* Crain’s…

Illinois lawmakers passed bills empowering regulators to reject home and auto insurance rate hikes deemed excessive, responding to years of fast-rising premiums. […]

The bills, passed on Wednesday evening, prohibit “excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory” rate hikes and empower the Illinois Department of Insurance to reject such increases. The bills, SB714 and HB4273, also prevent insurance companies from raising rates based on losses suffered in other states, which providers have denied doing. […]

The bills now go to Pritzker’s desk for his signature. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment on the bills.

The homeowners bill also prohibits insurance companies from raising rates by more than 10% without providing customers a 60-day notice, which supporters say will give consumers time to shop around to competitors before renewing their policy. For auto insurance, customers must receive a notice of 30 days if rates are raised by more than 10%.

Gov. JB Pritzker…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement following the passage of SB714 and HB4273 to protect homeowners and drivers from unfair insurance hikes: ​ ​ ​ ​

“Today, the Illinois General Assembly passed SB714 and HB4273, an important step in our efforts to make insurance markets in Illinois more transparent and equitable for consumers. Too many families have dealt with unexplained, unfair insurance price hikes on their homes and cars, so this legislation helps protect consumers while maintaining the core principles the Illinois business community is built on. Addressing affordability has been at the top of the agenda this legislative session, and these bills reflect my shared commitment with the General Assembly to support working families. I want to thank Sen. Hastings and Rep. Jones for their continued advocacy and work on passing these bills, and I look forward to signing these commonsense protections into law.”

The Illinois Insurance Association, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies…

“If Senate Bill 714 and House Bill 4273 are signed into law, Illinois residents need to be prepared for the potential impact: higher home and auto insurance costs and fewer options for coverage.

“Proponents of the measure claim the bills will protect consumers from rising insurance costs, but in reality, the bills do nothing to address the factors contributing to higher premiums, such as higher repair costs, more severe weather, and legal system abuse. Instead, the bills implement a fundamental shift in Illinois’ regulatory environment and move the state towards a more rigid rate-approval system similar to struggling insurance markets like California. This shift will make it harder for insurers to respond in real-time to market conditions and adjust rates up or down based on actual claims experience.

“The impacts may not be felt immediately, but in the long term, the state’s current highly competitive market is likely to suffer and consumers could ultimately pay the price through higher insurance costs and more limited coverage options.

“A recent U.S. News & World Report analysis, for example, found that Illinois has the sixth‑lowest auto insurance premiums in the country – a direct result of strong competition, broad consumer choice and a regulatory framework that allows insurers to respond quickly to changing market conditions. This harmful legislation puts this success at risk.”

* The Secure AI Project…

The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 315 110-0, following a 52-5 vote in the Senate on May 21, and sending it to Governor Pritzker for his signature. Sponsored by Representative Daniel Didech and Senator Mary Edly-Allen, SB 315 will require the largest AI companies to publicly disclose safety frameworks and report critical safety incidents. The bill builds off California’s SB 53 and New York’s RAISE Act and goes further, particularly by requiring third-party audits of safety plans designed to reduce catastrophic risk.

Backed by sweeping bipartisan support in both chambers, including 51 House cosponsors and 15 Senate cosponsors, Illinois lawmakers have established the state as a national leader in AI governance. The bill is endorsed by Governor Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the nation’s two largest AI labs, Anthropic and OpenAI. The legislation is also supported by over 89 percent of Illinois voters, according to a February 2026 poll, which found bipartisan support across 93 percent of Democrats, 88 percent of Republicans, and 87 percent of independents.

The legislation counts more than two dozen organizations among its backers, alongside leading AI researchers including 2024 Nobel Laureate in Physics Geoffrey Hinton and Berkeley computer science professor Stuart Russell. […]

SB 315 has these provisions:
● Requires the largest frontier AI developers to create, implement, and publicly publish safety frameworks assessing catastrophic risk
● Independent third-party audits of those safety plans, on an annual basis
● Mandated reporting of critical safety incidents to state authorities within 72 hours, and within 24 hours if there is imminent risk of death or serious injury
● Whistleblower protections for covered employees raising safety concerns
● Applies only to large frontier developers (annual revenues above $500M), protecting startups and smaller companies from undue burden […]

The bill now moves to Governor Pritzker’s desk for his signature.

Senate Republican Leader John Curran…

“I am proud to be a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 315 that creates public safety protocols to require accountability, limit risk, and help protect the public from catastrophic danger. This is a bold first step in regulatory technology policies that will be a works in progress as we continue to craft legislation to help spur research and innovation in this rapidly growing AI industry.”

* Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…

Today, the Illinois House passed legislation that aligns with current medical standards and modernizes the language in the state’s existing 1970s era law which allowed young people to access birth control. Sponsored by State Senator Graciela Guzmán and Illinois House Assistant Majority Leader Dagmara Avelar, Senate Bill 3341 passed the Illinois Senate two weeks ago and now advances to Governor JB Pritzker for his approval this summer. This is an initiative of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action (PPGR Action) and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA).

“In Illinois, young people already have the right to access birth control, but the 50-year-old law that established this right no longer uses language that reflects modern medical standards,” said Adrienne White-Faines, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. “We commend the Illinois General Assembly for trusting the medical community to set up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines that better meet the needs of young people today.”

The State of Illinois already permits young people the ability to access the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care, including birth control. SB 3341 modernizes the state’s Birth Control Services to Minors Act and removes antiquated language adopted in 1970. SB 3341 does not create a new right for young people.

“More and more we are seeing birth control being stigmatized and suffering from misinformation,” said Margot Riphagen-Dunn, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action “But Illinois has long been a leader in upholding reproductive rights, and protecting access to birth control is fundamental to that fight. Access to birth control has a real, positive impact on people’s lives, especially for young folks. With this legislation, Illinois leaders are affirming that the right to consent to care for young people includes contraception, ensuring they can make decisions about their bodies and their futures with a peace of mind.”

PPIA and PPGR Action look forward to this legislation being signed into law.

* More…

* Press release | Hanson Railroad Safety Initiative for School Districts Sent to Governor: House Bill 3743 requires school districts across the state to provide rail safety language in the student handbook. This new language includes information about existing laws on rail safety, best practices when walking or driving nearby or over train tracks, and other general advice to help avoid a train-related accident. For school districts that are not located near train tracks or feel railroad safety is not necessary to include in their handbook, they have the ability to opt out of the requirement. […] House Bill 3743 passed both chambers and is headed to the governor’s desk.

* Press release | Briel-Backed Bill Launching Blue Envelope Program Sent to Governor: Briel was integral to passing House Bill 4472, which creates the Blue Envelope Program in partnership with the Secretary of State’s office. Those diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum may use the envelopes to hold documents required to operate a motor vehicle. With all necessary information in one location, individuals can locate documents easily in potentially high stress situations. This measure will help both first responders and drivers in the neurodivergent community feel safe and prepared in their interactions. Additionally, first responders will be able to identify and aid neurodivergent individuals by their blue envelope and work to anticipate any communication barriers during law enforcement interactions.