This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes several highlighted bills of interest to counties, features a new episode of ISACo's Counties Count! Podcast that discusses what Illinois House and Senate leaders anticipate for the months ahead, highlights more than $480 million in state spending reductions to buffer potential federal funding disruptions and revenue shortfalls, makes county officials and staff aware of the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) teaming up with other states on maintaining global health awareness following the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), includes a "Save the Date" for the 2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference, invites county officials and staff to contribute an article to ISACo's County Quarterly Newsletter, encourages county officials to attend the February 2026 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Nationwide and invites counties to join ISACo.

Highlighted Bills of Interest

The following bills of interest to counties have been introduced in January. ISACo is currently analyzing introduced legislation and those bills that affect or are of interest to counties will be added to our tracked bill list.

HB 4319 - Property Owner Protection from Data Center Impacts Act

Creates the Property Owner Protection from Data Center Impacts Act, allowing property owners within 1,000 feet of a data center to seek compensation for proven losses in property value, business revenue, or quality-of-life impacts caused by its construction or operation.

HB 4419 - Prevents County and Municipal Boards From Prohibiting Natural Gas Use in New Construction

Provides that a county or municipality may not adopt any regulation that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting the use of natural gas in new construction without a referendum. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

HB 4444 - Recoup Actual Charges for FOIA Requests

Allows public bodies to charge the actual staff time cost for searching, retrieving, and redacting records under FOIA—after the first two free hours—and would apply these fees to all requests, not just commercial ones.

SB 2795 - Local Government Inspector General and Ethics Commission

Creates a new Local Government Inspector General and Ethics Commission to independently receive and investigate complaints of misconduct in local government, strengthen ethics oversight, and increase public transparency by expanding the authority and independence of inspectors general to conduct investigations and release reports.

SB 2836 - Local Government Audit Act

Updates state audit requirements by moving most local governments to biennial audits starting in fiscal year 2028, raising and indexing the revenue threshold for reduced audit reporting, and modernizing audit definitions and filing procedures.

SB 2865 - Probation Officer Salary Reimbursement

This bill requires the state to fully reimburse counties for approved probation officers supporting pretrial and specialty court programs and gradually expands 100% salary reimbursement to additional probation officer positions beginning in 2027.

Counties Count! Podcast - New Episode!

The January 21, 2026, episode of ISACo's Counties Count! Podcast discusses what House and Senate leaders from both parties anticipate for the months ahead — from budget pressures and shrinking federal support to energy policy, insurance regulation, and revenue debates. Tune in to explore what these priorities could mean for counties as the General Assembly works to balance fiscal responsibility, economic stability, and the needs of Illinois residents. Click on the image below to listen to the podcast.

Illinois Identifies $482 Million Spending Cushion Ahead of Federal Funding Uncertainty

Politico reports that Illinois officials have identified $482 million in spending reductions to help buffer the state against potential federal funding disruptions and revenue shortfalls. Following Governor JB Pritzker’s directive for agencies to find 4 percent in savings, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget outlined unspent funds largely from healthcare, human services, education, and public safety. The largest reductions include $200 million from the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund tied to Medicaid, $119 million from the Department of Human Services through delayed hiring and lower caseloads, and additional savings from state employee health insurance and higher education reserves. State officials emphasized that these reductions will not result in service cuts.

The spending restraint comes as Illinois prepares for a challenging budget year marked by uncertainty in federal policy and revenue performance. Budget analysts warn that proposed and enacted federal tax changes and potential reductions in programs such as SNAP could cost Illinois more than $1 billion combined, far exceeding the identified savings. While state revenues are currently running nearly 5 percent ahead of last year, forecasters caution that final income tax payments this spring will be critical. Observers say the moves signal a tight budget environment ahead as the governor prepares to propose his next budget amid re-election efforts and ongoing federal fiscal pressures.

New Efforts Aimed at Keeping Illinoisans Safe After U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) Withdrawal

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) marked the one-year anniversary of the federal government announcing its intent to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). Per IDPH, the recently finalized withdrawal could disrupt long-standing systems for global disease detection, emergency coordination, and the rapid sharing of life-saving health information.

The press release is available via this link. 

2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference - Save the Date!

For the third consecutive year, ISACo and our friends at the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) will hold a legislative conference for county officials and staff on April 14-15, 2026. ISACo members are invited to attend the April 14 events that will include a breakfast buffet and legislative briefing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and an evening legislative reception at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. State officials will also be invited to attend the reception. Activities on April 15 are reserved for UCCI members. Registration information and additional details are available via this link.

