Both the House and Senate are in committees this week. Friday, March 27, is the House Bill Substantive Committee Deadline. Although there are many bills we are tracking, IPHA is highlighting the following bills this week.
Below is a list of bills that IPHA is tracking which will be heard in committees. Please consider filing a witness slip to make your voice heard on issues that are important to you and your community.
This week only the Senate has scheduled session dates. Below is a list of bills which IPHA is tracking that will be heard in committees. Please consider filing a witness slip to make your voice heard on issues that are important to you and your community.
Public Comment on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Reimagining and Improving
Student Education [Docket ID: ED-2025-OPE-0944]
WITNESS SLIPS NEEDED - HB1052 Food Truck Freedom
House Bill 1052 will be heard in the House Public Health Committee tomorrow, 2/26/26, at 8:00 AM.
House Bill 1052 (Rep. Vella) Creates the Food Truck Freedom Act. Provides that a municipality, county, or township may create a license or permitting scheme for a food truck to operate within its jurisdiction.
The Illinois Public Health Association, as well as local health departments, have raised concerns about this bill and its impact on our communities and food safety.
Ensure Higher Federal Loan Limits for All Degree Programs Act Now – Federal Comments Close on March 2, 11:59 PM
Join Our Sign-on Letter | Join by 2/27 at Noon | Please share!
This week, there are a number of bills we are tracking which will be heard in committee. This is a great opportunity to make your voice heard on issues that are important to you and your community.
Today, we are sharing this action alert from the American Public Health Association (APHA) regarding the need for oversight of the immigration enforcement actions taking place throughout the country.
We urge you to take a moment and tell your members of Congress they must investigate these actions and conditions, and hold the administration accountable for ensuring all federal immigration agencies are following the law and working in coordination with state and local officials.
Today, the U.S. took an unfortunate step backward in its commitment to vaccine policy and protecting children from vaccine preventable diseases. In a historic vote, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisers recommended narrowing the agency's hepatitis B immunization guidance for newborns.
The result, if approved by the CDC's acting director, will be a rollback of a universal recommendation to start hepatitis B immunization at birth, a standard practice in the U.S. for more than 30 years that has been credited with dramatically lowering liver diseases caused by the virus.
The ACIP December meeting comment period is now open. Comments must be submitted by November 24. More information is available here. Everyone is urged to submit written comments or apply for a spot to present orally.
There is a deep connection between civic engagement and public health. Voting plays a critical role in shaping policies that affect health equity, gun violence, climate change and more. In June 2022, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially declared voting a social determinant of health (SDOH), underscoring that civic participation significantly impacts well-being and health equity.
In a statement on the September 2025 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Meeting, the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) is urging ACIP to maintain the long-standing, evidence-based recommendations for the universal hepatitis B birth dose.
In an unprecedented move on June 9, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the nation’s vaccine policy committee—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—and announced plans to handpick their replacements. Read more in the IPHA Public Health Impact Statement.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order giving notice that the United States would withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Take the time to contact your legislators to urge them to fund the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for grants to certified local health departments via the Local Health Protection Grant (LHPG) at $30.1 million for FY2025.
IPHA and our partners are advocating for the appropriation of $25 million to support capital projects in local health departments (LHDs) across the state. This funding would address critical infrastructure needs, ensuring that LHDs can continue to provide essential public health services to communities in Illinois.
The upcoming Farm Bill passage and Child Nutrition Reauthorization both offer key opportunities to support equitable nutrition, food security and public health. Please join IPHA in advocating for Congress to support nutrition priorities.
Friends of Public Health FY2025 funding request letter to the General Assembly House and Senate Appropriations Committee to increase the Local Health Protection Grant to $30.1 million.
On February 21, 2024, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delivered his annual State of the State and Budget address before a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly. The $52.7 billion Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget includes substantial investments in early childhood education, the creation of a state child tax credit, and the elimination of $4 billion in medical debt for over one million Illinoisans over the next four years. The budget also includes a reduction in funding for certified local health departments. See IPHA's letter to IDPH's Director regarding this decrease in funding for local public health.
Fall veto session brought the Illinois General Assembly to Springfield on October 24, 25, and 26 to conduct business during its first week of a two-week Veto session. The House was in session two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and canceled session for Thursday, October 26. The Senate was in session for three days this week (Tuesday – Thursday). Both chambers will reconvene for three days beginning Tuesday, November 7.
While the General Assembly completed most of its work by Friday’s self-imposed early adjournment deadline, work remains to be done on the budget, the substantive legislation necessary to implement the budget and a handful of other matters. Both chambers worked into the night on Friday and then adjourned until Wednesday, May 24. The Senate is scheduled to be in session Wednesday and Thursday. The House is scheduled to be in session Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday although leadership has not ruled out the possibility of needing to be in session on Saturday as well. The new fiscal year starts July 1.
