HB5782 amends the Compensation Review Act to bar members of the Illinois General Assembly from receiving automatic cost-of-living increases in compensation beginning in fiscal year 2027 and continuing in each fiscal year thereafter. The bill creates a new Section 6.7 in 25 ILCS 120, stating that legislators may not receive any pay increase that would otherwise apply through a COLA, even if another law, a Compensation Review Board report, or a General Assembly resolution would otherwise authorize it.
The measure is narrowly focused on legislative compensation and does not change the base salary structure directly; instead, it freezes future COLA-based increases for lawmakers. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law, but the prohibition itself is prospective, applying starting in fiscal year 2027.
If enacted, HB5782 would amend state law governing legislative pay by overriding any existing or future authority for automatic cost-of-living adjustments for General Assembly members. It would affect the Compensation Review Act and the statutory framework that currently allows legislative compensation to rise through COLA mechanisms, including those tied to Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly. The practical effect would be to prevent members of the General Assembly from receiving inflation-based salary increases beginning in fiscal year 2027.
Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears to reflect a generally restrictive or restraint-oriented approach to lawmaker compensation, with no recorded committee debate or vote history provided. The caption and language suggest a straightforward effort to block automatic pay increases for legislators, which is often framed as a public-accountability or fiscal-responsibility measure. Because no transcripts or votes are available, there is no documented support or opposition in the provided materials.
The main point of contention is likely whether legislators should continue to receive automatic COLA increases at all, especially when the bill expressly overrides other laws, board reports, and resolutions that might otherwise authorize them. Supporters would likely argue that freezing COLAs for lawmakers is appropriate during periods of budget pressure or public concern about government pay, while opponents could argue that compensation should keep pace with inflation or that the bill singles out legislators for special treatment. No specific individuals, committees, or recorded objections are included in the provided context.