Sanalitro’s bill to revise private security board advances through Illinois legislature

A measure introduced by State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro is set to alter the structure and quorum rules for Illinois' private security industry board after receiving approval from both the House and Senate, the Illinois General Assembly reports.

The legislation garnered support from 73 Democrats and 37 Republicans in the House.

In the Senate, 40 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in support.

Sanalitro presented the bill to the Illinois House on Jan. 8, 2026, during the 104th session.

HB4353 was approved on May 21, 2026, as part of the 104th general assembly session.

As explained on the Illinois General Assembly website, the summarized official text of the bill reads: "Amends the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004. Provides that the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Board shall consist of 12 (rather than 13) members. Removes the requirement that one member of the Board be a licensed private detective or licensed private security contractor who provides canine odor detection services. Provides that a majority of appointed Board members constitutes a quorum."

Our analysis below is based on the bill text and aims to clarify its details.

The legislation amends the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004 by reducing the board size from 13 to 12 members and changing its membership requirements. It eliminates the mandate for a board member to be a licensed private detective or private security contractor who provides canine odor detection services, instead specifying dedicated roles for private detectives, private security contractors, private alarm contractors, a fingerprint vendor, locksmiths, a public member and an employee representative. The bill defines a quorum as a majority of appointed members, and requires a majority of that quorum for board actions.

Sen. Seth Lewis (Republican-24th District) served as the bill's sole sponsor in the Senate.

Illinois bills move through a multi-step legislative procedure that starts with introduction in the House or Senate, proceeds to committee review, then floor debate and votes in both chambers, before ultimately going to the governor for signature or veto. The General Assembly works on a two-year cycle; while thousands of bills are filed during each session, only a select number complete this process to become law.

More information about Illinois legislation and other measures is available here.

Sanalitro, a Republican, began serving as state representative for the 48th House District in 2023, succeeding Terra Costa Howard.

Members noted as "Not Voting" were present but did not participate in the vote, while those with an "Excused Absence" were not present and had a formally accepted reason for not attending.