Illinois 104th General Assembly Status: Introduced 7 D cosponsors

SR0542      — SERVICE ANIMALS IN SCHOOLS

Last action — Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen

  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 January 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 38% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 7 sponsors

    1 primary, 6 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (7 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill supports the role of service animals in schools for students with disabilities.

This resolution emphasizes the importance of service animals in supporting students with disabilities in Illinois schools. It encourages school districts to respect and promote awareness of the rights related to service animals and urges state agencies to review policies to ensure compliance with disability rights laws.

What this means for you
  • Workers: School staff may require training and resources to better understand the rights and responsibilities related to service animals.
  • Families: Families of students with disabilities may benefit from increased awareness and support for service animal rights in schools.

Summary

Recognizes and affirms the profound importance of service animals in supporting the safety, health, independence, and academic success of students with disabilities across Illinois. Encourages all Illinois school districts to continue fostering respect for individuals who use service animals and to promote awareness of the rights and responsibilities established under federal and state law. Urges state agencies, including the Illinois State Board of Education, to review existing policies, administrative rules, oversight practices, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that all Illinois schools fully comply with disability rights laws governing service-animal access, including appropriate staff training, consistent implementation, and timely resolution of barriers or complaints.

Bill Text

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

Read SR0542 on the official Illinois source →

Action History

  1. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen

  2. Resolution Adopted

  3. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Sara Feigenholtz

  4. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Simmons

  5. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter

  6. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Porfirio

  7. Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Javier L. Cervantes

  8. Placed on Calendar Order of Secretary's Desk Resolutions February 19, 2026

  9. Be Adopted Education; 012-000-000

  10. Assigned to Education

  11. Referred to Assignments

  12. Filed with Secretary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 6 co-sponsors · 176 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (6)

Not signed on (176)

176 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 176 →

"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

Votes

Education

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 5000
Democrat 7003
Total 12003
% of votes cast 80%0%0%20%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Adriane L. Johnson Democrat Yea
Christopher Belt Democrat Yea
Doris Turner Democrat Yea
Javier L. Cervantes Democrat Yea
Karina Villa Democrat Not Voting
Kimberly A. Lightford Democrat Not Voting
Mary Edly-Allen Democrat Yea
Meg Loughran Cappel Democrat Yea
Ram Villivalam Democrat Yea
Willie Preston Democrat Not Voting
Chapin Rose Republican Yea
Chris Balkema Republican Yea
Craig Wilcox Republican Yea
Dale Fowler Republican Yea
Donald P. DeWitte Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

civil-rights education
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 SR0542      do?
Recognizes and affirms the profound importance of service animals in supporting the safety, health, independence, and academic success of students with disabilities across Illinois. Encourages all Illinois school districts to continue fostering respect for individuals who use service animals and to promote awareness of the rights and responsibilities established under federal and state law. Urges state agencies, including the Illinois State Board of Education, to review existing policies, administrative rules, oversight practices, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that all Illinois schools fully comply with disability rights laws governing service-animal access, including appropriate staff training, consistent implementation, and timely resolution of barriers or complaints.
Who sponsors SR0542     ?
SR0542      is sponsored by Doris Turner (Democrat), Javier L. Cervantes (Democrat), Mike Porfirio (Democrat), Mattie Hunter (Democrat), Mike Simmons (Democrat), Sara Feigenholtz (Democrat), and Mary Edly-Allen (Democrat).
What is the current status of SR0542     ?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SR0542     ?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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