COMMEMORATES-AMERICA 250

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0849

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of HR0849

Home

Legislation

Full Text

HR0849 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

HR0849
LRB104 21561 LAW 36972 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, This year, July 4, 2026, marks the 250th
3
anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,
4
a foundational document that boldly proclaimed to the world
5
the "self-evident" truths that all people are created equal
6
and endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the
7
pursuit of happiness; and

8

WHEREAS, At the time of the nation's founding, these
9
revolutionary ideals were far from reality for the vast
10
majority of people living on this continent, as the benefits
11
of liberty were restricted by race, gender, class, and creed,
12
and the institution of chattel slavery stood in direct
13
contradiction to the spirit of the Declaration of
14
Independence; and

15

WHEREAS, The American constitutional system has been
16
repeatedly challenged by internal strife, systemic inequality,
17
and the failure to live up to its own creed, yet it has proven
18
resilient through the tireless efforts of grassroots social
19
movements that have dared to hold the nation accountable to
20
its founding promises; and

21

WHEREAS, The United States of America, though an imperfect
22
model, represents a global spirit of progress, demonstrating

HR0849
- 2 -
LRB104 21561 LAW 36972 r
1
to the world that a diverse people can engage in the difficult,
2
ongoing work of self-governance and the pursuit of a more
3
equitable society for all of humanity; and

4

WHEREAS, Indigenous and Native Americans have persisted in
5
the face of displacement and erasure, asserting their
6
sovereignty and reminding the nation of its obligations to
7
justice, land stewardship, and the preservation of diverse
8
cultures that predated the republic; and

9

WHEREAS, The abolitionist movement, led by figures such as
10
Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman and joined by Illinois'
11
own "Great Emancipator" Abraham Lincoln, courageously fought
12
to dismantle the scourge of slavery, asserting that the values
13
of the Declaration of Independence could never be realized in
14
a house divided; and

15

WHEREAS, African Americans, through centuries of struggle
16
from Reconstruction to the modern Civil Rights Movement, have
17
acted as the conscience of the nation, demanding that the
18
protections of the United States Constitution be applied
19
equally to all, and, in doing so, have strengthened the
20
democracy for every citizen; and

21

WHEREAS, Voting rights advocates have marched, organized,
22
and suffered to ensure that the "consent of the governed" is

HR0849
- 3 -
LRB104 21561 LAW 36972 r
1
not a hollow phrase but a lived reality, resulting in the
2
expansion of the franchise through the 15th, 19th, and 26th
3
Amendments and the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965; and

4

WHEREAS, Generations of women, from the suffragists at
5
Seneca Falls to the leaders of the modern feminist movement,
6
have challenged the patriarchal structures of the founding era
7
to secure legal equality, bodily autonomy, and a seat at every
8
table of power; and

9

WHEREAS, The United States has long served as a beacon of
10
hope and a welcoming nation for millions of immigrants seeking
11
a better life, whose courage to leave their homelands and
12
contribute to our shared prosperity has fundamentally shaped
13
the American character and reinforced our commitment to the
14
values of the Declaration of Independence; and

15

WHEREAS, Latinos in America have enriched our national
16
fabric through their labor, culture, and advocacy for labor
17
rights and immigration reform, embodying the immigrant spirit
18
that is central to the American story; and

19

WHEREAS, Asian Americans have overcome a history of
20
exclusion and internment to contribute profoundly to the
21
nation's economic and cultural prosperity, while continually
22
advocating for a more inclusive definition of what it means to

HR0849
- 4 -
LRB104 21561 LAW 36972 r
1
be American; and

2

WHEREAS, LGBTQ people in America have led a modern
3
revolution for dignity and equality, from the streets of
4
Stonewall to the halls of the Supreme Court, proving that the
5
pursuit of happiness includes the right to live and love
6
authentically; and

7

WHEREAS, Americans with disabilities, both visible and
8
invisible, have relentlessly advocated for the recognition of
9
their inherent dignity and right to full participation in
10
society, leading to transformative shifts in accessibility,
11
education, and employment, most notably through the passage of
12
the Americans with Disabilities Act, and reminding the nation
13
that the pursuit of happiness must be accessible to every
14
individual, regardless of physical or cognitive ability; and

15

WHEREAS, This semiquincentennial serves not only as a
16
celebration of the past but as a rededication to the ongoing
17
work of "forming a more perfect Union", acknowledging that our
18
progress has been won through struggle and that our future
19
depends on our shared commitment to expanding the circle of
20
opportunity and justice; therefore, be it

21

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
22
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

HR0849
- 5 -
LRB104 21561 LAW 36972 r
1
we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of
2
America and the Declaration of Independence; and be it further

3

RESOLVED, That we honor the countless activists and
4
everyday citizens who have pushed this nation closer to its
5
ideals; and be it further

6

RESOLVED, That we express our commitment to a future that
7
reflects the full diversity and promise of the American
8
people; and be it further

9

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10
delivered to the Illinois America 250 Commission and the U.S.
11
Semiquincentennial Commission.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn