HIGHER ED STUDENT BILL OF RTS
The Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act ensures that students have certain rights at postsecondary institutions, such as the right to safety, free expression, and educational quality. These rights focus on creating an inclusive and fair learning environment for students.
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HB4304 — HIGHER ED STUDENT BILL OF RTS
Last action — Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0768
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 06, 2026. It awaits signature.
Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
ModerateHow often bills like it became law.
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To Executive
Current position in the legislative process.
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4 sponsors
1 primary, 3 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (3 D).
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 5 recorded votes so far.
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
Establishes a set of rights for students in postsecondary education.
The Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act ensures that students have certain rights at postsecondary institutions, such as the right to safety, free expression, and educational quality. These rights focus on creating an inclusive and fair learning environment for students.
What this means for you
- Students: This means you have a defined set of rights that promote a safe and equitable educational experience.
Summary
Creates the Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act. Provides that a student attending a postsecondary education institution in the State is entitled to the following rights: the right to an inclusive and safe learning environment; the right to equal access; the right to safety and respect; the right to accessibility; the right to free expression; the right to organize; the right to peaceful protest; the right to academic transparency; the right to fair evaluation; the right to educational records; the right to educational programs safeguarded from political interference; the right to career preparation; the right to educational quality; the right to due process; the right to representation; the right to institutional accountability; the right to financial transparency; the right to fair lending and borrowing practices; the right to timely refunds and withdrawals; and the right to transfer.
Bill Text
We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.
Read HB4304 on the official Illinois source →Action History
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Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0768
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Effective Date January 1, 2027
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Governor Approved
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Sent to the Governor
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Passed Both Houses
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Third Reading - Passed; 037-019-000
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Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As May 31, 2026
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Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 25, 2026
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Second Reading
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Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 21, 2026
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Do Pass Executive; 008-004-000
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Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 22, 2026
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Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 15, 2026
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Assigned to Executive
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Referred to Assignments
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First Reading
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Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Michael W. Halpin
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Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading April 16, 2026
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Arrive in Senate
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Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 072-037-000
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Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
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House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted
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Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate
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Second Reading - Short Debate
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House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Higher Education Committee; 009-000-000
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House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Higher Education Committee
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Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch
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House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
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House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Katie Stuart
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Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
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Do Pass / Short Debate Higher Education Committee; 007-004-000
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Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sharon Chung
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Assigned to Higher Education Committee
