Chicago City Wire

Kelly M. Cassidy introduced HB3813 in the Illinois House on Feb. 7, 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 Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section of the campaign finance Article concerning definitions."

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 Election Code by making a technical change to Section 9-1 of the campaign finance article concerning definitions. It specifies that, unless the context requires otherwise, terms defined in Sections 9-1.1 through 9-1.13 have the meanings outlined in those sections. This minor amendment aims to clarify the interpretation of terms used within the specified sections of the article.

Kelly M. Cassidy has proposed another 19 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Kelly M. Cassidy is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 14th House District. She replaced previous state representative Harry Osterman in 2011.

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
HB3813	02/07/2025	Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section of the campaign finance Article concerning definitions.
HB3352	02/07/2025	Amends the Collection Agency Act. Provides that a debtor is not liable for any coerced debt, as defined in the Act, and may assert that they have incurred a coerced debt by providing to a collection agency an oral or written Statement of Coerced Debt, as specified. Sets forth provisions concerning notice of coerced debt to a collection agency; duties of a collection agency upon receiving an incomplete statement of coerced debt; affirmative defenses in collection actions or arbitration; civil liability; protections from perpetrators of coerced debt; restrictions on waivers; and liability of collection agencies for violations of the Act. Provides that, upon receiving the debtor's complete statement of coerced debt and specified supporting information, a collection agency shall review and consider all the information received from the debtor as well as any other information available in the collection agency's file or from the creditor related to the alleged coerced debt within 90 days after receipt of the statement of coerced debt. Requires a collection agency, within 5 days after receipt of the complete statement of coerced debt and supporting information, to cease any pre-judgment attempts to collect the coerced debt from the debtor, including refraining from filing any lawsuit or arbitration to collect the coerced debt, and notify any consumer reporting agency to which the collection agency or creditor furnished adverse information about the debtor that the debtor disputes the adverse information. Establishes additional requirements for a collection agency that reviews a statement of coerced debt. Provides that, within 180 days after the effective date of the Act, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may design and publish a model coerced debt and third party written verification form in English and any other language it determines, within its discretion, is the first language of a significant number of consumers in the State. Makes other changes.
HB3362	02/07/2025	Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that all institutions and facilities of the Department of Corrections shall not deny the distribution of original physical mail to committed persons after such incoming mail has undergone inspection and it has been determined that the mail does not pose a threat to the security or safety of the institution or facility, personnel of the Department, or committed persons. Defines a threat to the security or safety of the institution or facility.
HB3371	02/07/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a State's Attorney may charge a felony as a misdemeanor, in the State's Attorney's discretion.
HB3492	02/07/2025	Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall send (rather than mail) a quarterly nonforwardable verification letter or an electronic verification letter to each registered person who has been adjudicated to be sexually dangerous or is a sexually violent person and is later released, or found to be no longer sexually dangerous or no longer a sexually violent person and discharged, beginning 90 days from the date of his or her last registration. Provides that to any other person registered under the Act, the Illinois State Police shall send (rather than mail) an annual nonforwardable verification letter or an electronic verification letter, beginning one year from the date of his or her last registration. Provides that a person required to register under the Act who is sent (rather than mailed) a verification letter or an electronic verification letter shall complete, sign, and return the enclosed verification form to the Illinois State Police postmarked or time and date stamped within 10 days after the mailing date or time and date stamp of the letter. Provides that the person who is to receive the verification letter shall notify the Illinois State Police as to which method of notification the registered person receives. Provides that registration shall consist of a statement in writing signed by the person giving the information that is required by the Illinois State Police, which shall (rather than may) include the fingerprints and shall include a current photograph of the person, which shall be updated annually. Provides that moneys in the Offender Registration Fund shall be allocated pursuant to the Act and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act, respectively. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB3610	02/07/2025	Amends the Litter Control Act. Adds animal manure to the list of types of litter.
HB3697	02/07/2025	Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that appropriate mobile response services must, among other things, subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, coordinate transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency to the least restrictive setting feasible (rather than provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency). Provides that adequate mobile mental health relief provider training includes, among other things, training in recognizing and working with people with neurodivergent and developmental disability diagnoses and in the techniques available to help stabilize and connect them to further services and training in the involuntary commitment process, in identification of situations that meet the standards for involuntary commitment, and in cultural competencies and social biases to guard against any group being disproportionately subjected to the involuntary commitment process or the use of the process not warranted under the legal standard for involuntary commitment. Provides that mobile mental health relief providers may only participate in the involuntary commitment process to the extent permitted under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Requires the system for gathering information developed by the Statewide Advisory Committee to determine the number of instances of mobile mental health relief providers initiating petitions for involuntary commitment. Provides that the exemption from civil liability for emergency care provided in the Good Samaritan Act applies to anyone providing care under the Act. Provides that each 9-1-1 public safety answering point and emergency service dispatched through a 9-1-1 public safety answering point must begin coordinating its activities with the mobile mental and behavioral health services established by the Division of Mental Health once all 3 of the following conditions are met, but not later than July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2025). Adds definitions and modifies existing definitions. Effective immediately.
