republic-os/legislation/us/states/il/101st/hb-2154.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "PUB AID-JOB SEARCH EXEMPTION"
description: "Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, for recipients of public aid who are required to comply with the terms of a service plan developed by the Department of Children and Family Services, participation in substance abuse treatment, drug testing, parenting classes, anger management, domestic violence counseling, evaluations, or any other activities specified in the service plan shall count as an approvable job search activity under TANF employment, education, and training programs; the SNAP Employment and Training Program; and any job search, training, and work programs authorized under Article IX of the Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to apply for any federal waivers or approvals necessary to implement the job search exemption."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "101st"
identifier: "HB 2154"
citation: "Illinois HB 2154 (101st)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 70
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2019-02-06"
last_action: "2019-08-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e562dbee-5353-4754-953a-d3e14ec45819"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2154&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=117839&SessionID=108&GA=101"
source_hash: "6cdc7cbbdfa3949cfb5574d3b2f0e913939248822d9828ba238db49d4d370ebe"
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 2154 (101st) — PUB AID-JOB SEARCH EXEMPTION

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, for recipients of public aid who are required to comply with the terms of a service plan developed by the Department of Children and Family Services, participation in substance abuse treatment, drug testing, parenting classes, anger management, domestic violence counseling, evaluations, or any other activities specified in the service plan shall count as an approvable job search activity under TANF employment, education, and training programs; the SNAP Employment and Training Program; and any job search, training, and work programs authorized under Article IX of the Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to apply for any federal waivers or approvals necessary to implement the job search exemption.

## 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=10100HB2154&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=117839&DocNum=2154&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10100HB2154eng&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=117839&DocNum=2154&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10100HB2154enr&GA=101&SessionId=108&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=117839&DocNum=2154&GAID=15&SpecSess=&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **44–11** (pass) · upper
- Concurrence, Amendment 2 — **97–16** (pass) · lower
- Concurrence — **97–16** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **100–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Christopher Belt — cosponsor (person)
- Cristina Castro — cosponsor (person)
- Deb Conroy — cosponsor (person)
- Heather A. Steans — primary (person)
- Jacqueline Y. Collins — cosponsor (person)
- Joyce Mason — cosponsor (person)
- Julie A. Morrison — cosponsor (person)
- Kathleen Willis — cosponsor (person)
- Laura Fine — cosponsor (person)
- Linda Holmes — cosponsor (person)
- Mary Edly-Allen — cosponsor (person)
- Mattie Hunter — cosponsor (person)
- Melinda Bush — cosponsor (person)
- Michelle Mussman — cosponsor (person)
- Monica Bristow — cosponsor (person)
- Natalie A. Manley — cosponsor (person)
- Ram Villivalam — cosponsor (person)
- Robert Peters — cosponsor (person)
- Robyn Gabel — cosponsor (person)
- Ryan Spain — cosponsor (person)
- Sara Feigenholtz — primary (person)
- Tom Demmer — cosponsor (person)
- Yehiel M. Kalish — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-02-06** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz `filing`
- **2019-02-06** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-02-06** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-19** Assigned to Human Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-06** Do Pass / Short Debate Human Services Committee; 014-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-07** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2019-03-21** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2019-03-21** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2019-03-29** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 100-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2019-04-03** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2019-04-03** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-04-03** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Heather A. Steans
- **2019-04-03** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2019-04-03** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-24** Assigned to Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-30** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Heather A. Steans `amendment-introduction`
- **2019-04-30** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-01** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Linda Holmes
- **2019-05-01** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Human Services
- **2019-05-01** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison
- **2019-05-01** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura Fine
- **2019-05-01** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
- **2019-05-02** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Human Services
- **2019-05-02** Postponed - Human Services
- **2019-05-02** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam
- **2019-05-02** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Cristina Castro
- **2019-05-02** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2019-05-03** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Robert Peters
- **2019-05-06** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Melinda Bush
- **2019-05-07** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-08** Do Pass as Amended Human Services; 008-002-000 `committee-passage`
- **2019-05-08** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 9, 2019
- **2019-05-10** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Heather A. Steans `amendment-introduction`
- **2019-05-10** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-14** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt
- **2019-05-14** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Assignments Refers to Human Services
- **2019-05-15** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommend Do Adopt Human Services; 007-003-000
- **2019-05-17** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2019-05-17** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Steans `amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-17** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 20, 2019
- **2019-05-21** Third Reading - Passed; 044-011-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2019-05-21** Arrived in House `introduction`
- **2019-05-21** Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 1, 2
- **2019-05-21** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
- **2019-05-21** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
- **2019-05-21** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-21** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-23** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Tom Demmer
- **2019-05-23** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Kathleen Willis
- **2019-05-23** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain
- **2019-05-23** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Deb Conroy
- **2019-05-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Edly-Allen
- **2019-05-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman
- **2019-05-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robyn Gabel
- **2019-05-24** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Human Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-24** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Human Services Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-27** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Human Services Committee; 011-000-000
- **2019-05-27** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Human Services Committee; 011-000-000
- **2019-05-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Natalie A. Manley
- **2019-05-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Yehiel M. Kalish
- **2019-05-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason
- **2019-05-27** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Monica Bristow
- **2019-05-29** Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 House Concurs 097-016-000
- **2019-05-29** Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs 097-016-000
- **2019-05-29** House Concurs
- **2019-05-29** Passed Both Houses
- **2019-06-27** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2019-08-26** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2019-08-26** Effective Date January 1, 2020
- **2019-08-26** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0461 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e562dbee-5353-4754-953a-d3e14ec45819`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).