HB5524 clearing House with unanimous support aims to increase transparency for electric utility fees

HB5524, a bill seeking to mandate the public disclosure of required electric utility charges, received a Yes vote from Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (D-46th) during the 104th General Assembly on May 31, 2026, as documented by the Illinois House. The bill secured unanimous passage in the House with a 117-0 vote.

The official bill text describes the measure as "UTILITY CHARGE TRANSPARENCY."

Below is an explanation, based on the actual bill language, which may be interpreted for clarity regarding its provisions.

The legislation instructs the Illinois Commerce Commission to create a public website, effective Jan. 1, 2027, that provides a list of all non-delivery and non-supply charges on electric utility bills that are either required by law or sanctioned by the commission. For charges sent to the state, the site must report their legal basis, yearly amounts collected, the uses of the funds by the state, and a breakdown of expenditures. For charges retained by utilities, the website must display the legal basis, the intent of the charge, annual collections, itemized expenditures, and details on how each expense aligns with its stated purpose.

Legislative records note the recorded action as 'Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs' for HB5524.

Blair-Sherlock earned an AA from College of DuPage in 1985, a BS from Northern Illinois University in 1987, and a JD from John Marshall Law School in 1993.

A member of the Democratic party, Blair-Sherlock was elected to Illinois's 46th House District in 2023, succeeding former state representative Deborah Conroy.

The Illinois legislative process involves several steps beginning with bill introduction in either chamber, moving to committee assessment, followed by chamber debates and voting in the House and Senate, ultimately requiring the governor's decision for adoption or veto. Each General Assembly session spans two years, with only a select number of the numerous bills introduced making it through all stages to become law.