Legislation has recently been introduced to strengthen transparency and accountability in the Illinois legislative process by ensuring lawmakers have access to fiscal impact information before voting on legislation.

Senate Bill 2094, introduced by Senator Erica Harriss, amends the Illinois Fiscal Note Act to guarantee that when a member of the General Assembly requests a fiscal note on legislation, the request must be honored and cannot be dismissed by chamber vote.

Fiscal notes are reports that provide estimates of how proposed legislation may affect state revenues or expenditures. The idea is to know how much it will cost the taxpayers if a bill becomes law. Any legislator may request a fiscal note for a bill. However, such requests may be voted down, stopping that information from being made public. SB 2094 ensures that fiscal notes are prepared whenever legislators request them.

The aim of this legislation is to promote greater transparency and ensure that lawmakers have access to the fiscal impact legislation will have on the taxpayers of this state.

Senate Bill 2094 is currently awaiting committee assignment.