Photo of Chris Balkema
R Illinois Senate · District 53 On the 2026 ballot

Sen. Chris Balkema

Compare
Total votes
1,839
all sessions
Attendance
99%
15 missed
Higher than 80% of chamber peers
With party
97%
of cast votes
Lower than 80% of chamber peers
Bipartisan score
2%
crosses aisle rarely
Higher than 80% of chamber peers
Sponsored
404
bills & resolutions
Higher than 87% of chamber peers
Committees
7
assignments
404 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
404
Primary
74
Co-sponsor
330
This page
404
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Co-sponsor SB 1544
In committee · Illinois Senate · Co-sponsor
DNR-DEER MGMT PLAN

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that any deer herd management plan established by the Department of Natural Resources, including length of seasons and bag and possession limits, shall take into account economic damage and public safety concerns caused by deer.

In committee Mar 21, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Primary SB 2207
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "health care professional" as a person licensed or registered by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, Nurse Practice Act, Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, and Respiratory Care Practice Act or a person licensed or registered by the Department of Public Health under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, for license or registration renewals occurring on or after January 1, 2026, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements shall complete at least a one-hour course in training on the recognition and reporting of human trafficking. Provides rulemaking abilities for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Provides that any person, institution, or agency participating in the making of a report, providing information or records related to a report, assessment, or services, or participating in the investigation of a report under the Act in good faith, or taking photographs or x-rays as a result of an authorized assessment, shall have immunity from any civil, criminal or other liability in any civil, criminal or other proceeding brought in consequence of making such report or assessment or on account of submitting or otherwise disclosing such photographs or x-rays to any agency designated to receive reports of alleged or suspected human trafficking. Provides that any person, institution, or agency authorized by the Department to provide assessment, intervention, or administrative services under the Act shall, in the good faith performance of those services, have immunity from any civil, criminal or other liability in any civil, criminal, or other proceeding brought as a consequence of the performance of those services. Provides that, for the purposes of any civil, criminal, or other proceeding, the good faith of any person required to report, permitted to report, or participating in an investigation of a report of alleged or suspected human trafficking shall be presumed.

In committee Mar 21, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 1915
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
SCH-NOTICE-READING DEFICIENCY

Amends the School Code. Provides that immediately upon the determination of a substantial deficiency in reading or the characteristics of dyslexia based upon (i) screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, or assessment data, (ii) statewide assessments, or (iii) teacher observations, the parent or legal guardian of a student in grades 1 through 3 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading must be notified in writing by the student's teacher of the following: (1) that the student has been identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading; (2) a description of the services that the school district currently is providing to the student; (3) a description of the proposed supplemental instructional services and supports that are designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency which the school district plans to provide the student; and (4) strategies for parents and guardians to use in helping the student to succeed in reading proficiency. Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the amendatory Act.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 1917
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
DETERRENT ACT

Creates the Illinois Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. Requires an institution to file a disclosure report annually on July 1 when: (1) an institution received a gift from, or entered into a contract with, a foreign source, other than a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern, with a value of $50,000 or more, or an undetermined value; (2) an institution receives a gift from a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern of any dollar amount; (3) an institution enters into a contract with a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern after receiving a waiver for such contract; or (4) an institution is substantially controlled by a foreign source. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish and maintain a searchable, public database on the Board's website that: (1) contains all reports submitted; (2) includes any information provided in such reports; (3) is searchable and sortable by date filed, date of the gift received or contract entered into, by attributable country of the gift or contract, and by institution; (4) indicates whether a gift is from a foreign government or from a foreign source that is not a foreign government; and (5) indicates when a report does not contain the name or address of a foreign source. Prohibits an institution from entering into any contracts with foreign entities of concern or countries of concern. Provides that private institutions with endowments above $6,000,000,000 or with investments of concern above $250,000,000 shall report: (1) a list of the investments of concern; (2) the aggregate fair market value of all investments of concern; (3) the combined value of all investments of concern; and (4) the combined value of all capital gains from such sales of investments of concern. Sets forth how the Act may be enforced, including fines for violations.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 2113
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
HIGHER ED-VOTING INCENTIVES

Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that prohibits employees of the public institution of higher education from offering incentives to students to vote.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 2340
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
SCH CD-TRANSFER TRANSPARENCY

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to submit an annual report available to the public, on or before July 1, on its website that includes for each school district: (1) the number of students in the school year seeking admission to transfer to or within a school district or withdrawal from a school in the school district under specified provisions, showing the potential net change; (2) the number of rejected transfer requests in the school year; (3) the reason or reasons why each rejected transfer request was rejected in the school year; and (4) the total number of students that either transferred into, out of, or within each district, showing the actual net change. Provides that each year, the State Board of Education shall randomly select 20 school districts in this State to conduct an audit of each school district's approved and denied transfers based on the provisions of the policies adopted by the respective school district. Provides that on or before the first day of January, April, July, and October of each year, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of a receiving school district to file with the State Board of Education a report showing the total number of students granted transfers to or within the receiving school district and their respective school sites and grade levels. Requires each school district to report to the State Board of Education on or before October 1 of each year: (1) the total student capacity for each school in the school district; (2) the number of transfer students enrolled in each receiving school in the receiving school district; (3) the number of requests for specified transfer received; and (4) the number of requests for transfer denied and the reason or reasons supporting the denial of any request for transfer.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 2341
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
CRIM PRO-DETAINABLE OFFENSES

Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release if the defendant is charged with any of the following offenses, and it is alleged that the defendant's pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case: (1) aggravated driving under the influence for a third or subsequent time; or (2) manufacture or delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, an amount of a controlled or counterfeit substance, not otherwise specified in the statute, containing dihydrocodeine or classified in Schedule I or II, or an analog of those substances that is: (i) a narcotic drug, (ii) lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or an analog of those substances, (iii) any substance containing amphetamine or fentanyl or any salt or optical isomer of amphetamine or fentanyl, or an analog of those substances, or (iv) any substance containing N-Benzylpiperazine (BZP) or any salt or optical isomer of N-Benzylpiperazine (BZP), or an analog of those substances.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 1865
In committee · Illinois Senate · Lead sponsor
CAMPUS FREE SPEECH ACT

Creates the Campus Free Speech Act. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college to develop and adopt a policy on free expression; sets forth what the policy must contain. Requires the Board of Higher Education to create a Committee on Free Expression to issue an annual report. Requires public institutions of higher education to include in their freshman orientation programs a section describing to all students the policies and rules regarding free expression that are consistent with the Act. Contains provisions concerning rules, construction of the Act, and enforcement.

In committee Mar 20, 2025 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 1699
In committee · Illinois Senate · Co-sponsor
NONCITIZEN COST TRANSPARENCY

Creates the Noncitizen Population Spending Transparency Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services, in collaboration with relevant State agencies, shall prepare an annual report identifying all State spending on services and resources for noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations. Sets forth reporting requirements. Provides that, on or before November 15, 2025, and each year thereafter, the Department of Human Services shall submit the report to the General Assembly. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall post and maintain the report on its publicly available website. Provides that the Department of Human Services is authorized to coordinate efforts with other State agencies to prepare and submit a cohesive report for the General Assembly. Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, beginning with budgets prepared for fiscal year 2027, the budgets submitted by the Governor and appropriations made by the General Assembly for all executive branch State agencies must include a detailed accounting of all proposed spending on noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations. Effective immediately.

In committee Mar 19, 2025 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1693
In committee · Illinois Senate · Co-sponsor
COM COL-CHICAGO-ELECT BOARD

Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides for the election (rather than appointment) of the board of trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago beginning with the 2027 consolidated election. Provides that the City of Chicago shall be subdivided into 20 trustee districts by the General Assembly for seats on the board of trustees, in addition to one at-large trustee. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

In committee Mar 19, 2025 1 co-sponsor
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