During legislative action on March 24, 2026, several bills tracked by the Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) were moved out of House and Senate committees. The approved bills are listed below under the committee where they were considered.
House Health Care Availability and Access Committee
HB 1443 creates a new Health Care Availability and Access Board to help control the cost of prescription drugs in Illinois. The Board would review certain high-cost medications and, in public meetings, decide whether to place limits on how much can be paid or reimbursed for those drugs across the state. In doing so, it must generally align those limits with the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price, rather than setting its own different prices. The Board would be supported by staff, advised by a stakeholder council representing various interests in the health care system, and allowed to contract with outside experts as needed. The Illinois Attorney General would have authority to enforce the law. Overall, the goal is to reduce prescription drug costs while ensuring transparency and consistency with federal pricing standards.
This bill is presently under review.
HB 5446 amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall allow for an alternative rural staffing model for vehicle service providers that serve a rural or semi-rural population of 10,000 or fewer inhabitants and exclusively use volunteers, paid-on-call, or part-time employees, or a combination thereof (now, the use of part-time employees is not an option). Effective immediately.
ISACo supports the bill.
House Insurance Committee
HB 5001 amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Requires every insurer to provide in each group or individual policy, contract, or certificate of insurance issued or renewed for persons who are residents of the State, coverage for screening by low-dose mammography for all patients 30 (instead of 35) years of age or older for the presence of occult breast cancer within the provisions of the policy, contract, or certificate. Requires coverage for a baseline mammogram for patients 30 to 34 (instead of 35 to 39) years of age and an annual mammogram for patients 35 (instead of 40) years of age or older. Effective January 1, 2027.
ISACo has no position on the bill.
House Judiciary-Criminal Committee
HB 5020 amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to change how certain serious juvenile cases can be handled. It allows a State’s Attorney to request that a minor aged 15 or older (instead of 13 or older) be tried under an extended jurisdiction juvenile prosecution, which can result in both juvenile and potential adult sentencing. Before granting that request, a judge must hold a hearing to determine whether there is probable cause that the allegations are true. If so, the judge may approve the designation if there is clear and convincing evidence that adult sentencing could be appropriate. In making that decision, the judge must consider factors such as the minor’s age, maturity, and ability to understand consequences, as well as any mental health or developmental issues, along with the minor’s background, including family environment, education, and any history of trauma or abuse.
ISACo has no position on the bill.
HB 5383 creates the DUI Treatment Court Act, allowing the Chief Judge in each judicial circuit to establish specialized DUI court programs that follow statewide problem-solving court standards and are certified by the Illinois Supreme Court. These programs can operate in one or more counties within a circuit and may accept participants from across the circuit, but certain serious offenders are excluded. Defendants charged with DUI or aggravated DUI may be admitted with their consent and court approval. Judges overseeing these courts must have specific training and experience, and, if funded, prosecutors and public defenders would receive required training as well. The goal of the program is to provide structured treatment and supervision, with the possibility that participants who successfully complete the program could have their sentences reduced, terminated, or otherwise resolved without further court proceedings.
ISACo has no position on the bill.
House Transportation: Regulation, Roads and Bridges Committee
HB 2630 creates the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act to require the Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test the use of solar powered LED road signs in 5 counties of varied population. After getting reports of the program from the counties, the Department shall file a report with the General Assembly that contains the complete findings of the program. Effective immediately.
This bill is presently under review.
HB 4759 creates the Green Light for Buses Act to establish the Committee on Efficient Arterial Signal Infrastructure to make recommendations to improve public transit efficiency via improvements to traffic signal infrastructure. Publishes a report to the Department of Transportation for inclusion in the Public Transportation Plan. Grants implementing authority. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
This bill is presently under review.
HB 5576 amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that the Northern Illinois Transit Authority may not withdraw moneys from the Authority's ADA Paratransit Fund unless the Authority: (1) implements a program to collect data about the reliability of paratransit services that evaluates each driver's performance; (2) requires regular training sessions, including training to assist visually impaired and deaf riders traveling door-to-door, for drivers who received poor evaluations; and (3) requires all reservation methods to permit caregivers to book rides for visually impaired and deaf riders.
ISACo has no position on the bill.
Senate Criminal Law Committee
SB 3597 makes a variety of changes to laws governing the Illinois State Police and related public safety operations. It designates the Division of Patrol as the lead agency for enforcing motor carrier safety laws and overseeing the state’s commercial vehicle safety plan, while also requiring additional in-service training for officers on issues such as human trafficking and sexual violence. The bill allows greater coordination between State Police and federal or state aeronautics authorities using the police radio network, and updates how juvenile-related data is collected by maintaining a statewide system for tracking police contacts. It also changes procedures for collecting a child’s fingerprints or DNA with parental permission, expands the authority of Metropolitan Enforcement Groups to address terrorism-related offenses, and streamlines certain evidentiary requirements in drug and DUI cases. Additionally, it updates reporting requirements for law enforcement drone use and makes other technical and conforming changes, with the law taking effect immediately.
ISACo has no position on the bill.