* Capitol News Illinois…

Three years after the bill was initially introduced, the Senate passed a measure to ban “junk fees,” which are charges added to the total cost of ticketed events, hotels, tech and other goods and services.

House Bill 228 would make it unlawful for any business to advertise, display or offer a price for a good or service that does not include all mandatory fees or surcharges before taxes. […]

It passed 46-12 with both Democratic and Republican support after passing the House in April 77-18. It still faces opposition from various retail and business groups, but Aquino said he incorporated some of their concerns.

“We did make changes to this bill a significant number of times to balance out the making sure that we have practices in this state that are fair, that are transparent, so that people — when they’re making this really important decision of how to spend their money — that it is done in a way where it is informed, they know what they’re paying for and there’s not any surprise charges coming after,” [Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) said.]

Violations of the law would be subject to civil penalties laid out in the existing Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker said he will sign HB228…

“Illinois consumers have been nickel-and-dimed out of thousands of dollars per year by unnecessary and deceptive junk fees. I am proud that the Illinois General Assembly has passed the Junk Fee Ban Act to put money back in the pockets of families and establish fair, honest pricing — from concert tickets to online shopping. I’m grateful for Rep. Bob Morgan, Sen. Omar Aquino, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul for their leadership in crafting and passing this bill to ensure Illinois keeps standing up for affordability, accountability, and transparency. I look forward to signing this into law and banning hidden junk fees.”

Economic Security Illinois Action…

Today, HB 228, legislation to make pricing more transparent and curb hidden junk fees in Illinois, passed the Illinois Senate by a vote of 46-12. It will now head to Governor Pritzker’s desk. Economic Security Illinois Action worked for years to ban junk fees in Illinois.

The legislation targets mandatory fees tacked onto purchases that provide little to no value and are not disclosed to consumers upfront. These deceptive practices, often labeled “convenience” or “processing fees,” impact Illinoisans across a range of purchases, including booking a hotel or buying tickets to a live event. These charges lead to inflated costs for working families and prevent Illinoisans from fairly participating in our economy.

“This bill’s passage is a major win for affordability and a check on corporate greed,” said ESILA Policy and Research Director Erion Malasi. “By getting rid of hidden junk fees, we are taking a step forward in restoring fairness and transparency to our marketplace. The premise of the law is simple: the price you see advertised is the price you pay. We applaud Leader Aquino and members of the General Assembly for stepping up for working families and look forward to seeing the governor sign this bill into law.”

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded the Illinois Senate’s passage of his legislation to support his office’s efforts to combat workplace rights violations.

House Bill 4725, sponsored by Sen. Omar Aquino, was approved with bipartisan support and will now go to the governor for approval. […]

Attorney General Raoul’s Workplace Rights Bureau protects and advances the employment rights of all Illinois residents, particularly the state’s most vulnerable residents and immigrant populations. The bureau investigates and litigates cases involving serious or persistent wage law violations or other significant employment practices. Over the last year, the Attorney General’s office has recovered more than $15 million for Illinois workers.

However, some bad actors exploit procedural gaps to evade accountability, stall investigations, and force the bureau into lengthy and expensive court battles to access basic records. Currently, the bureau lacks standard investigative tools, common to other agencies, that would assist in resolving investigations. Raoul’s proposed measure will help ensure that the Workplace Rights Bureau has the necessary tools to defend workers’ rights and a level playing field for law-abiding businesses.

The legislation will:

- Clarify the jurisdiction of the Workplace Rights Bureau.
- Streamline the subpoena process to prevent stalling practices and expensive court battles.
- Grant the Workplace Rights Bureau the same investigative tools as the Illinois Department of Labor and the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, including the ability to conduct confidential interviews conducted at worksites.
- Create penalties for employers who intentionally destroy evidence or refuse to comply with the law.

* Equality Illinois, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action and Planned Parenthood Illinois…

Today, the Illinois General Assembly passed HB 4834, legislation that prevents the tracking of sensitive patient data about testosterone and medication abortion prescriptions. HB 4834 is the initiative of Equality Illinois, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action, and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.

Sponsored by State Rep. Kelly Cassidy and State Sen. Adriane Johnson, HB 4834 would protect patients and providers from having testosterone prescriptions surveilled through the state’s prescription monitoring program (PMP). As a controlled substance, testosterone prescriptions are currently reported to and surveilled through the state’s PMP. Yet, the PMP was created to curb opioid misuse and diversion, not to surveil routine prescription hormone therapy.