The Illinois Senate was in session Tuesday through Friday; session for Saturday and Sunday was canceled. The Illinois House was in session Tuesday through Thursday. Both chambers return to session on Monday, May 8. May 11 is the House Third Reading deadline in the Senate. May 12 is the Senate Bill Third Reading deadline in the House. Note, the Senate created an Agreed Bill List with 108 bills to expedite final passage of non-controversial legislation. One roll call will be taken on Wednesday for legislation on the Agreed Bill List.
The Illinois General Assembly returned from a two-week spring break with both chambers convening session Tuesday through Thursday of this week. Both chambers return to Springfield for four days of session starting Tuesday, May 25. Friday, April 28 is the committee deadline for substantive legislation to pass out of the second chamber. Four weeks remain in the spring legislative session; adjournment is scheduled for May 19.
Following a two-week spring break, the Illinois General Assembly started its final stretch of the 2023 Spring Session on Tuesday, April 18. An early adjournment is still scheduled for May 19.
Both chambers will begin to consider the opposite chamber’s legislation at the committee level and also finalize original chamber legislation that remains pending with extended deadlines. Appropriations committees in both chambers continue to review the Governor’s introduced budget at the agency level. April 28 is the deadline to pass substantive bills out of committee in the opposite chamber.
The Illinois General Assembly stands adjourned for the week. The Illinois House was in session Tuesday through Thursday considering resolutions and holding committee hearings. The Illinois Senate met Tuesday through Friday to consider Senate Bills for final passage. Today, Friday March 31, is the deadline to pass substantive Senate bills out of the Senate.
The Illinois House was in session last week, while the Illinois Senate was not. Both chambers return to session on Tuesday, March 21. There is one week left to consider substantive House Bills for final passage in the House; Friday, March 24 is the House Third Reading deadline. Two weeks are left to consider substantive Senate Bills for passage in the Senate. The deadline to file Floor Amendments to Senate Bills is Friday, March 24 at 3pm.
The Illinois General Assembly was in session four days this week – Tuesday through Friday. The Illinois
House convenes again on Tuesday, March 14 at noon for three days. The Illinois Senate is off next week.
March 10 is the deadline to pass substantive legislation out of committee in the chamber of origin. Thousands of bills were scheduled for committee hearings this week in both chambers (roughly 817 Senate Bills and 1,157 House Bills) making for long committee hearings and long days.
Legislative priorities for the Illinois Public Health Association for the 2023 Legislative Calendar Year.
The Illinois House adjourned for the week after spending Tuesday through Thursday in session. The Senate was off this week. Both chambers return to session on Tuesday, March 7. Friday, March 10 is the deadline to pass substantive legislation out of committee in the chamber of origin.
The Illinois General Assembly was in session Tuesday through Thursday of the week of February 20, primarily considering legislation at the committee level. The Illinois House reconvenes on Tuesday, February 28 for three days of session. The Senate is off next week and will reconvene on Tuesday, March 7.
The Illinois Senate was in session Tuesday and Wednesday of this week; Thursday’s session was canceled. The Illinois Senate returns to session on Tuesday, February 7. The Illinois House returns to session on Tuesday, January 31.
Note the drafting deadline is today (Friday, January 27) for substantive Senate Bills and Friday, February 3 for substantive House Bills.
The Illinois General Assembly was not in session this week. The Illinois Senate returns to session on Tuesday, January 24. The Illinois House returns to session on Tuesday, January 31.
The 102nd Illinois General Assembly adjourned sine die. Prior to adjourning, the Illinois General Assembly approved a ban on assault weapons, an omnibus abortion and reproductive health package, an economic development package, a supplemental appropriation and budget implementation legislation, mandatory paid time off for private workers, energy legislation and several other items. Members of the 103rd General Assembly will be sworn into office at noon on Wednesday, January 11. Leadership teams for the Democratic supermajorities were expanded under SB 1720 (Sims/Harris). Beginning in the 103rd General Assembly, two additional leadership positions are created for the House Democrats -- the new position of House Speaker Pro Tempore and an additional Majority Leader. There will also be one additional Senate Majority Leader.
The Illinois General Assembly adjourned the first week of veto session, with both chambers canceling Thursday’s scheduled session. The Legislature will return for the second and final week of Veto Session November 29 - December 1.
The Illinois General Assembly begins its six day Fall Veto Session beginning Tuesday, November 15. Veto session will run November 15 – 17 and November 29 – December 1 – note that the House canceled session for Thursday, November 17.
The 2022 midterm elections solidified Illinois as a solidly blue state with Democrats winning big up and down the ticket. Democrats benefited from a huge fundraising advantage as well as the newly drawn congressional and legislative districts which were crafted under their control.
Election Preview: Illinois’ General Election is Tuesday, November 8. While Republicans seem to be picking up momentum elsewhere in the midterm elections, barring any unexpected upsets, Democrats are expected to perform fairly well overall in Illinois on Tuesday. As always, voter turnout will be key.