Chicago City Wire

Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar introduced HB1441 in the Illinois House on Jan. 17, 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 Chicago Park District Act. Provides that the Chicago Park District shall not employ a person who is under the age of 19 to serve as a lifeguard at a beach on the Chicago lakefront."

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 Chicago Park District Act to establish age requirements and training protocols for lifeguards on the Chicago lakefront. It stipulates that lifeguards must be at least 19 years old, unless they participate in the Junior Lifeguard Program, allowing them to serve regardless of age. Additionally, all new and current lifeguards must complete an extra 30 hours of open-water training before being eligible to work on the lakefront beaches. The Act takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Guerrero-Cuellar graduated from Roosevelt University in 2005 with a BA.

Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 22nd House District. She replaced previous state representative Edward Guerra Kodatt in 2021.

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
HB1441	01/17/2025	Amends the Chicago Park District Act. Provides that the Chicago Park District shall not employ a person who is under the age of 19 to serve as a lifeguard at a beach on the Chicago lakefront.