Illinois Legislative Issues


Committed to Serving as an Advocate for Illinois Libraries

ILA monitors all bills in the Illinois General Assembly that affect libraries. ILA's Public Policy Committee (PPC) carefully reviews issues and recommends action: support, oppose, or monitor. We seek to indicate "monitor" status only as we are gathering information about a bill; the goal is to ultimately support or oppose laws that will affect libraries. In rare cases, the impact on libraries remains unclear, or there is not a consensus among librarians whether to support or oppose, but in general, we try to avoid not taking a position. ILA's Quick Response Team addresses legislative issues that arise in between PPC meetings. Contact the PPC Chair, or read PPC meeting minutes, agendas, and reports to the ILA Executive Board here.

In addition to monitoring bills, ILA proactively proposes and advocates for legislation favorable to libraries; drafting changes to existing law or new law, finding sponsors for bills we wish to bring forward, and then garnering support and following the process through the passage in both the House and Senate, through signature into law by the Governor.

104th Illinois General Assembly

ILA's 2025 Legislative Agenda

ILA's Public Policy Committee worked hard in the summer and autumn of 2024, collecting, researching, and deliberating about possible legislative priorities for the association to pursue in the upcoming 2025 session. PPC made recommendations to the ILA Executive Board, which approved the following legislative priorities following its September 19, 2024 meeting:

  • Fund Libraries
    Fully fund Fiscal Year 2026 state appropriations for the Illinois Secretary of State’s grant programs, equalization grants, and per capita grants for public libraries, school libraries, and library systems. Approve appropriations for the Illinois State Library and higher education institutions including state university and community college academic libraries for the benefit of students, their families, and our communities. Increase the per capita and per student grant rates for public libraries and school libraries, respectively, to keep pace with increased expenses libraries will incur throughout the year.

  • Compensation Reporting Requirements

    Since 2012, the Illinois General Assembly has required Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) participating employers to post within six business days of approving its budget employee information for those who earn a total compensation package of at least $75,000.  IMRF employers are also required to publicly post proposed compensation packages for any person who will earn at least $150,000 for at least six days prior to an employer approving an  employee compensation package. This proposal seeks to amend the Open Meetings Act to adjust current statutory dollar amounts for posting purposes to $125,000 and $200,000, respectively, to account for inflation and reduce small public employer administrative burdens.

  • Libraries Connected Broadband
    The Illinois Century Network provides a geographically diverse and redundant connection ensuring high availability to the public internet.  This proposal, in part, amends the Illinois Century Network Act to establish schools and libraries as “primary anchor institutions” for purposes of connection to this high speed internet network.

  • Licensed School Librarians Task Force

    The Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) and its partners will propose the creation of the “Licensed School Librarian Task Force” to make legislative recommendations on how to ensure Illinois public elementary and high schools consider, budget appropriate resources for, and employ Licensed School Librarians in future academic years from state and local resources available to them.

2024 Session Legislative Priorities 

  • Amend the Acquisition of Treasurer Bonds for Libraries -- Signed into law by the Governor
    Illinois libraries are required to acquire treasurer bonds at 50% of the total funds received by a library in the most previous fiscal year. Other units of local government, however, are required to acquire treasurer bonds between 10-25% of yearly collected revenue. ILA will introduce legislation seeking parity between libraries and other governmental units to require library treasurers to hold a bond of 10-25% of total revenue collections from the previous fiscal year.

  • Raise the Current Competitive Bidding Threshold 
    The Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991 currently set the competitive bidding threshold at $25,000. The association will support legislation seeking an inflationary adjustment to today’s statutory competitive bid threshold dollar amount for administrative burden relief and taxpayer savings. 

  • Equitable Access to Electronic Literary Materials Act 
    Restrictions placed on libraries accessing digital content have posed a challenge in acquiring and providing access to eBooks, as publishers often impose restrictive licensing and contractual terms. Most publishers and eBook aggregators force libraries to acquire eBooks with licensing terms that make it impossible to meet library standard access and preservation missions. ILA will propose legislation seeking to change this through a new state law based on consumer protection, contract law, and contract preemption to regulate library eBook contracts with publishers.     

While these are the main pillars of ILA's legislative focus, we always seek to continue to tweak state law in keeping with our Public Policy Principle to "Increase Effectiveness in Illinois Libraries." We thank the PPC and association members who bring suggestions forward for consideration.

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