DeKalb Times

Jeff Keicher introduced HB1142 in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 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 Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, before an ordinance may be adopted approving a redevelopment project area, the redevelopment project area must be approved by referendum of the voters of the affected taxing districts. Includes requirements for the ordinance or resolution proposing the redevelopment project area, for submission of and language for the referendum, and approval of the referendum when a majority of the voters in each of the affected taxing districts approve the referendum. Modifies notice requirements for the public meeting, and requires the notification of all voters of the affected taxing districts. Requires notice by publication, mailing, and on the website of the municipality (rather than by publication and mailing), and modifies the timing in which notices must be sent. Requires that a notice also must contain a copy of the proposed ordinance designating the redevelopment project area, a list of all taxes levied by each of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board, a statement of the projected impact that the redevelopment project area will have on those taxing district, and the proposed referendum language. 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 amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act in the Illinois Municipal Code. It requires that before an ordinance approving a redevelopment project area is adopted, the area must be approved by a referendum among voters in the affected taxing districts. The bill outlines the requirements for the ordinance or resolution proposing the project area, the submission and language of the referendum, and the need for approval by a majority vote in each affected taxing district. It modifies notice requirements for public meetings, mandates voter notification through publication, mailing, and municipal websites, and adjusts the timing for these notifications. Additionally, the notice must include a copy of the proposed ordinance, a list of taxes levied, a statement of projected impact on taxing districts, and proposed referendum language. Other procedural changes are included. The bill is effective immediately.

Keicher graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1996 with a BS.

Jeff Keicher is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 70th House District. He replaced previous state representative Robert W. Pritchard in 2018.

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
HB1142	01/09/2025	Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, before an ordinance may be adopted approving a redevelopment project area, the redevelopment project area must be approved by referendum of the voters of the affected taxing districts. Includes requirements for the ordinance or resolution proposing the redevelopment project area, for submission of and language for the referendum, and approval of the referendum when a majority of the voters in each of the affected taxing districts approve the referendum. Modifies notice requirements for the public meeting, and requires the notification of all voters of the affected taxing districts. Requires notice by publication, mailing, and on the website of the municipality (rather than by publication and mailing), and modifies the timing in which notices must be sent. Requires that a notice also must contain a copy of the proposed ordinance designating the redevelopment project area, a list of all taxes levied by each of the taxing districts that constitute the joint review board, a statement of the projected impact that the redevelopment project area will have on those taxing district, and the proposed referendum language. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
HB1222	01/09/2025	Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the General Assembly shall not approve the extension of a redevelopment project and the retirement of its obligations to a date that is beyond the 35th calendar year after the year in which the ordinance approving the redevelopment project areas was adopted. Effective immediately.