Illinois 104th Regular Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 7 R · 5 D cosponsors

HB 2914 — PUBLICATION-NOTICES-NEWSPAPERS

Last action — Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

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

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 05, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 12 sponsors

    1 primary, 11 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (7 R · 5 D) — cross-party backing.

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 allows certain local governments to publish legal notices on their websites instead of in newspapers.

HB 2914 amends the Notice By Publication Act, allowing governmental entities in counties with fewer than 3 million residents to publish required legal notices on their official websites. These entities must ensure that the website is accessible and provide free copies to individuals who cannot access the notices online.

What this means for you
  • Families: Families in certain counties may benefit from easier access to legal notices online instead of searching in newspapers.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

6 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill allows local governments, community colleges, and school districts in smaller counties to publish legal notices on their official websites instead of in newspapers.

  • 715 ILCS 5/2.2

    Sec. 2.2. Alternative Publication for counties with less than 3,000,000 residents. (a) if a governmental unit, community college district, or school district located in a county with a population of less than 3,000,000 is required to provide notice by publication in a newspaper by law, order of court, or contract, the governmental unit, community college district, or school district may publish the notice on an official government website instead of in a newspaper. (b) The governmental unit, community college district, or school district, or the host of the notice website, shall enter into a service-level agreement with an Internet service provider that guarantees the site is accessible to the public over the Internet at least 98% of the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. (c) The official Internet website of the governmental unit, community college district, or school district shall prominently display a link to the notice web page, which shall be an index web page, containing a list of all current legal notices of the unit or district, with links to the full text of those notices. The index web page shall also contain a search function and other features that improve public accessibility to legal notices. (d) If an individual is unable to access an electronic publication of a legal notice, the issuing governmental unit, community college district, or school district shall provide a copy of the notice to the individual free of charge. (e) Notices shall remain available on the website at least until the last posting date required by law has expired or until the event described in a notice has taken place, whichever is later.

    This new section permits certain local entities to publish notices online instead of in a newspaper, enhancing accessibility and potentially reducing costs.

  • 715 ILCS 5/3.1

    and the newspaper publishing the notice shall, at no additional cost to government, cause the notice to be placed on the statewide website established and maintained as a joint venture of the majority of Illinois newspapers as a repository for such notices.

    This amendment removes the requirement for newspapers to also post legal notices on a statewide website, focusing on the option to publish online instead.

  • 715 ILCS 5/5

    a newspaper shall be considered as continuously or regularly published although its publication has been suspended, where such suspension was caused by fire or an Act of God or by a labor dispute or by its owner, publisher, managing editor or other essential employee entering the active military service of the United States, if the newspaper was continuously or regularly published for at least one year prior to its suspension and if its publication is resumed at any time not later than 12 months after such fire or Act of God, or if its publication is resumed at any time within 12 months after the termination of the labor dispute, or if its publication is resumed at any time within 12 months after the termination of the war in connection with which such persons entered such military service; and

    This change focuses the definition of a newspaper on its publication requirements without considering suspensions due to external factors.

  • 715 ILCS 5/2.1

    Section 2.1.

    This section is entirely repealed, removing any existing requirements or definitions related to newspaper publications.

  • 715 ILCS 10/1

    which has the capability of placing, at no additional cost to government, notices required pursuant to this Act on a daily or weekly basis on the statewide website established and maintained as a joint venture by the majority of Illinois newspapers as a repository for such notices.

    This amendment removes the requirement for newspapers to maintain a capability to place notices on the statewide website, aligning with the new emphasis on online publications.

  • 715 ILCS 10/2

    When any legal notice is required by law to be published in any newspaper, such notice shall be given in accordance with the provisions of the Notice By Publication Act as amended by this Act.

    This addition clarifies that legal notices must now comply with the updated provisions of the Notice By Publication Act.

Action History

  1. Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

  2. Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Patrick Sheehan

  3. Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Martin McLaughlin

  4. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman

  5. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa Davis

  6. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock

  7. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin

  8. Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Travis Weaver

  9. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Bradley Fritts

  10. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Brandun Schweizer

  11. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dennis Tipsword

  12. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jason R. Bunting

  13. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patrick Sheehan

  14. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William E Hauter

  15. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Blaine Wilhour

  16. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Martin McLaughlin

  17. Assigned to Executive Committee

  18. Referred to Rules Committee

  19. First Reading

  20. Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 171 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (171)

171 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 171 →

"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

public-safety elections
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 2914?
HB 2914 is sponsored by Suzanne M. Ness (Democrat), Travis Weaver (Republican), Blaine Wilhour (Republican), William E Hauter (Republican), Jason R. Bunting (Republican), Dennis Tipsword (Republican), Brandun Schweizer (Republican), Bradley Fritts (Republican), Debbie Meyers-Martin (Democrat), Diane Blair-Sherlock (Democrat), Lisa Davis (Democrat), and Michelle Mussman (Democrat).
What is the current status of HB 2914?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 05, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 2914?
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