Detention centers, exoneree restitution, foster care protections among
final bills to pass
[June 05, 2026]
ByJ enna Schweikert, Nikoel Hytrek
SPRINGFIELD — Nearly 400 bills cleared both chambers of the General
Assembly this session, with more than 150 of them moving in the
session’s final week.
Aside from the $56 billion budget package, the wide range of bills would
limit where the federal government can build immigrant detention
centers, regulate plastic pellets and increase exoneree restitution,
among others.
The measures all await a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker before they can
become law.
Exoneree restitution
House Bill 3663 would increase the amount of money paid to people who
have been wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois and bring the state in line
with federally recommended minimum standard set in 2004.
The Court of Claims would now be able to award an exoneree up to $50,000
for each year wrongfully spent in prison and $25,000 for each year
wrongfully on parole, probation or a sex offender registry with no
upward cap. The court could also pay out associated attorney fees and
costs.
The previous system set specific payouts based on the range of years
served, with a maximum total payout of $199,150 that’s hit once a person
has served at least 14 years wrongfully.
It unanimously passed both chambers of the General Assembly on Sunday
and Monday.
The bill is the product of years of work by the Illinois Innocence
Project.
Detention center limitations
House Bill 5024 would ban the construction or operation of new
immigration detention centers within 1,500 feet of any home, school, day
care center, park, forest preserve, cemetery or place of worship.
Sponsored by House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, the bill
passed along party lines in both chambers. Welch’s district includes the
neighborhood of Broadview, the location of a detention center that was
the focal point of some protests during Operation Midway Blitz last
summer.
The bill is not retroactive, so it won’t apply to Broadview or any
existing detention centers.
It received heavy criticism from Republicans who called it a political
stunt. The federal government is generally exempt from state and local
zoning restrictions, so the bill is likely to face legal challenges.
Plastic pellet protections
House Bill 4418 creates the Plastic Pellets Pollution Control Act, which
takes a step toward controlling the amount of plastic that ends up in
Illinois waterways.
The bill makes Illinois the first Great Lakes state to classify plastic
pellets as pollutants.
It instructs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to implement a
program to control plastic pellets, which are a byproduct of plastic
production that frequently end up in Illinois waterways through spills.
The pellets are a major source of microplastics as they break down.
The measure doesn’t specifically spell out what the plan would entail
but gives the IEPA one year to implement the requirements to be included
in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits.
Republicans generally criticized the broad authority the measure gives
to the IEPA.
The bill passed the Senate with a 44-13 vote. It passed the House in
April with a vote of 69-33.
Foster placement
Lawmakers passed a bill to protect the personal information of children
in foster care, especially if they’re placed out of state.
House Bill 4966, known as the Safeguards to Ensure Continuity and Uphold
Rights and Equity, or SECURE, Act, would strengthen nondiscrimination
protections for youth in the care of the Department of Child and Family
Services and establish that Illinois children placed in out-of-state
homes are under the jurisdiction of Illinois and should receive the same
services and care they would have in Illinois.
The bill would require DCFS to protect a child from unnecessary and
unapproved disclosure of any personal information that could be linked
to the child’s sexual orientation or other protected characteristics
like gender. It also establishes guidelines for the department to share
that information if needed.
The bill would also give children age 8 years and above some input into
their placement if that child expects they might be mistreated or
wouldn’t be able to access certain healthcare like gender-affirming care
or reproductive services.
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Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, and Senate President Don
Harmon, D-Oak Park, preside over a joint session of the House and
Senate on May 27, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry
Nowicki)
“Beyond the fact that this federal administration is hell-bent on
rolling back civil rights protections, the SECURE Act is necessary
because youth in care deserve to have their rights protected and their
voices heard,” Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D- Chicago, the House sponsor of the
bill, said.
Republicans in floor debate mainly argued the bill might make placements
more difficult and strain DCFS resources if the department has to find
homes that will affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The measure passed the Senate with a 35-19 vote on Friday, and it passed
the House Sunday 75-40.
Mandated reporters
House Bill 4911 would expand the list of mandated reporters to include
investment advisers, certain dealers, salespersons and branch managers
of financial institutions. It is intended to expand reporting of
financial exploitation and other forms of abuse or neglect of older
adults.
Those individuals could also place a 15-day hold on a transaction if
they suspect financial exploitation. The bill passed unanimously in both
chambers.
Reports would be provided to the Department of Human Services and the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The state’s Department on
Aging and Department of Financial and Professional Regulation would set
minimum training standards for financial institution employees.
Construction site sanitary facilities
Senate Bill 3465 would require construction sites with 10 or more
employees and at least one woman to provide sanitary facilities for
people “who are menstruating, lactating, or both” and defines the
minimum hygienic standards for those facilities. Sites must also provide
lactation stations for employees upon request.
The bill was inspired by a similar one in Washington and is meant to
help women access appropriate sanitary facilities without having to
leave the work site and be docked pay, Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago,
said.
The bill passed both chambers along party lines, as Republicans
criticized the bill for capturing a wider population of people — anyone
who menstruates and any woman despite age — than they thought was
necessary.
Nonprofit investment fund
Senate Bill 2968, an initiative of state treasurer Michael Frerichs,
would establish a state-run investment fund for nonprofits to receive
grants from.
Pritzker vetoed a version of the legislation last summer out of concern
that extremist groups could access the fund.
Eligible nonprofits must be based in Illinois, have a certain tax status
and provide recent audited financial statements or charitable filings.
They must also have a purpose or mission meeting specified nonprofit
categories and not be on state suspension lists, which should exclude
any extremist groups.
“Nonprofits are on the front lines every day, helping families,
strengthening neighborhoods, and meeting critical needs in communities
across Illinois,” Frerichs said in a statement. “At a time when federal
funding cuts are creating uncertainty for many organizations, Illinois
is stepping up.”
It passed the House 75-36 and the Senate 41-16.
High school voter registration
House Bill 4339 would require high schools to offer eligible students
the opportunity to register to vote. The bill, however, creates no
consequences if a school does not offer that opportunity.
The bill is named for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a voting and civil
rights activist who died earlier this year. The bill passed with
bipartisan support in both chambers.
It passed the Senate 41-12 and the House 77-24.
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government
coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily
by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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