Springfield, IL – Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) called for more transparency on Illinois state spending on non-citizen programs in response to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s testimony before the United States Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on sanctuary policies.
“For years, the Pritzker Administration has refused to answer Illinois Senate Republicans’ basic questions about the billions of taxpayer dollars he’s spending on non-citizen welfare programs, including free health care, housing, and cash assistance,” Curran said.
“I strongly encourage my legislative colleagues to join me in demanding accountability by supporting our Noncitizen Population Spending Transparency Act to require the Pritzker Administration to finally provide an honest reporting of the real price Illinois taxpayers are paying for his Administration’s non-citizen initiatives.”
Senate Bill 1699 requires the Illinois Department of Human Services to work with relevant State agencies, to prepare an annual report to the General Assembly identifying all state spending on services and resources for non-citizens. It would also be made available to the public on the Department’s website.
The report would include details of services and resources provided by various state entities, including but not limited to: the State Board of Education, Department of Human Services, Department of Public Health, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, Department of Central Management Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
The report is required to include the following information concerning expenditures:
- Total amount spent on noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations in the previous fiscal year.
- Specific appropriations authorizing the spending.
- Any transfers among line-item appropriations associated with noncitizen and asylum-seeking populations.
- Total number of families or individuals impacted by each service or resource.
- Funding sources of the service or resource.
- Contracts awarded to organizations providing services or resources in various categories such as emergency shelter, food, health screenings, legal services, job readiness support, enrollment in public schools, long-term housing, mental health assessments, and other related spending.
Finally, to provide an additional layer of transparency to Illinois taxpayers, the Noncitizen Population Spending Transparency Act requires the Governor to include a detailed accounting of all proposed spending on non-citizen populations in future state budgets.
Leader Curran first introduced the legislation as Senate Bill 3170 in 2024. It is yet to receive a hearing.
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