East Central Reporter

Adam M. Niemerg introduced HB2613 in the Illinois House on Feb. 4, 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: "Amends the Motor Fuel Tax Law. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2025, the rate of tax shall be $0.19 per gallon (currently, 39.2 cents per gallon, adjusted each year according to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index), plus an additional 2 1/2 cents per gallon for diesel fuel, liquefied natural gas, or propane. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that no tax may be imposed under the Municipal Motor Fuel Tax Law on or after July 1, 2025. Preempts the exercise of home rule powers. Effective immediately."

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 Motor Fuel Tax Law, reducing the tax rate on motor fuel to 19 cents per gallon beginning July 1, 2025, a decrease from the current rate of 39.2 cents per gallon, which is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, it applies an extra 2 1/2 cents per gallon for diesel fuel, liquefied natural gas or propane. The bill revises the Illinois Municipal Code to prohibit municipalities from imposing a local motor fuel tax after July 1, 2025, effectively overriding home rule powers. The legislation enforces these changes immediately upon becoming law.

Adam M. Niemerg has proposed another 20 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Niemerg graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a BA.

Adam M. Niemerg is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 102nd House District. He replaced previous state representative Darren Bailey in 2023.

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
HB2613	02/04/2025	Amends the Motor Fuel Tax Law. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2025, the rate of tax shall be $0.19 per gallon (currently, 39.2 cents per gallon, adjusted each year according to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index), plus an additional 2 1/2 cents per gallon for diesel fuel, liquefied natural gas, or propane. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that no tax may be imposed under the Municipal Motor Fuel Tax Law on or after July 1, 2025. Preempts the exercise of home rule powers. Effective immediately.
HB2597	02/04/2025	Creates the COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner because of such person's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to his or her belief. Requires all health care facilities to adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that belief-based objections do not cause impairment of patients' health and that explain how belief-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient care. Provides that it is unlawful for any public or private employer, entity, agency, institution, official, or person to deny admission because of, to place any reference in its application form concerning, to orally question about, to impose any burdens in terms or conditions of employment on, or to otherwise discriminate against, any applicant, in terms of employment, admission to or participation in any programs for which the applicant is eligible, or to discriminate in relation thereto, in any other manner, on account of the applicant's refusal to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination that is against the applicant's beliefs. Provides that it is unlawful for any public official, guardian, agency, institution, or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or to condition the reception in any way of any form of aid, assistance, or benefits, or in any other manner to coerce, disqualify, or discriminate against any person, otherwise entitled to such aid, assistance, or benefits, because that person refuses to obtain, receive, or accept a COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the person's belief. Allows any person injured by any public or private person, association, agency, entity, or corporation by reason of any action prohibited by the Act to bring an action. Provides that a person who brings an action shall recover threefold the actual damages, the costs of the action, and reasonable attorney's fees, but in no case shall recovery for each violation be less than $2,500 plus costs of the action and reasonable attorney's fees. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
HB2598	02/04/2025	Amends the Privileged Communications Part of the Evidence Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that a peer support advisor shall not be compelled to disclose in any court, or to any administrative board or agency, or to any public officer, a confession or admission made to him or her within his or her capacity as a peer support advisor, nor be compelled to divulge any information which has been obtained by him or her in his or her capacity as a peer support advisor. Includes legislative findings.
HB2599	02/04/2025	Amends the Children and Family Services Act. In provisions concerning the Advocacy Office for Children and Families, requires the Advocacy Office to designate for each foster child an employee with legal knowledge of the foster process to guide foster parents throughout the foster process and keep them informed of their rights and responsibilities. Amends the Foster Parent Law. Creates a private right of action under specified provisions of the Act concerning foster parent rights.
HB2600	02/04/2025	Creates the COVID-19 Vaccination Employer Mandate Prohibition Act. Provides that it is unlawful for an employer in the State of Illinois to create, implement, or otherwise enforce a workplace vaccination program that requires any employee to demonstrate to the employer that he or she has received a vaccine or its related booster that was approved under emergency use authorization by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Effective immediately.
HB2601	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act. Increases the exclusion amount to $8,000,000 for persons dying on or after January 1, 2026 (currently, $4,000,000). Effective immediately.
HB2603	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction in an amount equal to the amount received by the taxpayer in gratuities during the taxable year. Provides that the deduction is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.
HB2604	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction in an amount equal to the out-of-pocket costs incurred by a taxpayer during the taxable year for expenses associated with long-term care for the taxpayer or the taxpayer's family member. Effective immediately.
HB2605	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Increases the standard exemption to $150,000. Effective immediately.
