SB 2773 — PARAPROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR
Last action — Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed House
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 13, 2026. It awaits signature.
Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.
Odds of enactment
Moderate chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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To Executive
Current position in the legislative process.
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20 sponsors
2 primary, 18 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (13 D · 4 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 4 recorded votes 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 pertains to paraprofessional educators.
This bill focuses on the role and regulations surrounding paraprofessional educators. It addresses their responsibilities and qualifications in educational settings.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
20 added · 20 removedPlain-language change summary
The updated version of SB 2773 introduces a provision that allows individuals who are at least 18 years old to receive an Educator License with Stipulations for teaching prekindergarten through 8th grade until they turn 19. This license can be granted to those who meet certain educational requirements, such as holding a high school diploma and passing a competency test. This change is significant because it opens up opportunities for young adults to begin their teaching careers earlier, thereby addressing potential staffing shortages in early education.
SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b AN ACT concerning education.
SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 2 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b (1) Professional Educator License.
For an early childhood education endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 3 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching.
An SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 4 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 5 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b college or university with a minimum of a master's degree in a management field other than education.
The career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 6 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b endorsement being issued and may be renewed.
(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 7 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b previous to his or her applying for a transitional bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and comparable teaching certificate or comparable authorization issued by a foreign country or holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country that the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.
In an effort to alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language other than English in the public schools, an individual who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may also apply for a language endorsement, provided that the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 8 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b following requirements:
A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 9 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b License with Stipulations may be issued to an individual who is being recruited by a particular school district that conducts formal recruitment programs outside of the United States to secure the services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the following requirements:
A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5 SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 10 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b years and shall not be renewed.
or (iii) if applicable, have been issued a short-term approval for paraprofessionals, as established by rule by the State Board of SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 11 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b Education, and have been employed as a paraprofessional educator for each year the short-term approval is valid, have paid the required license renewal fee under Section 21B-40, and have been determined by the school district to have met the following competencies:
is at least 18 years of SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 12 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b age and will be using the Educator License with Stipulations exclusively for grades prekindergarten through grade 8, until the individual reaches the age of 19 years and otherwise meets the criteria for a paraprofessional educator endorsement pursuant to this subparagraph (J).
A chief school business official endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience in school business management or 2 years of university-approved practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of school business administrators and by passage of the applicable State tests, including an applicable SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 13 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b content area test.
A provisional SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 14 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education and who has not successfully completed an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but who meets all of the following requirements:
SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 15 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b (O) Provisional career and technical educator.
An individual who holds a provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is entitled to all of the rights and privileges granted to a holder of a Professional SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 16 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b Educator License.
If, however, there is no licensed teacher under contract because of an emergency situation, then a district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the district if the district notifies the appropriate regional office of education within 5 business days after the SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 17 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b employment of the substitute teacher in that vacant position.
There is no limit on the number of days that a substitute teacher may teach in a single school district, provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 18 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b than 120 days beginning with the 2021-2022 school year through the 2022-2023 school year, otherwise 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year.
Applicants for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a regionally SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 19 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b accredited institution of higher education.
revised SB2773 EngrossedEnrolled - 20 - LRB104 16580 LNS 29979 b 11-20-25.)
Amendments
2 amendmentsClick Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.
