NW Illinois News

Dan Swanson introduced HB3017 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: "Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each employer taxpayer in an amount equal to $5,000 for each military spouse hired by the taxpayer during the taxable year. 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 Illinois Income Tax Act by introducing a credit for employer taxpayers who hire military spouses. Specifically, starting with taxable years ending on or after Dec. 31, 2026, employers can claim a $5,000 credit against their state income tax for each military spouse they hire during the taxable year. The credit can be applied by partners, shareholders of Subchapter S corporations, and owners of limited liability companies in alignment with federal and state income taxation rules. The credit cannot reduce tax liability below zero but can be carried forward for up to five years. The bill defines a "military spouse" as the spouse of an active-duty member of the Armed Forces, Illinois National Guard, or U.S. military reserves. The Act is effective immediately upon becoming law.

Dan Swanson has proposed another 12 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Swanson graduated from Black Hawk Junior College in 1986 with an AA and again in 1994 from Western Illinois University with a BA.

Dan Swanson is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 71st House District. He replaced previous state representative Donald L. Moffitt 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.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB3017	02/06/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each employer taxpayer in an amount equal to $5,000 for each military spouse hired by the taxpayer during the taxable year. Effective immediately.
HB3149	02/06/2025	Appropriates $25,836,049 to various State universities for the administration of the Illinois National Guard and Illinois Veteran Grant programs. Effective July 1, 2025.
HB2935	02/05/2025	Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Repeals provisions regarding the State scholar program, the Merit Recognition Scholarship program, the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access grant program, the student to student grant program, the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program, grants for persons raised by a grandparent, the Southern Illinois University's Achieve Program, medical assistant grants, the police training academy job training scholarship program, and the adult vocational community college scholarship. Repeals the Public Interest Attorney Assistance Act, the Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Act, and the Community College Transfer Grant Program Act.
HB2631	02/04/2025	Amends the Illinois Code of Military Justice. In the definition of "military offenses", updates the proper names of the listed offenses. Makes a corresponding change to a substantive provision concerning the offense of conduct unbecoming an officer. Effective immediately.
HB2513	02/03/2025	Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Provides that the Department of the Lottery shall offer a special Lyme Disease Innovation instant scratch-off game for the benefit of the Lyme Disease Innovation Program with net revenue deposited into the Lyme Disease Awareness Fund. Grants the Department of the Lottery rulemaking powers. Adds references to the Lyme Disease Innovation scratch-off game to various provisions in the Act. Provides that the Department shall offer the game upon the discontinuation of the first game that is discontinued under certain provisions of the law. Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Specifies that the Lyme Disease Innovation Program shall be funded through moneys in the Lyme Disease Awareness Fund, including revenue generated from the Lyme Disease Innovation scratch-off game.
HB1754	01/24/2025	Creates the Tracking Infectious Cases Knowledgeably Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the TICK Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules no later than January 1, 2026, requiring medical reporters to report cases of alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease to the local health department and the Department of Public Health on the date of the diagnosis under the Control of Communicable Diseases Code. Provides that the rules shall dictate that the Department of Public Health shall track cases of alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease statewide and within counties and shall publish the results of the tracking of cases of alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease publicly on the Department's website in a timely manner. Provides that any case of alpha-gal syndrome or Lyme disease present in an Illinois resident that has been diagnosed by a medical professional shall be reported to, and tracked by, the Department, independent from or concurrent with reporting and tracking by the federal government. Defines terms. Makes findings. Effective immediately.
HB1501	01/21/2025	Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for an owner of an agricultural asset who sells or rents the agricultural asset to a beginning farmer. Sets forth the amount of the credit. Provides that the amount of the credit awarded with respect to any single sale or lease agreement shall not exceed $50,000 in any taxable year. Provides that the taxpayer shall apply to the Department of Agriculture for credits under the program. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025 and beginning before January 1, 2030, the Department of Agriculture may not approve more than $5,000,000 in credits under the program in any taxable year. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2030, the Department of Agriculture may not approve more than $10,000,000 in credits under the program in any taxable year. Effective immediately.
HB1379	01/15/2025	Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB1380	01/15/2025	Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning downstate firefighters.
HB1381	01/15/2025	Amends the Regional Fire Protection Agency Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
HB0046	01/09/2025	Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Adds a provision that requires the Department of Early Childhood to make appropriate accommodations when an applicant for a license to operate a day care center, day care home, or group day care home requests that the application be offered in a language other than English.
HB1148	01/09/2025	Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Transfers the powers and duties under the Act from the Board of Higher Education to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Replaces the requirement that the Board of Higher Education must contract annually for an independent evaluation of program implementation with the requirement that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may elect to contract for an independent evaluation with an outside entity. Effective immediately.
HB1149	01/09/2025	Creates the Educational Credit for Firefighting Experience Act. Provides that before June 1, 2027, each institution of higher education shall adopt a policy regarding its awarding of academic credit for firefighter training considered applicable to the requirements of a student's certificate or degree program. Requires the policy to apply to any individual who is enrolled in the institution of higher education and who has completed a firefighting training course or program that meets certain requirements. Provides that each institution of higher education shall develop a procedure for receiving the necessary documentation, provide a copy of its policy to certain applicants, and develop and maintain a list of qualifying firefighting training courses and programs. Provides that each institution of higher education shall submit its policy for awarding academic credit to the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board, if applicable, before June 30, 2027 and before June 30 of each year thereafter. Provides that the Board of Higher Education shall collect data in the Illinois Higher Education Information System on students who are firefighters to assess enrollment and completion outcomes.
HB1150	01/09/2025	Amends the Property Tax Code. Provides that, if a taxing district fails to timely file an affidavit that is required to be filed with respect to exempt property, then, prior to terminating the exemption, the chief county assessment officer shall notify the taxing district by first-class mail that the chief county assessment officer has not received the affidavit.