republic-os/legislation/us/states/il/100th/hb-736.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "DHS-SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PGRAM"
description: "Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a small business grant program for public aid recipients who are interested in developing a new start-up business. Requires grant applicants to submit an initial business plan or proposal to the Department that clearly articulates the viability of the new start-up business and how the grant money will be used to develop the business. Provides that the Department shall use such application materials to determine an applicant's eligibility under the program, the grant amount to be awarded, if applicable, and the number of grants an eligible applicant will receive under the program. Provides that if an applicant is determined by the Department to be eligible for a small business grant, the applicant must submit to the Department every year that he or she participates in the program or applies for a new grant an updated business plan or proposal that demonstrates the continued viability or progress of the new start-up business. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement the program, including rules on the minimum and maximum grant amounts awarded under the program, the number of grants an applicant may apply for or receive during a specified period of time, and application requirements."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "100th"
identifier: "HB 736"
citation: "Illinois HB 736 (100th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 36
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2017-01-25"
last_action: "2017-08-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/576b8e54-ae0a-401d-bbc6-0708d82c45e5"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=736&GAID=14&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=101056&SessionID=91&GA=100"
source_hash: "f466647c360aa8e1d1f51e36f3a6b89e5431b30a20029ce4cee25cdc8d40c4b1"
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 736 (100th) — DHS-SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PGRAM

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a small business grant program for public aid recipients who are interested in developing a new start-up business. Requires grant applicants to submit an initial business plan or proposal to the Department that clearly articulates the viability of the new start-up business and how the grant money will be used to develop the business. Provides that the Department shall use such application materials to determine an applicant's eligibility under the program, the grant amount to be awarded, if applicable, and the number of grants an eligible applicant will receive under the program. Provides that if an applicant is determined by the Department to be eligible for a small business grant, the applicant must submit to the Department every year that he or she participates in the program or applies for a new grant an updated business plan or proposal that demonstrates the continued viability or progress of the new start-up business. Requires the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement the program, including rules on the minimum and maximum grant amounts awarded under the program, the number of grants an applicant may apply for or receive during a specified period of time, and application requirements.

## 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=10000HB0736&GA=100&SessionId=91&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=101056&DocNum=736&GAID=14&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10000HB0736eng&GA=100&SessionId=91&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=101056&DocNum=736&GAID=14&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10000HB0736enr&GA=100&SessionId=91&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=101056&DocNum=736&GAID=14&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **104–4** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **51–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Mary E. Flowers — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-01-25** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Mary E. Flowers `filing`
- **2017-01-27** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2017-01-27** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-08** Assigned to Economic Opportunity Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-24** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Mike Fortner `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-02-24** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-24** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mike Fortner
- **2017-03-07** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Economic Opportunity Committee
- **2017-03-07** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Economic Opportunity Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2017-03-07** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Economic Opportunity Committee; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2017-03-08** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2017-03-09** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2017-03-09** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2017-03-15** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 104-004-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2017-03-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Litesa E. Wallace
- **2017-03-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sonya M. Harper
- **2017-03-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Juliana Stratton
- **2017-03-16** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2017-03-16** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 28, 2017 `reading-1`
- **2017-04-03** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2017-04-04** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2017-04-04** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-25** Assigned to Commerce and Economic Development `referral-committee`
- **2017-05-04** Do Pass Commerce and Economic Development; 007-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2017-05-04** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 5, 2017
- **2017-05-12** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2017-05-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 15, 2017
- **2017-05-26** Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As May 31, 2017 `reading-3`
- **2017-05-29** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Donne E. Trotter
- **2017-05-29** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2017-05-29** Third Reading - Passed; 051-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2017-05-29** Passed Both Houses
- **2017-06-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2017-08-25** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2017-08-25** Effective Date January 1, 2018
- **2017-08-25** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0347 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/576b8e54-ae0a-401d-bbc6-0708d82c45e5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).