---
type: "Bill"
title: "PERSONNEL-AUTISM PREFERENCE"
description: "Amends the Personnel Code. Provides, in provisions concerning a trainee program for persons with a disability, that \"disability\" includes a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by a medical professional. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "103rd"
identifier: "HB 5256"
citation: "Illinois HB 5256 (103rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Harry Benton", "Paul Faraci"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 51
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2024-02-08"
last_action: "2024-07-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d95c13bf-cd58-404e-ab34-b922d7413804"
source_url: "https://beta.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=5256&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=153467&SessionID=112"
source_hash: "9e39cb2b40cc11a236ba1e43728cf1b4d89939fc8993b764f5bf8aed9ac03079"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 5256 (103rd) — PERSONNEL-AUTISM PREFERENCE

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides, in provisions concerning a trainee program for persons with a disability, that "disability" includes a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by a medical professional. Effective immediately.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://beta.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/103/HB/PDF/10300HB5256.pdf)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://beta.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/103/HB/PDF/10300HB5256eng.pdf)
3. **House Amendment 001** (committee substitute) — [source](https://beta.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/103/HB/PDF/10300HB5256ham001.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://beta.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/103/HB/PDF/10300HB5256enr.pdf)

## Votes

- Labor & Commerce — **27–0** (pass) · lower
- Health and Human Services — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **59–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **109–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Harry Benton — primary (person)
- Paul Faraci — primary (person)
- Adam M. Niemerg — cosponsor (person)
- Camille Y. Lilly — cosponsor (person)
- Dagmara Avelar — cosponsor (person)
- Dan Caulkins — cosponsor (person)
- Dan Ugaste — cosponsor (person)
- Diane Blair-Sherlock — cosponsor (person)
- Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez — cosponsor (person)
- Gregg Johnson — cosponsor (person)
- Jenn Ladisch Douglass — cosponsor (person)
- Katie Stuart — cosponsor (person)
- Kimberly A. Lightford — cosponsor (person)
- Mary Gill — cosponsor (person)
- Meg Loughran Cappel — cosponsor (person)
- Natalie A. Manley — cosponsor (person)
- Nicole La Ha — cosponsor (person)
- Norine K. Hammond — cosponsor (person)
- Stephanie A. Kifowit — cosponsor (person)
- Sue Scherer — cosponsor (person)
- Suzanne M. Ness — cosponsor (person)
- Tony M. McCombie — cosponsor (person)
- Willie Preston — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-02-08** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Harry Benton `filing`
- **2024-02-09** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2024-02-09** Referred to Rules Committee
- **2024-03-05** Assigned to Labor & Commerce Committee `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-13** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregg Johnson
- **2024-03-13** Do Pass / Short Debate Labor & Commerce Committee; 027-000-000
- **2024-03-14** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2024-03-14** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley
- **2024-03-14** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Camille Y. Lilly
- **2024-03-14** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Adam M. Niemerg
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan Ugaste
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan Caulkins
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sue Scherer
- **2024-03-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar
- **2024-03-22** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Harry Benton `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-22** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
- **2024-04-02** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Labor & Commerce Committee
- **2024-04-12** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2024-04-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2024-04-15** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Gill
- **2024-04-15** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart
- **2024-04-15** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit
- **2024-04-17** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed to Table Rep. Harry Benton
- **2024-04-17** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 109-000-000 `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-04-17** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled `amendment-failure`
- **2024-04-17** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Suzanne M. Ness
- **2024-04-18** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2024-04-18** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2024-04-18** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Paul Faraci
- **2024-04-18** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2024-04-18** Referred to Assignments
- **2024-04-18** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel
- **2024-04-19** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Tony M. McCombie
- **2024-04-19** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Norine K. Hammond
- **2024-04-19** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Nicole La Ha
- **2024-04-24** Assigned to Health and Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2024-05-01** Do Pass Health and Human Services; 011-000-000
- **2024-05-01** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 2, 2024 `reading-2`
- **2024-05-02** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2024-05-02** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 7, 2024
- **2024-05-16** Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000 `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-05-16** Passed Both Houses
- **2024-05-16** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Willie Preston
- **2024-05-17** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford
- **2024-06-13** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2024-07-19** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2024-07-22** Effective Date July 19, 2024
- **2024-07-22** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0699 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d95c13bf-cd58-404e-ab34-b922d7413804`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).