HB2606	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to 50% of the contributions made by the taxpayer during the taxable year to one or more qualifying pregnancy resource centers. Provides that the term "qualifying pregnancy resource center" means a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and is established for the purpose of providing free assistance to pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies to term.
HB2607	02/04/2025	Creates the Campus Free Speech Protection Act. Requires the governing board of each public institution of higher education to adopt policies governing free expression. Sets forth what those policies must ensure. Contains provisions concerning making those policies available to faculty and students. Sets forth both prohibited and permissible conduct. Provides for remedies for violations of the policies.
HB2608	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Reduces the rate of tax on individuals, trusts, estates, and certain pass-through entities from 4.95% to 3.75%. Reduces the rate of tax on corporations from 7% to 6%. Effective immediately.
HB2609	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Reduces the rate of tax on corporations from 7% to 5.5%. Effective immediately.
HB2610	02/04/2025	Creates the Free Speech Protection Act. Provides that a person who has received permission to place a sign or display on State-supported property has the right to exercise freedom of speech. Provides that the Act does not authorize or protect a sign or display that: is libelous, slanderous, or obscene; constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy; violates federal or State law; a reasonable person would understand as intended to denigrate or hold up to ridicule the beliefs of a religion, including, but not limited to, the display of a recognized or altered version of a symbol of a religion in such a manner; or incites others to commit an unlawful act, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the State-supported property in question. Provides that no State agency, official, or employee shall be held liable in any civil or criminal action for any expression made through a sign or display. Effective immediately.
HB2611	02/04/2025	Creates the Education Savings Account Act. Requires the State Board of Education to create the Education Savings Account Program. Provides that a parent of an eligible student (defined as any elementary or secondary student who was eligible to attend a public school in this State in the preceding semester or is starting school in this State for the first time and who is a member of a household whose total annual income does not exceed an amount equal to 2.5 times the income standard used to qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch under the national free or reduced-price lunch program) shall qualify for the State Board to make a grant to his or her child's Education Savings Account by signing an agreement. Requires the State Board to deposit into an Education Savings Account some or all of the State aid under the State aid formula provisions of the School Code that would otherwise have been provided to the resident school district for the eligible student had the student enrolled in the resident school district. Provides that parents participating in the Program shall agree to use the funds deposited in their eligible students' accounts for certain qualifying expenses to educate the eligible student. Sets forth provisions concerning the calculation of grant amounts and other basic elements of the Program, administration of the Program, accountability standards for participating schools, and the responsibilities of the State Board and resident school districts.
HB2612	02/04/2025	Creates the Construction Zone Safe Detour Act. Establishes that a company that provides GPS travel services in the State is required to ensure that at least one person is available to receive official requests 24 hours per day, 7 days per week from emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation for the purpose of implementing proper detours in the event of construction or emergency. Requires a GPS service provider to upload the detour and routing information provided by emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation into its navigation system to properly route users of the GPS service provider's systems. Provides that a GPS service provider that fails to implement proper detour routing on an ongoing and emergency basis may be liable for treble damages. Allows an affirmative defense for GPS service providers if emergency services, including the Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police, fail to notify the GPS service provider with routing information. Prohibits the Department from conducting construction on a secondary route or parallel primary highway at the same time, except in an emergency. Requires the Department to reimburse local governments for damages caused to roads within the local government's jurisdiction that arise from any detour around or near a construction zone authorized by the Department. Provides that the Department shall adopt emergency rules for the administration of the Act. Defines terms.
HB2614	02/04/2025	Creates the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act. Defines terms, including that "board" means a government agency, board, department, or other government entity that regulates a lawful occupation and issues an occupational license or government certification to an individual. Provides that, notwithstanding any other State law to the contrary, a board in the State shall issue an occupational license or government certification to a person who holds an occupational license or government certification in another state if the person satisfies specified conditions. Provides that, notwithstanding any other State law to the contrary, a board shall issue an occupational license or government certification to a person upon application based on work experience in another state if the person satisfies specified conditions. Sets forth provisions concerning State law examinations; decisions of a board; appeals; State laws and jurisdiction; exceptions to the Act; limitations of the Act; application fees; and emergency powers. Effective immediately.
HB2615	02/04/2025	Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Deletes a provision that prohibits a licensee from knowingly carrying a firearm into any building, classroom, laboratory, medical clinic, hospital, artistic venue, athletic venue, entertainment venue, officially recognized university-related organization property, whether owned or leased, and any real property, including parking areas, sidewalks, and common areas under the control of a public or private community college, college, or university.
HB2616	02/04/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that, when a corner knows or is informed that a death is suspected to be a maternal or fetal death due to an abortion, the coroner shall go to the place where the dead body is located, take charge of the body, and make a preliminary investigation into the circumstances of the death. Effective immediately.
