The bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. We're at the bottom of page 27 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 1631, Representative Jiménez. Mr. Clerk, read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please read the… move this bill to the Order of Second Reading. Please read the bill on Second Reading."
"House Bill 1631, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Rashid." 10400030.docx 280 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
Speaker Evans: "Representative Jiménez on the amendment. Representative Jiménez on the amendment." Jiménez: "I'd like to adopt the amendment."
"Representative Jiménez moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 1631, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Jiménez." Jiménez: "Thank you. This legislation seeks to amend the Department of Innovation and Technology Act and the Illinois Information Security Improvement Act to clarify the scope of DoIT's authority through more precise definitions and to make nonsubstantive updates to both acts. The amendments would make the following changes to existing law: delete the redundant definition of client agency, update other definitions, and make corresponding changes throughout the body of the acts. It also clarifies the scope of DoIT's purview in both acts, and it moves existing language of Section 75 to a new section where it aligns better. Adjusting the statutory language to align with practical considerations will eliminate any need for DoIT to conduct unnecessary assessments of other state entities that have no IT staff or IT systems to assess and those that receive no support or services by DoIT. I think this… this bill does a wonderful 10400030.docx 281 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 thing by saving us resources and funding, so I urge a 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. What is the… the reason this bill was brought forward?" Jiménez: "The Illinois Information Security Improvement Act is brought forward by DoIT, which is an agency within our state government wishing to clarify and to streamline their services and processes."
"I believe one of the items in the bill allows for DoIT to charge fees for service to all state agencies under the jurisdiction of the governor. Is that accurate?" Jiménez: "That was already true of the previous statute, so that doesn't change anything."
"Well, it looks like it may have been only client agencies. Is that… it changed from client agencies to state agencies under the jurisdiction of the governor. And maybe that is a distinction without a difference. I'm not sure, but it looks like there was a change in the language." Jiménez: "That is correct. That's some of the definitions that were updated, but it doesn't change anything on the underlying act."
"So, the current practice isn't going to change with that law change?" Jiménez: "That is correct. Other than the section where DoIT will no longer conduct the unnecessary assessments of systems that don't have the IT services or the IT systems to assess. So, 10400030.docx 282 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 basically, we're allowing them to make sure they're not wasting their time and energy on things that don't exist."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1631 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 28 of the calendar, House Bills- Third Reading, we have House Bill 1640, Representative Grant. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 1640, a Bill for an Act concerning health. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Grant."
"Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you some other people up there. This legislation, 1640, makes a simple but necessary change to the Environmental Protection Act to modernize the bidding process for corrective action on leaking underground storage tanks. Currently, public notice for these bids is required only in local newspapers as well as all that may have been… as well, all know that may have been significant in the past, but as for today, digital world limits both transparency and competition. The bill would call for bid opportunities to be posted on an electronic procurement website approved by the Illinois EPA and makes the process more accessible, competitive, and cost effective. Our goal is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and 10400030.docx 283 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that environmental cleaning up is handled by the most qualified contractors as the… at the best price, and we feel this legislation does just that. This is a pretty simple update that improves government efficiency without adding any unnecessary burdens or undue costs. I… I respectfully ask for your support. Thank you, and I'm answer… happy to answer any questions."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1640 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 21 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3377, Representative La Ha. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3377, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Mussman."
"Representative La Ha on the amendment."
"I move to pass the first… sorry about that, move to pass the first amendment, and we can discuss on Thirds."
"Representative La Ha moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed." 10400030.docx 284 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3377, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative La Ha is recognized."
"House Bill 3377 is a transparency initiative. This bill would help the State Board of Education track the distribution and utilization of currently existing federal funds, which are set aside to support the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This data would then be used to make more informed financial decisions. There is no opposition, and it passed unanimously in committee, and I ask for a 'yes' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3377 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving back on page 9 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 2352, Representative Manley. Out of the record. Continuing on the calendar on page 10, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2418, Representative Mason. Representative Mason. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2418, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Mason." 10400030.docx 285 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Mason is recognized…"
"Thank…"
"…on the amendment. Please speak to the amendment."
"Oh, I'm good? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, House Bill 2418 simply creates a Commission on Youth Sports Act. This commission will research, study, and make recommendations to the governor, the General Assembly… oh, we are adopting the amendment. I would like…"
"Yeah, just the amendment, amendment #1."
"I would like to adopt the amendment, which just makes some technical changes."
"Representative Mason moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2418, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mason on the bill."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the things I just said. This commission will make advisements about youth sports, the expansion of positive youth development in sports, and the promotion and expansion of youth sports. The great thing about this bill is there is no fiscal impact. This bill provides for a third-party volunteer organization to run the bill… or to run the commission. And I ask for your 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized." 10400030.docx 286 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, I believe you hit on this right at the end of your remarks. DHS was initially… or had some concerns, I believe, and maybe a fiscal impact to them of about $250,000. That was removed with the amendment. Was that moving the administrative body away from DHS to the third party? Is that what happened?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"All right. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2418 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 109 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving back to page 4 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 1437, Representative Mayfield. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 1437, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Mayfield."
"Representative Mayfield on the amendment."
"Oh, the amendment, what is in it? The amendment… what does it do? I'm sorry. The amendment removes nonprofits registered as 501(c)(4)s, civic leagues and political committees, and 501 (c)(6), business trade associations as eligible in the program to address concerns raised by 10400030.docx 287 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 committee members and opponents that the bill was too broad in scope."
"Representative Mayfield moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 1437, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mayfield is recognized."
"Thank you. House Bill 1437 authorizes the state treasurer to establish an investment pool, an electronic payment processing program for nonprofit organizations across the state. The legislation will benefit nonprofits by allowing them to invest in a safe, liquid investment vehicle that provides them with better returns and lower fees that when they currently receive through financial institutions. In addition, nonprofits will be able to take advantage of the ePAY system, allowing them to receive donations electronically through secure and convenient payment channels. I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, we had a similar bill, I believe, last year, or you… you ran a similar bill to this last year about the investment pool. And I believe at that 10400030.docx 288 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 time, the Bankers Association, Community Bankers, and Credit Union League were opposed, and it seems like they're still opposed. What is the nature of their opposition?"
"Competition."
"All right. They believe that we're putting someone into competition with them that's a… basically, a governmental entity. Is that…"
"That is correct."
"…that correct? Rather than allowing them to have this business. So…"
"Right. They don't want any competition. That's their…"
"Why do you think it's appropriate to basically set up a new entity that's government ran that would be in competition with these banks and credit unions?"
"Well, number one, it's going to provide better returns to these nonprofits. A lot of these nonprofits don't have a lot of money, so the ability to invest and to receive a greater return will allow them to do more with the few dollars that they have."
"The amendment removed some of the 501(c) entities that will… it will no longer apply to, specifically (c)(4) and (c)(6). We're limited to (c)(3) and… and (5). Why was that change made to eliminate the (c)(4) and (c)(6)?"
