The new bill, authored by State Rep. Justin Cochran Moylan in the Illinois House, aims to restrict public access to student-related written communications held by educational institutions, according to the Illinois State House.
The bill, introduced as HB5778 on May 15, 2026, during the general assembly session 104, was summarized by the state legislature as follows: “Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from inspection and copying under the Act written communication and attachments that pertain to a current or former student and that were sent between an educational institution and the student or between an educational institution and the student’s parent or guardian, except if the Illinois School Student Records Act or the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act applies.”
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 Freedom of Information Act to add a new exemption for written communications and attachments that relate to a current or former student and are exchanged between an educational institution and the student or between the institution and the student’s parent or guardian. These records would be fully exempt from public inspection and copying under FOIA, but the exemption does not apply when a requester has a right to the records under the Illinois School Student Records Act or the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The bill does not specify an effective date.
Moylan has proposed another nine bills since the beginning of the 104th session.
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.
Moylan, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 55th House District, replacing previous state representative Rosemary Mulligan.
Bills Introduced by Your Representatives in Illinois House During General Assembly Session 104
| Sponsor(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Cochran | HB5778 | 05/15/2026 | Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Exempts from inspection and copying under the Act written communication and attachments that pertain to a current or former student and that were sent between an educational institution and the student or between an educational institution and the student’s parent or guardian, except if the Illinois School Student Records Act or the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act applies. |
| Justin Cochran | HB5485 | 02/06/2026 | Amends the Fair Access to Housing Act. Provides that, on and after January 1, 2027, it shall be unlawful for a covered entity to purchase, acquire, or offer to purchase or acquire any interest in a single-family residence unless the single-family residence has been listed for sale to the general public for at least 75 days. Defines “covered entity”. |
| Justin Cochran | HB5199 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that if the State files a petition seeking to deny the defendant pretrial release and a continuance on the hearing concerning the petition is requested, the court has the sole discretion to grant or deny the request for a continuance. Provides that under no circumstances shall a continuance be granted that would result in the defendant being detained in pretrial detention for longer than 72 hours since the defendant’s initial detention. Provides that in making its determination to deny or grant the request for continuance, the court shall consider, in addition to other facts and evidence available to the court, whether there is evidence that reasonable steps have been taken to appear within the initial time frame provided under the provision, but that due to circumstances outside the control of the requesting party, a continuance is necessary to present a fuller case. |
| Justin Cochran | HB5289 | 02/05/2026 | Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, every public high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on civic engagement. Provides that, as part of the unit of instruction, students must attend an open meeting of the governing body of a special district, the corporate authorities of a municipality, the township board of a township, the county board of a county, or any similar governing or legislating body of a unit of government. Provides that, if physical attendance at such a meeting is not feasible, then attendance may be virtual. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4918 | 02/03/2026 | Creates the Long-Term Care Trust Act. Establishes the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program (Trust Program) within the Department on Aging to provide long-term services and supports funding benefits to eligible employees through payroll deductions to be deposited into the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Fund created under the Act. Requires the Department on Aging, an actuary contracted with the Department on Aging, and the Department of Revenue to have the responsibilities of implementing and administering the Trust Program. Sets forth the Department on Aging’s responsibilities, including, but not limited to: (i) making determinations regarding an individual’s status as an eligible beneficiary; (ii) approving long-term services and supports eligible for payment; (iii) registering long-term services and supports providers that meet minimum qualifications; and (iv) disbursing payments of benefits to registered long-term services and supports providers. Requires the Department of Revenue to collect and assess employee premiums under the program, make eligibility determinations, and other responsibilities. Contains provisions on the responsibilities of the contracted actuary; the establishment of a Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Commission and a Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Council; qualifying beneficiary requirements; payroll premiums and the disbursement of benefits; coverage for self-employed individuals; the management of the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Fund; appeals of benefit determinations; federal waiver requirements; reporting requirements; and other matters. Effective immediately. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4919 | 02/03/2026 | Amends the Election Code. Provides that the campaign free zone at any polling place located within any forest preserve district or conservation district shall extend 100 horizontal feet from each entrance to the room used by voters to engage in voting and shall also extend 500 horizontal feet from each entrance to the room used by voters to engage in voting to the boundaries of the district. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4742 | 02/02/2026 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Changes the definition of “electric personal assistive mobility device” to mean a self-balancing 2 non-tandem wheeled device lacking pedals designed to transport only one person that is battery-powered or has an electric propulsion system that limits the maximum speed of the device to 15 miles per hour or less. Includes in the definition of “electric personal assistive mobility device” a device that is currently out-of-class. Excludes from the definition of “electric personal assistive mobility device” a low-speed electric bicycle, low-speed scooter, motorcycle, or motor vehicle. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4750 | 02/02/2026 | Creates the Mental Health Warning for Social Media Act. Provides that the operator of a social media platform shall ensure that a clear and conspicuous mental health warning label that complies with specified requirements: (1) appears each time a user accesses the social media platform; and (2) remains visible until the user takes specified actions. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall develop guidelines establishing requirements for the warning labels. Provides that the operator of a social media platform shall display a clear and conspicuous pop-up notification at least once every 30 minutes that a user has actively used the platform that informs the user of specified information. Provides that a violation of any of the provisions of the Act is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4442 | 01/15/2026 | Amends the High Speed Rail Commission Act. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2030 (rather than January 1, 2027). Effective immediately. |
| Justin Cochran | HB4284 | 01/05/2026 | Amends the Statute on Statutes and other various Acts. Changes all occurrences of “disabled person” to “person with a disability”, changes all occurrences of “a person who is handicapped” to “a person who has a disability”, changes all occurrences of “physically or mentally handicapped” to “having a physical or intellectual disability”, and changes all occurrences of “visually handicapped” to “visually impaired”. Replaces an outdated reference to the “Disabled Person Identification Card” with “the Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card”. Amends the Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Changes “Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled program” to “Aid to the Aged, Blind or Persons with Disabilities program”. Makes corresponding references in various Acts. Effective immediately. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB4016 | 03/06/2025 | If and only if Senate Bill 867 of the 103rd General Assembly becomes law, repeals the provisions of Senate Bill 867 of the 103rd General Assembly. Effective immediately or on the date Senate Bill 867 of the 103rd General Assembly takes effect, whichever is later. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB3536 | 02/07/2025 | Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code. In provisions concerning administrative adjudication hearings of code and ordinance violations, provides that (i) powers and duties of a hearing officer include swearing in individuals who provide testimony; (ii) all oral testimony shall be sworn to under oath or affirmation; and (iii) a citation or notice of violation sworn to under oath or affirmation taken under certification under specified provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure is prima facie evidence of the correctness of the facts specified that may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. Makes similar changes to provisions concerning adjudication of violations of traffic regulations concerning the standing, parking, or condition of vehicles, automated traffic law violations, and automated speed enforcement system violations in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Amends the Oaths and Affirmations Act. Provides that an administrative law judge, hearing officer, or adjudicator may administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses and others, concerning anything commenced or to be commenced, or pending before them when presiding over a proceeding for a local public entity if the administrative law judge, hearing officer, or adjudicator has neither been convicted of a felony nor removed from office by the Illinois Courts Commission. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a person commits perjury when, under oath, certification, or affirmation (rather than when, under oath or affirmation), in a proceeding or in any other matter where by the law, the oath, certification, or affirmation (rather where by the law, under oath or affirmation), is required, he or she makes a false statement, material to the issue or point in question, knowing the statement is false. Amends the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act. Provides that an administrative law judge or hearing officer is not answerable personally in law or equity for the direct or indirect consequences of any finding of fact or conclusion of law made by the administrative law judge or hearing officer in the course of the administrative law judge’s or hearing officer’s official duties. Defines administrative law judge. