Chicago City Wire

Yolonda Morris introduced HB1603 in the Illinois House on Jan. 23, 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 Landlord and Tenant Act. Prohibits a landlord or lessor from refusing to rent to, deny housing to, or impose conditions on a lessee or tenant based on the breed of a dog or dogs in residential housing that contains more than 3 units of housing. Provides that nothing in the Act affects the ability of a unit of local government to enforce provisions of the Animal Control Act regarding a dangerous dog or vicious dog. Provides that if a lessor or landlord violates these provisions, upon request of the affected lessee or tenant, the Illinois Housing Development Authority must investigate the matter. Provides that if the Authority finds that a lessor or landlord has violated the Act, it must commence an action or proceeding in the circuit court of the county in which the premises are situated to stop the violation either by mandamus or injunction. Provides that the amendatory Act applies to a renewal or modification of residential leases that contain more than 3 units of housing after the effective date of the Act and for new residential leases entered into after that date."

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 Landlord and Tenant Act to prohibit landlords from refusing to rent, denying housing, or imposing conditions on tenants based on dog breed in residential properties with more than three units. It maintains local government authority to enforce the Animal Control Act regarding dangerous or vicious dogs. If a landlord or lessor violates this provision, the affected tenant can request an investigation by the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Should the Authority find a violation, it must initiate legal action to halt the infringement. The bill applies to lease renewals, modifications of residences of more than three units, and new leases established after its effective date.

Yolonda Morris has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.

Yolonda Morris is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 9th House District. She replaced previous state representative Lakesia Collins in 2023.

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
HB1603	01/23/2025	Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act. Prohibits a landlord or lessor from refusing to rent to, deny housing to, or impose conditions on a lessee or tenant based on the breed of a dog or dogs in residential housing that contains more than 3 units of housing. Provides that nothing in the Act affects the ability of a unit of local government to enforce provisions of the Animal Control Act regarding a dangerous dog or vicious dog. Provides that if a lessor or landlord violates these provisions, upon request of the affected lessee or tenant, the Illinois Housing Development Authority must investigate the matter. Provides that if the Authority finds that a lessor or landlord has violated the Act, it must commence an action or proceeding in the circuit court of the county in which the premises are situated to stop the violation either by mandamus or injunction. Provides that the amendatory Act applies to a renewal or modification of residential leases that contain more than 3 units of housing after the effective date of the Act and for new residential leases entered into after that date.
HB1425	01/16/2025	Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that for proceedings seeking a guardianship of a disabled adult, if the proposed guardian is otherwise qualified under the Act, the court must give first consideration to appointing a family member who petitions to be a guardian unless the person alleged to have a disability has designated some other person to be guardian under the Act. Continues to provide that the paramount concern in the selection of the guardian is the best interests and well-being of the person with a disability. Defines "family member" to mean any person related to the person alleged to have a disability.