"Those were at the request of the committee."
"At the request of the committee? Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 1437 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. 10400030.docx 289 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 74 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. We're in the middle of page 26 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3800, Representative Morgan. Representative Morgan. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3800, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Morgan."
"Representative Morgan on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Floor Amendment #1 is just a technical cleanup."
"Representative Morgan moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3800, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative… Leader Morgan."
"Thank you so much, Speaker. House Bill 3800 is the Illinois Department of Insurance annual cleanup bill to make sure that the Insurance Code is cleaned up to address any modernization or issues that come up over the year. Things that are… are just making sure that we're being consistent throughout the code. There are a number of changes in here 10400030.docx 290 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that really are agreed. We're increasing the fee for the… the agents that… if you give me one second, I want to talk about the fees. Public adjusters, to make sure that for public adjusters that are Illinois based versus those that are out of state, they're paying the same fees, making sure we're consistent with some of the changes between network adequacy and other acts that we… we have passed dealing with adverse consumer outcomes. Other than that, this is just a average annual cleanup bill that is boring to anyone who's not an insurance lawyer. Ask for its adoption."
"Any… any discussion? Representative Keicher is recognized."
"Thank you, Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Excellent. Thank you, Representative, for bringing this. I appreciate you carrying it on behalf of the department. I just kind of want to go over a couple really quick things. First and foremost, as we heard in testimony yesterday in committee, could you confirm on the record that it's your understanding that the department still has some work to remove dental plans out of the program and that they're going to continue to talk through that with the Senate sponsors?"
"Yeah. There is some discussion about whether or not, when we were trying to clean up the section about the… it's the Dental Care Patient Protection Act, and whether or not that conflicts with the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. That's not meeting the department's intention, and in 10400030.docx 291 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 discussion with the Illinois Health and Life Insurance Council, that will be removed in an amendment."
"Excellent. OK. And… and ILHIC is still against, so we're probably going to be negative on this. But I want to go to the bill and… and a…"
"To the bill."
"…slight change of subject a little bit that came up yesterday in committee, folks. I think it's real important that all of us as Representatives are listening for this. We recently did away with what was termed junk insurance plans, short-term insurance plans in this state of Illinois. My office has already started to receive phone calls from insureds who, because of financial distress, haven't been able to pay their insurance premium. And because of the rules of the Affordable Care Act set at the national level, we now have insureds in the state of Illinois who have lost their health insurance covered and do not any longer have an alternative vehicle because we did away with short-term health plans. So, we are now putting the financial future for many insure… many noninsureds at risk because they do not have a health insurance vehicle to procure until January 1 when the reenrollment starts again. So, we need to be very careful and we need to make sure that in instances like this, when we're doing clean up, we're paying attention to the guidance that we hear from industry and not dismissing it out of hand so that we don't put Illinoisans' future and financial security at risk. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3800 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed 10400030.docx 292 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 73 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the very top of page 32 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 3718, Representative Morris. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3718, a Bill for an Act concerning mental health. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Morris."
"Thank you, Speaker. House Bill 3718, this DHS initiative update the outline flat discipline system at our seven state- operated developmental centers that currently require administrative reassignment or administrative leave for every pending investigation. The new tiered system reserve leave or reassignment for more serious offense that may result in listening… listening on health care registry. The new system allow us to prioritize both resident safety and staffing. We worked with the SO… the SODC family organization, disability advocate organization, labor and government agencies to secure neutrality or support for this bill. And I appreciate a… a 'yes' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3718 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having 10400030.docx 293 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the top of page 10 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 2380, Representative LaPointe. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2380, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative LaPointe."
"Representative LaPointe on the amendment."
"Thank you, Speaker. The amendment built a consensus with all the stakeholders."
"Representative LaPointe moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2380, a Bill for an Act concerning… a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative LaPointe."
"Thank you, Speaker. So, this bill is an amendment to our Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. It makes programmatic changes to our rebate program in the interest of sustainability and in the interest of directing the rebates to a… a population that has some income limitations to make sure it's truly serving as an incentive. And I've got to give a lot of credit to Representative Ammons on this bill. She 10400030.docx 294 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 had a bill that we ended up combining and working together with the IEPA, with the Illinois Respiratory Health Association, with the Environmental Defense Fund, and with the National Resources Defense Council. So, it really shores up what this program looks like in statute. I'll tick through some of the details real quick. So, the bill clarifies what an electric vehicle is. It excludes electric golf carts, for example. It sets a top income threshold at 500% of the federal poverty line. And just for your edification, that's about $78,000 per year per person. And then it sets the low-income tier at 80% of area media income. Excuse me, not media, median. It caps the selling price of eligible new or used vehicles at 80,000. Importantly, it extends the window that people… the window of time that people have to even apply for EV rebates. It was 90 days, and it's extending it to 180 days. It provides the IEPA authority to request documentation for audit purposes to make sure people are actually income eligible, and then it revises the rebate amounts. Instead of it being 4,000 across the board, it's got some tiers in there. Happy to take questions, Mr. Speaker."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, you hit on this, so I just had a question to make sure I understood. What is the income threshold or… or cap, rather, for an individual to be eligible for the rebate?"
"The overall income cap for anyone to be eligible is 500% of the federal poverty level, which for a single is about 10400030.docx 295 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 $78,000 a year. And then there's a low-income tier who get to be at the front of the line to pursue rebates, and that is at 80% of area median income, and that is about $62,000 per year for a one-person household."
"And we have previously appropriated money for the program. About how much is the… appropriated for the program?"
"We appropriate about… I think it's 14 million a year, and some of that is GRF and some of it is from fleet fee vehicles."
"And how much of that 14 million is expended every year or used?"
"Absolutely all of it. We run out. Like, we just ran out for state Fiscal Year '25, and so the folks that are not subject to any sort of income limitations today, before we pass this bill, cannot access rebates now. There's still some money left for the low-income population today."
"And… and do we know… how long has the rebate program been in place? I'm sorry."
"About three years."
"Is there been any evidence that the… when the money is used up that the sales of the vehicles taper off? Does it impact sales, as far as we can tell?"
"To be honest, I don't know if there's evidence. That's not a question that came up when we were negotiating that… this bill, but it's a good question."
"All right. Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2380 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have 10400030.docx 296 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 74 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 10 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, towards the top of the page, we have House Bill 2390, Representative Katz Muhl. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2390, a Bill for an Act concerning education. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Katz Muhl."
"Representative Katz Muhl on the amendment."
"The amendment was prepared in cooperation with the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education. And I will speak to the bill after adopting the amendment, please."
