This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes remaining key session dates, provides information relevant to the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 budget, lists ISACo-tracked bills approved by House and Senate Committees during the week of April 24-28, links to a report with newly-filed amendments pertinent to counties as well as a new bill signed into law by the Governor, includes an update on the assault weapons ban litigation and enforcement, shares information about the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship and Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Programs, announces that applications have been received for a cannabis dispensary license lottery based on social equity considerations, includes a link to register for the upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference in Travis County, Texas, highlights ISACo corporate partner Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC and invites counties to join ISACo.

Key Remaining Session Dates  

May 11: Deadline – Third Reading for Substantive House Bills in the Senate 

May 12: Deadline – Third Reading for Substantive Senate Bills in the House 

May 19: Adjournment 

SFY 2024 Budget Development Update

As lawmakers are finalizing the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 budget, spending pressures continue to mount. Legislators were advised of an unexpected funding shortfall in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Program. In addition to cost overruns for the current fiscal year, program costs are expected to skyrocket to $994 million in SFY24. The proposed SFY24 budget seeks not only to fund the current population, but also to expand program coverage to 19-41-year-olds -- at a projected annual cost of an additional $280 million. When asked about the cost overruns Governor Pritzker said, “That’s an issue that’s going to have to be worked out by committees, by working groups. But what I know is that we are going to end up with a balanced budget, no matter what.”

Various organizations and interests continue to advocate for additional funding and legislators will need to make difficult decisions as the budget is developed prior to the scheduled May 19 adjournment. 

In a favorable development, Comptroller Mendoza reported that the State has less than a billion dollars in pending Accounts Payable - the lowest number in 15 years. As of Wednesday morning, the Accounts Payable stood at $478 million.

Comptroller Mendoza also announced another $350 million transfer into the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The fund now stands at $1.58 billion.  The transfer is part of an $850 million supplemental appropriation approved in January.

Bills Approved by House/Senate Committees

The following ISACo tracked bills* were approved by House or Senate Committees during the week of April 24-28:

House Committees

HB 2347 - Juvenile Court-Commitment-Age (No Position)

SB 74 - Property Tax-Installment Payments (No Position)

SB 188 - Medical Records-Consent (No Position)

SB 836 - Paint Stewardship Act (Support)

SB 1066 - Land Conveyance-Lake County (Support)

SB 1127 - Wind and Solar Facility-Enterprise Zone (No Position)

SB 1225 - Property Tax-Common Area (No Position)

SB 1438 - Illinois Dig Once Act (No Position)

SB 1463 - Minors-No Fees or Fines (No Position)

SB 1476 - Affordable Housing Plans (No Position)

SB 1497 - Nursing Homes-Resident Consent (No Position)

SB 1499 - Companion Animal-Forfeiture (Support)

SB 1515 - Workplace Privacy-Verification (No Position)

SB 1595 - Vital Records-Certificates (No Position)

SB 1646 - Pension Code-Cook County-Re-Entering Service as Election Worker (No Position)

SB 1653 - Highway Code-Underpass Hazard Bar (No Position)

SB 1670 - FOIA-Medical Records (No Position)

SB 1675 - Property Tax-Religious Property (No Position)

SB 1710 - Vehicle Code-Bicycle Trail Signage (Oppose)

SB 1804 - EPA-Refrigerant (No Position)

SB 1834 - Juvenile Court-Unattended Minor (No Position)

SB 1886 - Code of Corrections-Probation (No Position)

SB 1924 - Pension and School Code-Regional Superintendents (No Position)

SB 1988 - Property Tax Appeals (No Position)

SB 1997 - Counties Code-Building Regulation (Support)

SB 2005 - Housing-Veterans Preference (No Position)

SB 2013 - IHDA-Housing Quality Standards (No Position)

SB 2034 - Child Extended Bereavement (No Position)

SB 2037 - Community Land Trust (No Position)

SB 2175 - Criminal Procedure-Cost Assessment (No Position)

SB 2197 - Code of Corrections-DJJ Ombudsman-County Juvenile (No Position)

SB 2226 - Conservation Opportunity Area (No Position)

SB 2278 - Vehicle Code-Truck Max Height and Weight (No Position)

SB 2287 - Property Tax-Historic Residence (No Position)

SB 2368 - Building and Residential Codes (Oppose)

Senate Committees

HB 475 - Community Mental Health Act (No Position)

HB 1067 - Superintendent of Public Works (Support)

HB 1236 - Counties-Competitive Bidding (No Position)

HB 1434 - Juvenile Court-Hospital and Agency Records (No Position)

HB 2039 - Access to Public Health Data  (Support)

HB 2040 - Township Highway Commission or Clerk Services-County Assistance (No Position)

HB 2102 - Health Care Worker Background Check (No Position)

HB 2154 - Local Battery Charged Fences (No Position)

HB 2223 - Juvenile Court-Jurisdiction and Venue (No Position)

HB 2487 - Justice40 Oversight Committee (No Position)

HB 2500 - Animal Adoption-Fee Waiver (No Position)

HB 2518 - Use/Occupation Tax-Aircraft (Oppose)

HB 2539 - Local Government Compensation Property-Temp (No Position)

HB 2624 - Court Document Accessibility (No Position)

HB 2719 - Fair Patient Billing-Screening (No Position)

HB 2776 - EPA-Notice Lead Pipe Replacement (No Position)

HB 2845 - Prevailing Wage-Biosolids (Oppose)

HB 2954 - Civil Liability for Doxing Act (No Position)

HB 3230 - Behavioral Health Crisis Care (Support)

HB 3249 - Public Safety-Health Insurance (No Position)

HB 3322 - Gang Databases-Use-Evidence (No Position)

HB 3326 - Vehicle Code-License Plate Reader (No Position)

HB 3351 - IL Solar for All-Prevailing Wage (No Position)

HB 3370 - Prevailing Wage-Power Washing (Oppose)

HB 3400 - Public Works-Number of Employees Report (No Position)

HB 3414 - Juvenile Court/Code of Corrections-Minor-Prosecute (No Position)

HB 3491 - Prevailing Wage-Contractors (No Position)

HB 3792 - Prevailing Wage-Light Poles (Oppose)

HB 3808 - Utility-Video Service Definition (Oppose)

HB 3819 - Local Deflection Programs (Support)

HB 3890 - Hospital License - Notify Rights (No Position)

HB 3955 - Hospitals-ER Copayment (No Position)

*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information." ISACo positions of "support" or "oppose" are usually reserved for bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations. ISACo also supports member county initiatives that are consistent with ISACo's County Platform.

Amendments Filed Last Week

A list of amendments filed for ISACo tracked bills during the week of April 24-28 is available via this link. In some cases, an amendment includes provisions that, if adopted, make the legislation an ISACo-tracked bill.

Governor Signs Healthcare Workforce Reinforcement Act

On April 27, Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 559 into law as Public Act 103-1. The bill creates the Health Care Workforce Reinforcement Act and codifies workforce and pharmacy related executive orders issued during the COVID public health emergency. ISACo had no position on the legislation. 

Assault Weapons Ban Update

On April 28, a federal judge from the Southern District of Illinois delayed enforcement of the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA). This is the law that bans firearms characterized as assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The delay would hold implementation of the law in abeyance while litigation challenging its constitutionality moves forward. Less than a week earlier, a federal judge from the Northern District of Illinois had denied a motion to delay enforcement of the law. 

Governor JB Pritzker stated that, contrary to the delayed enforcement, he is "...confident that as the case continues, this critical public safety law will ultimately be upheld as constitutional." Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office stated that "We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act."

Additional coverage:

Illinois Assault Weapon Ban Temporarily Blocked by Federal Judge in Southern Illinois

Illinois Ban on High-Powered Firearms Blocked by Federal Judge Downstate 

Federal Judge Blocks Illinois Assault Weapons Ban

Funding Announced for Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship and Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Programs

On Friday, April 21, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $10 million in funding for the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program and $6 million for the Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The programs will increase training opportunities in the trades, expand the clean energy talent pipeline, and boost diversity in the clean energy trade industries by providing resources to limit barriers to participation. The programs will be run through training partners which will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

Additional information is available via this link.

Cannabis Dispensary License Lottery  

On Thursday, April 27, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced it received 2,693 applications for the upcoming Social Equity Criteria Lottery (SECL). This lottery will distribute the next round of 55 conditional adult use cannabis dispensary licenses across the 17 Bureau of Labor Statistics Regions. The list of applicants participating in the SECL is here.  Following the lottery, each applicant selected will have 45 calendar days to prove certain social equity eligibility criteria in order to receive a conditional license.

Additional information is available via this link.