* Economic Security Illinois Action…

Today, HB 228, legislation to ban hidden junk fees in Illinois, advanced out of the House Consumer Protection Committee. Economic Security Illinois Action has worked to ban junk fees in Illinois for years. In response to this latest development, ESILA Director Sarah Saheb released the following statement:

“At a time when working people are already struggling with rising costs, hidden fees that appear at checkout make it even harder to budget and compare prices. From ticket purchases to hotel bookings and other everyday services, junk fees allow corporations to advertise one price and charge another, padding profits while working families pay more. Banning hidden junk fees and requiring companies to show the full price upfront is a simple, commonsense reform that will bring fairness to our marketplace and protect working families from corporate greed. We applaud lawmakers for moving this bill forward and urge the General Assembly to support this critical effort to control costs when it comes to the floor.”

* Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl’s HB5236 passed through committee yesterday…

Amends the Digital Library Protection Act. Provides that no publisher shall enter into a contract or license agreement to distribute electronic literary materials to a library that: (1) restricts the library from performing customary operational functions; (2) restricts the library from performing customary lending functions; (3) restricts the library from disclosing the terms of the contract or license agreement to any other library in the State; or (4) requires the library to violate the Library Records Confidentiality Act. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any contract to license electronic literary materials to a library that includes a provision prohibited under the Act is deemed unenforceable and void. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

* ACT Now Illinois…

Hundreds of students and afterschool advocates will gather at the Illinois State Capitol for their annual Youth Advocacy Day to call on lawmakers to support the OST for All campaign, which prioritizes sustained state investment in afterschool programs and Full-Service Community Schools.

Advocates are urging the state to reinvest critical funds in afterschool programming to prevent further program closures and ensure Illinois students have access to critical academic, enrichment and workforce development opportunities.

This advocacy comes at a critical moment, as uncertainty around federal funding for Community Schools continues following the abrupt cancellation of multi-year grants in December. While a recent agreement with the U.S. Department of Education temporarily restored funding through June thanks to ACT Now’s legal challenge, long-term stability remains unclear. […]

BILL BREAKDOWN:

- HB5362 would appropriate $20 million to the Illinois State Board of Education to fund a grant to ACT Now Illinois to support community schools statewide.
- HB5363 would establish a permanent state grant structure – separate from federal appropriations – issued to ACT Now Illinois through its fiscal sponsor, Metropolitan Family Services, and disbursed to Illinois Community Schools.
- HB3081 would create a statewide OST Advisory Council to strengthen coordination, access and long-term sustainability.
- HB3082 would ensure full state funding for afterschool programming.

* Rep. Murri Briel…

Working to maintain safe health outcomes for Illinoisans seeking emergency hospital services, state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, is advancing a bill that will limit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to determine a patient’s priority in a hospital emergency room. […]

Briel’s House Bill 4233 limits hospital emergency departments from using “health care kiosks”—digital check-ins used to determine a patient’s medical state to determine their place in line for emergency treatment. Due to little to no human verification with this technology, health care kiosks pose significant risks in misdiagnosing or misinterpreting the patient’s level of emergency leading to further sickness, injury, treatment complications or even preventable deaths.

Briel’s initiative was influenced by OSF Healthcare’s public plans to integrate AI to predict patient diagnoses and treatments through “advanced analytic systems.” House Bill 4233 ensures a patient’s intake priority is reviewed and assessed by medical professionals, and specifies that health care kiosks may only be used to identify patient contact information and to replace paper billing to ease administrative burden. […]

House Bill 4233 passed out of the Healthcare Availability & Accessibility Committee unanimously with bipartisan support.

* The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois…

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) has unveiled its 2026 legislative agenda. Legislative priorities for the group range from policies to sustain progress made to upgrade Illinois’ vast road and transportation infrastructure through Rebuild Illinois, to policies which position the state to be a national leader in the engineering industry, and work centered on investing in Illinois’ water infrastructure.

