South Cook News

Thaddeus Jones introduced HB3337 in the Illinois House on Feb. 7, 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: "Creates the Illiana Task Force Act. Creates the Illiana Task Force, consisting of 24 police officers, appointed by the Director of the Illinois State Police. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall select a chairperson. Provides that members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation for their service on the Task Force but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties from appropriations made by the General Assembly for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall meet at least once monthly to study ways to reduce violence in local communities caused by the illegal use of firearms and to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on suggested legislative solutions to this problem. Provides that the Task Force shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31 of each year and a final report 5 years after the creation of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be dissolved 6 years after its creation. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2032. Effective immediately."

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

In essence, this bill establishes the Illiana Task Force, consisting of 24 police officers appointed by the Director of the Illinois State Police, to address violence in local communities caused by the illegal use of firearms. The Task Force will convene monthly to study the issue and provide recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly for legislative solutions. Members will receive no compensation apart from reimbursement for necessary expenses. An annual report will be submitted each December 31, with a final report due five years after the Task Force's creation. The Task Force will be dissolved six years after its inception, and the Act is set to be repealed on Jan. 1, 2032. This legislation takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Thaddeus Jones has proposed another 17 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Jones graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a BS.

Thaddeus Jones is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 29th House District. He replaced previous state representative David E. Miller in 2011.

