Illinois 104th General Assembly Status: Introduced Bipartisan · 16 D · 1 R cosponsors

HB4279      — PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT

Last action — Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez

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

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced January 05, 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.

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

Advancing 34% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 17 sponsors

    1 primary, 16 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (16 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

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

Establishes planning for intercity passenger rail routes in Illinois.

The Passenger Rail Planning Act outlines the development of intercity passenger rail routes in Illinois. It requires the Department of Transportation to integrate these plans into state transportation strategies and collaborate with local organizations to improve passenger rail services.

What this means for you
  • Consumers: This means improved intercity train services and options for travelers in Illinois.

Summary

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Bill Text

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

Read HB4279 on the official Illinois source →

Action History

  1. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez

  2. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid

  3. House Committee Amendment No. 3 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

  4. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

  5. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee

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

  7. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain

  8. House Committee Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges

  9. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges

  10. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges

  11. House Committee Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee

  12. House Committee Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield

  13. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ann M. Williams

  14. Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado

  15. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee

  16. House Committee Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield

  17. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford

  18. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias

  19. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee

  20. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield

  21. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet

  22. Assigned to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges

  23. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah

  24. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

  25. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar

  26. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi

  27. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason

  28. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

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

  30. Referred to Rules Committee

  31. First Reading

  32. Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner

  33. Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 16 co-sponsors · 166 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (16)

Not signed on (166)

166 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 166 →

"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

transportation
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 HB4279      do?
Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.
Who sponsors HB4279     ?
HB4279      is sponsored by Rita Mayfield (Democrat), Eva-Dina Delgado (Democrat), Kam Buckner (Democrat), Debbie Meyers-Martin (Democrat), La Shawn K. Ford (Democrat), Joyce Mason (Democrat), Will Guzzardi (Democrat), Dagmara Avelar (Democrat), Lindsey LaPointe (Democrat), Theresa Mah (Democrat), Kimberly Du Buclet (Democrat), Laura Faver Dias (Democrat), Michael Crawford (Democrat), Ann M. Williams (Democrat), Ryan Spain (Republican), Abdelnasser Rashid (Democrat), and Lilian Jiménez (Democrat).
What is the current status of HB4279     ?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced January 05, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB4279     ?
Track HB4279      free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB4279     

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB4279     

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →