Our 2026 Legislative Agenda
Affordable, Accessible, and High-Quality Healthcare
Prescription Drug Affordability Board – HB 1443/SB 66 (Syed/Guzmán)
Affordability Agenda Item
Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) are structures that oversee and regulate prescription drug prices. The board would consist of experts in fields such as healthcare economics, clinical medicine, and consumer advocates. The board conducts cost reviews to assess the affordability of certain high-cost drugs and sets upper payment limits - ensuring that no one, from wholesalers to patients, pays more than what is fair.
The Health Care Transparency Act – HB 2904/SB 1679 (Avelar/Aquino)
The Health Care Transparency Act would require hospitals and health care institutions to disclose what services they do not provide for non-medical reasons to both the Illinois Department of Public Health and patients as part of the informed consent process. Patients across Illinois would be empowered to better make decisions about where to seek health care because they would have access to information about hospitals that deny care and a list of the services they refuse to provide. The Health Care Transparency Act focuses on LGBTQ+ health services, reproductive health services, and end-of-life care.
Protecting Reproductive Healthcare Providers – HB 5327/SB 3801 (Canty/Villanueva)
This bill protects the safety of healthcare workers by allowing abortion providers to "opt out" of having their individual names printed on medication abortion labels (such as mifepristone or misoprostol). Instead, the dispensing pharmacy or healthcare practice name is used on the label, ensuring providers can continue to offer essential reproductive care while reducing the risk of personal harassment or identification.
Minors’ Right To Contraception – HB 4825/SB 3341 (Avelar/Guzmán)
This bill codifies the right of minors to consent to their own contraceptive services and supplies in the state of Illinois. It ensures that a minor has the same legal capacity as an adult to access birth control, removing administrative barriers to essential healthcare, and empowering young people to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health.
Tax Justice
Ending Offshore Tax Havens (Worldwide Combined Reporting) – HB 5215/SB 3376
This legislation closes offshore tax havens used by multinational corporations to shift their profits out of Illinois. By implementing "worldwide combined reporting," the state ensures that large corporations are taxed on their actual economic activity within Illinois, preventing them from using complex accounting to avoid paying their fair share. This is estimated to generate $1.2 billion annually.
Billionaire Wealth Tax – HB 5215/SB 3376 (Mah/Villa)
Illinois currently has one of the most unequal tax systems in the country, where the wealthiest 1% often pay a lower effective rate than working families. This bill establishes a "mark-to-market" tax on the asset appreciation of billionaires, ensuring that extreme growth in wealth is taxed similarly to the wages of everyday workers. This is estimated to generate $916 million annually.
Digital Advertising Tax – HB 4894/SB 3353 (N. Hernandez/Peters)
As Big Tech corporations profit from the personal data of Illinoisans, this bill ensures they contribute back to the state’s economy. The legislation imposes a tax on the digital advertising revenue of the world's largest tech platforms—those generating over $150 million in annual digital ad revenue. This is estimated to generate $1.1 billion annually.
Protecting Illinois's Budget from Trump Tax Giveaways – HB 5125/SB 3796 (LaPointe/Collins)
This initiative protects the Illinois budget from being drained by federal tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy included in Trump’s H.R. 1. By "decoupling" from these harmful federal provisions and closing corporate loopholes like the "carried interest" exemption, Illinois can stop the drain on our resources. This is estimated to generate $710 million annually.
Expanding Voting Rights
Curbside Voting Expansion – HB 1442 (Syed)
This bill requires curbside voting to be available during early voting and on Election Day across Illinois. Currently, election authorities may provide curbside voting, but it’s not consistently offered, creating barriers for voters with mobility challenges or health concerns.
Extended Voting on Public University Campuses – HB 1445/SB 1650 (Syed/Halpin)
This bill addresses barriers to voting for students at public universities by expanding early voting hours and ensuring polling locations are available on Election Day. It mandates at least six days of early voting at student unions, including weekends and the Monday before Election Day, with consistent hours from 10 AM to 5 PM. Additionally, it requires student unions to serve as polling locations on Election Day itself, operating from 6 AM to 7 PM, eliminating confusion and improving accessibility.
Permanent VBM Application Expansion – HB 1444/SB 1649 (Syed/Halpin)
This bill simplifies and streamlines the process for Illinois voters to enroll in Permanent Vote by Mail (PVBM) by requiring a checkbox for PVBM on all one-time vote-by-mail applications. Currently, voters must locate and complete a separate form for PVBM, which creates unnecessary confusion and administrative hurdles. By integrating this option into existing applications, the bill reduces barriers to voting, particularly for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others who rely on vote by mail, while easing the workload for election authorities.
