# Illinois HB4420: COLLEGE PRESS ACT-PUBLIC MEDIA Illinois HB4420, COLLEGE PRESS ACT-PUBLIC MEDIA, is a 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-06-26 (Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0488); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4420-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Illinois HB4420 - State: Illinois - Session: 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: COLLEGE PRESS ACT-PUBLIC MEDIA - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-06-26, Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0488 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 10 - Subjects: higher education, assignments, executive - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (134 yes, 59 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary Amends the College Campus Press Act. Defines "public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning". Provides that all public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the employees producing the media at the institution of higher learning. Provides that public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is not subject to prior review by public officials of the State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Allows an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning to commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of the Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that expression made by an employee or agent of an entity creating or distributing public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is neither expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Provides that a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made in public media produced at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Makes other changes. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More speech protection for campus media: benefit, low. Student-produced campus media and qualifying public media are public forums for expression by the people who produce them. Public officials at state-sponsored colleges cannot review this media before release. Contributors’ speech does not count as the college’s policy or speech. Students, advisers,… - Limits lawsuits over campus media: cost, low. State-sponsored colleges are protected from lawsuits arising from expression actually made in campus media or qualifying public media produced there. This protection does not apply when the college itself is the speaker. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: David Koehler (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Emanuel "Chris" Welch (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Gregg Johnson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jehan Gordon-Booth (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Karina Villa (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Katie Stuart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mary Edly-Allen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael W. Halpin (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Sharon Chung (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Steve Stadelman (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-05-20 | Senate | Third Reading - Passed; | pass | 39 | 19 | | | 2026-05-06 | Senate | Do Pass Executive; | pass | 9 | 4 | | | 2026-04-16 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed | pass | 75 | 36 | | | 2026-03-19 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Higher Education Committee; | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (33) - 2026-06-26: Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0488 (House) - 2026-06-26: Effective Date January 1, 2027 (House) - 2026-06-26: Governor Approved (House) - 2026-06-18: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-06-01: Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman (Senate) - 2026-05-31: Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen (Senate) - 2026-05-31: Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael W. Halpin (Senate) - 2026-05-20: Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa (Senate) - 2026-05-20: Passed Both Houses (House) - 2026-05-20: Third Reading - Passed; 039-019-000 (Senate) - 2026-05-14: Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 18, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-14: Second Reading (Senate) - 2026-05-06: Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-06: Do Pass Executive; 009-004-000 (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Assigned to Executive (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2026-04-21: First Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. David Koehler (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Arrive in Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 075-036-000 (House) - 2026-04-08: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart (House) - 2026-04-08: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Gregg Johnson (House) - 2026-04-08: Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (House) - 2026-04-07: Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2026-04-07: Second Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2026-04-07: Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (House) - 2026-03-20: Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate (House) - 2026-03-19: Do Pass / Short Debate Higher Education Committee; 011-000-000 (House) - 2026-03-12: Assigned to Higher Education Committee (House) - 2026-01-14: Referred to Rules Committee (House) - 2026-01-14: First Reading (House) - 2026-01-14: Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sharon Chung (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420enr.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420.pdf) ## Related bills - HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS (passed house) - SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS (passed senate) - HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY (in committee) - HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT (in committee) - SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL (passed senate) - SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420enr.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB4420.pdf) ## Related - [HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB5198-2025-2026) - [SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB1937-2025-2026) - [HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2563-2025-2026) - [HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4701-2025-2026) - [SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3008-2025-2026) - [SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3484-2025-2026) - [Illinois bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois/bills) - [Illinois state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4420-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).