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
HB3337	02/07/2025	Creates the Illiana Task Force Act. Creates the Illiana Task Force, consisting of 24 police officers, appointed by the Director of the Illinois State Police. Provides that the members of the Task Force shall select a chairperson. Provides that members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation for their service on the Task Force but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties from appropriations made by the General Assembly for that purpose. Provides that the Task Force shall meet at least once monthly to study ways to reduce violence in local communities caused by the illegal use of firearms and to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on suggested legislative solutions to this problem. Provides that the Task Force shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31 of each year and a final report 5 years after the creation of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be dissolved 6 years after its creation. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2032. Effective immediately.
HB3333	02/07/2025	Amends the Municipal Code. Provides that, if a municipality employs a municipal officer with the purpose of providing legal counsel to the corporate authorities of the municipality or to represent the municipality in legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, a city attorney, then the corporate authorities of the municipality shall not employ or seek outside counsel to represent the municipality. Provides that, the corporate authorities of a municipality may seek outside counsel if the corporate authorities believe in good faith that there is a conflict of interest with regard to the municipal officer with the purpose of providing legal counsel to the corporate authorities of the municipality or to represent the municipality in legal proceedings.
HB3334	02/07/2025	Creates the HUBZone Center of Excellence Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create the HUBZone Center of Excellence. Provides that the HUBZone Center of Excellence shall serve as a center for HUBZone business development and provide sustainable opportunities for underserved communities. Provides that the HUBZone Center of Excellence shall prioritize creating wealth and sustainability in HUBZones through economic development, education, and strategic RFP development processes. Sets forth provisions concerning the duties of the Center and the creation of an operational plan. Effective immediately.
HB3335	02/07/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual plan of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after January 1, 2026 that provides coverage for prescription insulin drugs shall limit the total amount that an insured is required to pay for a 30-day supply of covered prescription weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Moujaro, to an amount not to exceed $200, regardless of the quantity or type of covered prescription weight loss drug used to fill the insured's prescription. Provides that an insurer is not prohibited from reducing an insured's cost sharing by an amount greater than the specified amount. Grants the Department of Insurance rulemaking and enforcement authority. Provides that, on January 1 of each year, the limit on the amount that an insured is required to pay for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription insulin drug shall increase by a percentage equal to the percentage change from the preceding year in the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Illinois Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions.
HB3336	02/07/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall create a payment system to collect fees from any prospective candidate for elected office in a consolidated or general election in the State. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall deposit all moneys collected under the provision into the Election Income Tax Rebate Fund. Provides that, beginning in 2027, the Department of Revenue shall pay an annual rebate to each individual taxpayer who files an Illinois income tax return with the moneys in the Election Income Tax Rebate Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Election Income Tax Rebate Fund.
HB3338	02/07/2025	Amends the Department of Revenue Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Revenue, in consultation with the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, shall conduct a study to determine the feasibility of eliminating, by no later than January 1, 2030, the property tax system in the State and replacing that revenue with income tax receipts.
HB3339	02/07/2025	Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts images from cameras under the Expressway Camera Act and all automated license plate reader (ALPR) information used and collected by the Illinois State Police from inspection and copying. Amends the Expressway Camera Act. Provides that, as used in the Act, "forcible felony" means trafficking in persons and involuntary servitude (in addition to other specified offenses). Includes the counties of Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside in the program to increase cameras along expressways and the State highway system. Provides that images from the cameras, including, but not limited to, images of license plates collected by state-operated cameras and cameras operated by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, may be used by any law enforcement agency conducting an active law enforcement investigation. Removes provision allowing images from the cameras to be used by any law enforcement agency conducting an active law enforcement investigation. Provides that all images from the cameras that are exported through a law enforcement database shall be deleted from that law enforcement database within 120 days, unless the images are relevant to an ongoing investigation or pending criminal trial. Provides that any forcible felony, gunrunning, or firearms trafficking offense, as specified, respectively, committed on an expressway monitored by a camera system funded by money from the Road Fund or money from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and investigated by officers of the Illinois State Police may be prosecuted by the Attorney General or the State's Attorney where the offense was committed. Provides that the Act supersedes provisions in the Toll Highway Act regarding the confidentiality of personally identifiable information obtained through electronic toll collection systems. Provides that the Act is repealed on July 1, 2028 (rather than July 1, 2025). Effective immediately.
HB3340	02/07/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 through 2031, the total property tax liability for any parcel of residential property in Bloom, Rich, Bremen, Thornton, or Calumet township for any of those taxable years shall be limited to the lesser of (i) the actual property tax liability for the property or (ii) $5,000.
HB3341	02/07/2025	Amends the Department of Insurance Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall file any market conduct studies seeking to levy fines against an insurance company with the General Assembly before each legislative session and the General Assembly must approve before any fines are leveled. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall conduct a hearing with the House Insurance Committee and Senate Insurance Committee before any further proceedings occur. Provides that before the release of announcements of the fines to the public, there shall be an appeal process scheduled within 30 days after the committee hearings.
HB3342	02/07/2025	Creates the Calumet City Community Medical District Act. Creates the Calumet City Community Medical District with boundaries coterminous with the boundaries of Calumet City. Creates the Commission of the District with 9 appointed commissioners and 3 ex officio commissioners. Contains provisions related to the operation of the District, rights and powers of the District and Commission, acquisition, management, and disposition of property, and other provisions. Amends the Eminent Domain Act and State Finance Act making conforming changes. Amends the Court of Claims Act replacing a reference to a dissolved medical district commission with the Calumet City Community Medical District Commission and the other existing medical district commissions. Effective immediately.
HB3755	02/07/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that any policy of automobile insurance that carries comprehensive coverage may not exclude theft coverage for lack of evidence of forcible entry or for the insured leaving the vehicle unlocked or leaving a key or key fob in the vehicle. Provides that nothing in the provisions prohibits a company from investigating and denying a claim due to fraudulent acts. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB3756	02/07/2025	Amends the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Law. Provides that the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange shall allow a special enrollment period for an uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, if the uninsured taxpayer requested health insurance benefit information through the easy enrollment program under the Illinois Income Tax Act and the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's qualified dependents, if applicable, are eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through the Exchange. Establishes notification requirements for the Exchange. Provides that the uninsured taxpayer and the uninsured taxpayer's dependents shall have 60 days from the date of the letter to select and enroll in a qualified health plan. Provides that coverage shall be effective the first day of the month that follows the plan selection. Grants the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services rulemaking authority to implement an easy enrollment special enrollment period. Effective immediately.
