Illinois 104th General Assembly Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

SB3500      — AOIC GRANTS-LEGAL DESERTS

Last action — Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced February 05, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill provides grants to lawyers opening offices in underserved areas.

The Legal Deserts Act allows for grants or reimbursements to support lawyers or law firms that establish offices in geographic areas lacking legal services. These funds can cover various expenses related to starting and operating the office.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This may mean improved access to legal services for workers in underserved areas.
  • Families: Families may benefit from increased availability of legal aid in their communities.
  • Consumers: Consumers in legal deserts could find it easier to obtain legal assistance.

Summary

Creates the Legal Deserts Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts may establish a program to provide grants or reimbursements to compensate an individual lawyer or law firms that relocate or open an office within a geographic area for the purpose of providing legal services to individuals residing within a legal desert. Provides that the grants or reimbursements may cover marketing expenses, compensation for an attorney or up to 2 attorneys per firm, or other eligible expenses identified by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB3500 on the official Illinois source →

Action History

  1. Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

  2. Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 22, 2026

  3. Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 15, 2026

  4. Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As April 24, 2026

  5. Assigned to Appropriations

  6. Referred to Assignments

  7. First Reading

  8. Filed with Secretary by Sen. Javier L. Cervantes

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 182 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (182)

182 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 182 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB3500      do?
Creates the Legal Deserts Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts may establish a program to provide grants or reimbursements to compensate an individual lawyer or law firms that relocate or open an office within a geographic area for the purpose of providing legal services to individuals residing within a legal desert. Provides that the grants or reimbursements may cover marketing expenses, compensation for an attorney or up to 2 attorneys per firm, or other eligible expenses identified by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
Who sponsors SB3500     ?
SB3500      is sponsored by Javier L. Cervantes (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB3500     ?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced February 05, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB3500     ?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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