This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views E-Newsletter includes a General Assembly schedule update, highlights bills approved by the House last week, reports on ISACo testimony in opposition to the BUILD ACT, includes details on a House Executive Committee hearing regarding data center water use and transparency gaps, link to ISACo's latest County Lens article discussing data centers, water usage and governance, shares that more than $2 billion was returned to Illinois residents through Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerich's I-Cash Program, reports on a first-in-the-nation film production Tax Credit, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner AT&T and invites counties to join ISACo.
General Assembly Schedule
The Illinois Senate convenes from April 28-30. The House does not meet this week and will return to Springfield for session on May 5.
The deadline to move House bills out of Senate committees and Senate bills out of House committees is May 8.
The Third Reading deadline for moving House bills out of the Senate and Senate bills out of the House is May 22.
The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on May 31.
The House and Senate calendars are linked below:
House Calendar
Senate Calendar
Bills Advanced in the House Last Week
Stay informed on the latest legislative developments from Springfield. This report highlights ISACo-tracked bills that advanced in the House for the week of April 20-24, 2026. The report is available via this link.
ISACo Offers Testimony in Opposition to BUILD Act
On April 22, ISACo shared testimony with the Senate Executive Committee in opposition to SB 4061 (Senator Feigenholtz, D-Chicago), one of several bills comprising the BUILD Act package of legislation seeking to preempt local control over regulations and zoning requirements related to housing. The hearing was "subject matter only," and no votes were taken. ISACo's testimony is available via this link.
The BUILD Act is a package of seven bills. Two of which, SB 4061 and HB 5626 (Representative Buckner, D-Chicago), would amend the Illinois Counties Code to prohibit counties from requiring more than one stairway in buildings of up to six stories.
On March 11, ISACo sent a letter (available here) to Governor JB Pritzker outlining county concerns with provisions included in the proposed BUILD Act.
ISACo's "explainer" video about the BUILD Act is available via this link.
Lawmakers Examine Data Center Water Use, Transparency Gaps at House Executive Committee Hearing
During a House Executive Committee hearing on April 22, 2026, Illinois lawmakers continued their review of data center impacts, focusing on water usage, aquifer stress, and transparency gaps. Testimony highlighted tradeoffs between energy and water consumption, uneven groundwater oversight, and the need for clearer statewide standards as hyperscale facilities expand. Additional information is available via this link.
The County Lens: Water, Data Centers, and the Growing Governance Gap
Water demand is rising across the Great Lakes region, and counties are on the front lines. In this edition of The County Lens, ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy examines how data center growth, groundwater challenges, and fragmented governance are creating new pressures on local infrastructure and decision-making. The County Lens is available via this link.
Over $2 Billion in Money Returned to Residents, Businesses, Nonprofits
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced he has returned over $2.5 billion in missing money on his watch, breaking all records in an I-Cash program that has been around since the 1960s.
More than 2.5 million people, nonprofits, and businesses have been reunited with their missing money since Frerichs took office in 2015. Frerichs modernized I-Cash, allowing people to file electronic claims, taking on powerful insurance companies to return money to beneficiaries, and cross-referencing state databases to return money without people even needing to file a claim.
The press release is available via this link.
First-in-the-Nation Film Production Tax Credit to Incentivize Sustainable Filmmaking
Governor JB Pritzker announced the launch of the first-in-the-nation incentive to promote environmentally sustainable film and television production. Under the expanded program, productions recognized as a “certified green production” through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Illinois Film Office will be eligible for an additional 5% tax credit – making Illinois the first state to incentivize film and television productions for meeting certain sustainability standards.
The press release is available via this link.
What We're Reading
Cook County Launches Effort to Keep Residents on Medicaid as Thousands Face Losing Coverage (Crain's)
Illinois Sets New Rules Barring State Workers from Prediction Market Bets and AI Use Without Oversight (ChicagoTribune)
E-Bikes Proliferate, Regulations (and Misunderstandings) Abound (Governing)
Illinois Launches Online Resources for Households on Federal Foodstamps (Capitol News Illinois)
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.
Lowering Records Request Costs: Practical Tactics for Local Governments
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CST
Effectively managing public records requests is crucial for controlling operational expenses and ensuring compliance. This webinar identifies key cost drivers in public records request management and provides strategies to minimize manual processing, control costs, and mitigate legal risks. Gain strategic insights from state and local government and discover how centralized technology solutions can drive operational efficiency.
Registration for the webinar is available via this link.
County Strategies to Support Mental Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifespan
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CST
Counties are on the front lines of supporting mental health and wellbeing—not only through clinical services, but by shaping the programs, partnerships and community conditions that help residents thrive.
Join NACo and the Healthy Counties Innovation Council for a webinar exploring how counties are supporting mental health across the lifespan. This session will highlight practical, county-led approaches from Waukesha County, Wis., Clarendon County, S.C., and Boone County, Mo.
Participants will gain insights into how counties can support mental health through both targeted services and broader community-based strategies.
Registration for the webinar is available via this link.
NACo Policy Insider Webinar Series: Understanding the Federal Landscape for Counties
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. CST
Last year's Inside Washington series is now NACo Policy Insider, a bi-weekly webinar offering an overview of the full federal policy landscape impacting counties, as well as deeper dives into specific policy areas, equipping county leaders with insights, context, and strategies to engage effectively on key issues from transportation and infrastructure, to public lands to health and human services and more.
Registration is available via this link.
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
AT&T Inc. is a modern media company whose mission is to inspire human progress through the power of communication and entertainment.
The company brings together premium video content, a large base of direct-to-consumer relationships, high-speed networks optimized for video and advertising technology to lead the next revolution in technology, media and telecommunications.
AT&T has recorded 35 consecutive years of quarterly dividend growth and is a Fortune 10 company.
Click here to learn more about AT&T.
Become an ISACo Member!
Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at (217) 679-3368 or thomer@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.