State Senator Erica Harriss has introduced legislation 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 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.
“Taxpayers deserve to know the financial impact of legislation before it becomes law,” said Senator Harriss. “This bill ensures lawmakers have access to clear financial information so we can make responsible decisions about how taxpayer dollars are spent.”
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. SB2094 ensures that fiscal notes are prepared whenever legislators request them.
“By strengthening the Fiscal Note Act, SB2094 promotes greater transparency in the legislative process and ensures that members of the General Assembly can obtain fiscal analysis when considering legislation that may affect the state budget,” concluded Senator Harriss.”