The RACE Act – HB 5414/SB 2983 (Slaughter/Collins)
Like everyone else, incarcerated individuals are affected by decisions made by our elected officials. But without the right to vote, incarcerated individuals have no voice to hold elected officials accountable. Disenfranchisement disproportionately impacts young, Black, and low-income Illinoisans. This bill restores the right to vote no later than 14 days post-conviction.
Universal Voting – SB 3338 (Johnson)
This bill would establish voting as a universal civic duty in Illinois by requiring all eligible citizens to cast a ballot in general elections by law. No fines or fees would be imposed for not participating, and Illinoisans would be able to satisfy the requirement by casting a blank ballot.
Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Law – HB 4339/SB 1786 (Du Buclet/Peters)
This bill requires Illinois school districts to provide all eligible high school seniors with the opportunity to register to vote before graduation. By integrating voter registration into the high school experience, this legislation aims to foster lifelong civic engagement and ensure that young people have a clear, accessible path to participating in our democracy.
Protecting Consumers from Predatory and Discriminatory Practices
Tenant Fees Limitation Act – HB5234 (Syed/Simmons)
Affordability Agenda Item
Renters in Illinois face an uphill battle against unjust fees that drive up the cost of housing and create barriers to finding a safe and affordable place to live, disproportionately impacting low-income families. This bill aims to address this by eliminating junk fees like those for routine maintenance, lock-outs, walk-throughs, and online portals, limiting landlords to either a move-in fee or a security deposit (not both), and requiring transparent disclosure of all fees on lease agreements.
Stop Criminalization of Homelessness in Illinois Act – HB 1429 (Olickal/LaPointe)
The U.S. Supreme Court's Johnson v. Grants Pass decision allows local governments to fine and arrest people experiencing homelessness for sleeping outside, even when no shelter options are available. HB 1429 ensures people experiencing unsheltered homelessness are not fined or arrested for life-sustaining activities like resting, eating, or staying warm. It prohibits ordinances targeting homelessness, requires a 7-day notice before removing individuals, and mandates good-faith efforts to provide shelter, transportation, and services.
Community Safety Through Stable Homes Act – SB 2264 (Villa)
Municipalities throughout Illinois have enacted “crime-free housing and nuisance property” ordinances under the guise of keeping communities safer. In reality, the ordinances force housing providers to unfairly penalize and even evict tenants based on any alleged criminal or “nuisance” activity – which can include calling emergency services for help. This bill will protect people from unfair discrimination, keep families in their homes, and refocus public policy on more effective responses to crime.
Prohibiting Electronic Tax Filing Junk Fees – HB 1074 (Yang Rohr)
Affordability Agenda Item
HB 1074 protects Illinois taxpayers from 'junk fees' when filing their state income taxes. Specifically, it prohibits tax software companies and professional preparers from charging a separate, hidden fee just to electronically transmit your return—a service that is already free for residents who file directly through the Department of Revenue.
Water Affordability – SB 75 (Murphy)
Affordability Agenda Item
This bill would slow excessive water rate increases by eliminating the Qualifying Infrastructure Plant (QIP) surcharge that allows utilities to raise rates more quickly and by requiring utility shareholders, rather than customers, to pay the majority of the costs when private utilities acquire local water and wastewater systems.
Alternative Electric and Gas Supplier Consumer Protections – HB 4313 (DuBuclet)
Affordability Agenda Item
This bill strengthens consumer protections for customers of alternative electric and gas suppliers by requiring customer consent for rate increases at renewal, banning incentive-based pay for supplier salespeople, improving billing transparency, capping supplier prices at no more than 25% above utility rates, and ensuring accurate price data is reported to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).
Utility Affordability – SB 1275 (Glowiak Hilton/Mah)
Affordability Agenda Item
The Utility Transparency Act would prohibit utilities from passing certain nonessential costs onto consumers, including trade association dues, political expenditures, goodwill advertising, and outside legal fees. By making these costs unrecoverable through rate cases, the bill helps reduce unnecessary increases in utility bills and ensures that Illinoisans aren’t funding the political power of utility companies.
Preventing Gun Violence
The RIFL Act – HB 3320/SB 2279 (Olickal/Peters)
This bill creates the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act, establishing a firearms manufacturer licensing program in Illinois. Starting January 1, 2028, manufacturers must obtain a license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Fees will go towards the RIFL Fund, which will provide financial assistance to firearm victims and fund related initiatives. Retailers are prohibited from selling firearms from unlicensed manufacturers, with penalties for violations.
