Our agenda strengthens the social safety net and helps create a state where everyone can thrive
February 26, 2025
Despite threats at the federal level to cut essential anti-poverty programs, our mission to advance economic and racial justice remains steadfast. In our 2025 legislative plan, we continue to build on decades of success in Illinois. The following bills will help create a state where everyone can thrive.
SB 2465 (Aquino) – Improve Child Tax Credit: Ensures that all households with low income, including those with caregivers and people with disabilities, receive a per child tax credit.
HB 2694 (Jiménez)/SB 1561 (Fine) – Reform Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Frees the Illinois TANF cash assistance program from federal rules, allowing the state to run a more accessible program for current recipients and increase enrollment for eligible families.
HB 2982 (L. Hernandez) – Eliminate the Tipped Sub-Minimum Wage: Ensures that service industry workers in Illinois are paid the full state minimum wage and can continue to earn tips.
HB 4383 (Moeller)/SB 2413 (Villivalam) – Demand Paid Family and Medical Leave: Provides all workers with paid, job-guaranteed family and medical leave through a state-operated insurance program supported by the Illinois Time to Care coalition.
HB 3469 (Guzzardi)/SB 2197 (Johnson) – Eliminate conviction registration fees: Eliminates fees to register people to the Illinois Sex Offender Registry, the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry, and the statewide Arsonist database. It would not eliminate the requirement to register, just the financial barrier.
HB 3400 (L. Hernandez)/SB 1857 (Guzmán) – Restore the Program for Survivors of Torture and Trafficking (known as VTTC): Restores original VTTC eligibility rules to support survivors of torture and trafficking through state-funded food, cash, and medical assistance. Many are not immediately eligible for federal benefits.
SB 2264 (Villa) – Stop crime-free housing and nuisance ordinances (CFNOs): Eliminates unfair penalties and evictions of tenants based on alleged criminal or nuisance activity, which can include calling the paramedics in a health emergency. CFNOs lead to instability and homelessness. Banning them would protect tenants and keep people in their homes.
HB 3625 (Lilly)/SB 2254 (Lightford) – End housing banishment: Reduces residency restrictions for people on public conviction registries, grandfathers’ people into their existing stable housing, and eases the weekly registration requirements placed on people experiencing homelessness.
HB 1429 (Olickal) – Stop increasing criminalization of homelessness: Seeks to preempt local rules and prevent municipalities from passing and enforcing ordinances that arrest or fine people for sleeping outside. An individual could be moved only in the event of an emergency or a seven-day written and oral notice is provided. Municipalities must demonstrate an effort to provide temporary shelter.
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People with criminal records face barriers to housing, employment, and other basic needs.
Our laws and policies must support people by ensuring fair work at a living wage and by providing the income supports families need to be successful.
Systemic inequities and the legacy of structural racism make it harder for low-income people and people of color to achieve financial stability.
Everyone should be paid decently and have basic workplace protections.
Everyone deserves access to affordable, comprehensive, culturally appropriate healthcare, no matter their income, race, gender, or where they're from.
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