Michael Jovan Simmons, Illinois State Senator from 7th District (D) | https://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=103&MemberID=3196
Michael Jovan Simmons, Illinois State Senator from 7th District (D) | https://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=103&MemberID=3196
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act. Removes a provision that requires the application of a homeless individual for an Illinois Identification Card to be accompanied by an affirmation by a qualified person, on a form provided by the Secretary of State, that the applicant is currently homeless."
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 Illinois Notary Public Act by adjusting the maximum fees and outlining specific prohibitions for notaries public. Notaries can charge a maximum fee of $5 for non-electronic acts and $25 for electronic acts. Specific fees are set for immigration-related notarial and form services, topping at $75 for a complete application. The bill mandates itemized receipts for notarial services, with violations subject to misdemeanor or felony charges. Additionally, it prohibits various unethical practices, such as notarizing documents when involved personally, altering documents, or providing legal advice unless the notary is an attorney. The bill also includes penalties for unauthorized electronic notarization practices and mandates recordkeeping after commission expiration. No fees are allowed for notarial acts related to a homeless status certification form from the Illinois Secretary of State's office.
Mike Simmons has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.
Simmons graduated from Amherst College in 2006 with a BA.
Mike Simmons is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 7th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Heather Steans 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SB1173 | 01/24/2025 | Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act. Removes a provision that requires the application of a homeless individual for an Illinois Identification Card to be accompanied by an affirmation by a qualified person, on a form provided by the Secretary of State, that the applicant is currently homeless. |
| SB0088 | 01/17/2025 | Amends the Illinois Affordable Housing Act. Provides that funds in the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund may be used for housing counseling. Defines "housing counseling" to mean services provided by an organization approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to be a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency. |
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