Illinois Sen. Fine’s online marketplace verification bill passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Sen. Laura Fine aims to enhance consumer protection by ensuring online marketplaces verify and certify high-volume third-party sellers as operating legally and ethically, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 37 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 39 Democrats and 16 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Fine introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 6, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB2001, was passed on May 23, 2025 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 Illinois Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act. Provides that an online marketplace shall verify and certify that each consumer product advertised on its platform by a high-volume third-party seller was produced, procured, purchased, or acquired in a lawful manner. Provides that an online marketplace shall identify, on its Internet website or application, the high-volume third-party sellers that are certified as operating in a legal and ethical manner and develop a means of making the certification. Provides that an online marketplace shall alert local, regional, or State law enforcement agencies if it suspects that a person or entity is selling or attempting to sell stolen goods to a resident of the State. Provides that an online marketplace shall prevent a person or entity from utilizing its platform or other services if it suspects that a person or entity is selling stolen goods. Provides that, if the Attorney General has reason to believe that any person has violated the Act, the Attorney General may bring an action against the person for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.”

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 Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act. It requires online marketplaces to verify that products advertised by high-volume third-party sellers are lawfully acquired, and to certify such sellers as operating legally and ethically on the platform. Marketplaces must identify these certified sellers on their websites and alert law enforcement if they suspect any seller is offering stolen goods. They must prevent suspected sellers of stolen goods from using their platforms. The Attorney General is empowered to enforce compliance with the Act and can impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The bill specifies that information collected for compliance cannot be used for other purposes unless legally required and provides for secure handling of this data.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (Democrat-22nd District), Rep. Dan Swanson (Republican-71st District), and Rep. Dave Vella (Democrat-68th District), along with 17 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.

Fine graduated from Indiana University in 1985 with a BA.

Fine, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 9th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Daniel Biss.

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.