SB2695 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 15337 WRO 28491 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2695

Introduced 10/14/2025, by Sen. Willie Preston

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 490/113 new
10 ILCS 5/1-6
30 ILCS 500/15-45
105 ILCS 5/24-2
205 ILCS 630/17	from Ch. 17, par. 2201

Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the tenth day of October of each year is designated as the Day of Healing and shall be observed throughout the State as a holiday for contemplation of and participation in activities that have a positive impact on the community. Amends the Election Code, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, and the Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act to include the Day of Healing as a holiday.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

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

Section 5. The State Commemorative Dates Act is amended by adding Section 113 as follows:

(5 ILCS 490/113 new)

Sec. 113. Day of Healing. The tenth day of October of each year is designated as the Day of Healing and shall be observed throughout the State as a holiday for contemplation of and participation in activities that have a positive impact on the community. Notwithstanding any provision of the law to the contrary when the tenth day of October falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, neither the proceeding Friday nor the following Monday shall be held or considered as a paid holiday.

Section 10. The Election Code is amended by changing Section 1-6 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/1-6)

Sec. 1-6. Computing dates of various acts; Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.

(a) If the first or last day fixed by law to do any act required or allowed by this Code falls on a State holiday or a Saturday or a Sunday, the period shall extend through the first business day next following the day otherwise fixed as the first or last day, irrespective of whether any election authority or local election official conducts business on the State holiday, Saturday, or Sunday.

(b) For the purposes of this Section, "State holiday" means New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Lincoln's Birthday, President's Day, Casimir Pulaski's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Freedom Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, the Day of Healing, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day from time to time declared by the President of the United States or the Governor of Illinois to be a day during which the agencies of the State of Illinois that are ordinarily open to do business with the public shall be closed for business.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, nominating papers, petitions of objection to nominating papers, certificates of withdrawal of candidacy, and reports of political committees actually received by election authorities and local election officials on a State holiday, a Saturday, or a Sunday shall not be deemed invalid or defective for that reason alone.

(Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-334, eff. 8-9-21.)

Section 15. The Illinois Procurement Code is amended by changing Section 15-45 as follows:

(30 ILCS 500/15-45)

Sec. 15-45. Computation of days. The time within which any act provided in this Code is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is Saturday or Sunday or is a holiday, and then it shall also be excluded. If the day succeeding a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday is also a holiday, a Saturday, or a Sunday, then that succeeding day shall also be excluded. For the purposes of this Code, "holiday" means: New Year's Day; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Lincoln's Birthday; President's Day; Memorial Day; Juneteenth National Freedom Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; the Day of Healing; Columbus Day; Veterans' Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day; and any other day from time to time declared by the President of the United States or the Governor of Illinois to be a day during which the agencies of the State of Illinois that are ordinarily open to do business with the public shall be closed for business.

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known as 2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the State pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 101-642, eff. 6-16-20; 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-334, eff. 8-9-21.)

Section 20. The School Code is amended by changing Section 24-2 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/24-2)

Sec. 24-2. Holidays.

(a) Teachers shall not be required to teach on Saturdays, nor, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, shall teachers, educational support personnel employees, or other school employees, other than noncertificated school employees whose presence is necessary because of an emergency or for the continued operation and maintenance of school facilities or property, be required to work on legal school holidays, which are January 1, New Year's Day; the third Monday in January, the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; February 12, the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln; the first Monday in March (to be known as Casimir Pulaski's birthday); Good Friday; the day designated as Memorial Day by federal law; June 19, Juneteenth National Freedom Day; July 4, Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; October 10, the Day of Healing; the second Monday in October, Columbus Day; November 11, Veterans' Day; the Thursday in November commonly called Thanksgiving Day; and December 25, Christmas Day. School boards may grant special holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. No deduction shall be made from the time or compensation of a school employee, including an educational support personnel employee, on account of any legal or special holiday in which that employee would have otherwise been scheduled to work but for the legal or special holiday.

(b) A school board or other entity eligible to apply for waivers and modifications under Section 2-3.25g of this Code is authorized to hold school or schedule teachers' institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln); the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski's birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day); and November 11 (Veterans' Day), provided that:

(1) the person or persons honored by the holiday are recognized through instructional activities conducted on that day or, if the day is not used for student attendance, on the first school day preceding or following that day; and

(2) the entity that chooses to exercise this authority first holds a public hearing about the proposal. The entity shall provide notice preceding the public hearing to both educators and parents. The notice shall set forth the time, date, and place of the hearing, describe the proposal, and indicate that the entity will take testimony from educators and parents about the proposal.

(c) Commemorative holidays, which recognize specified patriotic, civic, cultural or historical persons, activities, or events, are regular school days. Commemorative holidays are: January 17 (the birthday of Muhammad Ali), January 28 (to be known as Christa McAuliffe Day and observed as a commemoration of space exploration), February 15 (the birthday of Susan B. Anthony), March 29 (Viet Nam War Veterans' Day), September 11 (September 11th Day of Remembrance), September 17 (Constitution Day), the school day immediately preceding Veterans' Day (Korean War Veterans' Day), October 1 (Recycling Day), October 7 (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Remembrance Day), December 7 (Pearl Harbor Veterans' Day), and any day so appointed by the President or Governor. School boards may establish commemorative holidays whenever in their judgment such action is advisable. School boards shall include instruction relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events on the commemorative holiday or at any other time during the school year and at any point in the curriculum when such instruction may be deemed appropriate. The State Board of Education shall prepare and make available to school boards instructional materials relative to commemorated persons, activities, or events which may be used by school boards in conjunction with any instruction provided pursuant to this paragraph.

