Will County Gazette

Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. introduced HB2875 in the Illinois House on Feb. 5, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Appropriates the sum of $4,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to certified convention bureaus for the development of tourism, education, preservation, and promotion of the 100th anniversary of Route 66, of which not more than $500,000 shall be used for marketing expenses. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for expenses relating to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration in accordance with the plan developed by the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission. Effective July 1, 2025."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill appropriates $4 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to certified convention bureaus. These grants are intended to support the development of tourism, education, preservation, and promotion activities related to the 100th anniversary of Route 66, with a cap of $500,000 designated for marketing expenses. Additionally, the bill allocates $1 million for expenses connected to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration, adhering to the plan established by the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission. The legislation becomes effective on July 1, 2025.

Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. has proposed another 12 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Lawrence "Larry" Waslh Jr. is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 86th House District. He replaced previous state representative Jack McGuire in 2012.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB2875	02/05/2025	Appropriates the sum of $4,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to certified convention bureaus for the development of tourism, education, preservation, and promotion of the 100th anniversary of Route 66, of which not more than $500,000 shall be used for marketing expenses. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for expenses relating to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration in accordance with the plan developed by the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB2808	02/05/2025	Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of "employee" does not include an employee who is engaged in the operation of a vessel that is documented by the United States under a specified federal law. Effective immediately.
HB2810	02/05/2025	Amends the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Power Agency Act and the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes the Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act's agricultural impact mitigation agreement provisions applicable to commercial wind energy facilities, battery energy storage systems, pipelines, and electric lines. Describes information to be included in the agricultural impact mitigation agreements. Requires each construction or destruction project to undergo inspection by an agricultural inspector. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to temporarily halt construction, deconstruction, or other activities on a project upon its finding of noncompliance with the provisions of an agricultural impact mitigation agreement. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
HB2678	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Removes language providing that an owner may only apply for and receive 5 farm truck registrations, and only 2 of those 5 vehicles shall exceed 59,500 gross weight in pounds per vehicle. Provides instead that an owner may apply for and receive a total of 8 farm truck registrations; however, only 2 farm truck registrations may be registered as exceeding 77,001 pounds under provisions regarding farm truck registration (with a fee of $1,590 per vehicle registered) and the other 6 farm truck registrations must be registered as exceeding 77,001 pounds under provisions regarding flat weight taxes (with a fee of $2,890 per vehicle registered).
HB2519	02/03/2025	Amends the Civic Center Code. Provides that all contracts for the sale of property of the value of more than the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000) shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids. Provides that all construction contracts and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and services, when the expense thereof will exceed the small purchase maximum under the Illinois Procurement Code (rather than $10,000), shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after advertising for bids except for specified circumstances. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
HB1397	01/15/2025	Amends the Eminent Domain Act. Provides that quick-take powers may be used for a period of no more than 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act by Will County for the acquisition of certain described property for the purpose of road construction. Repeals the new provisions 3 years after the effective date. Effective immediately.
HB1364	01/14/2025	Amends the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority Act. Provides that the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority shall be abolished upon the last to occur of the following: (1) expiration of the 35-year (rather than 30-year) period that begins on the effective date of the Act; or (2) one year after all revenue bonds, notes, and other evidences of indebtedness of the Authority have been fully paid and discharged or otherwise provided for. Provides that, upon the abolition of the Authority, all of its rights and property shall pass to and be vested in Will County (rather than the State).
HB1296	01/13/2025	Amends the Fire Department Promotion Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.
HB1297	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning downstate firefighters.
HB1298	01/13/2025	Amends the Fire Department Promotion Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.
HB1299	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning downstate firefighters.
HB1300	01/13/2025	Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning annexation of territory.
HB1307	01/13/2025	Amends the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if a full-time firefighter or firefighter/paramedic employed by a city, village, incorporated town, or township that meets certain requirements is not eligible to participate in a retirement fund created under the Downstate Firefighters Article of the Code, then he or she is eligible to participate, as a sheriff's law enforcement employee, under the IMRF Article of the Code. Specifies survivor and occupational disease disability benefits that are available to the qualifying firefighters. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.