Illinois Sen. Curran’s heroes way designation program technical amendment bill passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Sen. John F. Curran aims to maintain legislative consistency in the Heroes Way Designation Program Act, ensuring accurate language while preserving the program’s focus on honoring military heroes through transportation facility designations, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 72 Democrats and 37 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 38 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Curran introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 24, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB1160, was passed on May 21, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Heroes Way Designation Program Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.”

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

In essence, this bill amends the Heroes Way Designation Program Act by making a technical change to the section concerning its short title. The adjustment does not alter the purpose or intent of the Act but ensures consistency in its legislative language. Through this modification, the bill maintains the focus of the Heroes Way Designation Program, which involves the naming and designation of transportation facilities in honor of military heroes. The bill aims to keep the program’s legislative framework precise and accurate for implementation and reference.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Chapin Rose (Republican-51st District), Rep. Brad Halbrook (Republican-107th District), and Rep. Brandun Schweizer (Republican-104th District), along with six other sponsors.

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.

Curran graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995 with a BS and again in 1998 from Northern Illinois University College of Law, with a JD.

Curran, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2017 to represent the state’s 41st Senate District, replacing previous state senator Christine Radogno.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.