State Senator Erica Harriss introduced legislation on Mar. 12 to increase transparency and accountability in the Illinois legislative process by ensuring lawmakers have access to fiscal impact information before voting on proposed laws.
The measure, Senate Bill 2094, would amend the Illinois Fiscal Note Act so that when a member of the General Assembly requests a fiscal note on legislation, the request must be fulfilled and cannot be dismissed by a chamber vote.
“Taxpayers deserve to know the financial impact of legislation before it becomes law,” said Senator Harriss. “This bill ensures lawmakers have access to clear financial information so we can make responsible decisions about how taxpayer dollars are spent.”
Fiscal notes provide estimates of how proposed bills may affect state revenues or expenditures. Currently, any legislator may request a fiscal note for a bill, but such requests can be voted down, preventing that information from being made public. SB2094 would require that fiscal notes are prepared whenever legislators request them.
“By strengthening the Fiscal Note Act, SB2094 promotes greater transparency in the legislative process and ensures that members of the General Assembly can obtain fiscal analysis when considering legislation that may affect the state budget,” concluded Harriss.
Harriss, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 56th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Kris Tharp according to official records.
