Pritzker acts upon 269 bills, vetoes 2, signs 'lawsuit inferno' measure
[August 16, 2025]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – In a Friday announcement of the status of 269
bills, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation which led opponents to
call Illinois a “Lawsuit Inferno.” He vetoed two other measures.
Senate Bill 328, sponsored by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon,
D-Oak Park, expands jurisdiction for claims alleging injury or illness
resulting from exposure to toxic substances.
Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the
governor gave in to special interests.
"I am deeply disappointed that Gov. Pritzker ignored our calls to join
the Governor of New York in vetoing this special interest legislation
that will further deter businesses from investing in Illinois. Under
Gov. Pritzker, Illinois is a bottom five state in the nation for
economic growth and job creation because of bad business policies like
SB 328,” Curran said in a statement.
From 2022 to 2025, Harmon received $75,000 in campaign donations from
the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s political-action committee.
Phil Melin of Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse told The Center
Square last month that SB 328 would open Illinois courts to cases with
out-of-state plaintiffs and defendants.
The American Tort Reform Association’s Legislative HeatCheck Report
released last month gave Illinois the "inferno" designation after the
General Assembly passed the measure.
With the governor's signature, SB 328 takes effect immediately.
On Friday, Pritzker vetoed two of the 269 bills he acted on.
House Bill 2682, sponsored by state Rep. Lilian Jiménez, D-Chicago,
aimed to streamline Family Violence Option screening into the standard
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families application process and
increased crisis assistance benefits. Pritzker noted that identical
language was included in the fiscal year 2026 Budget Implementation Act
but included a different effective date.
“To avoid any confusion or dispute regarding when the Department's
authority and duties under the amendatory language become effective, I
agree with the bill's sponsors and its advocates that the best course of
action is to veto House Bill 2682,” the governor noted in his veto
message.
Pritzker also vetoed Senate Bill 246, which he said was designed to
allow the Illinois Treasurer to create a non-profit investment pool and
an electronic payment processing program to benefit non-profit
organizations.
“Though SB 246 is well-intended and might benefit non-profits whose
missions advance interests the state desires to promote, it would
unfortunately also allow Illinois' financial investments to be used to
benefit fringe and extremist groups. I cannot sign a bill that
unintentionally allows extremist groups to advance their hateful
missions by exploiting state services and resources,” the governor wrote
in his veto message.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker during a bill signing ceremony
Illinois.gov
Pritzker signed House Bill 3756, which creates “an Easy Enrollment
process” to the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange by allowing a
special enrollment period for uninsured taxpayers who voluntarily
seek health insurance information through their tax forms.
The governor also signed House Bill 1226, which raises the minimum
age that drivers in Illinois are required to take annual driving
tests from 75 to 79. HB 1226 takes effect July 1, 2026.
Among the other bills signed by Pritzker on Friday is House Bill
1316, which requires a school official to notify the office of the
principal if they become aware of a person in possession of a
firearm on school grounds or become aware of any threats of gun
violence on school grounds. With Pritzker’s signature, the measure
takes effect immediately.
House Bill 1710 requires detailed quarterly reporting from the
Illinois State Police on the progress of violent crime
investigations.
House Bill 2462, known as “Dillon’s Law,” allows any individual who
undergoes required training to carry and administer epinephrine to
individuals experiencing anaphylaxis.
House Bill 2574 requires the State Board of Education report
information for each student assessment contract it enters on its
website and engage with stakeholder groups to improve transparency
around assessment contracts.
House Bill 2602 eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal
cases of involuntary servitude or human trafficking.
House Bill 3000 requires employee IDs at school districts include
the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and the Safe2Help Illinois helpline.
House Bill 3026 requires the State Board of Education to adopt
comprehensive guidance for school districts interested in
establishing or expanding dual language education programs.
House Bill 1787 requires school districts train all substitute
teachers in evacuation and lockdown drills.
Senate Bill 405 requires school counseling services under the School
Code be provided regardless of citizenship status.
House Bill 1302 amends the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act
to enhance victim rights and reporting procedures for criminal
sexual assault and domestic violence cases.
Effective January 1, 2026, House Bill 1365 enables mental health
profession applicants to practice while awaiting licensure.
Read about other measures announced enacted into law Friday at the
governor's
website.
Greg Bishop contributed to this report.
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