Bill
SB 1856
SB 1856 restricts township advisory questions at annual meetings to issues tied to Township Code duties, and standardizes notice, agenda, and ballot placement.
Status
- Enacted and signed by the Governor: June 20, 2025 — effective immediately.
- Introduced by Sen. Craig Wilcox (filed Feb. 6, 2025). Companion: HB 3230.
Purpose / Intent
- To limit and clarify what kinds of advisory referendum questions may be requested and considered at township annual meetings by requiring those advisory questions to pertain to township duties under the Township Code’s Annual Township Meeting Article.
Key changes / provisions
- Amends Section 30-205 of the Township Code (60 ILCS 1/30-205).
- Requires any advisory question of public policy requested by a group of registered voters for consideration at the township annual meeting to pertain specifically to the statutory duties of townships under the Annual Township Meeting Article of the Code.
- Clarifies the procedural steps for submitting and handling advisory questions:
- Written notice of the specific advisory question must be given to the township clerk in the same manner required for an agenda item under subsection (b) of Section 30-10.
- The township board’s published agenda must include a timely-filed advisory question.
- Electors at the annual meeting may authorize that a timely-noticed advisory question be placed on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled township election.
- The township board must certify the question to proper election officials, who then submit it in accordance with general election law.
Who is affected
- Township electors (voters) who seek to place advisory questions on annual meeting agendas.
- Township clerks and township boards — new/clarified notice and agenda duties.
- Local election officials — responsibility to receive certified advisory questions for placement on ballots.
- Potentially reduces the range of topics available for advisory referenda at township meetings (restricts to township duties).
Practical impact and considerations
- Narrows the substantive scope of voter-requested advisory questions to matters tied to township statutory duties, likely reducing use of annual-meeting advisory questions for broader public-policy or statewide issues.
- Preserves advisory (nonbinding) nature of such questions but clarifies submission and certification process, which may reduce administrative ambiguity.
- Effective immediately upon the Governor’s signature (June 20, 2025).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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