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Referred to Rules Committee
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First Reading
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Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Katie Stuart
Sponsors
- Michael W. Halpin · Cosponsor
- Katie Stuart · Primary
- Sharon Chung · Cosponsor
- Emanuel "Chris" Welch · Cosponsor
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 179 not signed on · 56 voted No
Sponsors (1)
- Katie Stuart Democrat
Co-sponsors (3)
- Michael W. Halpin
- Sharon Chung Democrat
- Emanuel "Chris" Welch Democrat
Not signed on (179)
179 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 179 →"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.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 35 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Republican | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 36 | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 62% | 33% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (58)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson | — | Yea |
| Bill Cunningham | Democrat | Yea |
| Celina Villanueva | Democrat | Yea |
| Christopher Belt | Democrat | Yea |
| Cristina Castro | Democrat | Yea |
| David Koehler | Democrat | Yea |
| Doris Turner | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Elgie R. Sims, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Graciela Guzmán | Democrat | Yea |
| Javier L. Cervantes | Democrat | Yea |
| Julie A. Morrison | Democrat | Yea |
| Karina Villa | Democrat | Yea |
| Kimberly A. Lightford | Democrat | Yea |
| Lakesia Collins | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Laura Ellman | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura Fine | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Laura M. Murphy | Democrat | Yea |
| Linda Holmes | Democrat | Yea |
| Mark L. Walker | Democrat | Yea |
| Mary Edly-Allen | Democrat | Yea |
| Mattie Hunter | Democrat | Yea |
| Meg Loughran Cappel | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael E. Hastings | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael W. Halpin | Democrat | Yea |
| Mike Porfirio | Democrat | Yea |
| Mike Simmons | Democrat | Yea |
| Napoleon Harris III | Democrat | Yea |
| Omar Aquino | Democrat | Yea |
| Patrick J. Joyce | Democrat | Yea |
| Paul Faraci | Democrat | Yea |
| Rachel Ventura | Democrat | Yea |
| Ram Villivalam | Democrat | Yea |
| Robert F. Martwick | Democrat | Yea |
| Robert Peters | Democrat | Yea |
| Sara Feigenholtz | Democrat | Yea |
| Steve Stadelman | Democrat | Yea |
| Suzy Glowiak Hilton | Democrat | Yea |
| Thaddeus Jones | Democrat | Yea |
| Willie Preston | Democrat | Yea |
| Andrew S. Chesney | Republican | Nay |
| Chapin Rose | Republican | Nay |
| Chris Balkema | Republican | Nay |
| Craig Wilcox | Republican | Nay |
| Dale Fowler | Republican | Nay |
| Darby A. Hills | Republican | Nay |
| Dave Syverson | Republican | Nay |
| Donald P. DeWitte | Republican | Nay |
| Erica Harriss | Republican | Nay |
| Jason Plummer | Republican | Nay |
| Jil Tracy | Republican | Nay |
| John F. Curran | Republican | Nay |
| Li Arellano, Jr. | Republican | Nay |
| Neil Anderson | Republican | Nay |
| Sally J. Turner | Republican | Nay |
| Seth Lewis | Republican | Nay |
| Steve McClure | Republican | Nay |
| Sue Rezin | Republican | Nay |
| Terri Bryant | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 62% | 31% | 0% | 8% |
How each member voted (13)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Cunningham | Democrat | Yea |
| Cristina Castro | Democrat | Yea |
| Don Harmon | Democrat | Yea |
| Elgie R. Sims, Jr. | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Kimberly A. Lightford | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura M. Murphy | Democrat | Yea |
| Linda Holmes | Democrat | Yea |
| Mattie Hunter | Democrat | Yea |
| Omar Aquino | Democrat | Yea |
| Jil Tracy | Republican | Nay |
| John F. Curran | Republican | Nay |
| Neil Anderson | Republican | Nay |
| Sue Rezin | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 69 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Republican | 0 | 36 | 0 | 3 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 71 | 37 | 0 | 9 |
| % of votes cast | 61% | 32% | 0% | 8% |
How each member voted (117)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Jacobs | — | Nay |
| Johnson | — | Yea |
| Hernandez, Lisa | — | Yea |
| Aarón M. Ortíz | Democrat | Yea |
| Abdelnasser Rashid | Democrat | Yea |
| Amy Briel | Democrat | Yea |
| Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar | Democrat | Yea |
| Ann M. Williams | Democrat | Yea |
| Anna Moeller | Democrat | Yea |
| Anne Stava | Democrat | Yea |
| Anthony DeLuca | Democrat | Yea |
| Barbara Hernandez | Democrat | Yea |
| Bob Morgan | Democrat | Yea |
| Camille Y. Lilly | Democrat | Yea |
| Carol Ammons | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Curtis J. Tarver, II | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Dagmara Avelar | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Daniel Didech | Democrat | Yea |
| Dave Vella | Democrat | Yea |
| Debbie Meyers-Martin | Democrat | Yea |
| Diane Blair-Sherlock | Democrat | Yea |
| Edgar González, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Eva-Dina Delgado | Democrat | Yea |
| Fred Crespo | Democrat | Yea |
| Harry Benton | Democrat | Yea |
| Hoan Huynh | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Janet Yang Rohr | Democrat | Yea |
| Jawaharial Williams | Democrat | Yea |
| Jay Hoffman | Democrat | Yea |
| Jehan Gordon-Booth | Democrat | Yea |
| Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz | Democrat | Yea |
| Joyce Mason | Democrat | Yea |
| Justin Cochran | Democrat | Yea |
| Justin Slaughter | Democrat | Yea |
| Kam Buckner | Democrat | Yea |
| Katie Stuart | Democrat | Yea |
| Kelly M. Cassidy | Democrat | Yea |