"Representative Katz Muhl moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2390, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Katz Muhl."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2390 is a local school district initiative. Many of Illinois' 852 school districts belong to a special education cooperative to 10400030.docx 297 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 provide special ed services. Some are as many as six years old, and they range in size from a handful of districts to several dozen. They are governed by a somewhat patchwork statute that’s been amended over the years to provide a rough outline surrounding governance. The goal of this bill is to resolve concerns surrounding transparency of annual membership fees, withdrawal accountings, and to reduce conflicts of interest in any withdrawal proceedings. In preparation for this bill, we gathered 67 cooperative bylaw agreements and consulted with school district and regional superintendents. We partnered with the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education to then refine and finalize the amendment. I am deeply appreciative of IAARS leadership team, including the director, legislative liaison, board president, and several cooperative directors who contributed to this final language and joined as proponents. I'm happy to take questions, and I ask for an 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2390 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. We're in the middle of page 10 of the calendar. Under House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2423, Representative Morris. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 298 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2423, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Morris."
Speaker Evans: "Representative Morris, please speak to the amendment."
"Do I have leave to… can I adopt the amendment to the floor?"
"Representative Morris moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2423, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Morris."
"This is a straightforward bill, House Bill 2423. The amendment… the amendment was updated to the… the liability clause, and… and it brings the Illinois House Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association to neutral. No… no stated effective date. Within six… within six months after the mandatory act is signed into law, all hospitals with licensed obstetric beds and birthing centers shall adopt and maintain written policy and procedure to permit a Medicaid patient to have a Medicaid certified and enrolled doula of the patient's choice accompany the patients within the facility premises for support. And I ask for an 'aye' vote." 10400030.docx 299 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2423 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 13 in the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 2714, Representative Moylan. Representative Moylan. Out of the record. Moving forward on page 17 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2994, Representative Mussman. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2994, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. Floor Amendment #2 is offered by Representative Mussman."
"Representative Mussman on the amendment."
"Thank you. House Floor Amendment #2 is a page and line amendment which retains the intention of House Committee Amendment #1 and adds language to clarify that a parent or guardian may obtain a student's records if the parent or guardian consented to the treatment. This preserves the ability of parents who've consented to treatment for a juvenile to get records of that treatment while also preserving the rights of the juveniles who have obtained treatment on their own to protect the confidentiality of those records. This amendment brings Mental Health America and the ACLU into agreement." 10400030.docx 300 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Mussman moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2994, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Mussman."
"Thank you. Again, this bill is an initiative of Mental Health America of Illinois. It makes a small change to the Mental Health Confidentiality Act. The language clarifies, as I had indicated, about the parent or guardians' ability to abstain… obtain records about consented treatment and preserve the confidentiality of… of our youth. So… and it does already… it's already covered by the longstanding exceptions that are already described in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. The bill is supported by the Mental Health… Mental Health America, Mental Health Summit, the ACLU, NAMI. I'm aware of no opposition. I… I request your support."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2994 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 111 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared 10400030.docx 301 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 passed. Returning back to page 13 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2714, Representative Moylan. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2714, a Bill for an Act concerning roads and bridges. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Kifowit."
"Representative Moylan on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the General Assembly. I please move the Speaker. It's a technical whatchacallit, and please (unintelligible) it up."
"Representative Moylan moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2714, a Bill for an Act concerning roads and bridges. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Moylan."
"Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. This bill simply amends the Heroes Way Designation Program Act. Permits any federally chartered or state-chartered veteran service organization to apply for a designation of an honorary road sign for any member of the United States armed forces who was killed in action if no eligible family member is available to apply for a designation of an honorary road sign. There is no opposition, and this is a bipartisan bill. Thank you." 10400030.docx 302 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2714 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 112 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 29 in the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 2685, Representative Meyers-Martin. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2685, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Meyers-Martin."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the General Assembly. House Bill 2685 amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Licensed School Librarian Task Force, which shall meet a minimum of four times and shall submit, no later than 12 months, a final report to the governor and the General Assembly containing recommendations, including, but not limited to, recommendations for how to ensure Illinois public elementary and secondary schools consider budget-appropriate resources for an employed licensed school librarians in future academic years from available state and local resources. The task force shall also make recommendations on appropriate library resources when licensed school librarians are unable to staff or be employed in school libraries that serve students in public elementary and secondary schools. I ask for an 'aye' vote." 10400030.docx 303 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Thank you. Representative, why is this task force necessary?"
"Because not every school district has school librarians, and we have found that they are instrumental in the success of students."
"And how do we believe this task force will address the librarian shortage?"
"I believe that they will study the existing problems in our school districts and then make those recommendations accordingly."
"And it appears that our law does not require schools to have school librarians, but if I understand what you're saying correctly, you believe it's still a… a good policy to have the librarian?"
"Well, I think that most schools don’t have them because, in many cases, they cannot afford to employ school librarians."
"All right. Thank you."
"We're on Short Debate. We're moving to a vote. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 2685 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 76 voting 'yes,' 36 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 10400030.docx 304 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 20 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bills 3332, Leader Mah. Leader Mah. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 3332, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read this bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3332, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Mah."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the body. I'm pleased to present House Bill 3332, which builds on recent bipartisan reforms that we've actually passed here in our General Assembly that recognizes that young people's brains and brain development… the… the information we know about brain development has really advanced quite a bit in recent years, and in our body, we have passed legislation recognizing that research. In 2019 and 2023, youthful parole laws here in Illinois created opportunities for people who were sentenced, 20 years and younger, who were sentenced after the enactment. The 2023 law abolished life without parole sentences for most people 20 and younger. And since these parole laws were not retroactive, people who were sentenced as children and young adults before 2019 are still serving life without parole sentences. House Bill 3332 would create a limited opportunity for people under 20 at the time of their offense to petition the court for their sentence to be reviewed. People who were 20 and younger could petition for sentencing review after 10400030.docx 305 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 serving 10, 20, or 30 years, depending on their conviction. This bill would create a pathway for people sentenced as children and young adults to show that they have been rehabilitated and potentially return home and give back to their communities. Data shows that there's a low recidivism rate for people convicted as children and young people and released as adults. This is a fair, cost-effective, age- appropriate way to ensure children and young adults are held accountable for the harm they have caused while offering them an opportunity to redeem themselves. This is essentially a way to create fairness in our system that provides incentive for rehabilitation. As I mentioned, there's a low recidivism rate. And this was also something recommended by the resentencing commission in response to reforms that we've already made here in our General Assembly. I'm happy to answer any questions."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill."
"…bill."
"Since 2019, we've had a youthful offender parole program that was essentially forward-looking and allowed for those individuals who were eligible under that youthful offender parole program to apply for parole under the PRB and… and be determined if they received it. This will be retroactive. So, based on our truth-in-sentencing guidelines, the only individuals who are going to be… or the large majority of individuals who are going to be eligible for this program are people in prison for murder or serious sexual assault offenses. With respect to victims, we need to give 10400030.docx 306 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 them finality in the criminal justice system. They should not be having to come back to court to relive the loss that they suffered, either being the victim of a crime or the family of a victim of a murder. There needs to be finality, and we should not be reducing sentences for murderers and those guilty of criminal sexual assault. If this bill were to receive the requisite number of votes, I request a verification."
