Chicago City Wire

Bill Cunningham introduced SB1431 in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 31, 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 Counties Code. Provides that the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board shall consist of 3 members (rather than not less than 3 and not more than 7 members) appointed by the Sheriff with the advice and consent of three-fifths of the county board. Provides that all members of the Board shall be appointed to hold office from the third Monday in March of the year of their respective appointments for a term of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified for a like term. Provides that the terms of the members need not be staggered. Removes language authorizing the Board to employ hearing officers to conduct hearings under specified provisions. Provides that certification by the Board for appointment of deputy sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers, and of employees in the Department of Corrections may be granted upon an applicant's successful completion of the Sheriff's application process which includes, but is not limited to, any mental, physical, psychiatric and other tests and examinations as may be prescribed by the Sheriff. Removes certain provisions concerning qualifications for appointment of deputy sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers, and of employees in the Department of Corrections. Makes other and conforming changes."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board structure by setting the board's size to three members appointed by the Sheriff with the county board's three-fifths consent. It eliminates the need for staggered terms, allowing board members to serve six-year terms beginning the third Monday in March of their appointment year. The bill ends authorization for employing hearing officers for certain hearings and modifies the certification process for deputy sheriffs and corrections employees. Certification depends on applicants passing various tests set by the Sheriff's application process. It allows military veterans certain examination privileges and maintains a probationary period of 12 months for appointees.

Bill Cunningham has proposed another 10 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Cunningham graduated from the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1990 with a BA.

Bill Cunningham is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 18th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Edward Maloney in 2013.

