State Senator Cristina Castro | Illinois General Assembly
State Senator Cristina Castro | Illinois General Assembly
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Notice By Publication Act. Provides that whenever a municipality is required to provide notice by publication in a newspaper by law, order of court, or contract, the municipality may publish the notice on an official municipal website instead of in a newspaper if the notice published on the official municipal website is also published electronically on a searchable online database website and that website provides independent certification of the publication. Provides conditions concerning the availability and format of the searchable online database website. Repeals a Section concerning the placement of published notices on a statewide website and makes corresponding changes throughout the Act and in the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. Effective immediately."
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the Notice By Publication Act to allow municipalities in Illinois to publish certain required notices on official municipal websites instead of in newspapers, provided the notices are also posted on a searchable online database with independent certification. The bill outlines conditions for these online publications, including accessibility requirements and a mandate that the official site links to the database, which must feature a search function. Copies of notices must be available at municipal offices if individuals are unable to access them online. The bill repeals a section regarding statewide website publication and modifies related sections of the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. It becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.
Castro graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a BA.
Cristina Castro is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 22nd Senate District. She replaced previous state senator Mike Noland in 2017.
Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.
You can read more about bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB0029 | 01/13/2025 | Amends the Notice By Publication Act. Provides that whenever a municipality is required to provide notice by publication in a newspaper by law, order of court, or contract, the municipality may publish the notice on an official municipal website instead of in a newspaper if the notice published on the official municipal website is also published electronically on a searchable online database website and that website provides independent certification of the publication. Provides conditions concerning the availability and format of the searchable online database website. Repeals a Section concerning the placement of published notices on a statewide website and makes corresponding changes throughout the Act and in the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. Effective immediately. |
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