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.

105th Illinois General Assembly

ILA's 2026 Legislative Agenda

ILA's Public Policy Committee worked hard in the summer and autumn of 2025, collecting, researching, and deliberating about possible legislative priorities for the association to pursue in the upcoming 2026 session. PPC made recommendations to the ILA Executive Board, which approved the following legislative priorities following its September 18, 2025 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.

  • Increase Library System Area & Per Capita Grants + Public Per Capita & School District Grants by 20%
    PPC received a proposal to increase the grants due to the past five years of inflation. As noted in the proposal, “without an inflation adjustment, these vital funding mechanisms lose value over time, impacting library operations and services.” PPC recommended a 20% increase to the grant, as well as a 20% increase to library system area and per capita grant.
  • Require Public Library Trustee Training
    The legislative proposal submitted requires public library trustees to undergo training each year. The PPC found this to be a smart, proactive step for a representative of local government to be best prepared as a trustee. It would set a shared understanding of the role of a public library trustee.
  • Open Educational Resources funding Grant

    CARLI’s Open Educational Resources Committee presented its proposal for funding open educational resources (OER) to address rising textbook costs that are creating an equity gap in higher education. PPC supports the $3 million proposal to support faculty in creating OER materials. Last year, CARLI received an IMLS grant to pilot its OER initiative with 120 classes currently using their materials across the state, and the impact data is still being gathered. The OER funding would be part of the Secretary of State budget, a recurring $3 million grant, and it would be available to all schools in higher education per ILLINET.

  • Making eBooks Equitable & Accessible
    The cost of eBooks to Illinois libraries is an ongoing and growing concern as libraries respond to user demand. PPC recommends taking legislative action to help libraries address the cost and limited terms of e-content.


In addition to the Legislative Agenda, PPC is working on other proposals and recommendations:

  • Form a Study Group on Personal Property Replacement Tax Disbursements

    PPC discussed a proposal that would direct PPRT funds to be distributed directly to the recipient organization, rather than using a “middleman” currently. The PPC recommends forming a study group to examine the PPRT  issue, instead of a legislative approach at this time. The study group will explore the practice of withholding PPRT funds to public libraries.

  • Form a Study Group on FOIA
    The two proposals PPC received regarding the Freedom of Information Act show there is an ongoing abuse of FOIA to harass public library employees and force the library to spend an inordinate amount of time and legal expenses responding to anonymous FOIA requests. PPC heard examples of how FOIA is being used anonymously to personally attack library staff. 

    The issues with public libraries and FOIA are real but we need more supporting information before ILA can move forward with legislation. The Committee recommends forming a FOIA study group to gather stories from libraries and use the RAILS FOIA Hotline for general statistics on how FOIA requests are trending. Once the study group completes its work, there can be a better formed approach during the veto session in 2026 to address changes to FOIA.

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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