The new bill authored by State Rep. Norma Hernandez in the Illinois House aims to make collective bargaining sessions public, promoting transparency while maintaining existing employee rights, according to the Illinois State House.
The bill, introduced as HB5795 on May 28, 2026, during the general assembly session 104, was summarized by the state legislature as follows: “Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. In provisions regarding the right to organize and bargain collectively, provides that, at the request of any labor organization or public employer, bargaining sessions shall be open to the public for viewing.”
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 Illinois Public Labor Relations Act to require that, when requested by any labor organization or public employer, collective bargaining sessions be open to the public for viewing. It leaves existing protections for employees’ rights to organize, bargain collectively, or refrain from union activity unchanged, as well as provisions on exclusive representation, dues deduction, privacy of employee information and access rights for unions. The measure appears intended to increase transparency in public-sector labor negotiations without altering substantive bargaining rights.
Hernandez has proposed another 13 bills since the beginning of the 104th session, with one of them being adopted.
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.
Hernandez graduated from Triton Community College in 2013 with an AA and again in 2017 from Aurora University with a BA.
Hernandez, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 77th House District, replacing previous state representative Kathleen Willis.
Bills Introduced by Norma Hernandez in Illinois House During General Assembly Session 104
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB5795 | 05/28/2026 | Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. In provisions regarding the right to organize and bargain collectively, provides that, at the request of any labor organization or public employer, bargaining sessions shall be open to the public for viewing. |
| HB5367 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the he Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the wages paid to committed persons shall not be less than the minimum hourly wage set forth in the Minimum Wage Law. Amends the Minimum Wage Law. Provides for increases in the minimum hourly wage through January 1, 2032. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2026, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees who is under 18 years of age no less than the applicable minimum hourly wage. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2030, an employer shall not be entitled to an allowance for gratuities and shall pay each employee no less than the applicable minimum hourly wage. Provides that beginning on January 1, 2033, and on every January 1 thereafter, the minimum hourly wage from the previous year shall be increased in proportion to the increase in the consumer price index-u. Provides that the Department of Labor shall inquire into any alleged violations of this Act brought to its attention by an interested party. Sets forth the procedure for complaints brought by interested parties. Defines “interested party”. Effective immediately. |
| HB4894 | 02/03/2026 | Creates the Digital Advertising Tax Act. Imposes a tax on the portion of a person’s annual gross revenue that is derived from digital advertising services in the State if the person’s total revenue derived from digital advertising in the State exceeds $150,000,000. Provides that the tax is imposed at the rate of 10% of the annual gross revenues derived from digital advertising services in the State. Effective immediately. |
| HB4756 | 02/02/2026 | Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that disbursements shall be made from the Public Aid Recoveries Trust Fund for the payment of contingency fees to third-party entities that the Office of Inspector General authorizes to conduct payment recapture audits and other specified audits under the medical assistance program. |
| HB4685 | 01/29/2026 | Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of unlawful restraint for civil immigration enforcement. Provides that a person commits the offense when he or she knowingly and without express legal authority from an immigration agent: (1) detains another for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement; (2) by force or threat of imminent force transfers another person from one place to another with the intent to detain the other person for civil immigration enforcement; (3) by deceit or enticement induces another person to transfer from one place to another with intent to detain the other person for civil immigration enforcement; or (4) uses a deadly weapon while detaining or transferring another person from one place to another with the intent to detain the other person for civil immigration enforcement. Provides that the offense does not apply to any immigration agent. Provides that a violation is a Class 4 felony, except when the person uses a deadly weapon while detaining or transferring another person from one place to another with the intent to detain the other person for civil immigration enforcement, a violation is a Class 3 felony. |
| HB4604 | 01/27/2026 | Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force Act. Creates the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Task Force. Sets forth provisions regarding administrative support, membership, compensation, meetings, and hearings. Requires the Task Force to assess the current landscape of Hispanic-serving institutions and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions in the State; identify barriers to student access, retention, and completion; review existing State policies, funding formulas, and accountability frameworks to determine their impact on Hispanic-serving institutions and their students’ success; examine best practices from other states related to supporting Hispanic-serving institutions; develop recommendations to improve access to and success in higher education for students, strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination between State agencies and Hispanic-serving institutions, align Hispanic-serving institutions’ efforts with State workforce and economic development priorities, and consider the feasibility of creating a permanent State initiative, designation, or funding mechanism to support Hispanic-serving institutions. Requires the Task Force to submit a written report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the Task Force’s findings and recommendations for legislative, administrative, or budgetary action. Requires the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board to each post the report on their respective public websites. Dissolves the Task Force upon the submission of its report to the Governor and General Assembly. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2029. Effective immediately. |
| HB4559 | 01/23/2026 | Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the rules and regulations of the Department of Corrections shall provide that sentence credit may be provided to an inmate who was held in pre-trial detention prior to his or her current commitment to the Department of Corrections and successfully completed a substance abuse program (rather than a full-time, 60-day or longer substance abuse program), county jail or detention facility work assignments, parenting program, or re-entry planning facilitated (rather than provided) by the county department of corrections or county jail or other provider. Provides that the rules and regulations shall also provide that sentence credit may be provided to a committed person who participated in supervised community work or activities prior to his or her commitment to the Department of Corrections. Provides that the rules and regulations shall also provide that any inmate who was held in pre-trial detention prior to his or her confinement to the Department of Corrections, engaged in self-improvement programs, volunteer work, or work assignments that are not otherwise eligible activities shall receive up to 0.5 days of sentence credit for each day in which the inmate is engaged in these activities. |
