House to review HB3285 introduced by Matt Hanson on Feb. 6

Matt Hanson, Illinois State Representative forom 83rd District | Illinois General Assembly

By Kane County Reporter

Feb 7, 2025

Matt Hanson introduced HB3285 in the Illinois House on Feb. 6, 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: "Appropriates $575,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for expenses related to the Statewide Railway Program. Effective July 1, 2025."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill appropriates $575 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Statewide Railway Program, effective July 1, 2025. It allocates $70 million for planning and environmental clearance for a new high-speed rail line. It designates $230 million for capital improvements on existing passenger rail lines, establishing new routes, and includes infrastructure upgrades like building bridges and installing modern train control systems. Additionally, $100 million is set aside for purchasing modern trains and facility upgrades, while $2 million is allocated for salaries and staff expenses in the rail division. Another $100 million is allocated for operating passenger trains connecting regions outside the Regional Transportation Authority. Lastly, $50 million funds track maintenance, and $23 million supports regional buses connecting communities to the railway network.

Matt Hanson has proposed another four bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Hanson graduated from the University of Richmond with a BS.

Matt Hanson is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 83rd House District. He replaced previous state representative Barbara Hernandez in 2023.

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.

Bills Introduced by Matt Hanson in Illinois House During General Assembly Session 104

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB3285	02/06/2025	Appropriates $575,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for expenses related to the Statewide Railway Program. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB3280	02/06/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates a deduction for the full amount of union dues paid by the taxpayer during the taxable year if the taxpayer was not allowed a federal deduction under the Internal Revenue Code. Provides that, if any amount of union dues representing federal miscellaneous itemized deductions was allowed as a federal deduction, then the amount allowed as an Illinois deduction shall be a percentage of the union dues disallowed under the Internal Revenue Code. Provides that the deduction is exempt from the Act's automatic sunset provision. Effective immediately.
HB3281	02/06/2025	Amends the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that whenever a law enforcement officer has reason to believe that a person has been abused, neglected, or exploited by a family or household member, the officer shall, if appropriate, arrest the abusing, neglecting, and exploiting party except in situations in which the alleged offending party is a juvenile. Provides that if the alleged offender is a juvenile, then the officer, based on the totality of the circumstances, may choose not to arrest the juvenile and instead may divert the juvenile or may assist the juvenile and his family in finding alternative placement.
HB2896	02/05/2025	Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law in the Property Tax Code. Provides that a levy authorized for contributions to a Firefighters' Pension Fund for a municipality with a population of 500,000 or less is not considered a new rate. Effective immediately.
HB2897	02/05/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, the Department of Revenue shall deposit 10% of the net revenue realized from the income taxes imposed under the Act directly into the Local Government Distributive Fund as that revenue is realized. Effective immediately.