(d) City of Chicago School District 299 shall observe March 4 of each year as a commemorative holiday. This holiday shall be known as Mayors' Day which shall be a day to commemorate and be reminded of the past Chief Executive Officers of the City of Chicago, and in particular the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and the late Mayor Harold Washington. If March 4 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Mayors' Day shall be observed on the following Monday.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the contrary, November 3, 2020 shall be a State holiday known as 2020 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the State pursuant to Public Act 101-642. All government offices, with the exception of election authorities, shall be closed unless authorized to be used as a location for election day services or as a polling place.

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the contrary, November 8, 2022 shall be a State holiday known as 2022 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout the State under Public Act 102-15.

Notwithstanding any other provision of State law to the contrary, November 5, 2024 shall be a State holiday known as 2024 General Election Day and shall be observed throughout this State pursuant to Public Act 103-467.

(Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-15, eff. 6-17-21; 102-334, eff. 8-9-21; 102-411, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-15, eff. 7-1-23; 103-395, eff. 1-1-24; 103-467, eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

Section 25. The Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act is amended by changing Section 17 as follows:

(205 ILCS 630/17) (from Ch. 17, par. 2201)

Sec. 17. Holidays.

(a) The following days shall be legal holidays in the State of Illinois upon which day a bank may, but is not required to, remain closed:

the first day of January (New Year's Day);

the third Monday in January (observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday);

the twelfth day in February (Abraham Lincoln's birthday);

the third Monday in February (Presidents Day);

the first Monday in March (observance of Casimir Pulaski's birthday);

the Friday preceding Easter Sunday (Good Friday);

the last Monday of May (Memorial Day);

the nineteenth day of June (Juneteenth National Freedom Day);

the fourth day of July (Independence Day);

the first Monday in September (Labor Day);

the tenth day of October (the Day of Healing);

the second Monday in October (Columbus Day);

the eleventh day of November (Veterans' Day);

the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day);

the twenty-fifth day in December (Christmas Day);

the days upon which the general elections for members of the House of Representatives are held, and any day proclaimed by the Governor of this State as a legal holiday. From 12 o'clock noon to 12 o'clock midnight of each Saturday shall be considered a half holiday. In addition to such holidays and half-holidays, a bank may select one day of the week to remain closed, as provided in subsection (b) of this Section.

(b) Any bank doing business within this State may select any one day of the week to remain closed on a regular basis upon adoption of a resolution by the board of directors of such bank designating the day selected and upon filing and publishing a copy of such resolution as hereinafter required. Any such resolution shall be deemed effective for the purpose of this Section only when a copy thereof, certified by an officer having charge of the records of such bank, is filed with the Recorder of the county in which such bank is located and published once each week for 3 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. Such publication shall be accomplished by, and at the expense of, the bank, and the bank shall submit to the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate such evidence of the publication as the Commissioner shall deem appropriate. Any such selection shall remain in full force and effect until a copy of the later resolution of the board of directors of such bank, certified in like manner, terminating or altering any such prior selection shall be filed and published in the same manner as such prior resolution.

(c) If an occasion arises when a state bank wishes to remain closed on a particular day, other than a day on which the bank has selected to remain closed on a regular basis as provided in this Section, such state bank may remain closed on such an occasion after first sending to the Commissioner a copy of a resolution adopted by the board of directors authorizing the bank to remain closed on such occasion and notice of the intent to remain closed on such occasion shall be conspicuously posted in the lobby of the main banking office and any branches of such bank for at least 3 weeks in advance of such occasion. Any day which any bank doing business within the State shall select to remain closed pursuant to this Section shall, with respect to such bank, be treated and considered as a Sunday.

(d) All legal holidays, the half holidays and any day selected by a bank doing business within the State to remain closed, shall, for all purposes whatsoever, as regards the presenting for payment or acceptance, the maturity and protesting and giving of notice of the dishonor of bills of exchange, bank checks and promissory notes and other negotiable or commercial paper or instrument, be treated and considered as a Sunday. When any such holidays, except Juneteenth National Freedom Day or the Day of Healing, fall on Sunday, the Monday next following shall be held and considered such holiday. All notes, bills, drafts, checks or other evidence of indebtedness, falling due or maturing on either of such days, shall be deemed as due or maturing upon the day following, and when 2 or more of these days come together, or immediately succeeding each other, then such instruments, paper or indebtedness shall be deemed as due or having matured on the day following the last of such days.

(e) Any act authorized, required or permitted to be performed at or by or with respect to any bank doing business within the State on a day which it has selected to remain closed under this Section may be so performed on the next succeeding business day and no liability or loss of rights of any kind shall result from such delay.

(f) Nothing in this Act shall in any manner affect the validity of, or render void or voidable, the payment, certification, or acceptance of a check or other negotiable instrument, or any other transaction by a bank in this State, because done or performed on any Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or any day selected by a bank to remain closed, or during any time other than regular banking hours; but no bank in this State, which by law or custom is entitled to remain open or to close for the whole or any part of any day selected by it to remain open or to close, is compelled to close, or to remain open for the transaction of business or to perform any of the acts or transactions aforesaid except at its own option.

(Source: P.A. 102-14, eff. 1-1-22; 102-334, eff. 8-9-21.)