McHenry Times

Martin McLaughlin introduced HB2647 in the Illinois House on Feb. 4, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that each board of trustees of a community college district shall provide a small business leadership fast-track program to help women who wish to become small business owners as contractors in trade fields."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Public Community College Act to mandate that each community college district board of trustees in Illinois establish a small business leadership fast-track program. This program is specifically designed to assist women aspiring to become small business owners in the capacity of contractors within trade fields. The initiative promotes entrepreneurship and aims to provide women with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the trades industry, potentially enhancing economic opportunities and vocational pathways for women within these sectors.

Martin McLaughlin has proposed another 14 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Mc.Laughlin graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1987 with a BA.

Martin Mc.Laughlin is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 52nd House District. He replaced previous state representative David McSweeney in 2021.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB2647	02/04/2025	Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that each board of trustees of a community college district shall provide a small business leadership fast-track program to help women who wish to become small business owners as contractors in trade fields.
HB2635	02/04/2025	Creates the School Board Member Recall Act. Establishes procedures under which school board members that were elected during a consolidated election may be recalled. Provides for petition requirements for recall elections. Provides for requirements for recall ballots, including requirements for replacement candidates wishing to be listed on the recall ballot.
HB2636	02/04/2025	Amends the School Code. Provides that subject to the availability of local resources, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each public middle school, junior high school, and high school may establish a junior color guard program to promote the value of and honor military personnel. Provides that the junior color guard may be used at school events, including interscholastic athletic events and other events in which the presenting of the colors is requested. Provides that each school may allow the junior color guard to participate in community events in which the presenting of the colors may be requested. Provides that each school may work with a civic organization or association to provide adequate training to the members of the junior color guard on the execution of their duties.
HB2637	02/04/2025	Amends the Toll Highway Act. Allows an active-status member of the Illinois National Guard to use a toll highway without paying the toll if the active-status member has applied for and received from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority an Official Permit Card. Requires the Authority to adopt rules for the issuance of a permit that allows an active-status member of the Illinois National Guard to use any toll highway without paying the established toll.
HB2638	02/04/2025	Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, the Department of Children and Family Services shall require each licensed day care center to maintain a video security system and maintain video surveillance of all public areas within the premises of the day care center, including, but not limited to, hallways, entrances, play areas, common rooms, and eating areas. Provides that video surveillance shall not take place in private areas within the day care center, including, but not limited to, bathrooms and changing areas. Provides that, if a video security system is deemed inadequate by the Department, the day care center shall have 30 days to correct the inadequacy. Provides that each licensed day care center must notify all parents of children attending the day care center that public areas are under video surveillance and must post a sign at the entrance of the day care center that informs visitors that the area is under video surveillance. Provides that the minimum standards for licensing shall require that each child care institution, maternity center, day care center, group home, day care home, and group day care home require that every staff member involved in the direct care of children be certified in first aid, in the Heimlich maneuver, and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation(rather than have on its premises during its hours of operation at least one staff member certified in first aid, in the Heimlich maneuver, and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
HB2639	02/04/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 and thereafter, the maximum reduction for the general homestead exemption is $10,000 in all counties. Effective immediately.
HB2640	02/04/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 and thereafter, the maximum income limitation for the senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption is $75,000 (currently, $65,000). Effective immediately.
HB2641	02/04/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that certain homestead property that is owned by a person who will be 67 years of age or older during the taxable year is exempt from property taxes levied by a school district. Effective immediately.
HB2642	02/04/2025	Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that the limiting rate shall be calculated using the highest aggregate extension from any year in which the taxing district was subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (currently, the last 3 preceding levy years). Provides that an aggregate extension established for a levy year in which the taxing district was authorized to temporarily increase its limiting rate or its extension limitation may not be used.
HB2643	02/04/2025	Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that all witness slips filed in either house of the General Assembly concerning proposed legislation during the General Assembly committee hearing process shall track along with the legislation for which it was filed should such legislation be placed on another bill, by amendment, for purposes of legislative action. Provides that the General Assembly, in consultation with the Legislative Information System, shall provide for such witness slip tracking on the Illinois General Assembly website. Amends the Legislative Information System Act. Provides that the Legislative Information System shall provide for electronic tracking of all witness slips witness slips filed in either house of the General Assembly concerning proposed legislation during the General Assembly committee hearing by which the witness slips shall track along with the legislation for which they were filed should such legislation be placed on another bill, by amendment, for purposes of legislative action.
HB2644	02/04/2025	Amends the Line of Duty Compensation Act. Expands the definition of "law enforcement officer" or "officer" to include any person working as a volunteer for the State or a local governmental entity in some position involving the enforcement of the law and protection of the public interest at the risk of that person's life, including, but not limited to, volunteers assisting with parking and traffic.
HB2645	02/04/2025	Appropriates $25,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to the Barrington Area Council of Governments to facilitate implementation of its Water Resources Initiative that will monitor water quality and quantity in the shallow aquifer supporting the water needs of the Villages of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, South Barrington, and Tower Lakes and the Township of Barrington, as well as surrounding areas. Effective immediately.
HB2646	02/04/2025	Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall share the results of pathogen testing of ticks from State parks with the Department of Natural Resources annually. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall thereafter obtain, install, and maintain signs at all State-managed parks and outdoor recreation areas and facilities, including, but not limited to, recreational trail entryways, campgrounds, and any other location as defined and determined by the Department of Natural Resources as necessary and reflective of the results of the Department of Public Health's tick surveillance and pathogen testing, warning individuals that ticks may be found in the area and cause Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. The Department of Natural Resources may use models already in use throughout the State or in another state or any model the Department of Natural Resources determines appropriate when determining the design and content for such signage. Effective immediately.
HB2648	02/04/2025	Amends the Common Interest Community Association Act. Authorizes the imposition of a reasonable fee that may not exceed $375 for the cost of retrieving and copying association records that are properly requested. Authorizes the board to charge an additional rush fee of not more than $100 if the records are needed within 72 hours of the request being made. Requires any fees charged to be accompanied by an itemized statement detailing the basis of the fees. Provides that, beginning one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the $375 fee shall be increased or decreased, as applicable, by a percentage equal to the percentage change in the consumer price index-u during the preceding 12-month calendar year. "Consumer price index-u" means the index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by all urban consumers, United States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100.
HB2649	02/04/2025	Reenacts the Invest in Kids Act and makes the Act permanent. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.