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB3087 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act. Provides that each targeted methamphetamine precursor package shall contain no more than 3,600 (rather than 3,000) milligrams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, their salts or optical isomers, or salts of optical isomers. Deletes a provision which specifies that no retail distributor operating a pharmacy, and no pharmacist or pharmacy technician, shall knowingly distribute to a single person more than 2 targeted packages in a single retail transaction. Amends the Methamphetamine Precursor Tracking Act. Provides that, on and after October 1, 2025, any manufacturer of products containing methamphetamine precursors sold in or brought into the State must, on a monthly basis, pay fees to the Central Repository. Provides that the Central Repository shall be responsible for setting the fee levels required. Provides that at the request of the Illinois State Police, manufacturers required to pay fees shall be required to provide written documentation demonstrating that they have paid such fees. Provides that the sale of methamphetamine precursors in or brought into the State by a manufacturer who has failed to pay fees required by the provision is guilty of a petty offense and subject to a fine of $500 for a first offense; $1,000 for a second offense occurring within 3 years of the first offense; and $5,000 for a third or subsequent offense occurring within 3 years of the prior offenses. Effective immediately. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB3166 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Transportation to create an intercity bus program. Provides that the Department shall plan for and implement intercity bus routes that (i) add missing frequencies to existing passenger rail routes, (ii) begin frequent departures throughout the day in advance of Amtrak service, and (iii) add smaller towns into the network. Requires bus schedules to be coordinated with intercity and commuter trains so that passengers can conveniently connect between buses and trains. Provides that passengers shall be able to purchase a single ticket for journeys combining intercity buses and intercity trains. Provides that bus-only tickets shall be available for purchase from the same ticketing system used by intercity trains. Allows the Department to implement the program by (i) contracting directly with intercity bus carriers through competitive bids, (ii) contracting through Amtrak’s Thruway bus program, or (iii) contract directly with a local transit authority within the State. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB3184 | 02/06/2025 | Amends the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act. Authorizes an authorized representative to sign the disclosure required under the Act before any contract relating to the ownership or use of real property is entered into by the State or a unit of local government disclosing the interest of an owner or beneficiary in the real property. Authorizes disclosure by providing a copy of a proxy statement or other official corporate document filed with the federal Securities Exchange Commission or similar federal regulatory body within the previous calendar year disclosing the overall ownership of the limited liability company, corporation, or general partnership. Removes the requirement for additional disclosure for contracts for the ownership or use of real property for highway purposes by the Department of Transportation for any entity that is wholly or partially owned by another entity. Amends the Eminent Domain Act. Allows a party authorized to take property to file a complaint in circuit court if the owner is unable or unwilling to provide documentation required by the acquiring party to obtain sufficient title to the property, consummate the transaction, or comply with all legal requirements for the transaction. Eliminates the requirement that the Illinois Department of Transportation obtain Illinois Commerce Commission approval before bringing an action to acquire property needed for highway projects owned by utilities and railroads. Allows notice to property owners to be sent by entities other than the United States Postal Service if a company provides the same function as certified mail with return receipt. Effective immediately. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB2751 | 02/05/2025 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if a vehicle is displayed for sale or for transfer of ownership with a vehicle identification number that has been destroyed, removed, covered, altered, or defaced, its removal by a towing service may be authorized by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. Prohibits a motor vehicle dealer or person acting as a motor vehicle dealer from parking a motor vehicle for the primary purpose of displaying the vehicle for sale or for transfer of ownership on: (1) a public street or highway; (2) a public parking lot; (3) any other public property; or (4) any private property if the public may lawfully drive a motor vehicle on the property. Creates the Unlicensed Motor Vehicle Dealer Enforcement Task Force to: (1) meet at least quarterly to review unlicensed motor vehicle dealer enforcement activities in the State; and (2) submit a report to the Secretary of State at least quarterly that contains the status of the Task Force’s findings and provide a copy of the report to the General Assembly. Allows the license of a person to be denied, revoked, or suspended if the licensee has offered for private