Chicago City Wire

A new law sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18) that was introduced with the purpose of amending the Messages Tax Act went into effect on Jan. 14, according to the official Illinois General Assembly website.

The legislation was introduced in bill HB961 on Jan. 28, 2019, when Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) filed it with the House clerk.

According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Messages Tax Act" and "make a technical change in a section concerning the short title".

After debate, the House passed the bill and it arrived in the Senate on Oct. 30, 2019, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on Nov. 14, 2019. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Jan. 14. 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 HB961.

Date	Chamber	Action
1/28/2019	House	Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Michael J. Madigan
1/29/2019	House	First Reading
1/29/2019	House	Referred to Rules Committee
2/5/2019	House	Assigned to Executive Committee
3/27/2019	House	Do Pass / Short Debate Executive Committee; 011-000-000
3/29/2019	House	Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate **
4/11/2019	House	Second Reading - Short Debate
4/11/2019	House	Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate **
4/12/2019	House	Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
10/21/2019	House	Approved for Consideration Rules Committee; 004-000-000
10/21/2019	House	Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) November 27, 2019
10/21/2019	House	Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
10/24/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
10/24/2019	House	Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Fred Crespo
10/24/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Fred Crespo
10/28/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Revenue & Finance Committee
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Bradley Stephens
10/29/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Revenue & Finance Committee; 014-000-000
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Morrison
10/30/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted
10/30/2019	House	Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 111-000-000
10/30/2019	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch
10/30/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah
10/30/2019	House	3/5 Vote Required
10/30/2019	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jonathan Carroll
10/30/2019	House	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
10/30/2019	Senate	Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Laura Ellman
10/30/2019	Senate	Arrive in Senate
10/30/2019	Senate	First Reading
10/30/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
10/30/2019	Senate	Referred to Assignments
11/6/2019	Senate	Assigned to Revenue
11/6/2019	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As November 14, 2019
11/12/2019	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Bill Cunningham
11/13/2019	Senate	Second Reading
11/13/2019	Senate	Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Ann Gillespie
11/13/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading November 14, 2019
11/13/2019	Senate	Do Pass Revenue; 007-000-000
11/13/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading
11/13/2019	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.
11/14/2019	House	Passed Both Houses
11/14/2019	Senate	3/5 Vote Required
11/14/2019	Senate	Third Reading - Passed; 053-000-000
12/13/2019	House	Sent to the Governor
1/14/2020	House	Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0622
1/14/2020	House	Effective Date January 14, 2020
1/14/2020	House	Governor Approved