HB3698	02/07/2025	Amends the Election Code. Sets forth provisions concerning independent expenditures; election spending; and coordinated expenditures. Replaces references to "electioneering communication" with "election spending". Defines terms. Makes other changes.
HB3702	02/07/2025	Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that the Prisoner Review Board shall publish on its official public website and provide to registered victims information regarding how to submit a victim impact statement. Provides that the Prisoner Review Board shall consider victim impact statements from any registered victims. Provides that any registered victim, including a person who has had a final, plenary, non-emergency, or emergency order of protection granted under the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 or under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, may present victim statements that the Prisoner Review Board shall consider in its deliberations. Provides that all victim statements shall be redacted from any transcripts or recordings of hearings that are provided to anyone other than Board members and the petitioner or parole candidate. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that each member and commissioner of the Prisoner Review Board shall be required to complete a training course developed and administered in consultation with the Department of Corrections. Provides that the training shall be provided to new members and commissioners of the Prisoner Review Board within 30 days of the start of their service and before they take part in any hearings. Establishes the requirements of that training. Establishes a Director of Victim and Witness Services under the jurisdiction of the Prisoner Review Board. Creates the Survivor Safety and Support Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Fund shall be used to support survivors who have been found to be a party of an ongoing criminal or civil case against a petitioner or parole candidate or are registered victims through the Prisoner Review Board or Department of Corrections. Provides that before the Board makes a decision on whether to revoke an offender's parole or mandatory supervised release, the Prisoner Review Board must run a LEADS report. Amends the State Finance Act and the Illinois Pension Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
HB3710	02/07/2025	Amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. Provides that crime victims have the right to be treated with fairness and respect during the investigatory process, including the right to be free from deception and free from the knowing communication of false facts about evidence during interviews and conversations with law enforcement.
HB3711	02/07/2025	Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "reportable misconduct" as specified sexual and violent misconduct. Requires health professionals and health institutions to report reportable misconduct to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Sets forth provisions concerning time lines for reporting, contents of the report, and confidentiality. Permits the Department to adopt rules to implement, administer, and enforce the reporting requirements, including, but not limited to, rules that define terms and are necessary and appropriate to interpret and implement provisions concerning health professionals and health institutions. Provides that a law enforcement agency shall make a report to the Department within 30 days after opening an investigation into, making an arrest of, or bringing charges of a felony or Class A misdemeanor violation against a person who is licensed or registered by the Department. Provides that the State's Attorney shall report to the Department within 5 days after the conviction for a felony or Class A misdemeanor of a person who is licensed or registered by the Department. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Adds reporting requirements for specified serious incidents or events. Creates the Sexual Assault Survivors Fund. Makes changes in provisions concerning the posting of information; reports to the Department; penalties for failure to comply with the Act; and patient protection from abuse. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005. Makes changes in provisions concerning the establishment of a reporting system. Amends various Acts pertaining to health professionals and health institutions. Adds the failure to report reportable misconduct to the causes that allow the Department to take disciplinary or non-disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the Department with regard to a license. Makes conforming and other changes.
HB3735	02/07/2025	Creates the Accountable Access to Discretionary Funding Act. Contains a short title only. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB3307	02/06/2025	Amends the Mortgage Foreclosure Law of the Code of Civil Procedure. Requires receivers of mortgaged real estate to use reasonable efforts to make repairs and improvements as necessary to comply with building, housing, or other similar codes that necessary for the safety, accessibility, and habitability of residential real estate. Creates the Residential Real Estate Ombudsperson Program of which the purpose is to ensure that tenants of residential real estate in receivership continue to have safe, habitable, and accessible homes throughout the receivership process and to facilitate communication between tenants, the receiver, and the court. Requires that in courts in counties of 50,000 or more residents must establish such a program, and in courts in counties of less than 50,000 residents may establish such a program. Provides for the powers of the Ombudsperson to include, but not be limited to, (i) taking, investigating, and making recommendations and reports of complaints of inadequate performance receivership duties relating to matters that may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, or rights of tenants; (ii) entering the property under receivership at a reasonable time and with reasonable notice to the receiver or receiver's manager; (iii) communicating privately with tenants who consent to that communication; (iv) encouraging the facilitation of communication between receivers, tenants, and the court; (v) making recommendations to receivers regarding building conditions and court practices; (vi) submitting reports to the court regarding the status of the residential real estate, the receivership relationship, the use of the Ombudsperson services; and (vii) making recommendations to the court to improve the receivership relationship. Requires the Ombudsperson within 60 days of appointment to send a notice of contact information of the Ombudsperson to all known dwelling occupants of residential real estate through by posting a written notice on unit doors and in common areas. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB2584	02/04/2025	Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that a health insurance issuer, the fee-for-service medical assistance program, and a Medicaid managed care organization may not require prior authorization for the following prescription drug types and their therapeutic equivalents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration: human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis medication or human immunodeficiency virus treatment medication. Effective January 1, 2027.