sale a motor vehicle in the licensee’s or exhibitor’s inventory. Increases the administrative penalties for violation of certain provisions from $50 per violation to not less than $1,000 and no more than $3,000 per violation. Provides that if the Secretary of State has reasonable cause to believe from information furnished to the Secretary or from an investigation made by a Secretary of State Police that a person is engaged in a regulated business without being licensed as required by law, the Secretary shall immediately issue and serve on the person a cease and desist order requiring the person to immediately cease and desist from further engaging in the business and shall notify the person that the person has the right to contest the cease and desist order in proceedings before the Secretary of State’s Department of Administrative Hearings and that penalties may be imposed. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB2780 | 02/05/2025 | Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. With regard to the 5 State-funded retirement systems, provides that the following are forbidden entities for purposes of investment and certain other transactions: Hamas; any company or entity that is wholly or partially managed or controlled by Hamas; any company identified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury as sponsoring terrorist activities in conjunction with Hamas or under specified regulations pertaining to terrorism sanctions; any company that has been fined, penalized, or sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the United States Department of the Treasury for any violation of any United States rules and restrictions relating to Hamas that occurred at any time following the effective date of the amendatory Act; or any company that has business operations that involve contracts with or the provision of supplies or services to Hamas, companies in which Hamas has any direct or indirect equity share, or consortiums or projects commissioned by Hamas. Provides that a retirement system shall not transfer or disburse funds to, deposit into, acquire any bonds or commercial paper from, or otherwise loan to or invest in any entity unless a certifying company certifies to the retirement system that: (1) with respect to investments in a publicly traded company, the certifying company has relied on information provided by an independent researching firm that specializes in global security risk; and (2) 100% of the retirement system’s assets for which the certifying company provides services or advice are not and have not been invested or reinvested in any forbidden entity at any time after 4 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the Illinois Investment Policy Board to make its best efforts to identify all Hamas-restricted companies and include those companies in the list of restricted companies for purposes of investment distributed to each retirement system and the Illinois State Board of Investment. Makes conforming changes. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB2938 | 02/05/2025 | Appropriates $90,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for various passenger rail services. Effective July 1, 2025. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB2675 | 02/04/2025 | Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the authority having maintenance jurisdiction over publicly owned paved bicycle trails in the State shall erect permanent regulatory or warning signage alerting pedestrians or cyclists of highway crossings, unless the intersection where the trail crosses the highway is controlled by an official traffic control device or sign. Provides that if the authority having maintenance jurisdiction over publicly owned bicycle trails has actual knowledge of an emergency or safety hazard that creates a dangerous condition on a publicly owned paved bicycle trail, the authority shall take reasonable steps to erect temporary signage or other warning markers, including, but not limited to, cones, barricades, or drums, alerting pedestrians or cyclists of the dangerous condition. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB2684 | 02/04/2025 | Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Article 20 of the Code) is adopted and made a part of the Chicago Firefighter Article, but only with respect to a person who, on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, is entitled under the Chicago Firefighter Article to begin receiving a retirement annuity or survivor’s annuity and who elects to proceed under the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB1803 | 01/27/2025 | Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for taxpayers who employ qualified employees. Provides that the term “qualified employee” means an individual who (i) is employed by the taxpayer as an engineer and (ii) graduated from an engineering program at an accredited institution of higher learning with a Bachelor’s degree or higher within the 5 years immediately preceding the taxable year. Provides that the credit shall be equal to (i) 10% of the compensation paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year to qualified employees who graduated from an engineering program at an accredited institution of higher learning in Illinois or (ii) 5% of the compensation paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year to qualified employees who graduated from an engineering program an accredited institution of higher learning not located in Illinois. Effective immediately. |
| Martin J. Moylan | HB1713 | 01/24/2025 | Amends the Chicago School District Article of the School Code. Provides that any appointments to the Chicago Board of Education made by the Mayor of the City of Chicago shall be made with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council. Effective immediately. |