| HB4501 | 01/20/2026 | Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Specifies that the purchaser education support policies that are maintained by dispensing organizations must include information on the use of locked storage bags to prevent access to cannabis by children. Requires any dispensing organization that sells edible cannabis-infused products to display a placard that, among other things, states: “Cannabis products should be kept away from children and safely stored in a locked storage container.” Requires dispensing organizations that are authorized to serve registered qualifying patients, caregivers, or purchasers and that offer cannabis-infused products or cannabis-infused products intended for topical use to stock for sale lockable, opaque storage containers designed to prevent access to cannabis products by children. In provisions regarding required warnings for cannabis-infused products, adds a required warning that the product must be stored out of reach of children and should be in a locked container and that provides the phone number to the Illinois Poison Center in case of accidental use. |
| HB4212 | 11/21/2025 | Creates the Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act. Makes legislative findings concerning access to the courts. Creates a privilege from civil arrest for a person who in good faith is attending a State court proceeding or who is going to, remaining at, or returning from the place of the court proceeding. Creates a civil cause of action for a violation of the Act if the person alleged to have violated the Act knew or reasonably should have known that the person arrested is a person duly and in good faith attending a State court proceeding in which the person is a party, a witness, a potential witness, or a court companion of a party, witness, or potential witness while going to, remaining at, and returning from the court proceeding. Provides that the injured person may recover statutory damages of $10,000 and actual damages, any equitable or declaratory relief the court deems appropriate and just, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for a successful action. Prohibits an action from being commenced under the Act against the Illinois court system or any Illinois court system personnel acting lawfully under duty to maintain safety and order in the courts. Provides that nothing in the Act affects any right or defense, including any existing qualified immunity defense, of any person, police officer, peace officer or public officer, or any Illinois court system personnel acting lawfully under their duty to maintain safety and order in the courts. Makes other changes. Specifies that the provisions of the Act are severable. Effective immediately. |
| HB3385 | 02/07/2025 | Amends the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. Provides that the expert panel designated by the board of trustees to develop and implement policies and procedures shall be comprised of at least 2 administrators, 2 members of faculty, and one mental health professional. Requires each public college or university to provide at least 3 on-site licensed clinical professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers. |
| HB3401 | 02/07/2025 | Amends the Board of Higher Education Act and the Public Community College Act. Provides that a student member who serves on the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board shall receive a scholarship award of $500 for each semester in which the student member is enrolled and serving. |
| HB3411 | 02/07/2025 | Appropriates $3,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Secretary of State for a recurring, permanent grant program for Illinois academic libraries. These grants shall be applied toward Open Education Resources. Effective July 1, 2025. |
| HB3430 | 02/07/2025 | Creates the Nonconsensual Towing Act. Creates the Commercial Vehicle Towing Advisory Committee. Sets forth members, terms, compensation, meetings, and record keeping. Provides that the Committee shall: (1) establish rules and standards for the inclusion of a towing and recovery service on the tow list; (2) establish statewide maximum towing and storage rates for nonconsensual tows; (3) require the towing and recovery service to ban the use of per-pound billing for nonconsensual towing; (4) publish a Towing Service Standard Manual; and (5) collect and compile data and information on the number of people who have been towed nonconsensually and the areas where nonconsensual towings have occurred. Requires a towing and recovery service to allow an owner of a commercial motor vehicle or a designee of the owner of the commercial motor vehicle to access the vehicle in a reasonable manner as established by rules adopted by the Committee. Allows a law enforcement officer to use the services of the a tow list. Provides that it is unlawful for: (1) a law enforcement officer to receive compensation or receive any other incentive to select a particular towing and recovery service from the list, hold any financial interest in a towing and recovery service, and recommend any towing and recovery service in the performance of his or her duties; (2) any member or employee of the Committee, Department of Transportation, or Secretary of State to receive compensation from a towing and recovery service for the privilege of being included on the tow list; (3) a towing and recovery service to pay money or other valuable consideration for the privilege of nonconsensual towing commercial motor vehicles; and (4) a towing and recovery service to employ or otherwise compensate individuals whose primary task is to report the presence of unauthorized, improperly, or illegally parked commercial motor vehicles for the purpose of towing or removal and storage. Provides that before a towing and recovery service connects a commercial motor vehicle to a tow truck for a nonconsensual tow, the towing and recovery service shall document the vehicle’s condition and the reason for the tow. Prohibits a towing and recovery service from using vehicle immobilization devices except under the direction of law enforcement. Repeals the Act on July 1, 2030. Effective July 1, 2025. |
| HB3434 | 02/07/2025 | Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, nutrition care services and medical nutrition therapy provided by a registered dietitian licensed under the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act who is acting within the scope of his or her license shall be covered under the medical assistance program. Provides that the covered services may be aimed at prevention, delay, management, treatment, or rehabilitation of a disease or condition and include nutrition assessment, nutrition intervention, nutrition counseling, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit a Title XIX State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the amendatory Act. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the amendatory Act, including rules that ensure coverage for individuals with chronic conditions without prior authorization. |
