Budget | Rep. Cassidy

FY25 Budget

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The Fiscal Year 2025 budget features many efforts to support Illinoisans who need it most. The new Fiscal Year 2025 Budget has been passed by the Illinois State Legislature, headed now to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The state budget is balanced in every sense. We shouldn't have to choose between being a responsible state and being a compassionate state. I and other legislators will continue to strive for both as we owe this to all who live in our state.

Budget Highlights

This budget builds on recent years of historic fiscal progress that earned Illinois eight credit rating upgrades and eliminated a bill backlog of roughly $16 billion.
Allocates $200 million in additional pension payments, bringing total pension stabilization investments to $700 million.
$85 million increase to support homelessness prevention, affordable housing, and other programs.
$20 million investment in a new Illinois Grocery Initiative to expand grocery access to underserved rural towns and urban neighborhoods.
$22.8 million in funding to begin implementing the new Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative.
$18 million to increase support for reproductive health initiatives.
$24 million for a rate increase for home workers who assist the elderly.
Over $500 million in new state and federal funds to support the state’s healthcare system.
Another step in phasing out the corporate franchise tax.
$400 million to close major economic development deals and attract businesses to Illinois.
$20 million to Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital Program.

Developmental Disability Services

$2.50/hr Direct Support Professional wage rate increase - to assist in recruiting and retaining frontline staff (effective January 1, 2024);
$12.5 million in re-appropriated one-time funds for staff recruitment and retention
$10 million to establish rate comparability for Community Day Services in Cook and the collar counties;
$26 million to assist individuals in coming of the waiting list for services (PUNS); and
$27.6 million in rate adjustments for home-based services as required by law;

behavioral health Services

$30 million to increase Medicaid mental health rates for group therapy and crisis services;
$10 million in funding towards the Behavioral Health Workforce Center - to further develop professionals working in behavioral health services;
$10 million in increased mental health grants and for community transitions and rebalancing; and
$5 million for the Behavioral Health Student Loan Repayment Program

Education

$350 million for K-12 evidence-based funding formula
$100 million in additional MAP grant funding, ensuring everyone at or below the median income can go to community college for free
$250 million to fund Smart Start IL, which will help eliminate preschool deserts, stabilize the childcare workforce, expand the Early Intervention Program and Home Visiting programs, and more.
Within the $250 million budget includes:
$40 million increase for IDHS (Illinois Department of Human Services) early intervention program, which supports young children with disabilities
$70 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income families access child care and early childhood education
$5 million increase for the home-visiting program that supports pregnant people and families with children between birth and 5 years old
$100 million increase for public universities and community colleges.
$45 million for the first year of a three-year pilot program to help school districts that have a large number of teacher vacancies
$3.8 million increase for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship, which provides scholarships to students of color and bilingual students who want to become educators
$100 million increase for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission’s Monetary Award Program, a grant program that provides funding to students from low-income families for college
$19.4 million increase for the base operating and equalization grants for public community colleges and City Colleges of Chicago

immigration

$550 million for Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults & Seniors ages 42 and up.
$25 million to Access to Justice (A2J): $12.5M to Westside Justice Center and $12.5M to Resurrection Project.
$110 million to Illinois Welcoming Centers (WCs): $105M in General Revenue, ~$3.4M in State Coronavirus Appropriations, ~$1.6 M in State Coronavirus Appropriations to the United African Organization to continue funding and expanding the State’s 36 WCs which offer culturally and linguistically responsive comprehensive services for the integration of immigrants in Illinois.
$42.5 million from General Revenue to IDHS for grants and expenses associated with asylum seekers in Chicago and other municipalities in Cook County to offer critical services, including emergency shelter, healthcare, legal representation, translation services, etc.
$50.6 million to Refugee Resettlement. This funding will help the State continue supporting refugees from countries like Afghanistan and Ukraine.