North Cook News

Tracy Katz Muhl introduced HB2683 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: "Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Equality for Every Family Act. Amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015. Declares it to be the public policy of Illinois that a child has the same rights and protections under law to parentage without regard to the marital status, age, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents, or the circumstances of the child's birth, including whether the child was born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy. Changes the burden of proof for challenging a presumption of parentage from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of the evidence. Provides that a person who gave birth to a child and an alleged genetic parent of the child, a presumed parent under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, or an intended parent under the assisted reproduction provisions may sign an acknowledgment of parentage to establish the parentage of the child. Prohibits genetic testing from being used to: (i) challenge the parentage of a person who is a parent by assisted reproduction under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 or the Gestational Surrogacy Act; or (ii) establish the parentage of a person who is a donor. Changes the venue provisions for a proceeding to adjudicate parentage and the related notice provisions in such a proceeding. Provides that an individual who consents to assisted reproduction with the intent to be a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction is a parent of the child. Amends the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act. Contains provisions describing the consequences if a change in the martial status of a surrogate occurs. Sets out provisions concerning the termination of a gestational surrogacy agreement. Amends the Adoption Act. Provides a process for a confirmatory adoption for children born through assisted reproduction. Defines terms. Makes other changes. 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, referred to as the Equality for Every Family Act, amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 to establish that a child's rights and protections regarding parentage are unaffected by the parents' marital status, age, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and includes circumstances of birth through assisted reproduction or surrogacy. It changes the standard of proof required to challenge a presumption of parentage and clarifies that genetic testing cannot be used to challenge parentage established through assisted reproduction or surrogacy. The bill outlines the process for voluntary acknowledgment of parentage and the admissibility of genetic testing results. Additionally, it updates provisions related to the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act, including rules for changes in marital status and the termination of surrogacy agreements, and introduces a confirmatory adoption process for children born via assisted reproduction. The act is effective immediately.

Tracy Katz Muhl has proposed another eight bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Muhi graduated from Georgetown University in 1997 with a BS and again in 2000 from University of Chicago with a JD.

Tracy Katz Muhi is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 57th House District. She replaced previous state representative Jonathan Carroll in 2024.

