This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views E-Newsletter includes a state legislative schedule update, provides an update on legislation concerning Veterans Assistance Commissions and the BUILD Act, reports on the Illinois employment rates for January, highlights recent business growth in Illinois, includes registration information for the 2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference scheduled for next week, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner ClearGov and invites counties to join ISACo.

General Assembly Schedule

The House reconvenes on April 7, and the Senate reconvenes on April 14.

The deadline to move bills out of their chamber of origin is April 17.

The House and Senate calendars are linked below:

House Calendar

Senate Calendar

Key Issues Update

Veterans Assistance Commissions 

Two bills have been introduced to amend the Military Veterans Assistance Act. 

SB 3646 (Senator Porfirio, D-Burbank) proposes to amend the Military Veterans Assistance Act (MVAA) and raises significant concerns regarding erosion of county board authority over local funding and governance decisions. The bill shifts key elements of oversight and administrative control away from locally elected county boards and toward structures that may operate with reduced direct accountability to county leadership. In doing so, it limits a county board’s traditional role in determining how services are delivered, how funds are allocated, and how local priorities are balanced within the broader scope of county responsibilities.

Additionally, the legislation introduces arbitration and litigation provisions that further constrain county discretion and expose counties to increased legal and financial risk. These provisions establish mechanisms through which disputes over funding levels or service obligations may be directed toward arbitration or pursued through the courts, potentially overriding locally adopted budget decisions. This creates a pathway for external parties to challenge county board determinations, weakening local fiscal authority and increasing the likelihood of costly legal proceedings. From a county perspective, these changes represent a concerning shift away from local decision-making and toward a more prescriptive and enforceable framework.

The bill is currently pending before the Senate Revenue Committee and remains subject to an extended deadline of April 24 for further consideration. ISACo met with the sponsor several weeks ago to explain our objections with the bill. The sponsor conveyed to ISACo that he would like to work on the bill to remove opposition. ISACo is currently opposed to SB 3646.

ISACo's Policy Brief on SB 3646 is available via this link. 

ISACo's "explainer" video about SB 3646 is available via this link. 

The second VAC bill under consideration is HB 5085 (Representative Manley, D-Joliet). The bill amends the Military Veterans Assistance Act to add new budgeting, transparency, and administrative requirements for Veterans Assistance Commissions (VACs). Beginning January 1, 2027, each VAC must prepare an annual budget and publish it on its official website. A public hearing on the budget must be held within 30 days after it is published.

The legislation also requires that each VAC’s budget be approved by both the full commission membership and the county board where the VAC is located. In addition, VACs must follow the same procurement and bidding rules as their county—or the largest contributing government entity—and all VACs would be subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. ISACo supports HB 5085, which was assigned to the House Veterans Affairs Committee and then re-referred to the House Rules Committee.

BUILD Act Package

The proposed BUILD Act in Illinois represents a sweeping housing and zoning reform package aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability by overriding certain local land-use controls. The legislation would require local governments to allow higher-density residential development, often referred to as “middle housing," on parcels traditionally limited to single-family use, while also permitting accessory dwelling units and limiting local requirements such as minimum parking mandates. In addition, the proposal seeks to standardize aspects of the development process and restrict the ability of local governments to impose certain zoning and design standards that exceed state-established thresholds.

The BUILD Act package consists of seven separate bills. All seven bills impact municipalities, while two of the bills also affect counties (both opposed by ISACo). Each of the bills and their status is listed below:

HB 5626 (counties and municipalities) - House Rules Committee - ISACo Opposes

SB 4060 (municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee 

SB 4061 (counties and municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee - ISACo Opposes

SB 4062 (municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee

SB 4063 (municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee

SB 4064 (municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee

SB 4071 (municipalities) - Senate Assignments Committee

Both HB 5626 and SB 4061 would amend the Illinois Counties Code to establish a statewide standard allowing residential buildings of up to six stories to be constructed with a single stairway under certain conditions. On March 11, ISACo sent a letter to Governor Pritzker and the four legislative leaders expressing ISACo's concerns with these two bills and requesting that we be included in any formal discussions about them. 

ISACo's "explainer" video about the BUILD Act is available via this link. 

Click on this link to access ISACo's bill tracking system to stay up-to-date on legislation affecting or of interest to counties.