Additionally, HB 4834 would preemptively ensure that mifepristone and misoprostol are never surveilled through the PMP. These two drugs, which are used for medication abortion, are not presently reported to Illinois’ PMP but are under fierce political attack across the country. […]

Testosterone and medication abortion prescription records are being weaponized against patients and providers in other states and by the federal administration. In 2024, Louisiana designated mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances and required that prescriptions for these drugs be surveilled through that state’s PMP. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has aggressively targeted gender-affirming care providers, including through burdensome investigations, subpoenas for sensitive patient records, and multi-agency enforcement coordination. In summer 2025, the DOJ issued more than 20 subpoenas to gender-affirming care providers, including providers located in states that protect access to care. […]

HB 4834 passed the Illinois House of Representatives in April and the Illinois Senate on Wednesday. The bill now goes to Gov. Pritzker to be signed into law this summer.

* Sen. Laura Ellman…

Digital coupons have become more common; however, not all consumers can easily access them. State Senator Laura Ellman is combatting this with House Bill 45 to ensure eligible consumers receive the benefits of digital promotions when they meet the stated terms. […]

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly one in 4 adults over 65 say they need help using digital technology, highlighting ongoing barriers to app-based only promotions. As retail continues to evolve, Ellman’s measure aims to make everyday transactions more accessible.

House Bill 45 would require retailers offering digital promotions to provide a way for eligible consumers to redeem them, including options like automatic discounts, point-of-sale assistance, QR codes or receipt submission. Additionally, the proposed measure would preserve flexibility for businesses and would not require paper coupons or changes to loyalty programs. […]

House Bill 45 passed the Senate on Wednesday and heads to the governor’s desk for further consideration.

* The Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights…

The Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights and its members statewide celebrate the passage of HB 5390 in the Illinois General Assembly. At a time when Congress is restricting access to healthcare coverage and Illinois is cutting back on healthcare programs for those without insurance, the General Assembly has taken a positive step to protect uninsured patients with low to moderate incomes from unaffordable medical bills.

The bill now heads to Governor Pritzker’s desk. If signed into law, HB 5390 will:

- Create one standard financial assistance application for hospitals across Illinois
- Allow approved patients to keep financial assistance coverage for 1 year at the same hospital
- Reduce administrative barriers for low-income and uninsured Illinoisians
- Help more uninsured, low-income Illinoisans access the care they need

* Sen. Rachel Ventura…

Continuing her work to protect consumers, State Senator Rachel Ventura led a measure that would prevent retailers from requiring consumers to accept store credit instead of a refund through the Senate Wednesday. […]

House Bill 4044 would prohibit retail establishments from limiting refunds on returns of unopened or unused consumer products to store credit. Instead, retailers would be required to offer another form of refund, such as cash or reimbursement to the original payment method. Under the measure, consumers returning eligible unused products would have the right to receive a refund through the original payment method or another non-store-credit option.

The bill would not require retailers to accept a return they suspect of fraud, nor would it apply to products that have been opened or used. The measure would not apply to food, beverages, medicine or medical equipment. House Bill 4044 is part of Ventura’s ongoing efforts to strengthen consumer protections and increase transparency for Illinois residents. […]

House Bill 4044 passed the Senate Wednesday and now heads to the governor’s desk.

* Sen. Dave Koehler…

State Senator Dave Koehler has advanced legislation that will help strengthen press protections for public media produced at state-supported colleges and universities in Illinois.

“Journalism is what keeps our local and state officials in check,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “To deny editorial independence for our budding college journalist would be doing a disservice to our communities.”

House Bill 4420 would modify the College Campus Press Act to define public media produced at a state-supported institution of higher learning. The measure states that public media at these institutions would not be subject to prior review by the institution’s public officials, and expression by employees or agents producing the media would not be considered speech attributable to the institution itself.

The bill would also allow an employee or agent of an entity that creates or distributes public media at a state-supported institution of higher learning to bring a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief if the act is violated. […]

House Bill 4420 passed the Senate Wednesday and now moves to the governor’s desk.

* Sen. Linda Holmes…

State Senator Linda Holmes maintains her ongoing commitment to lead legislation that would restrict owners of traveling animal acts from using wild animals in their shows through a measure she passed Wednesday to add specific breeds to the banned species list.

House Bill 4255 would add specific breeds to the offense of unlawful use of animals in traveling acts to include cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions, tigers, non-human primates, bears, and all elephants, not just endangered species. It also would add any hybrids of these animals.

According to Humane World for Animals – formerly known as the Humane Society – big cats, non-human primates, bears, and other wild animals used in roadside exhibitions are in restrictive cages almost constantly. However, operators charge premiums to let visitors feed, pet, hold, play with or ride the animals.

Animals used for public handling are typically pulled from their mothers shortly after birth to be hand-raised, a practice that denies newborns critical maternal care. Baby animals with weak immune systems are subjected to stress, neglect, and mistreatment associated with public handling. […]

House Bill 4255 passed the full Senate Wednesday. It now heads to the governor’s desk for final approval.

