RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY-EMERGENCIES

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3985

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 SB3985

Home

Legislation

Full Text

SB3985 - 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

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3985

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Jason Plummer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
20 ILCS 3305/7

from Ch. 127, par. 1057

Creates the Protecting Religious Assembly in States of Emergency Act
that may be referred to as the PRAISE Act. Provides that a place of worship
is exempted from any order, rule, regulation, ordinance, resolution, or
other directive issued by the State government or a unit of local
government under an emergency or health or safety determination,
declaration, or proclamation that requires closure or limitation of any
business or other facility otherwise open to public use or patronage.
Requires the provisions to be construed to give religious organizations
and the organizations' places of worship the same degree of freedom to meet
as is given to the most favored entity or set of entities. Allows a civil
action by a person or religious organization that has been burdened or
impaired by a violation of the Act to seek the following relief: injunctive
orders, compensatory damages, nominal damages, a finding of a violation,
and, when malice or recklessness is demonstrated, punitive damages. Limits
the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency Act to make a conforming change.
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b

A BILL FOR

SB3985
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

AN ACT concerning government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 1.
Short title.
This Act may be cited as the
5
Protecting Religious Assembly in States of Emergency Act and
6
may be referred to as the PRAISE Act.

7

Section 5.
Definition.
As used in this Act, "place of
8
worship" means a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other
9
building, structure, or place used primarily for religious
10
worship and includes the grounds of the building, structure,
11
or place.

12

Section 10.
Protection for places of worship.
A place of
13
worship is exempted from any order, rule, regulation,
14
ordinance, resolution, or other directive issued by the State
15
government or a unit of local government under an emergency or
16
health or safety determination, declaration, or proclamation
17
that requires closure or limitation of any business or other
18
facility otherwise open to public use or patronage. This
19
Section shall be construed to give to religious organizations
20
and the organizations' places of worship the same degree of
21
freedom to meet as is given to the most favored entity or set
22
of entities.

SB3985
- 2 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

Section 15.
Enforcement.
A person or religious
2
organization burdened or impaired by a violation of Section 10
3
may bring a civil action for relief against the burden or
4
impairment in a circuit court. A court may provide the
5
following noninclusive relief: injunctive orders, compensatory
6
damages, nominal damages, a finding of a violation, and, when
7
malice or recklessness is demonstrated, punitive damages.

8

Section 20.
Home rule.
A home rule unit may not regulate
9
places of worship in a manner inconsistent with this Act. This
10
Act is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of
11
Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent
12
exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised
13
by the State.

14

Section 100.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act
15
is amended by changing Section 7 as follows:

16

(20 ILCS 3305/7)

(from Ch. 127, par. 1057)
17

Sec. 7.
Emergency Powers of the Governor.
In the event of a
18
disaster, as defined in Section 4, the Governor may, by
19
proclamation declare that a disaster exists. Upon such
20
proclamation, the Governor shall have and may exercise for a
21
period not to exceed 30 days the following emergency powers;
22
provided, however, that the lapse of the emergency powers

SB3985
- 3 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1
shall not, as regards any act or acts occurring or committed
2
within the 30-day period, deprive any person, firm,
3
corporation, political subdivision, or body politic of any
4
right or rights to compensation or reimbursement which he,
5
she, it, or they may have under the provisions of this Act:
6

