Metro East Sun

A new law sponsored by Rep. Monica Bristow (D-111) that was introduced with the purpose of amending the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection Act went into effect on Dec. 20, according to the official Illinois General Assembly website.

The legislation was introduced in bill HB744 on Jan. 17, when Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) filed it with the House clerk.

According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection Act".

After debate, the House passed the bill on Oct. 29 and it arrived in the Senate on Oct. 30, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on Nov. 14. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Dec. 20. The law went into effect immediately.

Illinois legislature enacts laws through bills that can be introduced in either the state House of Representatives or the state Senate. Either chamber of the legislature can reject or amend a bill before it becomes law. Legislators sometimes sponsor "shell bills" devoid of substantive provisions, introduced with the intention of being amended later to include actual legislation.

The following table shows the full history of actions on HB744.

Date	Chamber	Action
1/17/2019	House	Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Michael J. Madigan
1/18/2019	House	First Reading
1/18/2019	House	Referred to Rules Committee
2/5/2019	House	Assigned to Executive Committee
3/27/2019	House	Do Pass / Short Debate Executive Committee; 011-000-000
3/29/2019	House	Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate **
4/10/2019	House	Second Reading - Short Debate
4/10/2019	House	Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate **
4/12/2019	House	Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
10/21/2019	House	Approved for Consideration Rules Committee; 004-000-000
10/21/2019	House	Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) November 27, 2019
10/21/2019	House	Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
10/24/2019	House	Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Katie Stuart
10/25/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Katie Stuart
10/25/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
10/28/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Higher Education Committee; 015-000-000
10/28/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Higher Education Committee
10/29/2019	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted
10/29/2019	House	Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 117-000-000
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Norine K. Hammond
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
10/29/2019	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Monica Bristow
10/29/2019	House	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
10/30/2019	Senate	Arrive in Senate
10/30/2019	Senate	First Reading
10/30/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
10/30/2019	Senate	Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John J. Cullerton
10/30/2019	Senate	Referred to Assignments
10/31/2019	Senate	Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Pat McGuire
11/1/2019	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy
11/6/2019	Senate	Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As November 14, 2019
11/6/2019	Senate	Assigned to Higher Education
11/12/2019	Senate	Do Pass Higher Education; 008-000-000
11/12/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading November 13, 2019
11/13/2019	Senate	Second Reading
11/13/2019	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading November 14, 2019
11/14/2019	House	Passed Both Houses
11/14/2019	Senate	Third Reading - Passed; 050-000-000
12/13/2019	House	Sent to the Governor
12/20/2019	House	Effective Date December 20, 2019
12/20/2019	House	Governor Approved
12/20/2019	House	Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0613