Illinois House Passes Consumer Protection Package Including Junk Fee Ban and Abortion Access Fund
The Illinois House passed 81 bills Thursday, including a junk fee ban, abortion access fund, cash payment requirement and digital coupon access measures. The legislation represents Gov. Pritzker's consumer protection priorities and now moves to the Senate.
House Advances Price Transparency and Healthcare Access Measures
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House of Representatives passed 81 bills on Thursday, bringing the week's legislative total to 133. Among the measures was a package designed to benefit consumers through expanded price transparency, abortion access funding, and digital coupon availability.
The legislation package represents Gov. JB Pritzker's priorities for consumer protection and reproductive healthcare access. Several bills have now advanced to the Senate, where they face the next stage of deliberation.
Junk Fee Ban Passes After Three Years
House Bill 228, sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, passed 77-18. The bill amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to require businesses to display all mandatory fees and charges before a purchase.
Morgan told lawmakers that the legislation delivers on a straightforward principle.
This bill delivers on a promise that's quite simple. The price that you see should be the price that you pay.
He estimated that hidden fees cost an average Illinois family $3,000 annually. The bill targets ticketed events, hotel rooms and other goods and services where additional charges often appear at checkout.
The Illinois House approved a ban in 2024 but it was never voted on in the Senate. The current version is an amended bill that Pritzker explicitly called for in his State of the State address. The governor argued such fees were quietly nickel-and-diming Illinois families out of thousands of dollars per year.
Nine Republicans joined supermajority Democrats in supporting the amended bill. However, the changes were not enough to remove opposition from the state's top business, banking and hospitality organizations.
Rep. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, who voted against the bill, said the underlying idea was a good one but the legislation went a step too far on overburdened businesses.
The bill now moves to the Illinois Senate for further consideration.
Abortion Access Fund Approved Along Party Lines
The House voted 69-36 to pass House Bill 5408, another of Pritzker's initiatives. The bill would create a grant fund to cover abortion care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
The legislation takes advantage of an under-used provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurance plans offering coverage for abortions beyond federal guidelines to collect at least $1 monthly from enrollees.
Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, the bill sponsor, said she anticipates an amendment in the Senate because of concerns from Illinois' health insurance industry.
This is an important bill that helps support our reproductive health care providers in the state of Illinois and ensure that women who need this health care are able to access it.
The bill would require insurance companies to report segregated fund balances to the Department of Insurance and transfer remaining funds to the newly created Abortion Access Fund. The Department of Public Health would then award grants to abortion providers for uninsured and underinsured individuals.
Cash Payment Requirement Advances
House Bill 4592 passed the House unanimously on Thursday. The bill requires stores with physical locations to accept cash for transactions under $500 in most circumstances.
Under the legislation, stores would not be required to accept currency larger than $20. The bill would take effect in 2028 and now awaits further consideration in the Senate.
Digital Coupon Access Bill Passes Unanimously
House Bill 45, sponsored by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, passed unanimously. The bill requires retailers to provide digital promotions or coupons to eligible customers.
The original version of the bill required merchants to provide paper coupons. An amendment broadened the regulation to ensure all eligible customers for a coupon are afforded access to the promotion regardless of format.
There is no penalty to the merchant unless the establishment does not cure a violation within 15 days of being notified. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Rohr said the bill came from concerns that eligible customers were being denied access to the same benefits because paper coupons were not available.
In-State Tuition Expansion Draws Partisan Debate
House Bill 5093 removed a requirement in state law that a student who attended an Illinois high school could only receive in-state tuition at an Illinois university if they did not establish residency outside the state before enrolling.
With the change, students who attend at least two years of high school in Illinois could receive in-state tuition regardless of whether they moved out of state before going to college.
Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, sponsored the bill. She argued the change would help more students access affordable higher education.
As a first generation, I can't imagine having to live in Illinois all my life. But then when I go to a university, be considered for out-of-state tuition because I'm an immigrant. Of course in-state tuition, it is cheaper and I want to have more students be able to access that.
The bill passed the House on a partisan 71-37 vote. Republicans argued the bill would unfairly benefit non-citizens.
Narcan Access for Formerly Incarcerated People
House Bill 5302 would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide opioid antagonists like Narcan to any incarcerated person charged for a drug-related offense or who has a substance abuse disorder upon their release.
Rep. Justin Slau sponsored the bill. The legislation addresses opioid overdose prevention for individuals reentering society after incarceration.
Business Opposition Remains Strong
The legislation package faced opposition from business and banking organizations. The Illinois Life and Health Insurance Council argued the abortion access fund bill exceeds permissible uses of segregated funds under Section 1303 of the ACA.
Morgan acknowledged the business opposition to the junk fee ban while defending the consumer protection measures.
The changes weren't enough to remove opposition from the state's top business, banking and hospitality organizations. But the legislation delivers on a promise that's quite simple.
The bills now face Senate action, where they could face amendments or additional debate before moving to the governor's desk.
Sources
- Capitol News Illinois: https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-house-approves-ban-on-junk-fees-pritzkers-abortion-fund-proposal/
- NPR Illinois: https://www.nprillinois.org/government-politics/2026-04-13/illinois-house-approves-ban-on-junk-fees-pritzkers-abortion-fund-proposal
- WJBC AM 1230: https://www.wjbc.com/2026/04/13/illinois-house-approves-ban-on-junk-fees-pritzkers-abortion-fund-proposal-2/
- WGLT: https://www.wglt.org/illinois/2026-04-13/illinois-house-approves-ban-on-junk-fees-pritzkers-abortion-fund-proposal