South Cook News

Abdelnasser Rashid introduced HB2998 in the Illinois House on Feb. 6, 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 Election Code. Provides that all local election authorities shall post requirements and qualifications for running for local offices and petition filing deadlines on the website of the local election authority."

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 Election Code to require all local election authorities in Illinois to publish the requirements, qualifications, and petition filing deadlines for running for local offices on their respective websites. By mandating the online posting of such information, the bill seeks to enhance transparency and accessibility for potential candidates interested in local elections.

Abdelnasser Rashid has proposed another 14 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Rashid graduated from Harvard University in 2011 with a BS and again in 2022 from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Abdelnasser Rashid is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 21st House District. He replaced previous state representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr. in 2023.

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
HB2998	02/06/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that all local election authorities shall post requirements and qualifications for running for local offices and petition filing deadlines on the website of the local election authority.
HB2989	02/06/2025	Amends the Use Tax Act and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Creates a sales tax holiday period for school supplies each year during the 10-day period that begins on the first Monday in August. Effective immediately.
HB2996	02/06/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that wireless telecommunication towers that are not otherwise exempt under a specific provision of the Code are subject to local property taxes and shall be valued according to policies adopted by the chief county assessment officer. Effective immediately.
HB2997	02/06/2025	Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Arab American history, including the history of Arab Americans in the State and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Arab Americans from the 19th century onward. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make available to all school boards instructional materials, including those established by the Public Broadcasting Service, that may be used as guidelines for the development of the unit of instruction. Provides that each school board shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction. Provides that the regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a school district's compliance with the curricular requirements during the regional superintendent's annual compliance visit. Provides that a school may meet the requirements through an online program or course. Effective immediately.
HB3021	02/06/2025	Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that it is an unlawful practice for any person to engage in a commercial transaction or trade practice with a consumer in which: (1) the consumer is communicating or otherwise interacting with a chatbot, artificial intelligence agent, avatar, or other computer technology that engages in a textual or aural conversation; (2) the communication may mislead or deceive a reasonable consumer to believe that the consumer is communicating with a human representative; and (3) the consumer is not notified in a clear and conspicuous manner that the consumer is communicating with an artificial intelligence system and not a human representative. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB3024	02/06/2025	Amends the Disaster Relief Act. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security may provide State supplemental grants to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals and households adversely affected by any disaster declared by the President of the United States in those cases in which individuals and households are unable to meet those expenses or needs through other assistance. Sets eligibility, application, and other requirements for the grants.
HB3026	02/06/2025	Amends the School Code by adding the Dual Language Education Article. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt comprehensive guidance for school districts on starting new dual language education programs and expanding existing programs. Provides that the guidance shall cover a comprehensive program structure, curriculum, instruction, assessment and accountability, staff quality and professional development, family and community engagement, and support and resources. Provides that the State Board of Education's Equity Journey Continuum shall integrate: (1) dual language education into the broader framework of student learning to ensure it is considered an essential part of educational equity and excellence; and (2) specific provisions for dual language teachers, focusing on recruitment, professional development, and retention of bilingual educators. Requires a school district to establish recognition pathways for biliteracy at various levels before high school. Requires each school district to: (1) create an intuitive and resource-rich online platform that provides comprehensive information and tools for potential bilingual educators; (2) develop strategies to ensure bilingual educators remain in the profession; and (3) launch a marketing campaign that aligns with the U.S. Department of Education's "Being Bilingual is a Superpower" initiative, focusing on the benefits of bilingualism and highlighting inspiring stories of bilingual educators and students.
HB3041	02/06/2025	Creates the Illinois Data Privacy and Protection Act. Provides that a covered entity (any entity or any person, other than an individual acting in a non-commercial context, that alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of collecting, processing, or transferring covered data) may not collect, process, or transfer covered data unless the collection, processing, or transfer is limited to what is reasonably necessary and proportionate. Provides that a covered entity and a service provider shall establish, implement, and maintain reasonable policies, practices, and procedures concerning the collection, processing, and transferring of covered data. Contains provisions concerning retaliation; transparency; individual data rights; consent; data protection for children and minors; civil rights; data security; small business protections; executive responsibility; service providers and third parties; enforcement; severability; and rulemaking. Effective 180 days after becoming law.
HB2723	02/05/2025	Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Removes provisions requiring the Illinois Investment Policy Board to include companies that boycott Israel in its list of restricted companies. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
