---
type: "Bill"
title: "OPEN MTG ACT-SCHOOL SAFETY"
description: "Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that a school board may hold a closed meeting to discuss building safety and security."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "99th"
identifier: "HB 1498"
citation: "Illinois HB 1498 (99th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 46
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2015-02-05"
last_action: "2015-08-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/50cac14a-954b-44a5-a2cb-4ed4c4ac6e14"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1498&GAID=13&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=86256&SessionID=88&GA=99"
source_hash: "db2379b846c80c3bbdfed63f3f612d6272c8f2d0d9b16df26213700c3b0b8c55"
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 1498 (99th) — OPEN MTG ACT-SCHOOL SAFETY

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Provides that a school board may hold a closed meeting to discuss building safety and security.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB1498&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=86256&DocNum=1498&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB1498eng&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=86256&DocNum=1498&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09900HB1498enr&GA=99&SessionId=88&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=86256&DocNum=1498&GAID=13&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **113–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **54–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Thomas M. Bennett — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2015-02-05** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Thomas M. Bennett `filing`
- **2015-02-06** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-02-06** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-02-24** Assigned to State Government Administration Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-03** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Thomas M. Bennett `amendment-introduction`
- **2015-03-03** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2015-03-04** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to State Government Administration Committee
- **2015-03-04** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in State Government Administration Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2015-03-04** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate State Government Administration Committee; 014-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2015-03-05** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-03-05** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Sente
- **2015-03-05** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert W. Pritchard
- **2015-03-05** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Katherine Cloonen
- **2015-03-05** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Morrison
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr.
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sam Yingling
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Margo McDermed
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. David McSweeney
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kathleen Willis
- **2015-03-05** Remove Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Sente
- **2015-03-05** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Sente
- **2015-03-10** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2015-03-10** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2015-03-12** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-03-13** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2015-03-13** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 17, 2015 `reading-1`
- **2015-03-18** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. David Koehler
- **2015-03-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2015-03-19** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2015-04-08** Approved for Consideration Assignments
- **2015-04-08** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 14, 2015
- **2015-05-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. David Koehler `amendment-introduction`
- **2015-05-04** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2015-05-06** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Local Government
- **2015-05-13** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Local Government
- **2015-05-14** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2015-05-14** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 18, 2015
- **2015-05-19** Third Reading - Passed; 054-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2015-05-19** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a) `amendment-failure`
- **2015-05-19** Passed Both Houses
- **2015-06-17** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2015-08-03** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2015-08-03** Effective Date January 1, 2016
- **2015-08-03** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0235 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/50cac14a-954b-44a5-a2cb-4ed4c4ac6e14`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).