Employment Rates for January

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in January, up +0.2 percentage point from December, and up +0.2 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised December unemployment rate was 4.7 percent.

Total nonfarm payrolls increased over-the-month in January, up +18,000 (+0.3%) to 6,166,800, and the largest monthly increase since June 2023. The December monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +11,800 to +11,600. The January payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week.

The press release is available via this link. 

Economic Momentum as Global Companies Choose Illinois to Invest and Grow 

A growing list of global companies are choosing Illinois to invest, expand, and create jobs—driving early-year momentum that has is already outpacing total job creation commitments in recent years.

Companies participating in the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program have committed to creating nearly 4,000 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in committed investments so far this year, exceeding the total number of jobs committed through EDGE and Reimaging Energy and Vehicles (REV) programs in 2025. These figures represent just one portion of private sector investment and job growth happening across Illinois. 

The press release is available via this link. 

2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference Registration- HAPPENING NEXT TUESDAY!

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.

What We're Reading

Illinois Farmers Brace for Another Bruising Season as Iran War Spikes Fertilizer Prices (ChicagoTribune)

Ride-Hailing Is Everywhere. State and Local Taxes Are Still Evolving (Governing)

Betting Boom: $59B Wagered on Sports in Illinois since Legalization, Raising Concerns for Youth (ABC7)

States Target ‘Surveillance Pricing’ in Grocery Aisles (Governing)

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.  

AI Meets Information Governance in the Public Sector

Wednesday, April 8, 2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST

Public sector AI adoption is caught in a "regulatory paradox": a strong push for rapid innovation occurring alongside a lack of clear   roadmaps and regulations for information safety. Data privacy regulations remain in full force.

For government information owners, the burden of responsibility for information governance has landed squarely on your shoulders. To innovate and modernize while keeping your information safe, you need a responsible information governance model that ensures only high-quality, compliant data is available for AI tools.

During this session, we’ll explore the four immediate steps you can take to ensure your agency’s AI adoption is secure, compliant, and trustworthy.

• Enforcing information minimization
• Implementing “need-to-keep” retention policies for AI tools
• Demanding privacy-preserving information architectures
• The importance of keeping a human in the loop

Registration for the webinar is available via this link. 

Emerging Dynamics in the Pharmacy Marketplace: Direct-to-Consumer and Plan Sponsors’ Rx Benefits

Thursday, April 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST

This webinar will feature Josh Fredell, Senior Vice President, PBM, Payor and Life Science Solutions at CVS Health, who will provide an expert overview of the rapidly evolving world of pharmacy benefits. Key discussion points will include the impact of the Direct to Consumer marketplace and prominent entrants such as TrumpRx, Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus model, GoodRx, and others, with a particular focus on GLP‑1 therapies.

The session will explore current industry trends, how plan sponsors are responding, and strategic considerations for navigating this shifting landscape. Attendees will gain valuable insight into market forces shaping consumer access, payer decision‑making, and future implications for benefit design.

Registration for the webinar is available via this link. 

National Stormwater Policy Forum Webinar

Monday, April 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CST

The National Stormwater Policy Forum, a half-day event co-led by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA), will take place on Monday, April 13, 2026, during Water Week. Co-hosted by the National League of Cities (NLC) and the National Association of Counties (NACo), the event provides an opportunity for members of WEF, NACo, NMSA, NLC, as well as others who are interested, to learn about current policy issues driving the stormwater sector today.

Registration for the webinar is available via this link. 

NACo Members Get More

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST

Learn how to maximize your NACo member benefits. Are you a newly elected official or is your county a new NACo member? If so, this meeting is for you. Join and learn how NACo’s resources and programs can best serve your county. From custom data profiles to policy steering committees, discover how NACo members advance county priorities, save money, support the county workforce and implement local solutions.

Registration for the webinar is available via this link. 

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT   

ClearGov® is the leading planning, budgeting, and reporting solutions provider for local governments. ClearGov helps local agencies modernize and streamline their financial processes to enhance transparency and efficiency. These solutions are utilized successfully by more than 1,200 agencies across all 50 states and are both powerful and affordable enough to support local agencies of every shape and size. ClearGov is proudly endorsed by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and is a Corporate Partner with the Illinois State Association of Counties.

For more information, visit www.cleargov.com.

 Become an ISACo Member! 

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