This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views E-Newsletter includes ISACo's July County Quarterly, bills signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker, ISACo's Bills Approved by Both Chambers Report, highlights Regional Site Readiness Program grant award recipients, reports on recently signed legislation intended to strengthen professional misconduct reporting and patient protections, invites ISACo member counties to a webinar offering free Amazon Business Prime membership for counties, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner AT&T and invites counties to join ISACo.
July County Quarterly
ISACo's July County Quarterly Newsletter is available! Inside this issue, you'll find highlights from the 2026 NACo Annual Conference in New Orleans, updates on the 2026 Spring Legislative Session, information about changes being made to the Capitol complex, and more.
View the County Quarterly by clicking the image below.
Governor Bill Actions
The following bills were signed into law by the Governor. Several of the bills do not yet have public act numbers. Public act numbers will be added as they become available. ISACo's position on each bill is included.
HB 3393 - Crim Pro--Speedy Trial Toll (No Position)
HB 4091 - Juv Ct-Subseq Firearm Offense (No Position)
HB 4365 - Metro Sanitary Dist-Renaming (No Position)
HB 4379 - Adult Changing Stations (No Position)
HB 4418 - EPA-Stormwater-Plastic Pellet (No Position)
HB 4868 - Nursing Home-Incident Report (No Position)
HB 4909 - Pen Cd-IMRF-Employee (Oppose)
HB 4949 - Family Justice Centers Act (No Position)
HB 5001 - Ins-Mammogram Coverage (No Position)
HB 5020 - Juv Ct-Extended Jur Juv Pros (No Position)
HB 5081 - Veh Cd-Alter Speed Limits (Support)
HB 5187 - SW IL Metro/Region Planning (No Position)
HB 5284 - Human Rights-Menopause Care (No Position)
HB 5470 - DCEO-Various (No Position)
HB 5489 - Domestic Violence-Juveniles (No Position)
SB 2771 (P.A. 104-0808) - Suicide Prevention Information (No Position)
SB 2784 (P.A. 104-0809) - Judges-6th & 7th Jud Circuits (No Position)
SB 2802 (P.A. 104-0810) - Pen Cd-IMRF-Death Benefit (No Position)
SB 3076 (P.A. 104-0815) - Public Employee Disability (Oppose)
SB 3772 (P.A. 104-0827) - EPA-Environmental Justice (No Position)
SB 3798 (P.A. 104-0828) - Mental Health 9-1-1 Calls (No Position)
SB 3880 (P.A. 104-0829) - Substance Use Disorder Service (No Position)
SB 3942 (P.A. 104-0830) - Juv Ct-Youth Release (No Position)
Bills Approved by Both Chambers Report
At the conclusion of each spring session, ISACo publishes a report summarizing the bills approved by the General Assembly that affect or are of interest to counties. ISACo updates the report with public act numbers for bills signed into law by the Governor. The report is available by clicking on the image below.
ISACo's 2026 Post-Session Information webpage hosts resources associated with the 2026 legislative session.
Regional Site Readiness Program Grant Awards
On August 6, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced Regional Site Readiness Program awards totaling $35 million to support site readiness activities at 22 sites across Illinois. To date, the State has awarded $115 million to support 63 projects across Illinois in their site preparedness efforts.
The press release is available via this link.
Landmark Reforms to Strengthen Professional Misconduct Reporting and Patient Protections
Governor JB Pritzker signed into law a landmark package of reforms strengthening patient protections by establishing for licensed health care professionals, hospitals, and hospital affiliates a duty to report accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct and unjustified intimate conduct to State regulators. With this change, the State will have the ability to swiftly open an investigation into the matter and suspend or take other appropriate action against a license, thereby preventing continued harm to patients.
The press release is available via this link.
What We're Reading
Why Illinois has Struggled to Turn Old Coal Sites into Solar Farms (CanaryMedia)
New Champaign County Group Pushing Against Data Centers (WCIA)
Protecting Water Systems from Cyberattacks (SmartCitiesDive)
Free Business Prime for Members Opportunity
Amazon Business is partnering with ISACo to extend free Business Prime, a $3,499/year value, to all members. Register to join us for a webinar on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:00 am to learn how to activate your account and start saving.
