Illinois Sen. Porfirio’s National Guard recruitment incentive bill passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Sen. Mike Porfirio aims to encourage Illinois National Guard enlistment through peer referral grants and enhanced cooperation between Guard branches, following approval in both chambers, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 64 Democrats and 36 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 31 Democrats and 15 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Porfirio introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 6, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB3818, was passed on May 22, 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 Military Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Military Affairs has the authority to make grants from the Military Affairs Trust Fund for the purpose of incentivizing recruitment into the Illinois National Guard. Provides that the Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program (JEEP) is established for the purpose of increasing recruitment through peer-to-peer referrals, fostering esprit de corps, and promoting cross-component cooperation between the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard. Permits the Department to provide grants under the JEEP program to current members of the Illinois National Guard who are not assigned as recruiters, are in good standing, and serve as JEEP lead generators by supporting or facilitating the enlistment or accession of soldiers or airmen into the Illinois National Guard. Requires the State Treasurer to accept and deposit into the Military Affairs Trust Fund all gifts, grants, transfers, appropriations, and other funds from any lawful public or private source that are designated for deposit into the Fund. Requires the Department to establish eligibility criteria, grant conditions, and administrative requirements for the JEEP program by rule.”

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

In essence, this bill creates the Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program, or JEEP, to boost Illinois National Guard recruitment by offering grants from the Military Affairs Trust Fund to current Guard members who are not recruiters but help enlist new soldiers or airmen. It authorizes the Department of Military Affairs to use the fund to incentivize peer-to-peer referrals, build esprit de corps, and promote cooperation between the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard. The bill directs the state treasurer to deposit designated public and private funds into the trust fund and requires the department to set eligibility rules, grant conditions and administrative procedures for JEEP.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Brandun Schweizer (Republican-104th District), Rep. Dan Swanson (Republican-71st District), and Sen. Jason Plummer (Republican-55th District), along with eight 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.

Porfirio graduated from U.S. Naval Academy.

Porfirio, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 11th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Celina Villanueva.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.