Action History
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen
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Sent to the Governor
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Dave Severin
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Nicole La Ha
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Dave Vella
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Matt Hanson
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael J. Kelly
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Gill
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Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason
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Passed Both Houses
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Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 111-000-000
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Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
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Second Reading - Short Debate
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Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman
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House Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled
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Do Pass / Short Debate Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools; 008-000-000
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House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
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House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Natalie A. Manley
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Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias
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Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools
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Referred to Rules Committee
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First Reading
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Chief House Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley
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Arrived in House
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Lakesia Collins
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Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Dale Fowler
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Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000
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Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading
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Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted; Loughran-Cappel
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Recalled to Second Reading
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Dale Fowler
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Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Be Approved for Consideration Assignments
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Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments
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Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Chris Balkema
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Jil Tracy
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Sara Feigenholtz
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane Johnson
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Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 25, 2026
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Second Reading
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Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
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Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 12, 2026
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Do Pass Education; 014-000-000
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Assigned to Education
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Referred to Assignments
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First Reading
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Filed with Secretary by Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel
Sponsors
- Mattie Hunter · Cosponsor
- Adriane L. Johnson · Cosponsor
- Sara Feigenholtz · Cosponsor
- Jil Tracy · Cosponsor
- Chris Balkema · Cosponsor
- Lakesia Collins · Cosponsor
- Steve Stadelman · Cosponsor
- Mary Edly-Allen · Cosponsor
- Natalie A. Manley · Primary
- Joyce Mason · Cosponsor
- Mary Gill · Cosponsor
- Michael J. Kelly · Cosponsor
- Matt Hanson · Cosponsor
- Dave Vella · Cosponsor
- Dave Severin · Cosponsor
- La Ha · Cosponsor
- Katz Muhl · Cosponsor
- Faver Dias · Cosponsor
- Dale Fowler · Cosponsor
- Meg Loughran Cappel · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 18 co-sponsors · 163 not signed on
Sponsors (2)
- Natalie A. Manley Democrat
- Meg Loughran Cappel Democrat
Co-sponsors (18)
- Mattie Hunter Democrat
- Adriane L. Johnson Democrat
- Sara Feigenholtz Democrat
- Jil Tracy Republican
- Chris Balkema Republican
- Lakesia Collins Democrat
- Steve Stadelman Democrat
- Mary Edly-Allen Democrat
- Joyce Mason Democrat
- Mary Gill Democrat
- Michael J. Kelly Democrat
- Matt Hanson Democrat
- Dave Vella Democrat
- Dave Severin Republican
- La Ha
- Katz Muhl
- Faver Dias
- Dale Fowler Republican
Not signed on (163)
163 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 163 →"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 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Republican | 37 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Unaffiliated | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 110 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| % of votes cast | 94% | 0% | 0% | 6% |
How each member voted (117)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Du Buclet | — | Yea |
| Faver Dias | — | Yea |
| Hernandez, Lisa | — | Yea |
| Katz Muhl | — | Yea |
| La Ha | — | Yea |
| Williams, Jawaharial | — | Yea |
| Yang Rohr | — | 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 | Yea |
| Curtis J. Tarver, II | Democrat | Yea |
| Dagmara Avelar | Democrat | Yea |
| 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 | Not Voting |
| Fred Crespo | Democrat | Yea |
| Gregg Johnson | Democrat | Yea |