"Representative Guzzardi is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Oh, I request that the bill be moved to the Order of Standard Debate, Mr. Speaker."
"The Chair recognizes Representative Guzzardi."
"Have… have we moved to the Order of Standard Debate, Mr. Speaker?"
"Please continue."
"Thank you. Leader Mah, thank you for bringing this measure forward. I… I appreciate your continued work on this topic. Just for… for the sake of the body's edification, you're building on a measure that we passed in 2019. Is that correct?"
"That's correct."
"And can you tell us a little bit of the… the history of that measure and… and how that measure is to work?"
"So, the… the previous measures in 2019 and 2023 set up a process that actually this legislation mirrors. So, after a certain time period, there is the opportunity to apply for…"
"To apply for parole." 10400030.docx 307 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Yeah."
"To apply for parole. I… I think sometimes there's a misunderstanding in this body or a lack of awareness. We have this idea that our criminal justice system works the way we see it on TV, where people, after they serve a certain amount of time in prison, can go before a parole board and make a case that they have been rehabilitated, right, and that they deserve a second chance and they deserve an opportunity to go home. But we don't have discretionary parole for almost anyone in this state. Isn't that right, Representative?"
"That's correct."
"It's only individuals who are sentenced prior to 1978 when we changed our parole statutes who are eligible for parole whatsoever in this state. Isn't that right?"
"That's correct."
"So… and for certain types of offenses, there's no opportunity for individuals to earn any time that is good time…"
"Your time has expired. Would anyone like to yield time to Guzzardi? Representative LaPointe. Continue, Representative Guzzardi."
"Thank you, Speaker. When we changed from… we abandoned the system of discretionary parole in 1978. We changed to a system of earned good time credit, where an individual could earn a day off their sentence for a day incarcerated without disciplinary infraction, right? So, every individual who was sentenced was eligible to day-for-day good time credit. Isn't that right?"
"That's correct." 10400030.docx 308 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"And then we changed that system so that instead of everyone being eligible for good time credit, some people were eligible for day-for-day credit, some people were only eligible for up to 15% of their sentence, and people who… committed very serious offenses were eligible for no good time credit whatsoever. Isn't that right?"
"That's correct."
"So, we got rid of discretionary parole because we believe that it might have been biased against certain individuals, but then we removed the opportunity for those individuals to earn any good time credit whatsoever. So, there is no place in our current criminal legal system for an individual to demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated and that they deserve a second chance. Isn't that right, Representative?"
"That's right."
"And we recognized, in 2019, the fundamental injustice of this system, especially for our younger, most youthful offenders, right? Even folks who had committed… or had been convicted of committing very serious offenses when they were 19, 20, at the age of committing that offense. By the time they reached 40, 50, 60 years old, maybe they deserved a second look. Maybe it was only fair to give them the opportunity to demonstrate that after decades of incarceration they've changed. Does that seem fair to you, Leader?"
"It doesn't."
"It… it seems quite fair to me as well, leader. And I've had the opportunity… to the bill, Mr. Speaker." 10400030.docx 309 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"To the bill."
"I've had the opportunity, in my time in the General Assembly, to get to know some of these individuals who are incarcerated who've been sentenced to very long sentences, in some cases, life sentences, for crimes that they committed as… as young adults. And my friendships with these men have been incredibly meaningful parts of my time in this body and my existence as a human being. These are people who have spent decades working to be better in the most unimaginable and heinous situations you could dream of, locked behind bars, still committed to reforming themselves. Not with any dream of reducing their sentence, but simply because they recognize they'd done something wrong and they wanted to be better men. The commitment, the moral integrity that it takes to face up to your worst act and to try to be a better person is incredibly admirable. And everyone…"
"Please bring your remarks to a close."
"…in this world… I will. I will, Speaker. I will, Speaker. Everyone in this world, no matter the worst thing they'd ever done, no matter how heinous or terrible it might be, deserves a second chance, deserves the opportunity to make their case that they've become a better person. We don't throw people away in this society. And my heart breaks for every victim of violent crime, for every victim of assault, of murder, of violence. It's an unimaginable loss. And we also owe it to our neighbors and to our state to build a system of justice that allows for the possibility of rehabilitation. I believe this bill is a step in that direction and…" 10400030.docx 310 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Representative. Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Sponsor… or, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Leader Mah, do you know the number of people that will be immediately eligible if this bill were to pass?"
"I don't… I don't know the exact number, but I do know that there are about 1200 to 1400 people who will eventually be eligible."
"OK. Well, I… I…"
"And… and I say… I say eventually because there is a time frame that the individuals have to surpass before they can apply for a review."
"OK. Well, if SPAC shows that according to their numbers, we're already at the 12 to 1400 number. And of those, 774 are murderers, 188 are attempted murderers, and 202 have committed sexual assault, and that's just immediately. Does that sound about right to you?"
"It could be, yes."
"Does this also include crimes against children? If someone committed a crime against a child, would they be included in this as well?"
"They were children themselves when they were convicted."
"I just want to know if this would include people who committed crimes against a child. That's all I was asking. Yes? OK. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Any additional discussion? Representative Cabello is recognized." 10400030.docx 311 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"To the bill."
"…bill."
"So, this side of the aisle has tried to help with a lot of the reforms, and we agree with a lot of the reforms. But when it comes to certain types of crimes, we have to understand that there's other people whose lives we are impacting, and those happen to be the victims' families. Those are the families that are far forgotten under this dome a lot of the time. I can't go this far. I can't go as far because some of the crimes that I've had to investigate are with two adults that had a child for their sole purpose of that child to be their sex slave. And they were caught in the act doing something with this child when that child was two years old. Two years old. The sole purpose of that child was to be a sex slave. I've been on scenes where people have been so brutally murdered that they were unrecognizable and the forensics were the only thing that could prove who these folks were. Imagine if that was your family. Imagine if that was your child. Ladies and gentlemen, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'll help you on a lot of stuff. Murder is brutal. It is final for one person…"
"Your time has expired. Please bring your remarks to a close."
"It is final for one person. It's a lifetime for their family. We can't allow this yet. We've got a lot of things to take care of before this. I would highly recommend a 'no' vote." 10400030.docx 312 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"We're on Standard Debate. Representative Cassidy will be our last speaker. Representative Cassidy is recognized."
"Question of the sponsor."
"Please continue."
"Representative, what do we call the department that houses people who are convicted of crimes?"
"Department of Corrections."
"So, their mission should be, is, to restore people to functional participation in society. Would you agree?"
"Yes."
"Do you believe that they do a reasonable job with some people? That there are people who go into prison who experience programming and treatment and engagement that become more functional than they were than they came in?"
