The legislation was introduced in bill HB744 on Jan. 17, when Rep. Michael J. Madigan (D-22) filed it with the House clerk.
According to the General Assembly website, the bill as introduced was designed to "amend the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection Act".
After debate, the House passed the bill on Oct. 29 and it arrived in the Senate on Oct. 30, and both chambers agreed to the final version of the legislation on Nov. 14. The bill was sent to the governor and signed into law on Dec. 20. The law went into effect immediately.
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 HB744.
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/17/2019 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Michael J. Madigan |
| 1/18/2019 | House | First Reading |
| 1/18/2019 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/5/2019 | House | Assigned to Executive Committee |
| 3/27/2019 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Executive Committee; 011-000-000 |
| 3/29/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate ** |
| 4/10/2019 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/10/2019 | House | Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate ** |
| 4/12/2019 | House | Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee |
| 10/21/2019 | House | Approved for Consideration Rules Committee; 004-000-000 |
| 10/21/2019 | House | Final Action Deadline Extended-9(b) November 27, 2019 |
| 10/21/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 10/24/2019 | House | Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Katie Stuart |
| 10/25/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Katie Stuart |
| 10/25/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 10/28/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Higher Education Committee; 015-000-000 |
| 10/28/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Higher Education Committee |
| 10/29/2019 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted |
| 10/29/2019 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 117-000-000 |
| 10/29/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Norine K. Hammond |
| 10/29/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons |
| 10/29/2019 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Monica Bristow |
| 10/29/2019 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 10/30/2019 | Senate | Arrive in Senate |
| 10/30/2019 | Senate | First Reading |
| 10/30/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading |
| 10/30/2019 | Senate | Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John J. Cullerton |
| 10/30/2019 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 10/31/2019 | Senate | Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Pat McGuire |
| 11/1/2019 | Senate | Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy |
| 11/6/2019 | Senate | Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As November 14, 2019 |
| 11/6/2019 | Senate | Assigned to Higher Education |
| 11/12/2019 | Senate | Do Pass Higher Education; 008-000-000 |
| 11/12/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading November 13, 2019 |
| 11/13/2019 | Senate | Second Reading |
| 11/13/2019 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading November 14, 2019 |
| 11/14/2019 | House | Passed Both Houses |
| 11/14/2019 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; 050-000-000 |
| 12/13/2019 | House | Sent to the Governor |
| 12/20/2019 | House | Effective Date December 20, 2019 |
| 12/20/2019 | House | Governor Approved |
| 12/20/2019 | House | Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0613 |
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