Protecting the Environment
Polystyrene Plastic Ban – SB 1531 (Fine)
Polystyrene is a single-use foam plastic that significantly contributes to waste and pollution. The foam foodware, which breaks up into small pieces but never fully breaks down, pollutes land, water, and air. This compromise bill will ban all foam foodware from distribution beginning in 2030.
Wetlands Protection Act – HB 3596/SB 2401 (Moeller/Ellman)
This bill would create a state-run permit program to protect Illinois wetlands from being filled or destroyed without oversight, filling a gap left by recent federal rollbacks. It ensures that critical natural areas stay intact to prevent local flooding, filter our drinking water, and preserve wildlife habitats across the state.
Data Center Accountability & Clean Energy Act – HB 5513/SB 4016 (Gabel/Villivalam)
As massive data centers (warehouses powering AI and the internet) expand in Illinois, their demand for electricity and water is skyrocketing. This bill protects our water and power grid from massive threats and creates a "check-and-balance" system to ensure these companies don't drain local resources or drive up residents' utility bills.
Investing in Public Education
Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act – SB 13 (Lightford)
This bill establishes a funding formula for Illinois public universities, managed by the Board of Higher Education, to distribute general operating funds equitably. It sets adequacy targets, calculates base funding minimums, and includes an accountability framework to assess the impact on affordability, enrollment, and student outcomes. The Act creates an Accountability and Transparency Committee and a Funding Formula Review Panel to oversee and refine the process.
Protecting Public School Funding – SB 3966 (Guzmán)
This bill protects Illinois public schools by prohibiting the state from participating in the new federal school voucher program established under Trump’s H.R. 1. It ensures that public resources are not diverted to private schools, maintaining our commitment to an equitable, fully-funded public education system for all Illinois students.
LGBTQIA+ Protections
Ban On Tracking Of Gender Affirming and Reproductive Health Medication – HB 4834/SB 3323 (Cassidy/Johnson)
This bill would stop the state from tracking prescriptions for testosterone and reproductive health medications in its monitoring database to protect patient privacy. It also requires the state to delete all existing testosterone records and prevents future surveillance of abortion-related medications and gender-affirming care.
Ban On State Funding Of Conversion Therapy – HB 4554/SB 3105 (Faver Dias/Edly-Allen)
This bill would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to fund or contract for conversion therapy through any organization or religious entity. It ensures that state public funds are used for supportive services rather than practices that attempt to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Gender-Affirming Medication Access – HB 5492/SB 3525 (Stuart/Collins)
This bill ensures consistent care for patients by requiring insurance providers to cover up to a 12-month supply of prescription hormone therapy and necessary self-administration supplies at one time. By requiring pharmacists to dispense a full year's supply upon request, this legislation removes the frequent administrative and logistical hurdles of monthly refills. This mandate applies across private insurance, state employee plans, and public aid, guaranteeing uninterrupted access to essential gender-affirming healthcare for all Illinoisans.
Workers’ Rights
Paid Family and Medical Leave – HB 3483/SB 2413 (Moeller/Villivalam)
Affordability Agenda Item
The Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Act creates a paid leave program for employees, managed by the Division of Paid Family and Medical Leave under the Illinois Department of Labor. It sets eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, and durations, and allows self-employed individuals to opt in. The law also establishes the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Fund to finance the paid leave program.
The Workplace Extreme Temperature Safety Act – HB 3762/SB 2501 (Gonzalez/Peters)
The Workplace Extreme Temperature Safety Act establishes a framework to protect workers from heat and cold stress, filling gaps left by federal rulemaking. Key protections include mandatory temperature thresholds, access to water and rest breaks, emergency response protocols, and strong anti-retaliation measures to ensure workers can exercise their rights without fear.
Rideshare Drivers’ Union – HB 4743/SB 2906 (Morris/Villivalam)
This bill would grant over 100,000 rideshare drivers across the state the right to form a union and bargain collectively. While companies like Uber and Lyft generate tens of billions in revenue, drivers face shrinking wages, rising vehicle costs, and "deactivation" by algorithms without due process.
Fair Wages for All Act –SB 3821 (Lightford)
This bill ensures every worker in Illinois is paid fairly by phasing out the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers and minors. It also extends minimum wage protections to individuals who are incarcerated, ensuring that labor is compensated fairly while providing a pathway to financial stability upon release.