"I do believe that happens. Yes."
"Do you believe that happens for everyone that goes into the Department of Corrections?"
"No."
"And so, there's not a universal solution, correct?"
"Correct."
"And that's why we have, within your bill, the opportunity for a judge to determine whether or not someone should be considered?"
"Yes, that's correct. This is not an automatic anything. It's not an automatic resentencing or release. All these cases come up for a review by a judge. The victims' families are also included in that process. They are invited to come testify as well. They're made aware of this process. If their 10400030.docx 313 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 appeal… if their review is denied, they have to wait another five years."
"Thank you. To the bill."
"To the bill."
"If our Department of Corrections is to truly be a resource for restoring people, bringing them back to their families, putting people back into community and being productive members of our community, we should have some mechanism by which we can determine whether or not the department's efforts have paid off. This body, in bipartisan fashion, has on multiple occasions acknowledged that there can be circumstances where a long sentence should be reviewed to see if justice is still being served by the decision that was made 10, 20, 30 years ago about someone. Is that person still the same person that we locked in a box? And sometimes the answer is yes, and they are denied, and they stay in. But in other circumstances… and we've seen amazing examples of this as a result of our successful implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Resentencing Act, where people were convicted of murder, when, in fact, what they did was retaliate against a spouse who raped them when marital rape wasn't a crime. But that person spent 30 years in prison improving themselves, being a mentor, being a teacher, being a leader. That is the kind of person we should be looking at and recognizing the progress they've made, recognizing the impact of their incarceration and the programming they've been exposed to because that person no longer is well served by being in a cell. This is not a good use of our resources. This is not a good reuse of our programming. That is 10400030.docx 314 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 programming and resources and attention that can go to somebody that isn't doing well. And all of this is based on the review of a judge. There are…"
"Your time has expired. Leader Mah to close."
"I'm… I'm… I'm wrapping it up."
"Leader Mah to close."
"Thank you."
"Thank you. I… I realize this is a difficult topic for many of us, but because of reforms we have already made in our state that was not retroactive, there are a number of people who do not benefit from the reforms that we made in our state that abolished life sentences for young people under 20… 20 and under. Again, the opportunity for a review is simply that it's an opportunity to be considered for resentencing under a judge… by a judge, but there's no guarantee that the resentencing would be granted. There's a decision that gets made by a judge based on whether somebody has actually rehabilitated. We need consistency in our system. We need recognition that rehabilitation is possible, especially in light of the research about brain science pertaining to young people. We've taken some steps already. We have to now work towards consistency in our system. And, in fact, putting this in place provides an incentive for rehabilitation. It gives people hope that the way they have changed could one day benefit their communities."
"Your time has expired. Members, Representative Windhorst has requested a verification. All Members will be in their chairs and vote their own switches. The question is, 'Shall House Bill 3332 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; 10400030.docx 315 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 all the opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 49 voting in 'favor,' 51 voting 'against,' and 2 voting 'present.' And this bill, having failed to receive a constitutional majority, is hereby declared lost. Representative Windhorst removes his verification request. Leader Mah is recognized."
"I'd like to request Postponed Consideration."
"Moving forward to page 29 of the calendar, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 2726, Representative Moeller. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2726, a Bill for an Act concerning conservation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Moeller is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a very simple bill. House Bill 2726 amends the Department of Natural Resources Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to provide that the department has the power to exercise all rights, powers, and duties conferred by law to take measures that are necessary for the implementation of rewilding as a conservation strategy in Illinois, including, but not limited to, the restoration of land to its natural state, the reintroduction of native species, and the restoration of ecological processes as defined by state-specific baselines. Rewilding means… means to restore an area of land to its natural, uncultivated state. This is an initiative of the Illinois Environmental Council. And according to the IEC, Illinois has a rich agricultural history, but that same landscape has faced 10400030.docx 316 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 increasing challenges from soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and waterway contamination. So, by focusing on rewilding, small areas of prairie strips, buffer zones, and underutilized plots of land, we can bring back our natural resources. The benefits of rewilding in agricultural state includes soil health and erosion control; water quality improvement; greater support for small species, birds, and insects; pollination; pest control; and carbon sequestration. And just for the record, we are working with the Department of Natural Resources to address some of the concerns that were raised in the committee, in the Agriculture Committee, where this bill was heard, to have them develop a management plan that would be presented to the General Assembly before they implemented the rewilding restoration process. And this is a 'may,' not a… this is a 'shall'… this is a 'may,' not a 'shall,' so this is a permissive for the Department of Natural Resources. It gives them a tool to restore our natural native lands. Happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Meier is recognized."
"Yes. I… I thank Representative Moeller for bringing this bill. There's a lot of this bill that is good, and it is a 'may.' We had some problems in committee with it. She's talking about a Senate Amendment. And as an Illinois livestock farmer, I want to see that amendment. If there is an amendment in the Senate, it'll have to come back here. So, until that point in time, I'm… I'm going to be a 'no' vote on this. You know, we want to make sure of what animals may be brought back into the state in the future. And so, we'd like to see 10400030.docx 317 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 that amendment and how it's going to be worded. But restoring natural prairies, natural habitat, a lot of us have done that on our farm already, and the concept is good. And, hopefully, when it comes back from the Senate, I can be a 'yes' vote on it, but at this time I'm going to be a 'no.'"
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2726 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 37 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. We're at the bottom of page 26 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 3844, Representative Olickal. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3844, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3844, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Olickal is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3844 creates a new testing structure for certified operators who apply pesticides. Currently, there's a single test to become licensed to apply pesticides as an operator. And that test is overwhelmingly geared towards large-scale agricultural 10400030.docx 318 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 pesticide applications, which means that small-scale appliers, such as forest preserves, park districts, conservation organizations, specialty growers, and many others that apply pesticides and herbicides in small quantities, have to learn about topics that are not applicable to what they will actually be doing in the field. The new tests will be geared towards these small-scale appliers, ensuring that they are qualified to apply pesticides while getting to study information that will enhance their knowledge and better prepare… that prepare them for what they will actually be doing. This bill is supported by forest preserves, the Illinois Association of Park Districts, Teamsters Local 700, and others, and I'm happy to answer any questions."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Bunting is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Thank you, Representative. This is an initiative of the Cook County Forest Preserve, correct?"
"Yes."
"And it is supported by forest preserves and park districts?"
"Yes."
"And a lot of these forest preserves and park districts are in the more urban areas of the state of Illinois?"
"Yes, but there's support from suburban and other counties outside of Cook as well."
"Why do they believe this bill is necessary?" 10400030.docx 319 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"As I said, they… the… the current testing that's available for pesticide application is, again, overwhelmingly geared towards large-scale agricultural applications, and it doesn't apply to what they want for people specifically that are going to be working in forest preserves and park districts in smaller spaces that will never end up using what they would have to learn under the more large-scale agricultural application."