* Rep. Margaret DeLaRosa…

Working to protect homeowners from medical debt, state Rep. Margaret DeLaRosa, D-Lombard, is advancing a bill to the governor’s desk for consideration that ensures patients’ primary residence and property cannot be used in legal action by hospitals seeking to recover unpaid medical debt. […]

Medical debt remains one of the leading causes of bankruptcy nationwide, according to the National Library of Medicine, with nearly half of U.S. adults finding it difficult to afford healthcare. DeLaRosa co-sponsored House Bill 4461, taking an important step to protect patient homes and property by changing the law to disqualify any Illinois hospital from pursuing liens on a patient’s primary residence during legal action should a patient have accrued medical debt.

The initiative is driven by local resident reports of aggressive collection actions, including liens being placed on homes for medical debts as low as $2,000. […]

House Bill 4461 passed out of both chambers and awaits the governor’s signature.

For more press releases on legislation and other matters, click here.

* More…

* WAND | IL Senate passes bill expanding LIHEAP eligibility, sends plan to Pritzker: House Bill 4456 passed out of the Senate on a 42-17 vote. It previously received a 74-37 vote in the House. “Utility companies already go to ratepayers to recover their costs,” said Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake). “There is an argument to be made that if people are having their utilities shut off, the utility companies are already going to the ICC for those ratepayer increases to help cover those costs. This makes it a stable, predictable amount for everyday people on their bill.”

* Press release | Villivalam advances measure expanding transparency on utility rates: To expand transparency, House Bill 4514 would require the ICC to hold a public hearing when any gas, electric, water or sewer utility requests that the commission increase their rates. Further, the ICC would be required to notify ratepayers when a public utility requests a rate increase within 14 days of the public hearing – ensuring residents have ample notification to attend a hearing.

* Press release | Loughran Cappel measure to provide consistent pay for injured or sick first responders: In 2023, there were 10.1 firefighter injuries in Illinois per 1,000 fires, and there were 48,000 Illinois police officers injuries or illnesses in 2023. Aware that many of these workers depend on their salary and do not always have enough money saved to help them through their non-working time, Loughran Cappel is leading House Bill 4491 to ensure these local heroes receive the recognition they are due. The legislation would require public employers to maintain first responders’ base salary if they suffer an injury or illness while in the line of duty that renders them unable to do their jobs. This would include taxes, union dues, pension contributions and insurance premiums. However, the first responder would still have to pay taxes on the money if it is part of their adjusted gross income.

* Press release | Castro advances measure to expand postpartum home visiting programs: Castro’s measure would build on current state support by authorizing the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop and oversee a statewide, voluntary, no-cost newborn home visiting program that would aid with existing and future short-term universal newborn home visiting services, from lactation support to health screenings. Through House Bill 4606, the department would be empowered to establish evidence-based service models, coordinate funding and data efforts, and collaborate with stakeholders to expand services for newborns and their families.

* Press release | Ortíz-backed Bill Addressing Issues with Digital Coupons Passes Senate Vote: A bill, backed by state Rep. Aarón Ortíz, D-Chicago, requiring all grocery chains that offer e-coupons in Illinois to provide, and honor, a physical coupon alternative passed out of the Senate on Wednesday, and now heads to the governor for final approval. “Going to the grocery store is stressful already, with rising costs putting people’s hard-earned money at risk,” Ortíz said. “This measure will provide immediate relief and help people access lower costs out there, but is unavailable to them.” In order to reduce these barriers to savings, Ortíz supported House Bill 45, which requires retailers to honor all advertised savings, even if customers cannot access their app or operate their digital coupons.

* Press release | Ellman bill to update CPR training, improve emergency response outcomes: House Bill 4788 would require secondary schools to provide CPR training using both breasted and non-breasted manikins, including through the use of chest covers, ensuring students have the opportunity to practice on both. The requirement would begin in the 2029–2030 school year.

* Press release | Villivalam-backed measure would ensure mental health support for educational staff: To provide mental health support to education staff, House Bill 4862 would require each school board to develop a staff mental health support procedure. The procedure would be required to include a commitment to supporting employee mental health in the workplace, opportunities to provide feedback on employee mental health, annual communication with information on resources and support available to staff, and opportunities for the school board to receive information regarding employee mental health initiatives and programs.

* Press release | Hernandez-backed Measure Expanding Barber and Cosmetology Licensure Opportunities Passes Senate Vote: The Hernandez-backed House Bill 3460 establishes an apprenticeship program for professionals in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and nail technology and sets training hours and licensing requirements to make entering these fields easier. Currently, students pay between $15,000 and $20,000 on average to complete a cosmetology program, including the costs of tuition, tools, licensing costs and materials.