HB2617	02/04/2025	Creates the Coercive Abuse Against Mothers Prevention Act. Provides that it is illegal to coerce or force a pregnant woman to have an abortion. Provides that whoever coerces or forces a pregnant woman to have an abortion is guilty of a petty offense with a fine of $500 and a business offense with a fine of $1,500. Allows a pregnant woman injured by an abuser's violation of the Act to bring a civil suit to recover damages for such injury regardless of whether the abuser is criminally prosecuted and whether the pregnant woman has an abortion. Requires a reproductive health care facility to conspicuously post signs visible to all who enter its waiting, consultation, and procedure rooms specified notices and information. Requires a mandatory reporter to personally report every instance of alleged or suspected coerced abortion to the Department of Children and Family Services or the local law enforcement authority of the county the facility is in. Requires an attending health care professional to orally ask a pregnant woman, in a private room and without any individual accompanying her, if she is being coerced or forced to have an abortion. Provides that any mandatory reporter who has reason to believe a woman is or has been a victim of coercion and willfully and knowingly does not report such coercion, force, attempted coercion, threatened coercion, or threatened force is guilty of a business offense with a fine of $5,000. Provides that any health care professional who willfully violates the mandatory reporting requirements shall be referred to the Illinois State Medical Board for action on whether to suspend or revoke his or her license. Allows a pregnant woman injured by a facility's violation of the Act to bring a civil suit to recover damages for such injury. Makes other changes. Effective 90 days after becoming law.
HB2618	02/04/2025	Amends the Statute on Statutes. Provides that a live child born as a result of an abortion shall be fully recognized as a human person and accorded immediate protection under the law. Removes language regarding interpretation of specified provisions. Effective immediately.
HB2619	02/04/2025	Creates the Ultrasound Opportunity Act. Sets forth legislative findings and definitions. Provides that at any facility where abortions are performed, the physician who is to perform the abortion, the referring physician, or another qualified person working in conjunction with either physician shall offer any woman seeking an abortion after 8 weeks of gestation an opportunity to receive and view an active ultrasound of her unborn child by someone qualified to perform ultrasounds at the facility, or at a facility listed in a listing of local ultrasound providers provided by the facility, prior to the woman having any part of an abortion performed or induced and prior to the administration of any anesthesia or medication in preparation for the abortion. Provides that, following the performance of an ultrasound on a woman, 72 hours must pass before the administration of any anesthesia or medication in preparation for an abortion for the woman. Provides that the requirements of the Act shall not apply when, in the medical judgment of the physician performing or inducing the abortion, there exists a medical emergency. Contains a severability provision.
HB2620	02/04/2025	Amends the Reproductive Health Act. Provides that no person shall perform or induce an abortion unless at least 72 hours prior thereto the health care professional who is to perform or induce the abortion has conferred with the patient and discussed with the patient the indicators, contraindicators, and risk factors in light of the patient's medical history and medical condition.
HB2621	02/04/2025	Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Lowers the age at which a person who is not an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces may apply for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card from 21 to 18 and provides that a person who is under 18 years of age may apply for a Firearm Owner's Identification Card without parental consent required if he or she is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces. Provides that if the applicant is under 18 (rather than 21) years of age that he or she has never been convicted of a misdemeanor other than a traffic offense or adjudged delinquent and is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces.
HB2622	02/04/2025	Creates the Infant Born Alive Protection Act. Provides that any physician who intentionally performs an abortion when there is a reasonable likelihood or possibility of sustained survival of the fetus outside the womb shall utilize the method most likely to preserve the life and health of the fetus, and that failure to do so is a Class 3 felony. Prohibits the performance or inducement of an abortion when the fetus is viable unless there is in attendance a physician other than the physician performing or inducing the abortion who shall take control of and provide immediate medical care for any child born alive as a result of the abortion. Provides that any living individual organism of the species homo sapiens who has been born alive is legally an individual under the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a Class 3 felony is committed when a physician under specified circumstances intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly fails to exercise the same conduct to preserve the life and health of a child as would be required for a child born alive at the same gestational age. Provides that nothing in the Act requires a physician to employ a method of abortion which, in the medical judgment of the physician, would increase medical risk to the mother. Except in specified circumstances, requires specified persons to inform a woman upon whom an abortion is to be performed when an anesthetic or analgesic is available for use to abolish or alleviate organic pain caused to the fetus by the particular method of abortion to be employed and provides that failure to do so is a Class B misdemeanor.
