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HB 2643

GA-LIS-WITNESS SLIP TRACKING

104th Regular Session Introduced by Marty McLaughlin

Requires electronic tracking so witness slips stay linked to the bill they address, even after amendments move language between bills.

Referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 2643

Summary — HB 2643: GA‑LIS Witness Slip Tracking

Status: Introduced (IL) — referred to Rules Committee (introduced 02/06/2025 by Rep. Martin McLaughlin)
Statutory changes proposed: Adds 25 ILCS 10/25 (General Assembly Operations Act) and 25 ILCS 145/5.10 (Legislative Information System Act)

Purpose

Require the Illinois General Assembly and the Legislative Information System (LIS) to provide an electronic mechanism so that witness slips filed in committee hearings remain linked to the piece of legislation they concern even if that legislation is later moved onto another bill by amendment. The goal is to preserve and present relevant public testimony and registration information as legislation is reshaped during the committee process.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new section to the General Assembly Operations Act (25 ILCS 10/25):
    • “Notwithstanding any rule or provision of law to the contrary,” all witness slips filed in either house during committee hearings must “track along with the legislation for which they were filed” if that legislation is placed on another bill by amendment.
    • Directs the General Assembly, in consultation with the Legislative Information System, to provide the tracking functionality on the Illinois General Assembly website.
  • Adds a new section to the Legislative Information System Act (25 ILCS 145/5.10):
    • Requires the LIS to provide for electronic tracking of all witness slips filed in either house during committee hearings so slips remain associated with the legislation they addressed when that legislation is moved by amendment.

Who would be affected

  • Members of the General Assembly and committee staff (procedural/record-keeping changes).
  • Legislative Information System administrators and IT staff (development and maintenance of tracking functionality).
  • Members of the public, advocacy organizations, lobbyists, and other witnesses who submit witness slips — their records would be more reliably tied to the substantive legislation they commented on, even after amendments.
  • Transparency and open‑government stakeholders (improved traceability of public input).

Implementation & timeline considerations

  • The bill directs LIS/GA to implement online tracking; it does not specify technical standards, deadlines, or funding. Implementation would require coordination between legislative operations and LIS IT resources.
  • Once enacted, committee clerks and LIS would need to adopt procedures to associate slips with bill identifiers as amendments move language between bills.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Transparency: Improves public access to testimony and the legislative record when language migrates between bills.
  • Administrative/technical burden: Requires development of tracking logic and possibly changes to how slips are accepted, stored, and indexed.
  • Legal/ procedural interplay: The bill’s “notwithstanding” clause intends to override conflicting rules or practices, which may require updating chamber rules and internal workflows.
  • No appropriation or enforcement mechanism is specified.

Note: The source document provided also contained an unrelated Arizona appropriations text for child care (a different HB 2643). This summary focuses solely on the Illinois witness slip tracking proposal (the GA‑LIS measure).

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

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