Kane County Reporter

Maura Hirschauer introduced HB2355 in the Illinois House on Jan. 30, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the lease of real estate is permitted when a property, structure, or facility owned by Kane County can be used for athletic purposes in the interest of the public or for the benefit and enjoyment of residents of the county if the property, structure, or facility acquired by Kane County was being used for athletic purposes prior to the county acquiring the property, structure, or facility. For leases entered into under this provision after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the lease must require (i) the lessee to allow any organization that used the land at the time the lease is executed to continue to use the land for the leased purposes during the term of the lease and (ii) the lessor to continue, during the term of the lease, to employ, in the same capacity, any persons who provided services on the land at the time the lease is executed."

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 Counties Code to allow Kane County to lease real estate for athletic purposes if the property was utilized for such purposes prior to acquisition by the county. The lease agreements made under this provision post-effective date must ensure that organizations using the land at the lease's execution can continue their use and that employees providing services on the land maintain their employment in the same capacity throughout the lease term. The county board retains the authority to lease real estate, generally, for up to 99 years, with farmland leases limited to five years, requiring a competitive bidding process. The bill aims to manage county-owned properties effectively while maintaining community access and employment continuity.

Maura Hirschauer has proposed another 10 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Hirschauer graduated from Colby College with a BA.

Maura Hirschauer is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 49th House District. She replaced previous state representative Karina Villa in 2021.

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
HB2355	01/30/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the lease of real estate is permitted when a property, structure, or facility owned by Kane County can be used for athletic purposes in the interest of the public or for the benefit and enjoyment of residents of the county if the property, structure, or facility acquired by Kane County was being used for athletic purposes prior to the county acquiring the property, structure, or facility. For leases entered into under this provision after the effective date of the amendatory Act, the lease must require (i) the lessee to allow any organization that used the land at the time the lease is executed to continue to use the land for the leased purposes during the term of the lease and (ii) the lessor to continue, during the term of the lease, to employ, in the same capacity, any persons who provided services on the land at the time the lease is executed.
HB2354	01/30/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the lease of real estate is permitted when a vacant property, structure, or facility owned by the county can be used in the interest of the public or for the benefit and enjoyment of residents of the county.
HB1786	01/27/2025	Amends the Election Code. Creates the Ranked-Choice Voting in State and Local Elections Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall study the possibility of implementing ranked-choice voting for State and local elections. Directs the Task Force (1) to engage election officials, interested groups, and members of the public for the purpose of assessing the adoption and implementation of ranked-choice voting in State and local elections beginning in the 2029 consolidated election; (2) to review standards used to certify or approve the use of a voting system, including the standards adopted by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the State Board of Elections; (3) to advise whether the voting system used by this State's election authorities would be able to accommodate alternative methods of voting, including, but not limited to, ranked-choice voting; and (4) to make recommendations or suggestions for changes to the Election Code or administrative rules for certification of voting systems in Illinois to accommodate alternative methods of voting, including ranked-choice voting. Provides that, on or before June 30, 2027, the Task Force shall publish a final report of its findings and recommendations and other specified information. Sets forth provisions concerning membership and administrative support. Dissolves the Task Force and repeals the provision on July 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
HB1787	01/27/2025	Amends the School Safety Drill Act. Requires a school district to provide training on school evacuation drills and law enforcement lockdown drills to all school personnel serving in a substitute capacity.
HB1790	01/27/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for the eligible purchase of a firearm safety device. Effective immediately.
HB1698	01/24/2025	Amends the Election Code. Provides that, upon receiving an election authority's request, if a school district demonstrates to the election authority that the use of a school as a polling place would interfere with scheduled programming or pose a threat to the safety of staff or students, the election authority and the school district shall work cooperatively to find an alternative location to serve as a polling place. Provides that, if the school district and the election authority are unable to identify a mutually agreeable alternative location, the school district and the election authority shall submit a report to the Board of County Commissioners that includes specified information. Provides that, after receiving the report, the Board of County Commissioners shall determine a location to be used as a polling place as soon as practicable to avoid further delay in determining a polling place.
HB1609	01/23/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, for the purposes of assessment, property registered in perpetuity with the register of areas under the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act is considered to be encumbered by a public easement and shall be depreciated to a level at which its value is $5 per acre, and any improvement, dwelling, or other appurtenant structure present on that land shall be valued at 33 1/3% of its fair cash value. Provides that a conservation right on land preserving a habitat for plant and animal species that are native to Illinois (currently, State or federal endangered or threatened species or federal candidate species) is considered to provide a demonstrated public benefit. Provides that a conservation right on land located adjacent to a park, conservation area, nature preserve, or other land or water area that is publicly owned or otherwise permanently protected for conservation purposes is considered to provide a demonstrated public benefit if the conservation right on that land furthers the conservation purposes of the adjacent protected area. Effective immediately.
HB1610	01/23/2025	Amends the Housing Authorities Act. Requires every housing authority to post on its official website in a downloadable, printable format sample rental or lease agreements that are written in the 3 most common non-English languages spoken in the city, village, incorporated town, or county for which the housing authority was created.
HB1398	01/16/2025	Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to ensure that pediatricians ask about the presence of guns in homes and distribute safe gun storage information to individuals with guns in a home with a child. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1399	01/16/2025	Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to ensure that safe gun storage information is available at all Secretary of State driver services facilities. Provides that the Department may use existing public or private programs to implement these provisions. Requires the Department to disseminate safe gun storage information on its website and in Department facilities. Effective January 1, 2026.
HB1312	01/14/2025	Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the Governor shall annually designate by official proclamation the third Friday of September in each year as POW/MIA Recognition Day (rather than the third Friday of September in each year is designated as POW/MIA Recognition Day) to be observed in honor and remembrance of the men and women who, as POWs, have suffered captivity in foreign countries while in active service with the United States armed forces or who, as MIAs, have been recognized as missing in action in a time of war or during a period of hostilities (rather than who were recognized as POWs or MIAs in a time of war or during a period of hostilities). Provides that the Governor shall request, in the Governor's annual designation by official proclamation, that some portion of the third Friday of September be used for solemn contemplation on the plight of members of the United States armed forces who have been held prisoners of war and members of the United States armed forces who have been missing in action and the resolve of families and friends who continue to seek the fullest possible accounting for missing loved ones. Effective immediately.