ACEC Illinois Legislative Agenda Priority Legislation and Issues
Preserving the road fund and projects established in Rebuild Illinois.

- Senate Bill 3855: Creates the Engineering Students of Illinois Scholarship Act to support engineering students at Illinois universities and strengthen IDOT’s workforce.
- House Bill 1803: Creates the Retain Illinois Students of Engineering (RISE) Tax Credit to employers hiring recent engineering graduates to help address the growing engineering workforce shortage and encourage talent to build careers in Illinois.
- Support local municipalities through strengthening the IEPA State Revolving Fund Programs including the Water Pollution Control Loan Program, the Public Water Supply Loan Program and lead line replacement programs. […]

Additional ACEC Illinois Legislative Agenda Measures

- House Bill 4439: Allows local municipalities greater opportunities and flexibility to upgrade and modernize their infrastructure.
- Senate Bill 3566: Modernizes electric vehicle registrations and establishes a new Road Usage Charge Program.
- Senate Bill 3123: Allows for the mobilization of engineers and architects during natural disasters and provides immunity for services without compensation in emergency response activities.
- Senate Bill 3440: Would require a civil engineer to sign an affidavit certifying that malpractice may have taken place before a suit can be filed against an engineer or firm.
- Senate Bill 252/ House Bill 1602: Modernizes the state’s Research and Development Tax Credit which is critical to Illinois’ engineers as they work to modernize the state’s infrastructure.
- Senate Bill 3287/ House Bill 5283: Supports small businesses in the manufacturing and construction industries through clarifications to the Illinois Procurement code.
- Senate Bill 3230: Seeks to create more opportunities for veteran-owned businesses, including veteran-owned engineering firms.
- Senate Bill 3520/ House Bill 4776: Allows IDOT to take over the environmental review process for major transportation projects from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
- Senate Bill 2997/ House Bill 4651: Consolidates and streamlines IDOT procurement processes for expedited project delivery.
- Senate Bill 3634/ House Bill 4950: Helps IDOT deliver highway projects more quickly and efficiently by updating several project management rules.

* Sen. Linda Holmes…

In Illinois, law enforcement officers and prosecutors who charge suspects accused of harassment are seeing options to update the law to reflect today’s technology. State Senator Linda Holmes filed legislation to reflect the realities of how offenses are being committed in present day.

“The means to harass someone continues to expand from phones to electronic devices, offering platforms on which to send demeaning, frightening messages,” Holmes (D-Aurora) said. “Emails, social media, forums and gaming are being used by those intending to cause emotional distress to the recipient, so laws need to be amended to address each offense separately.”

Senate Bill 2741 would define violations of either offense, whether the harassment is by telephone or through electronic communication. Making comments, suggestions or remarks intended to cause significant emotional distress or threats of injury to the recipient or any of their family or household members are violations. It includes transmitting to interrupt or prevent the victim from using their phone or electronic devices.

The legislation would incorporate the definition of harassment from the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, and would remove the requirement that content must be of a sexual nature. It uses the definition of cyberbullying as making any comment, request, suggestion or proposal that is obscene with the intent to offend.

“This abhorrent behavior victimizes children, triggering fear for their safety, or the safety of their family,” said Holmes. “Insults and slurs create lasting emotional harm and may lead vulnerable young victims to consider ending their own lives. The technology won’t go away, so the consequences must meet today’s methods.”

With the Senate Criminal Law Committee’s approval, Senate Bill 2741 now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

* More…

* WAND | IL Senate committee approves bill expanding menopause treatment, improving healthcare provider education: The plan could ban private insurance companies from requiring prior authorization, or step therapy, for menopause treatment approved by doctors and the FDA. It would also require education on menopause and perimenopause recognition and engagement at all Illinois medical schools. […] This bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday. These changes could take effect on Jan. 1 if the plan is passed out of both chambers and signed into law.