HB2623	02/04/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that the county clerk of a county where a decedent last resided shall (rather than may) issue certifications of death records from the electronic reporting system for death registrations and shall (rather than may) use that system to cancel the registration of any person who has died during the preceding month. Requires a county coroner, medical examiner, or physician for a county or any other individual responsible for certification of death under the Vital Records Act to promptly transmit certified records to the county clerk within 7 days after the death. Requires the county clerk and coroner to report quarterly to its affiliated county board and certify its full compliance with the provisions and accuracy of the voter rolls. Allows an individual to request a copy of the county clerk's or coroner's report and allows for relief if the county clerk fails to provide an accurate report within specified time frames.
HB2624	02/04/2025	Creates the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 2025, with provisions similar to those of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995. Effective immediately.
HB2625	02/04/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that in a proceeding in the prosecution of an offense of criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery, or aggravated domestic battery, in which the victim is a child or a person with a moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disability or a victim affected by a developmental disability, the child victim or victim with a moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disability or a victim affected by a developmental disability does not need to testify or be present in court for the judge to make the determination of whether the testimony of such person will result in the person suffering serious emotional distress such that the person cannot reasonably communicate or that the person will suffer severe emotional distress that is likely to cause the person to suffer severe adverse effects. Provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that the testimony of a victim who is a child under 13 years of age shall testify outside the courtroom and the child's testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a 2-way closed circuit television (rather than closed circuit television). Provides that before the court permits the testimony of a victim outside the courtroom that is to be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television, the court must make a finding that the testimony by means of a 2-way closed circuit television (rather than closed circuit television) does not prejudice the defendant.
HB2626	02/04/2025	Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that there is a rebuttable presumption that the testimony of a victim who is a child under 13 years of age shall testify outside the courtroom and the child's testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a 2-way closed circuit television (rather than closed circuit television). Provides that before the court permits the testimony of a victim outside the courtroom that is to be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television, the court must make a finding that the testimony by means of a 2-way closed circuit television (rather than closed circuit television) does not prejudice the defendant.
HB2633	02/04/2025	Restores the statutes to the form in which they existed before their amendment by Public Act 102-662. Repeals the Energy Transition Act, the Energy Community Reinvestment Act, the Community Energy, Climate, and Jobs Planning Act, and the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund Act. Effective immediately.
HB1212	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a credit in an amount equal to the eligible expenses incurred for engaging in qualified tourism activities by the taxpayer during the taxable year. Effective immediately.
HB1213	01/09/2025	Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that the firearm open season set annually by the Director of Natural Resources between the dates of November 1 and December 31, both inclusive, shall include (1) a period before Thanksgiving of at least 4 consecutive days, (2) a period after Thanksgiving of at least 5 consecutive days, and (3) a total period of not more than 14 days. Makes technical changes.
HB1214	01/09/2025	Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that sex-reassignment procedures are prohibited for patients younger than 18 years of age. Provides that if sex-reassignment procedures are administered or performed on patients 18 years of age or older, consent must be provided as specified. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall revoke the license of any physician who willfully or actively violates the prohibition on sex-reassignment procedures for patients younger than 18 years of age. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act and the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act. Adds a failure to comply with the provisions as grounds for fines, license denial, license suspension or revocation, or refusal to renew a hospital or facility's license. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to provide for emergency rulemaking.
HB1215	01/09/2025	Creates the Utilizing Illinois Energy Resources Task Force Act. Creates the Utilizing Illinois Energy Resources Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall study methods the State can use to support and expand the use of natural resources in this State, including, coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Provides for the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Director of Natural Resources may retain the services of outside parties with legal, engineering, and financial expertise to assist the Task Force in carrying out its duties. Provides that the Task Force members are not eligible to receive compensation or reimbursement of expenses. Provides that the Task Force shall file a report no later than December 31, 2026 with the General Assembly on all issues deemed appropriate by the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall be abolished upon filing its report with the General Assembly. Repeals the Act on June 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
HB1216	01/09/2025	Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that any athletic team or sport that is under the jurisdiction of an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and student must be expressly designated as (i) a male athletic team or sport, (ii) a female athletic team or sport, or (iii) a coeducational athletic team or sport. Provides that an athletic team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex. Requires a school district or nonpublic school to obtain a written statement signed by a student's parent or guardian or the student verifying the student's age, biological sex, and that the student has not taken performance enhancing drugs; provides for a penalty for false or misleading statements. Prohibits a governmental entity or an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and students from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a school district or nonpublic school for maintaining athletic teams or sports in accordance with these provisions.
HB1217	01/09/2025	Repeals the Illinois TRUST Act. Makes corresponding changes in the Illinois Identification Card Act, removing provisions that prohibit the disclosure of certain information to immigration agents. Makes corresponding changes in the Illinois Vehicle Code, repealing provisions that restrict the release of certain information to immigration agents. Effective immediately.
HB1218	01/09/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to $1,500 for each person who is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer for the taxable year under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.