HB2954	02/05/2025	Creates the Taxpayer Relief from Ubiquitous Synthetic Toxics (TRUST) Act. Creates the PFAS Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that the Fund shall include settlements from enforcement actions brought by the Attorney General, as well as other moneys. Provides for a PFAS Grant Program funded by the PFAS Fund to cover PFAS-related costs of eligible entities as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Provides for a PFAS Reimbursement Program funded by the PFAS Fund to cover PFAS-related costs of eligible entities as determined by the Agency. Provides rules for payments of reimbursements or grant awards. Provides that the Agency shall administer the Act and adopt rules. Provides for enforcement of the Act. Creates a tax on manufacturing PFAS. Provides that the Agency shall propose to the Pollution Control Board, and no later than one year after receipt of the Agency's proposal, the Board shall adopt, rules specifying which PFAS chemicals are subject to the tax and the applicable rate for each PFAS chemical determined to be subject to the tax. Provides for a manufacturer to file a return with the Department of Revenue, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department shall administer the tax and adopt rules. Provides that moneys collected under the tax shall be deposited into the PFAS Fund. Provides that final Agency decisions made under the PFAS Reimbursement Program shall be subject to review in the same manner as appeals of permit denial under provisions in the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all other final administrative decisions made under the Act are subject to review in accordance with the Administrative Review Law. States the purpose of the Act. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act. Effective immediately.
HB2955	02/05/2025	Creates the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Act. Creates the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Committee for specific purposes. Provides that the Committee shall submit a PFAS Action Plan to the Governor's Office, the General Assembly, and the Environmental Protection Agency no later than one year after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Committee shall continue to periodically meet and shall annually update the PFAS Action Plan and submit annual reports with certain requirements. Provides for membership of the Committee. Provides that the Prairie Research Institute's Illinois Sustainable Technology Center shall provide technical assistance to the Committee. Makes findings and declares policy. Defines terms. Provides that the Act is repealed on December 31, 2044. Effective immediately.
HB2650	02/04/2025	Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that an individual shall be eligible for benefits (rather than ineligible for benefits) for any week with respect to which it is found that the individual's total or partial unemployment is due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a labor dispute at the factory, establishment, or other premises at which he is or was last employed. Makes conforming changes.
HB2655	02/04/2025	Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education to prepare and submit to the General Assembly a report on the state of artificial intelligence education and development in public and private institutions of higher education. Sets forth what information the report must contain. Repeals the provisions 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
HB2516	02/03/2025	Amends the PFAS Reduction Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in this State the following products if the product contains intentionally added PFAS: (1) cookware, (2) cosmetics, (3) dental floss, (4) juvenile products, (5) menstrual products, (6) intimate apparel, or (7) food packaging or food contact products. Defines terms.
HB1859	01/29/2025	Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the board of trustees of a community college district shall require the primary instructor of a course to meet specified qualifications set forth in the Illinois Administrative Code and any other applicable rules adopted by the Illinois Community College Board. Provides that a course may not, in lieu of a primary instructor, use artificial intelligence or a generative artificial intelligence program.
HB1860	01/29/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person shall not distribute, or enter into an agreement with another person to distribute, materially deceptive media if: (1) the person knows the media falsely represents a depicted individual; (2) the distribution occurs within 90 days before an election; (3) the person intends the distribution to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election or otherwise deceive voters; and (4) the person intends the distribution to change the voting behavior of electors in an election by deceiving the electors into incorrectly believing that the depicted individual in fact engaged in the speech or conduct depicted, and the distribution is reasonably likely to cause that result. Sets forth exceptions to the provision and penalties for violations of the provision. Effective immediately.
HB1621	01/23/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that it is unlawful for any public utility to make a campaign contribution to any candidate for State office or political committee organized to support any candidate for State office. Provides that it is unlawful for any water or sewer utility to make a campaign contribution to any candidate for municipal or State office or a political committee organized to support any candidate for municipal or State office. Defines terms.
HB1631	01/23/2025	Amends the Department of Innovation and Technology Act. Repeals the definition of "client agency" and makes changes in the definitions of "dedicated unit", "State agency", and "transferring agency". Replaces references to "transferring agency" with references to "transferred agency". Makes changes in provisions concerning the powers and duties of the Department of Innovation and Technology, including changes in the scope of services provided by the Department and in the classes of persons to whom those services are to be provided. Authorizes the Department to charge fees for service to all State agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor (rather than only client agencies). Repeals from the Department of Innovation and Technology Act and adds to the Illinois Information Security Improvement Act a provision requiring the principal executive officer of specified units of local government to designate a local official or employee as the primary point of contact for local cybersecurity issues. Requires the name and contact information for the specified individual to be provided to the Statewide Chief Information Security Officer. Further amends the Illinois Information Security Improvement Act. Makes changes concerning the duties of the Office of the Statewide Chief Information Security Officer and the Secretary of Innovation and Technology. Changes the definition of "State agency".
HB1632	01/23/2025	Amends the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. In provisions regarding the acceptance and distribution of electronic records and electronic signatures by governmental agencies, provides that, to the extent that a governmental agency uses electronic records and electronic signatures, the governmental agency (rather than the Department of Innovation and Technology and the Secretary of State) may specify (rather than shall adopt rules specifying) the required format and attributes of the electronic records and electronic signatures and the specific processes and procedures governing their use. Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Department of Innovation and Technology to adopt rules setting forth minimum requirements concerning the required format and attributes of electronic records and electronic signatures and the processes and procedures governing their use. Provides that the rules adopted by the Secretary of State shall apply only with respect to the Secretary of State. Further provides that the rules adopted by the Department of Innovation and Technology shall apply only with respect to client agencies, as that term is defined in the Department of Innovation and Technology Act.