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
SB1431	01/31/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board shall consist of 3 members (rather than not less than 3 and not more than 7 members) appointed by the Sheriff with the advice and consent of three-fifths of the county board. Provides that all members of the Board shall be appointed to hold office from the third Monday in March of the year of their respective appointments for a term of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified for a like term. Provides that the terms of the members need not be staggered. Removes language authorizing the Board to employ hearing officers to conduct hearings under specified provisions. Provides that certification by the Board for appointment of deputy sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers, and of employees in the Department of Corrections may be granted upon an applicant's successful completion of the Sheriff's application process which includes, but is not limited to, any mental, physical, psychiatric and other tests and examinations as may be prescribed by the Sheriff. Removes certain provisions concerning qualifications for appointment of deputy sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers, and of employees in the Department of Corrections. Makes other and conforming changes.
SB1361	01/29/2025	Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Makes technical changes. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that the long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall include the procurement of renewable energy credits from high voltage direct current renewable energy credits. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency shall conduct at least one forward procurement for high voltage direct current renewable energy credits within 240 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Sets forth procedures for application and bidding. Provides that, no later than December 1, 2025, the Agency shall create and issue a report that describes how transmission systems limit the ability of electric utilities to meet renewable resource procurement goals. Makes changes in provisions concerning legislative declarations and findings and definitions. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility that has entered into a contract to purchase high voltage direct current renewable energy credits shall be entitled to recover through tariffed charges all costs related to the purchase of high voltage direct current renewable energy credits under the contract. Provides that an entity that received a contract to provide high voltage direct current renewable energy credits and the associated high voltage direct current transmission lines shall not be obligated to submit an annual supplier diversity report to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Makes changes to provisions concerning definitions. Amends the Prevailing Wage Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.
SB1292	01/28/2025	Creates the Anti-Click Gambling Data Analytics Collection Act. Provides that no entity that operates a remote gambling platform or a subsidiary of the entity shall collect data from a participant with the intent to predict how the participant will gamble in a particular gambling or betting scenario. Effective immediately.
SB1348	01/28/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a sheriff in a county of the third class may receive a fee of $60 for serving or attempting to serve any summons filed in person on a defendant and $40 for serving or attempting to serve any summons filed electronically on a defendant (rather than $35 for serving or attempting to serve any summons on a defendant). Provides that a sheriff in a county of the third class may receive a fee of $60 for serving or attempting to serve all other process, filed in person on a defendant and $40 for serving or attempting to serve all other process filed electronically on a defendant (rather than $35 for serving or attempting to serve all other process on each defendant). Provides that a sheriff in a county of the third class may receive a fee of $25 for returning each process initially filed in person and $15 for returning each process initially filed electronically (rather than $15 for returning each process).
SB1349	01/28/2025	Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Provides that applicants for a master sports wagering license shall pay an application fee of $250,000 and a license fee of $15,000,000. Removes provisions concerning the number of master sports wagering licenses to online sports wagering operators and public notice requirements. Provides that a master sports wagering licensee may conduct sports wagering over the Internet or through a mobile application. Removes provisions concerning eligibility requirements for a master sports wagering license, the duty of disclosure for an applicant, and outreach requirements for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Gaming Board. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.
SB1350	01/28/2025	Amends the Rates Article of the Public Utilities Act. Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to authorize a surcharge or surcharges upon petition by a public utility that provides water or sewer service, independent of any other matters related to the utility's revenue requirements, which adjusts rates and charges to provide for recovery of costs or capital investments associated with any environmental compliance requirements under an environmental statute, rule, regulation, permit term, or a condition related to, but not limited to, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, cyanotoxins, lead and copper, or any other emerging chemical contaminants that are known or suspected to pose a risk to human health or the environment. Requires, on a periodic basis, the Commission to initiate hearings to reconcile amounts collected under the surcharges with the actual prudently incurred costs recoverable for each annual period during which the surcharge was in effect. Requires the Commission to adopt certain rules to implement the collection of the surcharges. Repeals the provisions on January 1, 2031. Effective immediately.
SB1179	01/24/2025	Amends the Energy Efficient Building Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board shall adopt specified provisions into the Illinois Energy Conservation Code concerning insulation in an unvented attic and an unvented enclosed rafter assemblies.
SB1180	01/24/2025	Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Provides that the Illinois Racing Board may appoint the Director of Mutuels to serve as the State director for inter-track wagering and simulcast wagering by inter-track wagering licensees and inter-track wagering location licensees. Provides that the pari-mutuel tax imposed at all pari-mutuel wagering facilities and on advance deposit wagering shall be remitted to the Board (rather than the Department of Revenue). Provides that the Board shall distribute contributed funds to a charitable organization on a schedule determined by the Board, based on the charitable organization's estimated expenditures related to the grant (rather than by December 31 of each year). Provides that any funds not expended by the grantee in a grant year shall be distributed to the charitable organization or charitable organizations selected in the next grant year after the funds are recovered. Repeals provisions authorizing the Board to make daily temporary deposits of certain fees and provisions requiring the Board and the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to conduct drug testing on horses at county fairs. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
SB0145	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that provisions concerning a credit for foreign taxes shall be applied without regard to provisions concerning distributions of investment partnership income to nonresident partners. Effective immediately.
SB0146	01/17/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a credit for certain small businesses in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 10% of the property taxes paid by the qualified small business during the taxable year for eligible real property or (ii) $1,500. Effective immediately.
SB0147	01/17/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that upon recovering a firearm that was (i) unlawfully possessed, (ii) used for any unlawful purpose, (iii) recovered from the scene of a crime, (iv) reasonably believed to have been used or associated with the commission of a crime, or (v) acquired by the law enforcement agency as an abandoned, lost, or discarded firearm, a law enforcement agency shall use the best available information, including a firearms trace (deletes when necessary), to determine how and from whom the person gained possession of the firearm and to determine prior ownership of the firearm. Provides that law enforcement shall use the National Tracing Center of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' eTrace platform or successor platform in complying with this provision. Provides that law enforcement shall participate in the National Tracing Center of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' eTrace platform or successor platform's collective data sharing program for the purpose of sharing firearm trace reports among all law enforcement agencies in this State on a reciprocal basis. Defines "peace officer" for the purpose of the investigation of specified offenses shall include investigators of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Effective immediately.