The legislation was introduced in bill HB909 on Jan. 25, when Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch (D-7) filed it with the House clerk.
According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Children's Advocacy Center Act".
After debate, the House passed the bill and it arrived in the Senate on March 20, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on May 24. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Aug. 9. The law is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Illinois legislature enacts laws through bills that can be introduced in either the state House of Representatives or the state Senate. Either chamber of the legislature can reject or amend a bill before it becomes law. Legislators sometimes sponsor "shell bills" devoid of substantive provisions, introduced with the intention of being amended later to include actual legislation.
The following table shows the full history of actions on HB909.
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/25/2019 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch |
| 1/28/2019 | House | First Reading |
| 1/28/2019 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/5/2019 | House | Assigned to Adoption & Child Welfare Committee |
| 2/13/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Tony McCombie |
| 2/13/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Burke |
| 2/13/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Adoption & Child Welfare Committee; 013-000-000 |
| 2/20/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 2/22/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Monica Bristow |
| 2/25/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. John Connor |
| 2/26/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Keith P. Sommer |
| 2/26/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Margo McDermed |
| 2/26/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley |
| 2/27/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mark Batinick |
| 2/28/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch |
| 2/28/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/5/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 004-000-000 |
| 3/6/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/7/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley |
| 3/7/2019 | House | Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley |
| 3/20/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Jonathan Carroll |
| 3/20/2019 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 115-000-000 |
| 3/20/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Fred Crespo |
| 3/20/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Frances Ann Hurley |
| 3/20/2019 | Senate | Arrive in Senate |
| 3/20/2019 | Senate | Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Rachelle Crowe |
| 3/20/2019 | Senate | First Reading |
| 3/20/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading |
| 3/20/2019 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 3/27/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachelle Crowe |
| 3/27/2019 | Senate | Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford |
| 4/24/2019 | Senate | Assigned to Criminal Law |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2019 |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Do Pass Criminal Law; 009-000-000 |
| 5/9/2019 | Senate | Second Reading |
| 5/9/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison |
| 5/9/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 14, 2019 |
| 5/24/2019 | House | Passed Both Houses |
| 5/24/2019 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 |
| 6/21/2019 | House | Sent to the Governor |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Effective Date January 1, 2020 |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0236 |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Governor Approved |
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