Illinois Legislative News: March 10, 2025
Third Reading Consulting Group
As the Illinois General Assembly nears the March 21st Committee Deadline, both the House and Senate appear to be moving at a slower-than-expected pace in advancing legislation through the committee process. Despite the high volume of bills introduced ahead of the filing deadline—over 3,800 in the House and approximately 2,600 in the Senate—neither chamber has yet to pass any legislation on third reading.
Committee activity has also been relatively limited, with many committee hearing cancellations. As of now, the House has only advanced 97 bills out of committee, while the Senate has moved just 93 bills forward. Additionally, a significant number of bills are still awaiting assignment to a substantive committee, including 1,464 in the House and 1,868 in the Senate. Given the volume of legislation still awaiting committee review, lawmakers face an increasingly compressed timeline to deliberate, amend, and advance priority measures before the deadline.
The slow start isn’t unusual for the early months of session, but it does mean the next two weeks will be packed with committee hearings and floor action. Adding to the pressure, big policy changes are expected at the federal level, particularly in healthcare funding, infrastructure, and regulations. Illinois legislators may soon find themselves needing to adapt quickly to shifting national priorities. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining which bills make it through the process and which end up stalled.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
March 21 – Initial Chamber Committee Deadline
April 11 – Initial Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 9 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline
May 23 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment
