Illinois
The COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act would protect Illinois residents who decline COVID-19 vaccines for religious reasons. It did not pass this session. Bills on religious freedom, government-tech collusion against speech, backyard chickens, fluoridation and income tax also ended without passing, while a 2025 law gave the state Immunization Advisory Committee a role advising on vaccines.
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Protect the right to keep backyard chickens
Renames the Garden Act and gives people the right to keep backyard chickens where they live, while letting municipalities set reasonable rules.
Families should be free to raise some of their own food at home.
Cut the state income tax rate
Lowers the individual income tax rate in steps from 4.95% to 3.8% by 2028 and also lowers the corporate rate.
Families should keep more of what they earn.
Let local water providers opt out of fluoridation
Creates the Fluoridation Local Authority Act, letting public water providers opt in or out of state fluoridation requirements without penalty after public notice and comment.
Communities should be able to choose whether to add fluoride to their water.
State vaccine advisory committee role
Among other changes, provides that the Immunization Advisory Committee shall advise the Director of Public Health on diseases for which an immunization or medical countermeasure is licensed.
Who sets vaccine recommendations shapes school and health requirements, so CODR is watching how this committee is used.
Stop government-tech collusion against speech
Creates the Freedom from Government and Private Collusion Against Free Speech Act, giving citizens a cause of action if a State agency or employee works with a private company to deny their freedom of speech.
Government should not be able to censor people indirectly by working through private companies.
Protect people who decline COVID-19 vaccines
Creates the COVID-19 Religious Exemption Act, making it unlawful to discriminate against anyone for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine contrary to their belief, and requires health care facilities to adopt protocols for belief-based objections.
No one should lose a job, care, or opportunity for declining a vaccine on the basis of conscience or faith.
Protect houses of worship during emergencies
Amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act so that emergency, health, or safety orders closing or limiting places of worship count as a substantial burden on religion.
Government should not be able to close churches in an emergency without meeting the highest legal standard.
No COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school
Provides that children may not be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enroll or attend school, and bars the Department of Public Health from requiring it by rule.
Parents, not the state, should decide whether their children receive a COVID-19 vaccine.