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HB 3470

CANNABIS-UNION REP

104th Regular Session Introduced by Kelly Cassidy and 6 co-sponsors

HB3470 protects union reps’ access to cannabis workplaces, allowing meetings with employees despite other Act rules and overriding conflicting limits.

Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael W. Halpin
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Bill Summary · HB 3470

HB 3470 — Summary (Cannabis — Union Representative Access)

Status: Introduced Feb 27, 2025; passed House on 4/8/2025 (87–25–0); arrived in Senate 4/9/2025. Chief Senate Sponsor: Sen. Cristina Castro. Added as Alternate Chief Co‑Sponsor: Sen. Michael W. Halpin.

Purpose / Intent

HB 3470 amends two Illinois cannabis statutes to ensure that union representatives of employees who work in businesses regulated under those statutes are not prevented from accessing employer premises to meet with employees who wish to meet with them. The bill is intended to protect and facilitate union access and organizing within licensed cannabis workplaces.

Key Provisions

  • Amends:
    • The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act (adds new Section 132; 410 ILCS 130/132 new)
    • The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (adds new Section 55‑23; 410 ILCS 705/55‑23 new)
  • Core text (paraphrased): “Notwithstanding any other provision in this Act or rules adopted under this Act, a union representative of an employee of any business regulated under this Act shall not be hindered by any provision in this Act from accessing the premises to meet with any employee that wishes to meet with that union representative.”
  • The bill’s language for the Compassionate Use Act in the engrossed copy appears garbled in places, but the statutory synopsis and the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act addition make the intended rule clear: union access is protected even if other provisions or administrative rules would otherwise limit access.

Who is affected

  • Employers and businesses regulated under:
    • The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act (medical cannabis dispensaries, growers, processors, caregivers, transporters, etc.)
    • The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (adult‑use cannabis licensees: dispensaries, cultivation centers, craft growers, infusers, transporters, etc.)
  • Union representatives seeking to meet with employees at those premises.
  • Employees who choose to meet with union representatives.
  • State licensing and regulatory bodies that oversee cannabis businesses (e.g., Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, Department of Public Health, Illinois Cannabis Regulation Office), insofar as their rules conflict with the access provision.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Reinforces employee/union access rights in cannabis workplaces and may limit employers’ ability to restrict on‑site union organizing on statutory grounds.
  • The bill is phrased “notwithstanding any other provision … or rules,” which would override conflicting statutory or administrative limits in the amended Acts.
  • The text does not specify limits, procedures, timelines, notice requirements, supervision, security protocols, or enforcement mechanisms — leaving operational details to be resolved by agencies, employers, or through subsequent litigation or rulemaking.
  • Possible tensions with security, public safety, licensing, and property‑access requirements at cannabis facilities; implementation may require coordination between regulators and labor stakeholders.
  • Federal prohibition of cannabis remains a background factor, but the bill addresses state statutory access rights rather than federal law.

Legislative timeline (selected)

  • Filed: 2/27/2025
  • House actions: Readings and committee referrals in Feb–Mar 2025; passed 3rd Reading short debate 4/8/2025 (87–25–0)
  • Sent to Senate: 4/9/2025; sponsor and co‑sponsor additions occurred in April 2025.

Note: Because the engrossed Compassionate Use Act text in the bill copy contains transcription errors, readers should consult the enrolled bill or legislative counsel’s corrected version for precise statutory language once available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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