HB4255
View on ILGACRIM CD-TRAVELING ANIMAL ACTS
What this bill does
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that the statute prohibiting elephants from performing in traveling animal acts applies to "covered animals" rather than just elephants. Defines "covered animal" as any of the following animals, and hybrids of those animals: (1) elephantidae; (2) felidae, but excluding a domestic cat; (3) non-human primate; or (4) ursidae. Provides that the provisions of the amendatory Act are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other laws protecting animal welfare. Provides that the provisions may not be construed to limit any State law or rules protecting the welfare of animals or to prevent a unit of local government from adopting and enforcing its own animal welfare ordinances and regulations. Contains a severability provision. Effective July 1, 2026.
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Current stage: In Committee · Last action 256 days ago · STAGNANT
How does a bill become law in Illinois?
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Introduction of Bill
A member of the Senate or the House introduces a bill, which is assigned a unique identifying number (e.g., "H.B. ___" for House bills and "S.B. ___" for Senate bills). If not enacted, it must be reintroduced in the next General Assembly with a new number.
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Committee Work — Hearings
The bill goes to the appropriate committee, which holds hearings to gather expert opinions and determine the need for the legislation.
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Committee Work — Markup, Amendments, Report
The committee may make amendments to the bill. If approved, a committee report endorsing the bill is issued.
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Floor Debate
The bill is debated and can be further amended. The debate transcripts are accessible online for public viewing.
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Passage and Consideration in Second Chamber
If the bill passes in the first chamber, it moves to the second chamber for a similar review process. If both chambers approve, it goes to the governor.
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Gubernatorial Action
The governor can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action (resulting in an automatic law after 60 days). The type of veto can be total or amendatory. Once signed, the bill becomes a Public Act and is assigned a Public Act number.
Sponsor Context
Bills sponsored by Kelly M. Cassidy advance 0% more often than the chamber average.
Campaign finance
This is SBE campaign receipts to the people on this bill, not Moneyball and not earmarked to the bill.
Money is campaign receipts to matched candidate committees, not earmarked to this bill. Window 2025-01-01 – 2026-09-13.
Sponsor and voter funding
| Member | Role | Receipts | Total received | Top donors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly M. Cassidy | Chief sponsor | 272 | $183,769.33 | Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC ($14,500.00); Illinois PAC for Education (IPACE) ($10,000.00); SEIU HealthCare IL IN PAC ($9,000.00) |
| Diane Blair-Sherlock | Sponsor | 40 | $52,438.02 | Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC ($6,500.00); I.P.A.C.E. ($5,000.00); international union of elevator constructors local 2 pol. comm ($5,000.00) |
| Michelle Mussman | Sponsor | 34 | $44,011.88 | IPACE ($7,500.00); Chicago Land Joint Labor Management PAC ($6,500.00); Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service ($4,711.88) |
| Joyce Mason | Sponsor | 90 | $97,369.38 | IPACE ($16,950.00); Abbvie PAC ($8,000.00); Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC ($6,500.00) |
| Kimberly Du Buclet | Sponsor | 0 | $0.00 | — |
| Margaret Croke | Sponsor | 821 | $2,491,864.69 | Michael Sacks ($307,300.00); Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee ($145,600.00); LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC ($140,600.00) |
| Dagmara Avelar | Sponsor | 151 | $186,808.21 | Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC ($10,500.00); LIUNA CHICAGO LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL ($10,000.00); Save Our Local Businesses IL PAC ($10,000.00) |
Overlapping donors
Donors who gave to more than one sponsor or voter on this bill. Still not earmarked to the bill.