"So, you used the word 'overwhelming.' So, protection of your neighbor's property and people, that's overwhelming?"
"I… I wouldn't say… maybe… when I say overwhelming, it's… the test is geared towards the large-scale agricultural application. So, for example, they… somebody who might work in a forest preserve won't use some of the large-scale applications, such as boom sprayers or tractor-mounted sprays. Instead of focusing the test on… or the license and that on… on equipment that they won't use, it'll… they can spend more of that license focused on… on the actual pesticides that they'll be using."
"Could you please give me an example of a product that these small operators would apply?"
"A small app would be using something like a backpack sprayer."
"What… what type of product would they be applying, Representative?"
"They'll be using pesticides. That… yeah."
"Would those be the same products that large operators are using?"
"Yes. Yes." 10400030.docx 320 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"So, explain to me again the difference. So… so, when we… when we heard this bill last month in committee, I realized that you are not the original sponsor. I had asked the original sponsor to hold it on Second until we had some answers on some of the questions that we had. She did not allow us the opportunity to do that, so I'm… I'm going to do it here. So, if the small operators and the large operators are applying the same products, but the large operators, it's a more overwhelming test, I… I would say overwhelming would be for protection of the public. Would it not?"
"I… I wouldn't say the test is overwhelming. I said the test is more focused on… about application that wouldn't be used in a setting like a forest preserve. They're going to learn about the… the same pesticides, but the difference is a… someone working in a forest preserve isn't going to be… doesn't need to learn about how to spray it in a… in a large- scale amount. This is a much more targeted setting. So, they are still going to learn about the pesticide being used, it's just a different… they don't need to learn about how it's being applied in the same way that somebody in the agricultural setting would be."
"Well, I would like to think that they absolutely need to know the proper way of applying a pesticide if… if they're in a forest preserve or a park district. You… you're going to… you're going to have neighbors that are… are going to be concerned about their grasses and their flowers and… and their plants to make sure that they're safe. I… I don't know why we would have to… we would have to lighten the load of a test 10400030.docx 321 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 for a small operator when the large operators are spraying the exact same chemical."
"It wouldn't change what they're learning about the pesticide itself. It's just that they wouldn't be… may not be required to learn how to use a large-scale spraying… something like a boom sprayer or track mount… tractor-mounted spraying equipment that wouldn't be used in a forest preserve. Instead, they could actually spend more time learning about the actual pesticides."
"Who is in charge of the enforcement to make sure that the small operators are doing it properly and… and following all the guidelines? Who… who is… who is going to be in charge of the enforcement here?"
"The Department of Ag, just as they do now. And the bill wouldn’t change anything regarding enforcement or regulations. That still would be up to the Department of Ag."
"Please bring your remarks to a close. The timer."
"According to our analysis, the Department of Ag has concerns with this bill. Can you explain what some of them concerns are?"
"They haven't taken a position on it yet, but they have… and they have not brought those concerns to me."
"To the bill."
"To the bill."
"When I come out of college, there was not quite enough of an operation for me to come home to the family farm, so I went and worked for a local crop protection company. I was a certified custom applicator. I took great pride in the testing that made… they made me do. I took great pride in the 10400030.docx 322 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 continuing education that I had to have. When I showed up at a job, I not only took great pride in making sure I did a quality job for the folks that I was working for, but I also made sure that I protected their neighbors, their plants, and everything around. This is a serious business when it comes to the application of pesticides. In my eyes, they need to have the same strict standards as both the small operators and the large operators. I strongly urge a 'no' vote. Thank you."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3844 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 71 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. In the middle of page 30 of House Bills- Third Reading, we have House Bill 3097, Representative Ortíz. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please move this bill to the Order of Second Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill on Second Reading."
"House Bill 3097, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Ortíz, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Ortíz on the amendment." Ortíz: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 3097 is a gut and replace amendment that does not substantially change the underlying bill." 10400030.docx 323 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Ortíz moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
Speaker Evans: "Third Reading. Please read the bill Third Reading."
"House Bill 3097, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Ortíz." Ortíz: "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3097 is also an initiative of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. It would require that schools provide time during the school day, whether as a workshop or part of a senior seminar, for example, for students to complete or receive help with the completion of FAFSA. The bill does not… doesn't require anything new from students or parents. I request an 'aye' vote."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicated he will."
"Thank you. Representative, on the underlying bill, the Illinois Association of School Boards was opposed, and I believe they're now at a 'no' position. Is that correct?" Ortíz: "That is correct."
"And that's because of the amendment. What did the amendment do to remove their opposition?" 10400030.docx 324 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Ortíz: "So, House Bill 3097 requires schools to offer help with FAFSAs during school hours. The original version didn’t prescribe how schools would provide this help, and it didn't require… it didn't require students or parents to take advantage of any help that might be offered. The original language was just silent on both of those topics, and some of our school management colleagues at LUDA, ED-RED, and SCOPE were more comfortable having the language explicitly state that schools have the discretion to provide help in a variety of ways. And they thought it would be better to explicitly state that the student is not required to use the supports."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3097 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 84 voting 'yes,' 24 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. We're on top of page 17 of the calendar, House Bills- Second Reading, we have House Bill 2997, Representative Rashid. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill."
"House Bill 2997, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Rashid, has been approved for consideration."
"On the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to adopt the amendment and debate on Third." 10400030.docx 325 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Representative Rashid moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further… no further amendments. But a state mandates note has been requested but not filed at this time."
"Representative Rashid is recognized on the notes."
"I move to deem the notes inapplicable."
"Representative Rashid has moved to rule the notes inapplicable. Representative Elik is recognized."
"Thank you. Here we go once again, not paying attention to the true costs of all of these mandates that we're putting on schools, and I request a 'no' vote on the… making the notes inapplicable."
"Representative Rashid has moved to rule the notes inapplicable. All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 70 voting 'yes,' 38 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the notes are deemed inapplicable. Anything further, Mr. Clerk?"
"Nothing further."
"Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2997, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Rashid." 10400030.docx 326 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to present House Bill 2997, which requires that Arab American history and contributions are taught in Illinois public schools. Illinois is home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the country. From business owners and educators, to doctors, engineers, artists, and public servants, Arab Americans are woven into the fabric of Illinois in every sector of society. However, despite our rich contributions, Arab American stories often go untold in our classrooms. Many students graduate high school with little to no knowledge of Arab American history or the community… or the community's contributions to Illinois and the United States. This bill seeks to bridge that gap. Why does this matter? Because representation in education matters. When students see their own heritage and their neighbors' heritages reflected in what they learn, it creates a sense of inclusion and belonging and all students benefit. When students learn about the vast diversity within the Arab American community, for example, that Arab American physicians helped build their hospitals, entrepreneurs have started businesses and created jobs, there are artists and writers who have enhanced our culture, and public servants who represent their communities, it humanizes a group that is too often subject to misunderstanding. They learn about Arab American heroes in Illinois and in U.S. history, such as the Arab American activist who marched alongside Dr. King for civil rights. House Bill 2997 is crafted to be flexible and not burdensome. It calls for a unit of instruction on Arab American history. And I ask for your support. Thank you." 10400030.docx 327 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Representative, do we know what the cost will be to ISBE to develop the curriculum?"
