Illinois Legislative News: March 24, 2025
Third Reading Consulting Group
After a busy few weeks of legislative action, the Illinois General Assembly completed its first chamber committee deadline week a bit ahead of schedule. While the official deadline for moving bills out of committee is Friday, March 21, lawmakers concluded business on Thursday, March 20, and canceled all floor and committee action originally set for Friday. Thousands of proposals were introduced earlier in the session, but lawmakers rushed to get their bills through committee before the deadline. This week was an eventful one, as a number of significant proposals passed out of committees.
Not every proposal made the cut, but this isn’t necessarily the end of the road. This week, the House moved 382 bills out of committee, while the Senate advanced 137 substantive bills to the Floor. Almost 2,000 bills never made it out of House Rules and Senate Assignments; however, many bills still have alternate paths forward through amendments or end-of-session omnibus legislation, giving legislators opportunities to refine and amend their proposals in the coming weeks.
Now that the initial chamber committee deadline has passed, the focus shifts to the next big hurdle: the April 11 initial chamber third reading deadline. Neither the House nor the Senate have called any bills on third reading yet in the 104th General Assembly, leading to a busy few weeks leading up to the third reading deadline.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
April 11 – Initial Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 9 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline
May 23 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment