The legislation was introduced in bill HB1551 on Jan. 29, when Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12) filed it with the House clerk.
According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act".
After debate, the House passed the bill on April 4 and it arrived in the House on May 17, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on May 29. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Aug. 9. The law is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Illinois legislature enacts laws through bills that can be introduced in either the state House of Representatives or the state Senate. Either chamber of the legislature can reject or amend a bill before it becomes law. Legislators sometimes sponsor "shell bills" devoid of substantive provisions, introduced with the intention of being amended later to include actual legislation.
The following table shows the full history of actions on HB1551.
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/29/2019 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz |
| 2/1/2019 | House | First Reading |
| 2/1/2019 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/13/2019 | House | Assigned to Adoption & Child Welfare Committee |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy |
| 2/19/2019 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Adoption & Child Welfare Committee; 013-000-000 |
| 2/20/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Keith P. Sommer |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/6/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/21/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz |
| 3/21/2019 | House | Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Sue Scherer |
| 3/26/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Sue Scherer |
| 3/26/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/27/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Adoption & Child Welfare Committee |
| 3/29/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/29/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Sue Scherer |
| 4/2/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Adoption & Child Welfare Committee |
| 4/3/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Adoption & Child Welfare Committee; 009-000-000 |
| 4/3/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit |
| 4/3/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommends Be Adopted Adoption & Child Welfare Committee; 009-000-000 |
| 4/3/2019 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Bob Morgan |
| 4/4/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted |
| 4/4/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted |
| 4/4/2019 | House | Recalled to Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/4/2019 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-000-000 |
| 4/4/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/4/2019 | Senate | Arrive in Senate |
| 4/4/2019 | Senate | First Reading |
| 4/4/2019 | Senate | Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison |
| 4/4/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading |
| 4/4/2019 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 4/24/2019 | Senate | Assigned to Human Services |
| 4/29/2019 | Senate | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Julie A. Morrison |
| 4/29/2019 | Senate | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments |
| 4/30/2019 | Senate | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Human Services |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Human Services |
| 5/2/2019 | Senate | Postponed - Human Services |
| 5/7/2019 | Senate | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted |
| 5/8/2019 | Senate | Do Pass as Amended Human Services; 007-000-000 |
| 5/8/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 9, 2019 |
| 5/9/2019 | Senate | Second Reading |
| 5/9/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 14, 2019 |
| 5/16/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Melinda Bush |
| 5/16/2019 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; 054-000-000 |
| 5/17/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 1 |
| 5/17/2019 | House | Arrived in House |
| 5/17/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Rachelle Crowe |
| 5/20/2019 | House | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Sue Scherer |
| 5/20/2019 | House | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee |
| 5/21/2019 | House | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 004-000-000 |
| 5/29/2019 | House | Passed Both Houses |
| 5/29/2019 | House | Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs 115-000-000 |
| 5/29/2019 | House | House Concurs |
| 6/27/2019 | House | Sent to the Governor |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0237 |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Effective Date January 1, 2020 |
| 8/9/2019 | House | Governor Approved |
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