Illinois · House Bill 4279 · 104th General Assembly

PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING ACT

HB 4279 Sponsored by Rita Mayfield In committee

  1. Introduced Jan 5, 2026
  2. In committee Jan 14, 2026
  3. Passed the House Next
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification…

Read the full title (200 words)

Creates the Passenger Rail Planning Act. Sets forth intercity passenger rail routes serving or originating in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to incorporate the aspirational frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan. Authorizes the Department to nominate corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program and enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements for each identified interstate corridor to provide for shared data, joint investment prioritization, and aligned performance measures and planning schedules. Requires the Department to include a recurring section titled Progress Toward High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail within each update to the Illinois State Rail Plan and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Requires each Metropolitan Planning Organization in the State to: (1) recognize the target intercity and long-distance passenger rail frequencies; (2) identify relevant rail corridors within or adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Organization planning area; and (3) include a narrative discussion of how regional transportation investments can support achievement of those frequency targets. Requires the Department and each Metropolitan Planning Organization to consider progress toward the target passenger rail frequencies when developing project prioritization criteria for multimodal investments. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Every action

34 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

Show the 26 earlier steps
  1. HouseFiled with the Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
  2. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner
  3. HouseFirst Reading
  4. CommitteeReferred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  5. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin
  6. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. La Shawn K. Ford
  7. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason
  8. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi
  9. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar
  10. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
  11. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah
  12. CommitteeAssigned to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges · House Trans: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
  13. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet
  14. HouseHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
  15. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  16. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias
  17. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford
  18. HouseHouse Committee Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
  19. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  20. HouseAdded Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado
  21. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Ann M. Williams
  22. HouseHouse Committee Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Rita Mayfield
  23. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  24. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges · House Trans: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
  25. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges · House Trans: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
  26. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges · House Trans: Regulation, Roads & Bridges
  1. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain
  2. CommitteeRule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  3. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  4. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  5. CommitteeHouse Committee Amendment No. 3 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  6. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid
  7. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Lilian Jiménez
  8. HouseAdded Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 17 cosponsors: 16 Democrats, 1 Republican.

All 17 cosponsors

From Illinois's official records (www.ilga.gov), checked Nov 13, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.