Navigating ILGA.gov
The good news is that the General Assembly provides a treasure trove of information on our website. The less good news is that it can be challenging to find the information you’re looking for. So I wanted to offer a quick tutorial on how to search for a piece of legislation, find out what it says and where it stands in the legislative process.
On the homepage, there are two boxes that can help you track down a bill. Let’s say you want to know more about HB42, my bill authorizing costs paid by residents outside of library jurisdiction to be paid quarterly or biannually, instead of annually. If you already know the bill number, type it into the box labeled “Search by Number.” That will take you directly to the Bill Status page, where you will see the bill’s sponsors and a synopsis of what the bill will do. You also can click through to see the full text, any amendments, the names of witnesses who testified for and against the bill, and the ultimate votes in both the House and Senate.
If you don’t know the bill number, don’t worry. You can use the “Search by Keyword” box and plug in important words that were likely included in the bill. Or if you know it’s a bill that I sponsored, you can click on “House” (in the blue line up at the top), click on my name, and then click on “Bills.”
If you’re interested, there’s lots more information on the site, including live feeds of committee hearings and legislative sessions and employment opportunities. If you have trouble finding something on the ILGA website, you can always call my office. We’re happy to walk you through it and help you find the information you need.