Illinois Congressional Bills

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 17, 2025

HRES 818: Impeaching Deborah Boardman, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

This resolution proposes impeaching Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleging she violated judicial standards by sentencing Nicholas John Roske - a man who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh - to eight years (instead of the 30-year recommendation) - based on Roske’s transgender identity. The resolution claims Judge Boardman’s decision, which cited Roske as a "transgender woman" in sentencing, undermined the law and impartiality required of federal judges. It argues this conduct constitutes "high crimes and misdemeanors" by violating the constitutional standard for judicial "good behavior." The resolution is now referred to the House Judiciary Committee for further review.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 17, 2025

HRES 815: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that immigration enforcement operations must be transparent, accountable, and consistent with constitutional protections for all persons within the United States.

HRES 815 is a non-binding House resolution expressing that immigration enforcement by ICE and CBP must be transparent and respect constitutional rights. It requires ICE/CBP officers to wear body cameras during public operations, ban masks/face coverings (except for safety threats), and visibly display name/badge/agency. The resolution also calls for civilian oversight boards, mandatory de-escalation training, and Justice Department oversight of ICE. It directly affects all ICE and CBP enforcement personnel and their interactions with the public, particularly in residential raids and detention. The resolution references similar pending bills but does not create new law.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Immigration

passed · Illinois · Senate Oct 17, 2025

S 1440: Uniformed Services Leave Parity Act

S 1440, the Uniformed Services Leave Parity Act, aligns leave policies for Public Health Service (PHS) officers with those for military personnel. It amends the Public Health Service Act to add Chapter 40 (Leave) to Section 221(a), granting PHS members the same uniformed services leave rights as active-duty military. This directly affects PHS officers (including doctors and public health workers in federal service), who previously had different leave rules. The bill repeals outdated Section 219 of the Public Health Service Act to implement this parity. The change creates a concrete policy shift by standardizing leave provisions between these two federal service groups.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 17, 2025

HR 5790: Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025

Head Start Shutdown Protection Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse a state, local government, or school district that uses its funds to maintain participation in the Head Start program or the Early Head Start program during a government shutdown in which there is a lapse in federal appropriations for the programs. The Head Start programs provide comprehensive early childhood education and development services to low-income children. The programs seek to promote school readiness through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services.

Topics ✓ Education

Maxine Waters (D) · 55 co-sponsors

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 17, 2025

HR 5774: Every Child Deserves a Head Start Act of 2025

This bill restores the pre-January 20, 2025, administrative structure of the Head Start program within the Department of Health and Human Services. It establishes a central Office of Head Start with 12 regional offices, requiring the Secretary to maintain all prior staffing levels, organizational structure, and functions. The bill prohibits the Secretary from restructuring the office or reducing staff without providing 60 days' notice to Congress and the public, ensuring continuity in program oversight. It directly affects the Office of Head Start, its regional offices, and HHS staff managing Head Start operations.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 17, 2025

HR 647: Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025

HR 647, the Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025, amends a provision in U.S. Code (38 U.S.C. § 2306(h)) to change how burial benefits are provided for veterans. It removes the requirement that a veteran’s family must provide an urn or plaque for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer additional burial benefits; the VA will now automatically provide these benefits regardless of whether the family supplies such items. This change directly affects veterans’ families arranging burial services, making it easier to access burial benefits without needing to procure specific items first. The amendment applies to veterans who die on or after January 5, 2021, updating existing eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Veterans

Rudy Yakym III (R) · 17 co-sponsors

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 15, 2025

HR 5635: Veterans Healthcare Equality Act of 2025

This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from discriminating against transgender veterans in healthcare, specifically requiring the VA to provide medically necessary treatments for gender dysphoria. It directly affects transgender veterans seeking VA health services by mandating that the VA cannot deny such care or misgender patients based on gender identity. The law adds a new section to VA healthcare law explicitly banning gender identity discrimination and ensuring access to gender dysphoria treatments, aligning with existing protections under the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, it requires the VA to provide quarterly reports to Congress on how transgender veterans receive healthcare services under this new standard.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 15, 2025

HR 5539: POW Priority Care Act of 2025

This bill gives former prisoners of war (POWs) priority enrollment in the VA healthcare system and includes them in eligibility for extended care services. It amends two key VA health care provisions: changing enrollment rules to explicitly prioritize former POWs and adding them to the list of veterans eligible for extended care. These changes apply immediately to all former POWs, regardless of when they became eligible for VA benefits. The bill directly affects veterans who were held captive during military conflicts, ensuring they receive timely access to VA health care services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 14, 2025

HCONRES 57: Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim identity, in the State of Illinois.

HCONRES 57 is a symbolic resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy murdered in a hate crime in Illinois on October 14, 2023. It commemorates his life and condemns the perpetrator’s anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate speech that led to his death. The resolution states that the U.S. has "zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination." As a concurrent resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but serves to recognize the victim and affirm national principles against hate-based violence.

Delia C. Ramirez (D) · 19 co-sponsors

in committee · Illinois · Senate Oct 14, 2025

SRES 450: A resolution expressing support for the designation of the second Monday in October 2025 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day" to celebrate and honor Indigenous Peoples and their shared history and culture.

SRES 450 is a symbolic Senate resolution supporting the designation of the second Monday in October 2025 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day" to honor Indigenous contributions and history. It does not create a new federal holiday but encourages public observance and recognizes the work of Indigenous communities. The resolution specifically urges the Senate to honor Indigenous Peoples' contributions, support their cultural awareness, and express backing for federal recognition of this day. This resolution directly affects federal recognition efforts, building on existing state and local observances by over 200 municipalities and 17 states. It is a non-binding expression of support, not a policy change.

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 14, 2025

HRES 804: Recognizing the importance of Spanish-language media in the United States.

This resolution formally recognizes the vital role of Spanish-language media in serving over 41 million U.S. residents who speak Spanish at home. It affirms that access to Spanish-language news and entertainment is essential for community engagement, combating misinformation, and supporting democratic participation. The House resolution specifically commends Spanish-language media professionals and encourages policies that sustain this media sector, which provides culturally relevant information on elections, health, and civic life. As a symbolic gesture (not a law), it has no direct policy changes but highlights the sector's importance to Latino communities and national inclusivity.

Topics ✓ Immigration

in committee · Illinois · House Oct 14, 2025

HRES 807: Of inquiry requesting the President to transmit certain information to the House of Representatives referring to the firings, dismissal, reduction in force, or withholding of pay for the period of the lapse in appropriations of furloughed employees of the United States Government.

HRES 807 is a procedural resolution requesting the President to provide specific documents to the House of Representatives about government employee pay during a funding gap. It asks for unredacted communications related to potential pay withholdings, legal arguments about the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, and plans affecting furloughed federal employees during the October 1, 2025, appropriations lapse. The resolution directly targets the President and relevant agencies (like OMB and OPM) to disclose internal records within 14 days. It does not change policy but seeks transparency about decisions impacting federal workers' pay during a funding interruption.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Kweisi Mfume (D) · 23 co-sponsors

Illinois Congressional Bills

Bill results