HB2589	02/04/2025	Amends the Hypodermic Syringes and Needles Act. Provides that, upon request, a pharmacist shall (rather than may) sell up to 100 sterile hypodermic syringes or needles to a person who is at least 18 years of age. Provides that a syringe or needle sold at a pharmacy shall (rather than may) be sold only from the pharmacy department of the pharmacy.
HB2507	02/03/2025	Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2026, and each calendar year thereafter, a nursing facility must spend at least 90% of its adjusted total revenue on resident care and other resident-related costs, as defined. Requires each nursing facility to provide as part of its financial reporting information necessary for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to administer and enforce the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that such information shall be subject to audit provisions and comply with any applicable uniform standards under the Code. Provides that all non-allowable costs, related party adjustments, or compensation to owners reported shall be excluded from the calculation of the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Requires 25% of costs associated with contract nursing staff to be deducted from the amount spent on resident care and other resident-related costs. Provides that for the calendar year beginning January 1, 2027, and each calendar year thereafter, the Department shall use the required financial reporting submissions to determine whether each nursing facility has met the minimum resident care percent requirement. Provides that if a facility has not met the minimum resident care percent requirement, the amount defined by the facility's total adjusted revenue shall be treated as a vendor overpayment. Requires the Department to recover the full amount of any vendor overpayment by reducing future payments, requiring direct payment to the Department, or any other method permitted under the Code. Requires the Department to adopt rules.
HB2374	01/31/2025	Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Defines "acute sexual assault" as a sexual assault that has recently occurred within a specified time. Replaces various references to "sexual assault" with "acute sexual assault". Deletes the definition of "prepubescent sexual assault survivor". Changes provisions regarding hospitals located in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000 and within a 20-mile radius of a 4-year public university with respect to a sexual assault treatment plan approved by the Department of Public Health. Makes changes in various provisions concerning plans of correction and penalties for hospitals that commit specified violations of the Act. In provisions regarding requirements for medical forensic services, provides that the provisions of the Act are not intended to prohibit a qualified medical provider from offering an Illinois Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit to a sexual assault survivor who presents at a treatment hospital or approved pediatric health care facility with a nonacute complaint of sexual assault if there is a compelling reason for evidence collection, or upon the request of the survivor. In provisions regarding the prohibition on billing sexual assault survivors directly for certain services, changes references to the Office of the Attorney General to references to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
HB1835	01/28/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 and the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that certain offenses for which the use of a firearm requires the court to add 15 years, 20 years, or 25 years or up to a term of natural life to the sentence, makes the additional sentences discretionary with the court. Deletes provisions that permit the court in those cases to impose a term of natural life imprisonment upon the defendant. Provides that the court may impose the additional sentences only if the defendant was personally armed with the firearm and was personally displaying the firearm. Provides that the penalty for aggravated criminal sexual assault in which the defendant personally discharged the firearm in the commission of the offense is a Class X felony for which up to 20 years may (rather than 20 years shall) be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court and up to 25 years may be added (rather than 25 years or up to a term of natural life imprisonment shall be added) to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court if the discharge proximately caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person; Provides that the penalty for home invasion is a Class X felony for which up to 20 years may (rather than 20 years shall) be added to the term of imprisonment imposed by the court if the defendant personally discharged a firearm during the commission of the offense.
HB1715	01/24/2025	Amends the Department of Children and Family Services Powers Law. Repeals a provision that grants the Department of Children and Family Services the power to appoint members of a police and security force to act as peace officers and have all powers possessed by police officers in cities and sheriffs under certain circumstances. Effective immediately.
HB1302	01/13/2025	Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes a provision that timely notice to a retail mercantile establishment that is a victim of retail theft, organized retail crime, financial institution fraud, or looting shall include 7 days' notice of any court proceedings. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that a law enforcement officer may not refuse to complete a written report as required by the Protective Orders Article of the Code on any ground. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not discourage or attempt to discourage a victim from filing a police report concerning an incident of abuse. Provides for the vacation of a conviction (rather than only prostitution convictions) if the defendant was a victim of human trafficking. Provides that the determination of the motion shall be by a preponderance of the evidence. Provides that evidence demonstrating the defendant's status as a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense shall create a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. Provides that evidence demonstrating the defendant's status as a victim of trafficking at the time of the offense shall create a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. Provides that, regardless of whether the court grants a motion to vacate the sentence, it may permit the defendant to file an expedited petition for expungement or sealing under the Criminal Identification Act to be heard whenever possible before the same judge to whom the motion to vacate his or her conviction was presented upon 30 days' notice to those entitled to notification of expungement or sealing proceedings. Amends the Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not discourage or attempt to discourage a victim from filing a police report concerning sexual assault or sexual abuse. Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 to make conforming changes.