| Donor | Members | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke | $152,100.00 |
| Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC | Kelly M. Cassidy, Joyce Mason, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar, Diane Blair-Sherlock | $106,500.00 |
| IPACE | Michelle Mussman, Joyce Mason | $24,450.00 |
| Realtor Political Action Committee | Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $23,500.00 |
| Committee to Elect Jay Hoffman | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke | $14,171.62 |
| Illinois Trial Lawyers Association PAC | Kelly M. Cassidy, Joyce Mason, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $11,000.00 |
| Community Banc PAC | Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $11,000.00 |
| Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service | Michelle Mussman, Joyce Mason | $10,423.76 |
| Sports Betting Alliance | Joyce Mason, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $10,000.00 |
| Teamsters Volunteers in Politics | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke | $9,500.00 |
| Accel Entertainment Gaming LLC | Michelle Mussman, Joyce Mason, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $8,000.00 |
| SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC | Joyce Mason, Dagmara Avelar | $7,750.00 |
| Machinist's Non-Partisan Political League | Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $7,000.00 |
| Comcast Financial Agency Corporation | Kelly M. Cassidy, Dagmara Avelar | $6,000.00 |
| Illinois State Medical Society PAC | Kelly M. Cassidy, Dagmara Avelar | $5,500.00 |
| Democrats for the Illinois House | Joyce Mason, Diane Blair-Sherlock | $5,070.68 |
| Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE | Kelly M. Cassidy, Joyce Mason, Diane Blair-Sherlock | $4,500.00 |
| Local 444 IPAL Fund | Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $4,500.00 |
| Illinois CPA's for Political Action | Michelle Mussman, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $4,100.00 |
| Illinois Restaurateur's PAC | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke | $4,000.00 |
| Wine and Spirits Distributors of Illinois PAC | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke | $4,000.00 |
| BNSF Railway Company | Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $4,000.00 |
| Cozen O'Connor | Kelly M. Cassidy, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar | $3,500.00 |
| PhRMA | Joyce Mason, Dagmara Avelar, Diane Blair-Sherlock | $3,500.00 |
| Drexwood Partners, LLC | Joyce Mason, Margaret Croke | $3,500.00 |
Top donors across these members
| Donor | Occupation | Employer | Receipts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Sacks | Executive | GCM Grosvenor | 4 | $307,300.00 |
| Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee | — | — | 7 | $152,100.00 |
| LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC | — | — | 3 | $140,600.00 |
| Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC | — | — | 20 | $106,500.00 |
| Illinois Pipe Trades PAC | — | — | 2 | $72,800.00 |
| JB for Governor | — | — | 1 | $72,800.00 |
| Jewish Caucus PAC | — | — | 1 | $72,800.00 |
| Carpentry Advancement Fund | — | — | 4 | $58,500.00 |
| Health Care Council of Illinois PAC | — | — | 3 | $50,000.00 |
| Margaret Croke for State Central Comm | — | — | 2 | $50,000.00 |
| Margaret Noble Croke | State Representative | State of Illinois | 1 | $40,000.00 |
| Illinois Bankers' PAC | — | — | 4 | $37,500.00 |
| Engineers Political Education Committee Separate Education Fund | — | — | 1 | $35,000.00 |
| Custom Global Logistics | — | — | 3 | $29,600.00 |
| Donald R Wilson, Jr | CEO | DRW | 3 | $27,300.00 |
| Downstate Illinois Laborer's District Council PAC Fund | — | — | 1 | $25,000.00 |
| IPACE | — | — | 6 | $24,450.00 |
| Realtor Political Action Committee | — | — | 7 | $23,500.00 |
| Friends for Eva Dina Delgado | — | — | 17 | $23,480.00 |
| Associated Beer Distributors of IL PAC | — | — | 5 | $20,449.36 |
| North Central IL Laborers Council PAC | — | — | 1 | $20,000.00 |
| CDN Logistics | — | — | 2 | $17,100.00 |
| Ironworkers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity PAC | — | — | 2 | $16,000.00 |
| Allwyn North America Inc | — | — | 3 | $15,975.41 |
| Drew Beres | Founding Partner | Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres | 2 | $14,600.00 |
Hearings
This bill has not been scheduled for a committee hearing.
Action History
9 actions recorded. Last action: 2026-01-27 — Added Co-SponsorRep. Dagmara Avelar. Each action's meaning and outcome signal are classified automatically.
All actions (table)
| Date | Chamber | Action | Category | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-19 | House | Filed with the Clerk byRep. Kelly M. Cassidy House Rule 6(b) | Introduction & Filing | — |
| 2026-01-14 | House | First Reading Senate Rule 5-1(d)/5-2; House Rule 37(d)/38 | Introduction & Filing | — |
| 2026-01-14 | House | Referred toRules Committee Senate Rule 3-8(a); House Rule 18(a) | Committee Assignment | — |
| 2026-01-16 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Diane Blair-Sherlock Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |
| 2026-01-16 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Michelle Mussman Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |
| 2026-01-16 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Joyce Mason Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |
| 2026-01-16 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Kimberly Du Buclet Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Margaret Croke Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Added Co-SponsorRep. Dagmara Avelar Senate Rule 5-1(a); House Rule 37(a) | Co-Sponsorship | Mild + |