HB2665	02/04/2025	Amends the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Act. Provides that to ensure that organizations contracted to implement the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program meet the needs of PACE participants, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall reform the rate-setting methodology for the PACE program by establishing a blended rate structure based on a 30% Home and Community-Based Services and 70% Skilled Nursing Facility case-mix which is a more accurate proportion of the comparable population expected to reside in an institution or the community if not enrolled in PACE. Requires the blended rate structure to more accurately reflect the comprehensive nature of care provided by PACE organizations and address the unique needs of PACE participants as a higher risk/acuity population with expected higher costs and frailty than comparable populations. Provides that when developing rates under the blended rate structure, the Department must consider not only the standard cost experiences of PACE participants but also the unique characteristics and specific care needs of the PACE population as well as any additional State plan services or populations that are not included in the State's Medicaid managed care contracts but are required under the PACE program.
HB2666	02/04/2025	Amends the Elected City Officers Division of the Municipal Code. Requires every municipality to stagger the terms of its alderpersons (rather than allowing municipalities to adopt a proposition to stagger the terms of its alderpersons). Provides that, if a municipality has not adopted a proposition to stagger the terms of alderpersons before the effective date of the amendatory Act, then at the next regular election for alderpersons one alderperson shall be elected from each even-numbered ward for a term of 2 years and one alderperson shall be elected from each odd-numbered ward for a term of 4 years and their successors shall be elected for terms of 4 years. Provides that the City of Chicago and the City of Chicago Heights are not required to stagger the elections of their alderpersons.
HB1808	01/28/2025	Reappropriates the sum of $1,400,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the City of Calumet City for costs associated with capital improvements. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB1774	01/27/2025	Reappropriates the sum of $100,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the City of Calumet City for costs associated with the construction of infrastructure improvements. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB1775	01/27/2025	Creates the Black Wall Street Program Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create and administer the Black Wall Street Program to provide loans and financial assistance to designated communities for the creation of Black Wall Street Business Districts. Specifies further requirements concerning Program eligibility and the disbursement of loan funds under the Program. Requires each municipality receiving a loan under the Program to establish a municipal investment program by which loan funds are disbursed to qualified African American business entities and persons for the purpose of establishing Black Wall Street Business Districts. Allows for the use of loan funds to invest in, issue, or sell bonds for the purpose of the construction of Black Wall Street Business Districts and all related matters. Requires the Department to compile and make available to the public a database of qualified African American contractors and engineers. Requires the Department to create and administer a Black Wall Street Investment Hub for the purposes of providing specified assistance to African American business entities and persons in establishing Black Wall Street businesses. Provides for the adoption of administrative rules. Creates the Black Wall Street Fund as a special fund in the State treasury for specified purposes. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes.
HB1325	01/14/2025	Amends the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act. Creates the South Suburban Trauma Center Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Specifies that certain toll surcharges are to be deposited in the Fund and used for a suburban trauma center to be situated on the border between Calumet City and the Village of Dolton. Describes additional duties of the Health Facilities and Services Review Board regarding the establishment of a south suburban trauma center. Amends the Toll Highway Act. Imposes a toll surcharge at a specific toll plaza. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
HB1326	01/14/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Creates a homestead exemption for certain property located in Cook County that has been used as a qualified taxpayer's principal dwelling place for at least 5 continuous years as of January 1 of the taxable year. Provides that the aggregate amount of property taxes levied against that property in any taxable year may not exceed $5,000. Effective immediately.
HB1327	01/14/2025	Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 510 shall change the name of the Allied Health & Nursing Center at South Suburban College to the Frank M. Zuccarelli Allied Health Center.
HB1159	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Defines "health benefit plan" and other terms. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager or an affiliate acting on the pharmacy benefit manager's behalf is prohibited from conducting spread pricing, from steering a covered individual, and from limiting a covered individual's access to prescription drugs from a pharmacy or pharmacist enrolled with the health benefit plan under the terms offered to all pharmacies in the plan coverage area by unreasonably designating the covered prescription drugs as a specialty drug. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager or an affiliate acting on the pharmacy benefit manager's behalf must remit 100% of rebates and fees to the health benefit plan sponsor, consumer, or employer. Provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may not reimburse a pharmacy or pharmacist for a prescription drug or pharmacy service in an amount less than the national average drug acquisition cost for the prescription drug or pharmacy service at the time the drug is administered or dispensed, plus a professional dispensing fee. Provides that a contract between a pharmacy benefit manager and an insurer or health benefit plan sponsor must allow and provide for the pharmacy benefit manager's compliance with an audit at least once per calendar year of the rebate and fee records remitted from a pharmacy benefit manager or its contracted party to a health benefit plan. Provides that provisions concerning pharmacy benefit manager contracts apply to any health benefit plan (instead of any group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan) that provides coverage for prescription drugs and that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after July 1, 2020. Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to submit an annual report that includes specified information concerning prescription drugs. Makes other changes. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to make a conforming change. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB1166	01/09/2025	Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an electric utility that serves more than 3,000,000 customers in the State shall fund the construction of 5 employment training centers at a cost to be determined by the utility. Provides that the employment training centers shall be located in: the west side of Chicago; Ford Heights; Waukegan; Bloomington; and Peoria.
HB1167	01/09/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Creates the South Suburban Property Tax Relief Homestead Exemption Pilot Program. Provides that, for taxable years 2026 through 2030, certain qualified homestead property that is used as the primary residence of an individual who has occupied the property for at least 5 continuous years as of January 1 of the taxable year is eligible for a credit against the property taxes imposed on that property. Provides that the amount of the credit is the lesser of (i) the property tax liability for the property for the applicable taxable year or (ii) $5,000. Contains provisions concerning applications for the pilot program. Provides that the Cook County Assessor may not award credits under the pilot program for more than 7,500 properties in any taxable year. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the South Suburban Property Tax Relief Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used to make reimbursements to taxing districts that are affected by the South Suburban Property Tax Relief Homestead Exemption Pilot Program. Makes changes to provisions concerning the Cannabis Regulation Fund to provide for transfers to the South Suburban Property Tax Relief Fund. Amends the Video Gaming Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.