The legislation was introduced in bill HB2259 on Feb. 7, when Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12) filed it with the House clerk.
According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code".
After debate, the House passed the bill and it arrived in the Senate on April 11, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on May 16. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on July 12. The law went into effect immediately.
Illinois legislature enacts laws through bills that can be introduced in either the state House of Representatives or the state Senate. Either chamber of the legislature can reject or amend a bill before it becomes law. Legislators sometimes sponsor "shell bills" devoid of substantive provisions, introduced with the intention of being amended later to include actual legislation.
The following table shows the full history of actions on HB2259.
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 2/7/2019 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz |
| 2/7/2019 | House | First Reading |
| 2/7/2019 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Assigned to Appropriations-Human Services Committee |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregory Harris |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy |
| 3/19/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah |
| 3/19/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Halpin |
| 3/21/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez |
| 3/21/2019 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Appropriations-Human Services Committee; 019-000-000 |
| 3/21/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/28/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Delia C. Ramirez |
| 3/29/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/29/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz |
| 4/2/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Appropriations-Human Services Committee |
| 4/4/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 4/4/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz |
| 4/9/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Appropriations-Human Services Committee |
| 4/9/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommends Be Adopted Appropriations-Human Services Committee; 011-000-000 |
| 4/10/2019 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/10/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted |
| 4/10/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/11/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled |
| 4/11/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Karina Villa |
| 4/11/2019 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 112-000-001 |
| 4/11/2019 | Senate | Arrive in Senate |
| 4/11/2019 | Senate | First Reading |
| 4/11/2019 | Senate | Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison |
| 4/11/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading |
| 4/11/2019 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 4/24/2019 | Senate | Assigned to Human Services |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2019 |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Do Pass Human Services; 009-000-000 |
| 5/10/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura Fine |
| 5/14/2019 | Senate | Second Reading |
| 5/14/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 15, 2019 |
| 5/16/2019 | House | Passed Both Houses |
| 5/16/2019 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 |
| 6/14/2019 | House | Sent to the Governor |
| 7/12/2019 | House | Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0062 |
| 7/12/2019 | House | Effective Date July 12, 2019 |
| 7/12/2019 | House | Governor Approved |
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