May 1, 2026 State Capitol Report

Only the Senate was in session this week, while the House conducted virtual appropriation hearings. Because most of our “Bad Bills” remain in the House, there was minimal legislative activity directly impacting our priorities. This provided our statehouse team with additional time to focus on the BUILD Plan, including one-on-one meetings with senators. We continue to receive positive feedback and appreciate the engagement many of you had with your legislators during Capitol Conference.

Our team also remained focused on the seven landlord/tenant bills heard in the Senate Executive Committee last week—measures we opposed and highlighted in the April 24, 2026 State Capitol Report. Advocacy efforts are ongoing as we work to prevent these bills from advancing.

Bills of Interest

The following pieces of legislation are bills your Illinois REALTORS® State Legislative Team are currently actively engaged in and saw legislative action this week.

As noted in the March 27, 2026 State Capitol Report, HB 5234 was gutted and amended to change the effective date of HB 3564. This bill, which is supported by Illinois REALTORS®, addresses the REALTOR® negotiated landlord fees that passed both chambers on April 8, 2026. The bill shifts the implementation date from July 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027. This week, HB 5234 advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee on the Agreed Bill List and has been placed on Second Reading in the Senate. The measure is expected to pass and, if so, will be sent to the Governor for consideration.

Looking Ahead

Both the House and Senate will return next week, with a key committee deadline scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2026. By that date, Senate bills must advance out of House committees and House bills must move out of Senate committees to remain viable. Meanwhile, our team will continue its work on the BUILD Plan, aimed at expanding housing opportunities across communities while preserving local control over development.

Thank you for reading the May 1, 2026 State Capitol Report. Click here to read previous reports.