| Harry Benton | Democrat | Yea |
| Hoan Huynh | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Jay Hoffman | Democrat | Yea |
| Jehan Gordon-Booth | Democrat | Not Voting |
| 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 |
| La Shawn K. Ford | Democrat | Yea |
| Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Lilian Jiménez | Democrat | Yea |
| Lindsey LaPointe | Democrat | Yea |
| Lisa Davis | Democrat | Not Voting |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 |
| Will Guzzardi | Democrat | Yea |
| William "Will" Davis | Democrat | Yea |
| Yolonda Morris | Democrat | Yea |
| Adam M. Niemerg | Republican | Yea |
| Amy Elik | Republican | Yea |
| Amy L. Grant | Republican | Yea |
| Blaine Wilhour | Republican | Yea |
| Brad Halbrook | Republican | Yea |
| Brad Stephens | Republican | Yea |
| Bradley Fritts | Republican | Yea |
| Brandun Schweizer | Republican | Yea |
| Charles Meier | Republican | Yea |
| Chris Miller | Republican | Yea |
| Christopher "C.D." Davidsmeyer | Republican | Yea |
| Dan Swanson | Republican | Yea |
| Daniel J. Ugaste | Republican | Yea |
| Dave Severin | Republican | Yea |
| David Friess | Republican | Yea |
| Dennis Tipsword | Republican | Yea |
| Jackie Haas | Republican | Yea |
| Jason R. Bunting | Republican | Yea |
| Jed Davis | Republican | Yea |
| Jeff Keicher | Republican | Yea |
| Jennifer Sanalitro | Republican | Yea |
| Joe C. Sosnowski | Republican | Yea |
| John M. Cabello | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Schmidt | Republican | Yea |
| Kyle Moore | Republican | Yea |
| Martin McLaughlin | Republican | Yea |
| Michael J. Coffey, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| Norine K. Hammond | Republican | Yea |
| Patrick Sheehan | Republican | Yea |
| Patrick Windhorst | Republican | Yea |
| Paul Jacobs | Republican | Yea |
| Regan Deering | Republican | Yea |
| Ryan Spain | Republican | Not Voting |
| Steven Reick | Republican | Not Voting |
| Tom Weber | Republican | Yea |
| Tony M. McCombie | Republican | Yea |
| Travis Weaver | Republican | Yea |
| Wayne A. Rosenthal | Republican | Yea |
| William E Hauter | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 89% | 0% | 0% | 11% |
How each member voted (9)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar | Democrat | Yea |
| Anna Moeller | Democrat | Yea |
| Bob Morgan | Democrat | Yea |
| Daniel Didech | Democrat | Yea |
| Janet Yang Rohr | Democrat | Not Voting |
| Sue Scherer | Democrat | Yea |
| David Friess | Republican | Yea |
| Jeff Keicher | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Schmidt | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 34 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Republican | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 55 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 95% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (58)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Simmons | — | Yea |
| Glowiak Hilton | — | Yea |
| Loughran Cappel | — | Yea |
| Bill Cunningham | Democrat | Yea |
| Celina Villanueva | Democrat | Yea |
| Christopher Belt | Democrat | Yea |
| Cristina Castro | Democrat | Yea |
| David Koehler | Democrat | Yea |
| Doris Turner | Democrat | Yea |
| Elgie R. Sims, Jr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Emil Jones, III | Democrat | Yea |
| Graciela Guzmán | Democrat | Yea |
| Gregg Johnson | Democrat | Yea |
| Javier L. Cervantes | Democrat | Yea |
| Julie A. Morrison | Democrat | Yea |
| Karina Villa | Democrat | Yea |
| Kimberly A. Lightford | Democrat | Yea |
| Lakesia Collins | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura Ellman | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura Fine | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura M. Murphy | Democrat | Yea |
| Linda Holmes | Democrat | Yea |
| Mark L. Walker | Democrat | Yea |
| Mary Edly-Allen | Democrat | Yea |
| Mattie Hunter | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael E. Hastings | Democrat | Yea |
| Michael W. Halpin | Democrat | Yea |
| Mike Porfirio | Democrat | Not Voting |
| 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 | Not Voting |
| Sara Feigenholtz | Democrat | Yea |
| Steve Stadelman | Democrat | Yea |
| Willie Preston | Democrat | Yea |
| Andrew S. Chesney | Republican | Yea |
| Chapin Rose | Republican | Not Voting |
| Chris Balkema | Republican | Yea |
| Craig Wilcox | Republican | Yea |
| Dale Fowler | Republican | Yea |
| Darby A. Hills | Republican | Yea |
| Dave Syverson | Republican | Yea |
| Donald P. DeWitte | Republican | Yea |
| Erica Harriss | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Plummer | Republican | Yea |
| Jil Tracy | Republican | Yea |
| John F. Curran | Republican | Yea |
| Li Arellano, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| Neil Anderson | Republican | Yea |
| Sally J. Turner | Republican | Yea |
| Seth Lewis | Republican | Yea |
| Steve McClure | Republican | Yea |
| Sue Rezin | Republican | Yea |
| Terri Bryant | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 93% | 0% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (15)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Glowiak Hilton | — | Yea |
| Loughran Cappel | — | Yea |
| Christopher Belt | Democrat | Yea |
| Doris Turner | Democrat | Yea |
| Laura Ellman | Democrat | Yea |
| Mary Edly-Allen | Democrat | Yea |
| Mike Porfirio | Democrat | Yea |
| Ram Villivalam | Democrat | Yea |
| Steve Stadelman | 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 |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors SB 2773?
- SB 2773 is sponsored by Mattie Hunter (Democrat), Adriane L. Johnson (Democrat), Sara Feigenholtz (Democrat), Jil Tracy (Republican), Chris Balkema (Republican), Lakesia Collins (Democrat), Steve Stadelman (Democrat), Mary Edly-Allen (Democrat), Natalie A. Manley (Democrat), Joyce Mason (Democrat), Mary Gill (Democrat), Michael J. Kelly (Democrat), Matt Hanson (Democrat), Dave Vella (Democrat), Dave Severin (Republican), La Ha, Katz Muhl, Faver Dias, Dale Fowler (Republican), and Meg Loughran Cappel (Democrat).
- What is the current status of SB 2773?
- This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 13, 2026. It awaits signature.
- Where can I track SB 2773?
- Track SB 2773 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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