Illinois Rep. Evans’s educational labor rights bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. aims to strengthen the rights and access of exclusive representatives in collective bargaining under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 73 Democrats and two Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 37 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 37 Democrats and 16 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Republican voted against it.

Evans introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 6, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB3309, was passed on May 30, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that employers shall provide the State labor organization with a copy of the information provided to the exclusive representative. Effective immediately.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act to enhance the rights and access of exclusive representatives of educational employees for collective bargaining purposes. It allows representatives to meet with employees on employer premises without loss of pay, conduct worksite meetings during non-working hours, use employer mailboxes and bulletin boards for communication, and access specific employee information in a digital format. The bill also prohibits employers from disclosing certain personal information of employees, such as home addresses and personal contact information, except to the exclusive bargaining representative or as required by the Freedom of Information Act. Violations can result in legal action by aggrieved employees or their representatives. The Act takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Daniel Didech (Democrat-59th District), Rep. Hoan Huynh (Democrat-13th District), and Sen. Linda Holmes (Democrat-42nd District), along with three other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Evans graduated from Chicago State University with a BS.

Evans, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2012 to represent the state’s 33rd House District, replacing previous state representative Marlow Colvin.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.