In addition to free Prime, members will unlock:
- Up to 25% off thousands of essential items
- Same-day, 1-day, or 2-day shipping
- Guided Buying to keep purchases on policy
- Pay by Invoice and automatic tax exemption
- Spend Visibility tools to track and manage purchasing
- Multi-user account access for your entire team
There's no cost or contract, and Amazon will walk you through enrolling in free Business Prime on the webinar. Can't make it live? Register anyway and ISACo will follow up with next steps.
Registration is available via this link.
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.
Leading Without Blame: How Psychological Safety Strengthens County Cyber Resilience
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. CST
The most damaging breaches in county government rarely begin with a sophisticated exploit. They begin with a person — someone who is stressed, overloaded, or afraid to raise a hand. For counties defending elections, courts, emergency services, and water systems, with lean teams and tight budgets, the way leaders build culture and trust is one of the highest-leverage security controls they own.
This panel brings county leaders together to explore how psychological safety, authentic leadership, and a culture of belief — not box-checking — drive real cyber resilience. Panelists will share candid, on-the-ground perspectives on moving from performative compliance to operational commitment, treating people as the strongest control rather than the weakest link, and using AI to sharpen human judgment rather than replace it.
Key takeaways:
- Psychological safety is a security control: teams that feel safe report incidents faster, conceal less, and recover more quickly from mistakes.
- Resilience is built on commitment and belief, not checkbox compliance — and elected and appointed leaders set that tone from the top.
- AI is a tool to enhance human judgment, not replace it; counties succeed by pairing a strong culture with practical guardrails.
Registration is available via this link.
Strategies for Sustainable Retiree Health Benefits
Thursday, August 13, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has fundamentally reshaped the Medicare landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for employers, public sector organizations, and pension funds that sponsor retiree health benefits. While retirees are benefiting from lower prescription drug costs and capped out-of-pocket spending, plan sponsors are now facing significantly higher financial exposure — especially within Medicare Part D.
This webinar will explore how the post-IRA environment is changing Group Medicare economics and what plan sponsors can do to protect both retiree outcomes and long-term fiscal sustainability. Attendees will gain insight into emerging cost pressures, including rising healthcare utilization, increased catastrophic drug liability, and evolving CMS reimbursement dynamics.
Participants will also learn actionable strategies to help manage costs without compromising retiree care, including:
• Optimizing pharmacy benefit design in the new Part D environment
• Leveraging value-based care models to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits
• Implementing site-of-care strategies to lower medical spend
• Investing in preventive care and wellness initiatives to improve long-term outcomes
• Using data transparency and claims analytics to support smarter decision-making Designed for county leaders, HR and benefits professionals, finance officers, and pension/OPEB stakeholders, this session will provide practical guidance for navigating the rapidly evolving Group Medicare landscape while balancing affordability, compliance, and retiree satisfaction.
Registration is available via this link.
Ready for November: Make Every Week Count
Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CST
Want to make the most of the weeks leading up to the midterm elections and wondering what additional steps could strengthen your county's readiness? Whether you're refining existing plans or identifying where to focus next, this webinar will help you prioritize practical, high-impact actions you can take before November.
Join the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) for a conversation perfect for county IT professionals, emergency managers, and election administrators. You'll hear from election security experts who will share practical approaches to scenario planning, cross-functional coordination, and operational preparedness that can be implemented in the months and weeks leading up to Election Day.
The session will focus on what counties can realistically accomplish with the time, staff, and infrastructure you already have while highlighting additional tools, perspectives, and publicly available resources from trusted partners. You'll leave with actionable next steps to strengthen your county's election security and readiness before November 3rd.
Registration is available via this link.
Doing More With Less: How Counties Can Successfully Address Behavioral Health Crisis Response Needs
Thursday, August 20, 2026 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Registration is available via this link.
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