Chicago City Wire

Sonya M. Harper introduced HB1223 in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Racial Impact Note Act. Provides that by December 31, 2025, the Office of the Governor shall submit a report to the General Assembly with recommendations regarding the production of statements or notes that a member of the General Assembly may request under the Act. Requires the report to include certain recommendations on methodology, formatting, and a course of training for personnel of certain State agencies. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Office of the Governor may contract with an entity or entities that have expertise in racial impact or equity impact assessments for the production of the report. Repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. 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 Racial Impact Note Act, requiring the Office of the Governor to submit a report to the Illinois General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2025, with recommendations on producing statements or notes legislators may request. The report must include methodologies for estimating racial and ethnic impacts of proposed legislation, guidelines for formatting these documents, and strategies for evaluating equitable outcomes for underserved populations. It also calls for training courses for state agency personnel involved in preparing these notes. The governor's office may contract with experts in racial or equity impact assessments to aid in report preparation, subject to appropriations. These provisions will be repealed on Jan. 1, 2027, and the bill takes effect immediately.

Sonya M. Harper has proposed another two bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Harper graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2003 with a BA.

Sonya M. Harper is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 6th House District. She replaced previous state representative Esther Golar in 2015.

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.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB1223	01/09/2025	Amends the Racial Impact Note Act. Provides that by December 31, 2025, the Office of the Governor shall submit a report to the General Assembly with recommendations regarding the production of statements or notes that a member of the General Assembly may request under the Act. Requires the report to include certain recommendations on methodology, formatting, and a course of training for personnel of certain State agencies. Provides that subject to appropriation, the Office of the Governor may contract with an entity or entities that have expertise in racial impact or equity impact assessments for the production of the report. Repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
HB0064	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a food, food ingredient, dietary supplement, cosmetic, or other consumer product shall not be considered adulterated solely because it contains hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids, including, but not limited to, Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Delta-8 THC, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa), or any hemp product, provided that the hemp used in the product complies with the definition of "hemp" as specified in federal law. Amends the Industrial Hemp Act. Conforms several provisions in the Act to federal regulations under the Domestic Hemp Production Program, including (i) definitions, (ii) requirements for the application for a license to cultivate hemp, and (iii) rulemaking requirements for the Department of Agriculture. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules for the distribution and retail sale of hemp products under conditions in specified provisions of the Act. Provides that hemp products that contain cannabinoids, that are intended for human consumption, and that are designated for retail sale within Illinois (i) must meet specified requirements, including federal requirements and rules adopted by the Department of Public Health, and (ii) must be distributed or sold in a container that includes specified information. Provides that hemp products that are intended for inhalation or ingestion and contain detectable amounts of hemp cannabinoids may not be sold in this State to a person who is under 21 years of age. Provides that hemp products distributed or sold in violation of specified provisions in the Act shall be considered adulterated or misbranded pursuant to the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and all other applicable State laws. Defines terms. Makes technical changes.
HB0065	01/09/2025	Creates the Remedy to Remove Unauthorized Persons from Residential Real Property Act. Allows a property owner or authorized agent to request a law enforcement officer to remove an unlawful occupant of a residential dwelling if certain conditions are met. Creates a complaint form for the property owner to complete and give to a law enforcement officer to use when requesting the removal of an unlawful occupant. Provides that if the law enforcement officer verifies the information in the form, the law enforcement officer must serve a notice on the unlawful occupant to vacate the dwelling. Requires the unlawful occupant to vacate the dwelling within 3 business days of receiving the notice. Authorizes the law enforcement officer, if appropriate, to arrest any person for trespass, outstanding warrants, or any other legal cause. Authorizes the property owner to request the law enforcement officer to remain on the premises to keep the peace while the locks are changed or the personal property of the unlawful occupant is removed. Authorizes the law enforcement officer to charge reasonable fees to provide notice and remain on the premises. Allows a person to bring an action for wrongful removal, and allows the property owner to file an answer contesting the claims of the person bringing the action. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits a Class 4 felony if he or she lists or advertises residential real property for sale knowing that the purported seller has no legal title or authority to sell the property, or rents or leases the property to another person knowing that he or she has no lawful ownership in the property or leasehold interest in the property. Provides that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor when he or she enters upon the land or premises of another and resides on such land or premises for any period of time knowingly acting without the knowledge or consent of the owner, rightful occupant, or an authorized representative of the owner.
HB1227	01/09/2025	Creates the Enslavement Era Disclosure and Redress Act. Requires each contractor that participates in a competitive bid with the State to review its records for evidence of the contractor's or a related party's participation in slaveholding or the slave trade and to make certain disclosures with respect to that participation. Contains provisions concerning notice of public hearings following the disclosures. Provides that the Illinois Office of Equity shall appoint an administrator to oversee the program. Provides that each contractor that has disclosed participation in slaveholding or the slave trade shall provide the State with a statement of financial redress at the time of submitting its bid. Contains provisions creating a Redress Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.