---
type: "Bill"
title: "FOOD HANDLING-POTLUCK EXEMPT"
description: "Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. Provides that neither the Department of Public Health nor the health department of a unit of local government may regulate the serving of food that is brought to a potluck event sponsored by a group of individuals or a religious, charitable, or nonprofit organization by individuals attending the potluck event for consumption at the potluck event. Provides that: a group or organization sponsoring a potluck event may advertise the potluck event to the public through any means; individuals who are not members of a group or organization sponsoring a potluck event may attend the potluck event and consume the food at the event; no fee may be charged for admission to a potluck event nor may food be sold at a potluck event; a business establishment dealing in the sale of food items may not sponsor a potluck event; and potluck event food may not be brought into the kitchen of a business establishment dealing in the sale of food items."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "93rd"
identifier: "SB 2944"
citation: "Illinois SB 2944 (93rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 54
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2004-02-06"
last_action: "2004-09-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d8f7fc49-56fb-4dab-a39d-cae7b4318338"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2944&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=10065&SessionID=3&GA=93"
source_hash: "cebd1aafb34ff8186ef375f33edca862be7f9e429cf6af6454894e1025becbad"
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 SB 2944 (93rd) — FOOD HANDLING-POTLUCK EXEMPT

Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. Provides that neither the Department of Public Health nor the health department of a unit of local government may regulate the serving of food that is brought to a potluck event sponsored by a group of individuals or a religious, charitable, or nonprofit organization by individuals attending the potluck event for consumption at the potluck event. Provides that: a group or organization sponsoring a potluck event may advertise the potluck event to the public through any means; individuals who are not members of a group or organization sponsoring a potluck event may attend the potluck event and consume the food at the event; no fee may be charged for admission to a potluck event nor may food be sold at a potluck event; a business establishment dealing in the sale of food items may not sponsor a potluck event; and potluck event food may not be brought into the kitchen of a business establishment dealing in the sale of food items.

## 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=09300SB2944&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=10065&DocNum=2944&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB2944eng&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=10065&DocNum=2944&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB2944enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=10065&DocNum=2944&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **113–1** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **56–0** (pass) · upper
- Concurrence, Amendment 1 — **51–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Dan Rutherford — primary (person)
- Jack D. Franks — cosponsor (person)
- Linda Chapa LaVia — cosponsor (person)
- Ronald A. Wait — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2004-02-06** Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dan Rutherford `filing`
- **2004-02-06** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-02-06** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2004-02-18** Assigned to Health & Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2004-02-19** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dan Rutherford `amendment-introduction`
- **2004-02-19** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2004-02-24** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Health & Human Services
- **2004-02-25** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled in Health & Human Services `amendment-failure`
- **2004-02-25** Do Pass Health & Human Services; 008-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2004-02-25** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading February 26, 2004
- **2004-02-25** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Dave Syverson
- **2004-03-03** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dan Rutherford `amendment-introduction`
- **2004-03-03** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2004-03-23** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Health & Human Services
- **2004-03-24** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Be Approved for Consideration Health & Human Services; 010-000-000
- **2004-03-24** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2004-03-24** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Rutherford `amendment-passage`
- **2004-03-24** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 25, 2004
- **2004-03-26** Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2004-03-26** Third Reading - Passed; 056-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2004-03-26** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2004-03-26** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-03-26** Chief House Sponsor Rep. Keith P. Sommer
- **2004-03-26** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2004-03-26** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2004-03-30** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Shane Cultra
- **2004-03-31** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Randall M. Hultgren
- **2004-03-31** Added Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. David R. Leitch
- **2004-04-20** Assigned to Human Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2004-04-29** Do Pass / Short Debate Human Services Committee; 005-000-002 `committee-passage`
- **2004-04-29** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2004-05-12** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Keith P. Sommer `amendment-introduction`
- **2004-05-12** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2004-05-14** Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Extended-Rule 9(b) May 31, 2004
- **2004-05-24** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Recommends Be Adopted Rules Committee; 004-000-000 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2004-05-25** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2004-05-25** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Adopted by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2004-05-25** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2004-05-26** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-001-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2004-05-26** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Ronald A. Wait
- **2004-05-26** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
- **2004-05-26** Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia
- **2004-05-26** Secretary's Desk - Concurrence House Amendment(s) 01
- **2004-05-26** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence House Amendment(s) 01 - May 27, 2004.
- **2004-05-26** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Filed with Secretary Sen. Dan Rutherford `filing`
- **2004-05-26** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2004-06-25** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Health & Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2004-06-25** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Be Approved for Consideration Health & Human Services; 007-000-000
- **2004-06-28** House Floor Amendment No. 1 Senate Concurs 051-001-000
- **2004-06-28** Passed Both Houses
- **2004-07-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2004-09-24** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2004-09-24** Effective Date June 1, 2005
- **2004-09-24** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 93-1039 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d8f7fc49-56fb-4dab-a39d-cae7b4318338`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).