| Kevin John Olickal | Democrat | Yea |
| Kimberly Du Buclet | Democrat | Yea |
| La Shawn K. Ford | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura Faver Dias | Democrat | Yea |
| Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Lilian Jiménez | Democrat | Yea |
| Lindsey LaPointe | Democrat | Yea |
| Lisa Davis | Democrat | Yea |
| Marcus C. Evans, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Margaret A. DeLaRosa | Democrat | Yea |
| Margaret Croke | Democrat | Yea |
| Martha Deuter | Democrat | Yea |
| Mary Beth Canty | Democrat | Yea |
| Mary Gill | Democrat | Yea |
| Matt Hanson | Democrat | Yea |
| Maura Hirschauer | Democrat | Yea |
| Maurice A. West, II | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael Crawford | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael J. Kelly | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Michelle Mussman | Democrat | Yea |
| Nabeela Syed | Democrat | Yea |
| Natalie A. Manley | Democrat | Yea |
| Nicholas K. Smith | Democrat | Yea |
| Nicolle Grasse | Democrat | Yea |
| Norma Hernandez | Democrat | Yea |
| Rick Ryan | Democrat | Yea |
| Rita Mayfield | Democrat | Yea |
| Robert "Bob" Rita | Democrat | Yea |
| Robyn Gabel | Democrat | Yea |
| Sharon Chung | Democrat | Yea |
| Sonya M. Harper | Democrat | Yea |
| Stephanie A. Kifowit | Democrat | Yea |
| Sue Scherer | Democrat | Yea |
| Suzanne M. Ness | Democrat | Yea |
| Thaddeus Jones | Democrat | Yea |
| Theresa Mah | Democrat | Yea |
| Tracy Katz Muhl | Democrat | Yea |
| Will Guzzardi | Democrat | Yea |
| William "Will" Davis | Democrat | Yea |
| Yolonda Morris | Democrat | Yea |
| Adam M. Niemerg | Republican | Nay |
| Amy Elik | Republican | Nay |
| Amy L. Grant | Republican | Not Voting |
| Blaine Wilhour | Republican | Nay |
| Brad Halbrook | Republican | Nay |
| Brad Stephens | Republican | Not Voting |
| Bradley Fritts | Republican | Nay |
| Brandun Schweizer | Republican | Nay |
| Charles Meier | Republican | Nay |
| Chris Miller | Republican | Nay |
| Christopher "C.D." Davidsmeyer | Republican | Nay |
| Dan Swanson | Republican | Nay |
| Daniel J. Ugaste | Republican | Nay |
| Dave Severin | Republican | Nay |
| David Friess | Republican | Nay |
| Dennis Tipsword | Republican | Nay |
| Jackie Haas | Republican | Nay |
| Jason R. Bunting | Republican | Nay |
| Jed Davis | Republican | Nay |
| Jeff Keicher | Republican | Nay |
| Jennifer Sanalitro | Republican | Nay |
| Joe C. Sosnowski | Republican | Nay |
| John M. Cabello | Republican | Nay |
| Kevin Schmidt | Republican | Nay |
| Kyle Moore | Republican | Nay |
| Martin McLaughlin | Republican | Nay |
| Michael J. Coffey, Jr. | Republican | Nay |
| Nicole La Ha | Republican | Nay |
| Norine K. Hammond | Republican | Nay |
| Patrick Sheehan | Republican | Nay |
| Patrick Windhorst | Republican | Nay |
| Regan Deering | Republican | Nay |
| Ryan Spain | Republican | Nay |
| Steven Reick | Republican | Nay |
| Tom Weber | Republican | Nay |
| Tony M. McCombie | Republican | Nay |
| Travis Weaver | Republican | Nay |
| Wayne A. Rosenthal | Republican | Not Voting |
| William E Hauter | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 75% | 0% | 0% | 25% |
How each member voted (12)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Barbara Hernandez | Democrat | Yea |
| Carol Ammons | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Diane Blair-Sherlock | Democrat | Yea |
| Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz | Democrat | Yea |
| Katie Stuart | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael Crawford | Democrat | Yea |
| Norma Hernandez | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Tracy Katz Muhl | Democrat | Yea |
| Dan Swanson | Republican | Yea |
| Daniel J. Ugaste | Republican | Yea |
| David Friess | Republican | Yea |
| Wayne A. Rosenthal | Republican | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 58% | 33% | 0% | 8% |
How each member voted (12)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Aarón M. Ortíz | Democrat | Yea |
| Barbara Hernandez | Democrat | Yea |
| Carol Ammons | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Diane Blair-Sherlock | Democrat | Yea |
| Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz | Democrat | Yea |
| Katie Stuart | Democrat | Yea |
| Sharon Chung | Democrat | Yea |
| Tracy Katz Muhl | Democrat | Yea |
| Dan Swanson | Republican | Nay |
| Daniel J. Ugaste | Republican | Nay |
| David Friess | Republican | Nay |
| Wayne A. Rosenthal | Republican | Nay |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB4304 do?
- Creates the Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act. Provides that a student attending a postsecondary education institution in the State is entitled to the following rights: the right to an inclusive and safe learning environment; the right to equal access; the right to safety and respect; the right to accessibility; the right to free expression; the right to organize; the right to peaceful protest; the right to academic transparency; the right to fair evaluation; the right to educational records; the right to educational programs safeguarded from political interference; the right to career preparation; the right to educational quality; the right to due process; the right to representation; the right to institutional accountability; the right to financial transparency; the right to fair lending and borrowing practices; the right to timely refunds and withdrawals; and the right to transfer.
- Who sponsors HB4304 ?
- HB4304 is sponsored by Michael W. Halpin, Katie Stuart (Democrat), Sharon Chung (Democrat), and Emanuel "Chris" Welch (Democrat).
- What is the current status of HB4304 ?
- This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 06, 2026. It awaits signature.
- Where can I track HB4304 ?
- Track HB4304 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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