"The fiscal note indicates a cost of about $8,000."
"Do we know what the cost will be to the local school districts to implement the curriculum?"
"This bill calls for a unit of instruction, which is up to the discretion of the school districts."
"And when you say 'up to the discretion,' whether they provide it or not or how… in the manner in which it's provided?"
"The… the manner in which it's provided and the length of… the length of time."
"Have… have you received any input from the Association of School Boards, School Administrators, or Principals Association regarding the… the bill?"
"I… I spoke with superintendents in my district who indicated that this would be something they… they have no problem with."
"Talking to staff, we have seen another mandate that came forward, I believe not too long ago, regarding Asian American history, which we believe also was designed to include this type of curriculum. Are you aware of that, or do you believe this is not included with that curriculum?"
"That's correct. This is not included, Arab American."
"You think this is an addition to that?"
"This… this is an addition." 10400030.docx 328 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you."
"Representative Rashid to close."
"I ask for your support."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2997 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 67 voting 'yes,' 35 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And… and this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 10 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2458, Leader Rita. Bob Rita. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2458, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Hoffman, has been approved for consideration."
"Leader Rita on the amendment."
"I'd ask for its adoption. We'll discuss it on Third Reading."
"Leader Rita moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third."
"House Bill 2458, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Rita." 10400030.docx 329 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House. House Bill 2458 is an initiative of the Illinois Secretary of State's Office. And it's to clarify and fix administrative hearings for municipalities based on a Supreme Court decision. This bill was originally passed in 1998, and it just come to light, as I… as I said, the Supreme Court decision and how administrative adjudication hearings are held."
"Any discussion? Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, I don't always agree with decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court, but on this one, I appreciate you bringing forward a bill that would address what they raised in that opinion. There, I believe, is opposition from IML to the legislation. Would you address their opposition?"
"It… it's just a fundamental opposition based on… on home rule."
"Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2458 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 85 voting 'yes,' 25 voting 'no,' and 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 13 of the calendar, in the middle of the page, we have House Bill 2696, Representative Stava-Murray. Mr. Clerk, read the bill." 10400030.docx 330 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 2696, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Stava-Murray, has been approved for consideration."
"Rep. Stava-Murray, please speak to the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill… or to the amendment. This amendment simply changes where it lives in the statute to align with the SOPPA law, and it adds the… an additional mechanism for enforcing that law."
"Representative Stava-Murray moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2696, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Stava-Murray."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill. So, this is a student data privacy bill that… trailer bill that covers information that's the most sensitive information that our children have: data around their school performance, personal data, including their… where they live, their personal address, their age. And right now, companies have not been following our SOPPA law, and we need another enforcement mechanism for the law. So, this adds a private right of action to the SOPPA law so families can sue if their child's data is 10400030.docx 331 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 released. So, this is a very good thing for parents, a very good thing for children, and I urge an 'aye' vote."
Speaker Evans: "Any discussion? Representative Ugaste is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"She indicated she will."
"Representative, we had a… we've had some discussions in committee, and I'm just going to make this short. As far as the amendment, it does include something that may or may not be changed in the Senate after you have time to discuss it with people who drafted it for you."
"So, we will change it in the Senate."
"OK."
"So, we will remove… right now, there was, like, a phrase that was inserted that said 'or federal court.' We're going to remove that in the Senate."
"The federal jurisdiction?"
"So, this'll come back as well."
"OK. OK. And the other part though is, and I believe you already covered this, but I want to make certain everyone hears it, is that there's already a mechanism in place that makes this against the law to share this data. We all agree we need to protect this data, correct?"
"Yes, there is a mechanism in place currently. Unfortunately, that office is overwhelmed, is asking for more money and… in the current budget season, and we need an alternate that's a little faster for parents to be able to make… to actually punish these companies that are working 10400030.docx 332 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 against this law that we did so diligently pass. There are multiple cases we know of…"
"So… so, the…"
"…that are very public in the state. And so, I think it's very important that we add this additional enforcement mechanism."
"All right. To the bill. This is a…"
"To the bill."
"…second remedy. We already have a remedy to this. It's against our state law for these companies to be doing this. The only thing that hasn't been done is by the state agency that oversees it, which would be the State Board of Education, I believe, I could be wrong on that, or one of our state officials that enforce the law to actually enforce it. There's no rate… no reason to create a private cause of action. There's no reason to start involving the courts and… and start having to do anything more than… than actually enforce an existing law that's already on the books. So, not opposed to the concept. What I'm opposed to is creating a second remedy and a private right of action that just doesn't need to exist and just cause more lawsuits in the court. I urge a 'no' vote."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2696 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 70 votes in 'favor,' 38 votes 'opposed,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received the constitutional 10400030.docx 333 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 majority, is hereby declared passed. At the bottom of page 16 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2976, Leader Smith. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2976, a Bill for an Act concerning… concerning education. This bill was read second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendments 1 and 2 have been approved for consideration. Floor Amendment #1 is offered by Representative Tarver."
"Leader Smith on the amendment."
"I'd like to move the amendment."
"Representative Smith moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"Floor Amendment #2 is offered."
"Leader Smith on that amendment."
"It's the second amendment, yes. I'd like to adopt the second amendment."
"Representative Smith moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2976, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Smith is recognized." 10400030.docx 334 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 2976… well, the amendment is a gut and replace that retains the underlying bill. The language is rewritten to combine the language from the underlying bill and the… the first amendment. Basically, what this bill does is allows a student an excused absence to attend a civic event, which is defined to include an event sponsored by a nonprofit or governmental entity… entity and includes an inauguration, performance, or educational gathering. The amendment also authorizes ISBE to further expand the definition of civic event. This bill passed committee with no opposition, and I don't know of any opponents."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?"
"He indicates he will."
"Thank you. Leader, initially the bill dealt with, I believe, our inauguration, and we have expanded that to include a civic event, which would be inauguration but also could be an event sponsored by a nonprofit, could be an artistic or cultural performance, educational gathering that supports the mission of sponsoring nonprofit organization. State Board also may adopt rules regarding the civic event. So, as it relates to those other items beyond inauguration, such as the artistic or cultural performance or educational gathering, is it up to the school district to decide what qualifies as a civic event or will that be what the rulemaking will… will determine?"
"That'll be determined in the rulemaking process." 10400030.docx 335 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Does the… the bill specify how many civic events a… a student can attend in…"
"One. One event."
"One per year, school year? OK. Thank you."
"You're very welcome."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2976 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 75 voting 'yes,' 36 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Towards the top of page 12 of the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, we have House Bill 2547, Representative Swanson. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 2547, a Bill for an Act concerning the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill was second… read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Kifowit, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This took me back to my grammar days in middle school and elementary school when using an apostrophe. Currently, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, the word 'veterans' has an apostrophe after the S. By removing that apostrophe, it better clarifies the statement. It's… the veterans do not collectively own the affairs, which is highlighted now. So, I would urge an 'aye' vote." 10400030.docx 336 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2547 pass?' Ah, we have… Representative, would you like to adopt the amendment?"
"I'm sorry. Yes, the amendment, please."
"Representative Swanson moves to adopt Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 2547, a Bill for an Act concerning the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Swanson."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Removes the S on the word 'veterans' in Department of Veterans' Affairs."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 2547 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; all opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 110 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And this bill, having received the constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Moving forward to page 21 in the calendar, House Bills-Second Reading, towards the top of the page, we have House Bill 3373, Representative Syed. Mr. Clerk, please read the bill." 10400030.docx 337 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3373, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendments. Floor Amendment #1, offered by Representative Syed, has been approved for consideration."
"Representative Syed on the amendment."
"The amendment becomes the bill. I ask to adopt it and debate on Third."
"Representative Syed moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment #1. All those in favor say 'aye'; the opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3373, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Syed."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 3373 amends the Clinical Psychologic… it's late, Psychologist Licensing Act to allow applicants to take the first part of the required licensure exam upon graduation and before completing their postdoc supervised experience. This change streamlines licensing process while maintaining professional standards, potentially reducing delays in entry force… in workforce entry for qualified candidates to receive licensure from the IDFPR. This bill was brought forth by Dr. Patti Kimbel, who is a constituent of Representative LaPointe. Who is a… she's a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of training 10400030.docx 338 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 at Roosevelt University. This bill is in alignment with the recommendation of the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training, and the Illinois Psychological Association also fully supports this change. It's been a long night. I urge an 'aye' vote. Thank you."
"Seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3373 pass?' All those in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 106 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Continuing forward in the calendar, page 30, House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 3175, Leader Williams. Ann Williams. Mr. Clerk, read the bill."
"House Bill 3175, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Leader Williams." Williams, A.: "Thank… thank you, Mr. Speaker. This bill simply creates parity for civil penalties for passing a school bus using camera enforcement. So, this just means that if you're pulled over for passing a school bus illegally and you're caught by a camera surveillance, you can be fined the same amount as you would if a law enforcement officer pulled you over. And there's a few other technical changes that bring it to line with a red camera… or speed camera and red light camera bills, and happy to answer any questions."
"Leader Windhorst is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield?" 10400030.docx 339 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Indicated she will."
"Thank you. Leader, this is a penalty enhancement on the fine for passing a school bus when we're caught by a camera rather than an officer. Is that accurate?" Williams, A.: "Yeah. I wouldn't call it an enhancement. I'd call it just raising the method of enforcement making… creating parity with if a law enforcement off over to pull you up… pull you over physically for the same offense."
"I'll need…" Williams, A.: "It's the same offense."
"I'll need to remember that phrase when I put my penalty enhancements forward. Thank you." Williams, A.: "Great."
"Seeing no further discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3175 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 107 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Leader Keicher is recognized."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please excuse, for the remainder of the day, Representatives Niemerg and Grant."
"The record will reflect. On page 30 of the calendar, under House Bills-Third Reading, we have House Bill 3039, Representative Yang Rohr. Mr. Clerk, read the bill. Mr. Clerk, please place this bill on the Order of Second Reading. Please read the bill." 10400030.docx 340 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"House Bill 3039, a Bill for an Act concerning education. This bill was read a second time previously. No Committee Amendment. Floor Amendment #2, offered by Representative Yang Rohr, has been approved for consideration."
"Rep. Yang Rohr on the amendment."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask that we adopt the amendment and discuss it on Third."
"Representative Yang Rohr moves the adoption of Floor Amendment #2. All in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments, Mr. Clerk?"
"No further amendments. No motions are filed."
"Third Reading. Please read the bill on Third Reading."
"House Bill 3039, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Third Reading of this House Bill."
"Representative Yang Rohr."
"Thank you. Currently, Illinois students in seventh and eighth grade can earn high school credits in one of two ways when they take high school courses. They can earn it by either taking the course at the high school, or they can earn the credits by taking the course with a high school teacher. This bill adds one more way for them to earn that high school credit, and that is by… when they take the course at their junior high from a junior high teacher, as long as they pass the course and pass the end-of-course exam, like the final exam that the high school class gives, then they can also 10400030.docx 341 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 earn that high school credit. I ask for the body's 'aye' vote."
"Seeing no discussion, the… seeing no discussion, the question is, 'Shall House Bill 3039 pass?' All in favor vote 'aye'; opposed vote 'nay.' The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, please take the record. On this question, there are 106 voting 'yes,' 0 voting 'no,' 0 voting 'present.' And the bill, having received a constitutional majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
"Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 245, offered by Representative Hoffman."
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolution. All those in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. Mr. Clerk, please read the Adjournment Resolution."
"House Joint Resolution #28. RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the two Houses adjourn on Friday, April 11, 2025, the House of Representatives stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 22, 2025, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Thursday, April 24, 2025, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 29, 2025, or until the call of the Speaker; and the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 29, 2025, or until the call of the President." 10400030.docx 342 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025
"Leader Gabel moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. All in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Adjournment Resolution is adopted. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the clerk, Leader Gabel moves that the House stands adjourned until Friday, April 11, at the hour of 9 a.m. Members are expected to be on time. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'nay.' In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned."
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 4040, offered by Representative Mayfield, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. First Reading of this House Bill. Second Reading of House Bills. House Bill 2682, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. Second Reading of this House Bill. It'll be held on the Order of Second Reading. Introduction and First Reading of Senate Bills. Senate Bill 71, offered by Representative Keicher, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Senate Bill 220, offered by Representative Kifowit, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. Senate Bill 1443, offered by Representative Didech, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Senate Bill 1605, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 1612, offered by Representative Meyers-Martin, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Senate Bill 1672, offered by Representative Mussman, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 1675, offered by Representative Kifowit, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Senate Bill 1899, offered by Representative Cassidy, a Bill for an 10400030.docx 343 STATE OF ILLINOIS 104th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 30th Legislative Day 4/10/2025 Act concerning… concerning safety. Senate Bill 1994, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Senate Bill 2057, offered by Representative Meyers-Martin, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 2175, offered by Representative Kifowit, a Bill for an Act concerning State government. Senate Bill 2418, offered by… offered by Representative Cassidy, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Senate Bill 2421, offered by Representative LaPointe, a Bill for an Act concerning health care. First Reading of these Senate Bills. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 10400030.docx 344