Illinois Bill Clarifies Felon Ineligibility for Public Office

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

Illinois House Bill 4574 proposes to amend the Township Code and the Illinois Municipal Code to remove provisions that make individuals convicted of a felony ineligible to hold public office. The bill aims to clarify eligibility requirements for certain elected positions.

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What changed

Illinois House Bill 4574, introduced in the 104th General Assembly, seeks to amend existing state laws, specifically the Township Code and the Illinois Municipal Code, to remove the disqualification of individuals with felony convictions from holding public office. The bill proposes to repeal a provision in the Township Code that bars felons from holding office and to delete similar prohibitions within the Illinois Municipal Code concerning qualification for specified elective offices.

This legislative change, if enacted, would significantly alter the eligibility criteria for public service in Illinois municipalities and townships. Compliance officers and legal professionals should monitor the progress of HB4574 through the legislative process. If passed, entities and individuals affected by these provisions will need to understand the new eligibility landscape for holding local government offices.

What to do next

Monitor the progress of HB4574 through the Illinois General Assembly.
Review the implications of potential changes to eligibility for public office under the Township Code and Illinois Municipal Code.

Source document (simplified)

IL HB4574 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

Illinois House Bill 4574

IL State Legislature page for HB4574
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Status

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: Introduced on January 23 2026 - 25% progression
Action: 2026-03-27 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
Pending: House Rules Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Summary

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Public Office Eligibility and Criminal Conviction Clarification Act. Amends the Township Code. Repeals a provision that makes a person ineligible to hold any office under the Code if the person, at the time required for taking the oath of office, has been convicted of a felony. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. In a provision concerning qualification for specified elective offices, deletes provisions which prohibit a person from taking the oath of office if the person has been convicted of a felony.
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Title

LOC GOV FELON ELIGIBILITY

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-27 | House | Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-03-12 | House | Assigned to Ethics & Elections |
| 2026-02-09 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-02-03 | House | First Reading |
| 2026-01-23 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Carol Ammons |

Code Citations

| Chapter | Article | Section | Citation Type | Statute Text |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 60 | 1 | 55-6 | Repealed Code | Citation Text |
| 65 | 5 | 3.1-10-5 | Amended Code | Citation Text |
| 65 | 5 | 6-3-9 | Amended Code | Citation Text |

Illinois State Sources

| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4574&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104 |
| Text | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?LegDocId=206781&DocName=10400HB4574&DocNum=4574&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=165434&GAID=18&SessionID=114&SpecSess=&Session= |

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