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
HB2683	02/04/2025	Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Equality for Every Family Act. Amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015. Declares it to be the public policy of Illinois that a child has the same rights and protections under law to parentage without regard to the marital status, age, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents, or the circumstances of the child's birth, including whether the child was born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy. Changes the burden of proof for challenging a presumption of parentage from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of the evidence. Provides that a person who gave birth to a child and an alleged genetic parent of the child, a presumed parent under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, or an intended parent under the assisted reproduction provisions may sign an acknowledgment of parentage to establish the parentage of the child. Prohibits genetic testing from being used to: (i) challenge the parentage of a person who is a parent by assisted reproduction under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 or the Gestational Surrogacy Act; or (ii) establish the parentage of a person who is a donor. Changes the venue provisions for a proceeding to adjudicate parentage and the related notice provisions in such a proceeding. Provides that an individual who consents to assisted reproduction with the intent to be a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction is a parent of the child. Amends the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act. Contains provisions describing the consequences if a change in the martial status of a surrogate occurs. Sets out provisions concerning the termination of a gestational surrogacy agreement. Amends the Adoption Act. Provides a process for a confirmatory adoption for children born through assisted reproduction. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
HB2580	02/04/2025	Amends the Substance Use Disorder Act. In provisions requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a public education program regarding gambling disorders, requires the program to (i) promote public awareness regarding the impact of gambling disorders on individuals, families, and communities and the stigma that surrounds gambling disorders and (ii) use screening, crisis intervention, treatment, public awareness, prevention, in-service training, and other innovative means to decrease the incidence of suicide attempts related to gambling disorders or gambling issues. Requires the Department to select the statement regarding obtaining assistance with a gambling disorder, which each licensed gambling establishment owner shall post, and each master sports wagering licensee shall include, on the master sports wagering licensee's portal, Internet website, or computer or mobile application. Permits the Department to provide advice to State and local officials on gambling disorders; to support gambling disorder prevention, recognition, treatment, and recovery projects; to collaborate with other community-based organizations, substance use disorder treatment centers, or other health care providers engaged in treating individuals who are experiencing gambling disorders; and to perform other actions. Allows the Department to award grants to create or support local gambling prevention, recognition, and response projects. Makes other changes.
HB2651	02/04/2025	Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to identify days during the year when there may be a portion of the student body absent or unable to participate in a major school event due to cultural, religious, or other observances and, by February 1 of each year, to prominently post on its website and distribute to school districts a nonexhaustive list of the corresponding days and dates of potential cultural, religious, or other observances in the upcoming school year. Allows a school district to include additional days and dates based on community feedback or demographics. Requires the State Board to distribute the list by February 1 each year to regional offices of education, the Department of Early Childhood, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois High School Association, and other relevant associations or entities as determined by the State Board. Effective immediately.
HB2698	02/04/2025	Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that every cable or video provider operating in the State shall issue a prorated bill credit to consumers for any service outage lasting more than one hour. Provides that the credit shall be calculated based on the consumer's monthly service rate, prorated for the duration of the outage, and that the credit shall be automatically applied to the consumer's next billing cycle without requiring any action or request from the consumer. Requires cable or video providers to notify consumers of the outage and the applied credit within 24 hours after the restoration of service. Provides that internet providers and cable or video providers shall maintain records of all outages and corresponding bill credits issued for a minimum period of 3 years. Provides that the records shall be made available to the Illinois Commerce Commission upon request for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act. Provides that any cable or video provider that fails to issue the required bill credits in accordance with the outage provisions shall be subject to penalties as determined by the Commission. Provides that, if, due to a contract dispute, a cable or video provider will not be providing a consumer with a channel for which the consumer has been or will be billed, the cable or video provider shall, within 10 days after the cable or video provider knows that the contract dispute will result in the loss of the channel, provide each affected consumer with notice that the channel will not be provided due to a contract dispute. Provides that, if a cable or video provider does not provide a consumer with a channel for which the consumer has been billed, then the cable or video provider shall credit the consumer an amount equal to the percentage of the consumer's bill that the channel represents multiplied by the consumer's monthly service rate, which shall be prorated for each hour that the consumer was not provided with that channel due to a contract dispute. Requires that the credit be applied on the statement issued to the consumer for the next monthly billing cycle.
HB2518	02/03/2025	Amends the Freedom of Information Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Exempts from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act information and documentary materials obtained by the Office of the Attorney General or a State's Attorney under certain provisions of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Adds a power of the Attorney General with respect to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to require written answers under oath to written interrogatories. Provides that certain materials are not available for examination, except by authorized employees of the Attorney General and authorized law enforcement, without the consent of the persons who produced the materials. Provides that the Attorney General may, in the Attorney General's discretion, use information and documentary materials obtained in the course of an investigation under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act for law enforcement purposes, including, but not limited to, interviewing or questioning potential witnesses and consultants, in a complaint or other pleading, and in court proceedings.
HB2385	01/31/2025	Appropriates $5,000,000 from the Build Illinois Fund to the Department of Transportation for designing, planning, and the construction costs of a new community center at the Chicago Executive Airport, including an airplane mechanic and pilot training institute and operations center. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB2386	01/31/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may issue Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal license plates to Illinois residents that served in the United States Armed Forces after July 1, 1958 and participated in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, or U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. Provides that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal license plates shall expire according to the staggered multi-year procedure established by the Code. Provides that the Secretary has discretion as to the design, color, and format of the plates. Provides that the plates are not required to designate "Land of Lincoln".
HB2387	01/31/2025	Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that the circuit court has jurisdiction under the Admission, Transfer and Discharge Procedures for the Mentally Ill Chapter of the Code over persons not charged with a felony who are subject to involuntary admission on an inpatient basis. Provides that the circuit court has jurisdiction over all persons who are subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis under the Admission on an Outpatient Basis by Court Order Article of that Chapter of the Code, whether or not they are charged with a felony. Provides that a petition that the respondent is subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis must be accompanied by one certificate (rather than 2 certificates) of a physician, qualified examiner, psychiatrist, advanced practice psychiatric nurse, or clinical psychologist which certifies that the respondent is subject to involuntary admission on an outpatient basis. Provides that a court order placing the respondent in the care and custody of a relative or other person willing and able to properly care for him or her or committing the respondent to alternative treatment at a community mental health provider may include provisions requiring that the respondent participate in: case management services, individual or group therapy, day or partial day programs, educational or vocational training, supervised living, assertive community treatment team services, substance use disorder treatment and testing and any other service that would help prevent relapse or deterioration resulting in hospitalization. Provides that psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive therapy and accompanying tests may be ordered only pursuant to the administration of psychotropic medication and electroconvulsive therapy upon application to a court provisions of the Code. Provides that the court may also order the custodian or treatment provider to file periodic reports with the court, and provide copies to the State's Attorney and respondent's counsel, reflecting the respondent's participation in treatment and his or her clinical condition.
HB2390	01/31/2025	Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning special education joint agreements, provides that, for joint agreements entered into before, on, or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, any membership fees, annual fees, up-front fees, or costs or fees assessed to a member district by virtue of being a party to the joint agreement, and not for the use of services, must take into account the member district's actual use of the services offered within the joint agreement and may not be based solely on each member district's population. Provides that, upon withdrawal from a joint agreement, all member districts are entitled to an appropriate allocation of assets and liabilities, provided that forfeiture of a member district's taxpayer assets intended for its students is prohibited from being required. Effective July 1, 2026.
HB2391	01/31/2025	Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision regarding wastewater reuse, provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the use of treated municipal wastewater from a publicly owned treatment works is authorized for irrigation and industrial use (rather than only irrigation) when conducted in accordance with a permit issued under certain provisions of the Act.