Illinois Rep. Welch’s Consumer Legal Funding Act citation bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch aims to clarify the citation of the Consumer Legal Funding Act by updating its short title reference, without changing substantive provisions, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 68 Democrats and nine Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 18 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 39 Democrats and seven Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 12 Republicans voted against it.

Welch introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB0228, was passed on May 20, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Consumer Legal Funding Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.”

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

In essence, this bill amends the Consumer Legal Funding Act by making a technical change to the section concerning the short title. The amendment clarifies the citation of the act but does not alter any substantive provisions or introduce new regulations. The bill focuses solely on ensuring proper referencing within the legislative framework.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan (Democrat-58th District), Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz (Democrat-1st District), and Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (Democrat-78th District), along with 31 other sponsors.

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.

Welch graduated from Northwestern University in 1993 with a BS and again in 1997 from The John Marshall Law School with a JD.

Welch, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 7th House District, replacing previous state representative Cory Foster.

Some lawmakers were in the chamber but did not cast any vote, listed as “Not Voting”. Others were not present—either marked “Absent” without explanation or noted as having an “Excused Absence” due to personal or medical reasons.