(1) To suspend the provisions of any regulatory
7

statute prescribing procedures for conduct of State
8

business, or the orders, rules and regulations of any
9

State agency, if strict compliance with the provisions of
10

any statute, order, rule, or regulation would in any way
11

prevent, hinder or delay necessary action, including
12

emergency purchases, by the Illinois Emergency Management
13

Agency, in coping with the disaster.
14

(2) To utilize all available resources of the State
15

government as reasonably necessary to cope with the
16

disaster and of each political subdivision of the State.
17

(3) To transfer the direction, personnel or functions
18

of State departments and agencies or units thereof for the
19

purpose of performing or facilitating disaster response
20

and recovery programs.
21

(4) On behalf of this State to take possession of, and
22

to acquire full title or a lesser specified interest in,
23

any personal property as may be necessary to accomplish
24

the objectives set forth in Section 2 of this Act,
25

including: airplanes, automobiles, trucks, trailers,
26

buses, and other vehicles; coal, oils, gasoline, and other

SB3985
- 4 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

fuels and means of propulsion; explosives, materials,
2

equipment, and supplies; animals and livestock; feed and
3

seed; food and provisions for humans and animals; clothing
4

and bedding; and medicines and medical and surgical
5

supplies; and to take possession of and for a limited
6

period occupy and use any real estate necessary to
7

accomplish those objectives; but only upon the undertaking
8

by the State to pay just compensation therefor as in this
9

Act provided, and then only under the following
10

provisions:
11

a. The Governor, or the person or persons as the
12

Governor may authorize so to do, may forthwith take
13

possession of property for and on behalf of the State;
14

provided, however, that the Governor or persons shall
15

simultaneously with the taking, deliver to the owner
16

or his or her agent, if the identity of the owner or
17

agency is known or readily ascertainable, a signed
18

statement in writing, that shall include the name and
19

address of the owner, the date and place of the taking,
20

description of the property sufficient to identify it,
21

a statement of interest in the property that is being
22

so taken, and, if possible, a statement in writing,
23

signed by the owner, setting forth the sum that he or
24

she is willing to accept as just compensation for the
25

property or use. Whether or not the owner or agent is
26

known or readily ascertainable, a true copy of the

SB3985
- 5 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

statement shall promptly be filed by the Governor or
2

the person with the Director, who shall keep the
3

docket of the statements. In cases where the sum that
4

the owner is willing to accept as just compensation is
5

less than $1,000, copies of the statements shall also
6

be filed by the Director with, and shall be passed upon
7

by an Emergency Management Claims Commission,
8

consisting of 3 disinterested citizens who shall be
9

appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and
10

consent of the Senate, within 20 days after the
11

Governor's declaration of a disaster, and if the sum
12

fixed by them as just compensation be less than $1,000
13

and is accepted in writing by the owner, then the State
14

Treasurer out of funds appropriated for these
15

purposes, shall, upon certification thereof by the
16

Emergency Management Claims Commission, cause the sum
17

so certified forthwith to be paid to the owner. The
18

Emergency Management Claims Commission is hereby given
19

the power to issue appropriate subpoenas and to
20

administer oaths to witnesses and shall keep
21

appropriate minutes and other records of its actions
22

upon and the disposition made of all claims.
23

b. When the compensation to be paid for the taking
24

or use of property or interest therein is not or cannot
25

be determined and paid under item a of this paragraph
26

(4), a petition in the name of The People of the State

SB3985
- 6 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

of Illinois shall be promptly filed by the Director,
2

which filing may be enforced by mandamus, in the
3

circuit court of the county where the property or any
4

part thereof was located when initially taken or used
5

under the provisions of this Act praying that the
6

amount of compensation to be paid to the person or
7

persons interested therein be fixed and determined.
8

The petition shall include a description of the
9

property that has been taken, shall state the physical
10

condition of the property when taken, shall name as
11

defendants all interested parties, shall set forth the
12

sum of money estimated to be just compensation for the
13

property or interest therein taken or used, and shall
14

be signed by the Director. The litigation shall be
15

handled by the Attorney General for and on behalf of
16

the State.
17

c. Just compensation for the taking or use of
18

property or interest therein shall be promptly
19

ascertained in proceedings and established by judgment
20

against the State, that shall include, as part of the
21

just compensation so awarded, interest at the rate of
22

6% per annum on the fair market value of the property
23

or interest therein from the date of the taking or use
24

to the date of the judgment; and the court may order
25

the payment of delinquent taxes and special
26

assessments out of the amount so awarded as just

SB3985
- 7 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

compensation and may make any other orders with
2

respect to encumbrances, rents, insurance, and other
3

charges, if any, as shall be just and equitable.
4

(5) When required by the exigencies of the disaster,
5

to sell, lend, rent, give, or distribute all or any part of
6

property so or otherwise acquired to the inhabitants of
7

this State, or to political subdivisions of this State,
8

or, under the interstate mutual aid agreements or compacts
9

as are entered into under the provisions of subparagraph
10

(5) of paragraph (c) of Section 6 to other states, and to
11

account for and transmit to the State Treasurer all funds,
12

if any, received therefor.
13

(6) To recommend the evacuation of all or part of the
14

population from any stricken or threatened area within the
15

State if the Governor deems this action necessary.
16

(7) To prescribe routes, modes of transportation, and
17

destinations in connection with evacuation.
18

(8) To control ingress and egress to and from a
19

disaster area, the movement of persons within the area,
20

and the occupancy of premises therein.
21

(9) To suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or
22

transportation of alcoholic beverages, firearms,
23

explosives, and combustibles.
24

(10) To make provision for the availability and use of
25

temporary emergency housing.
26

(11) A proclamation of a disaster shall activate the

SB3985
- 8 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1

State Emergency Operations Plan, and political subdivision
2

emergency operations plans applicable to the political
3

subdivision or area in question and be authority for the
4

deployment and use of any forces that the plan or plans
5

apply and for use or distribution of any supplies,
6

equipment, and materials and facilities assembled,
7

stockpiled or arranged to be made available under this Act
8

or any other provision of law relating to disasters.
9

(12) Control, restrict, and regulate by rationing,
10

freezing, use of quotas, prohibitions on shipments, price
11

fixing, allocation or other means, the use, sale or
12

distribution of food, feed, fuel, clothing and other
13

commodities, materials, goods, or services; and perform
14

and exercise any other functions, powers, and duties as
15

may be necessary to promote and secure the safety and
16

protection of the civilian population.
17

(13) During the continuance of any disaster the
18

Governor is commander-in-chief of the organized and
19

unorganized militia and of all other forces available for
20

emergency duty. To the greatest extent practicable, the
21

Governor shall delegate or assign authority to the
22

Director to manage, coordinate, and direct all resources
23

by orders issued at the time of the disaster.
24

(14) Prohibit increases in the prices of goods and
25

services during a disaster.
26

Nothing in this Act allows the Governor or any other

SB3985
- 9 -
LRB104 19928 JRC 33378 b
1
governmental official to proclaim, declare, or otherwise issue
2
any order that violates the Protecting Religious Assembly in
3
States of Emergency Act.

4
(Source: P.A. 102-485, eff. 8-20-21.)

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