Call for Articles: Share Your County’s Story in ISACo’s County Quarterly Newsletter

ISACo invites county officials and staff to contribute articles for upcoming editions of our County Quarterly Newsletter. This publication is strengthened by the insights, innovations, and real-world experiences shared by counties across Illinois—and we’d love to feature your work.

Whether you want to highlight a successful initiative, reflect on a policy issue, share best practices, or showcase a community partnership making a difference, your perspective helps inform and inspire colleagues statewide.

If you’re interested in submitting, please take a moment to review our publication guidelines available via this link.

We look forward to featuring your county’s accomplishments and ideas in a future issue!

If you need help shaping an idea or want to talk through a potential topic, feel free to reach out—we’re always glad to collaborate.

NACo Legislative Conference Registration Open

The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 21-24, 2026. Registration information is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

Construction of Asian Carp Barrier in Illinois Hits Another Snag (The Detroit News)

Judge Rules Trump Administration Must Keep Funding Child Care Subsidies in 5 States for Now, Including Illinois (Chicago Tribune)

Illinois’ Oil Boom Left Behind a $160 Million Cleanup Bill (Governing)

Learn more about IPRIME

Founded in 2019, the Illinois Public Reserves Investment Management Trust™ (IPRIME™) referred to as “the Fund” is an investment pool for Municipal Treasurers acting on behalf of counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, libraries, park districts, water supply districts, fire protection districts, sanitary districts, housing authorities and other subdivisions of the State of Illinois.

The IPRIME Investment Shares Series is rated AAAm by Standard & Poor’s.

The Investment Shares Series is comprised of money market instruments having a maximum remaining maturity of one year (except U.S. government obligations that may have remaining maturities of up to two years).

The primary objectives of the Investment Shares Series are to offer the highest possible investment yield, protect principal, preserve liquidity and maintain Standard & Poor’s highest local government investment pool rating of AAAm. In addition, the Fund offers access to PMA Financial Network, LLC’s Fixed Income and Deposit Programs. With the experience and expertise of PMA, the Investment Shares Series grants investors access to a powerful investment management team that functions with a high standard of vision, synergy, and quality.

Click on the photo below to learn more about IPRIME!

 

Please contact Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at thomer@isacoil.org if you have additional questions.

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities.   

The Current State of Student Debt and Forgiveness

(Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST)

This webinar is designed for county HR and leadership teams seeking practical ways to support employees struggling with student debt.

Over 9 million public service workers, including full-time county employees, are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Yet fewer than 3 percent have successfully received relief.

The issue is not eligibility. It is awareness, complexity, and follow-through.

Please join us as we speak with student debt forgiveness expert Tony Raffa, who will clarify today’s student debt landscape, including:

• What recent policy and executive actions mean for public sector employees
• How Department of Education changes affect forgiveness eligibility, timelines, and compliance
• Which student debt relief programs do employees actually qualify for today
• The current status of the SAVE program
• Common application errors that delay or derail forgiveness
• Rising delinquency and repayment restart risks
• What HR teams need to know about collections, wage garnishment notices, and employer responsibilities

Attendees will also see how a new student debt navigation tool helps employees estimate their potential forgiveness, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce annual payments by an average of $2,244.

For HR teams, this means a scalable way to offer meaningful financial support without adding administrative burden.

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

What to Know Before You Go to NACo’s Legislative Conference

(Thursday, January 29, 2026, 2 p.m - 3 p.m. CST)

If this is your first time attending NACo’s Legislative Conference, this webinar is for you! Join NACo’s Membership Chair and staff to learn ways to maximize your experience at the NACo Legislative Conference. This conference is the premier opportunity for county leaders to exchange cutting-edge practices, engage with members of Congress, and collaborate on policy solutions. You’ll leave this brief webinar prepared to navigate the conference schedule and participate in sessions, including policy meetings, a federal agency expo, and summits on pressing topics.

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

NACo Public Health Leadership Academy Application Information Session

(Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 2:30 p.m - 3:30 p.m. CST)

The National Association of Counties (NACo), in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation, is launching its inaugural Public Health Leadership Academy (PHLA) to strengthen county leadership in advancing public health. This webinar will review the key information applicants should know to apply to the PHLA and provide an opportunity for applicants to ask questions. 

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT     

Over the past 85 years, focusing on customers and valuing people have helped Nationwide become one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world.

Even though Nationwide has dozens of affiliated companies, people are its biggest resource – and its greatest asset in providing excellent customer service to its customers. That’s why its Supply Management Services group makes sure agents and associates get the best quality products and services, at the best possible cost. It’s also why Nationwide has an Office of Customer Advocacy.

Click here to learn more about Nationwide.

Become an ISACo Member! 

Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?