The Illinois General Assembly gaveled in on Tuesday, April 30, kicking off the final few weeks until it adjourns for the spring in late May.

As they return to Springfield, legislators will be voting on a number of issues and policies that could impact small businesses. These include:

• The state budget and tax policies
• Employer rights under the National Labor Relations Act
• Expansion of the Whistleblower Act to afford more employee protections and impose greater fines and liabilities upon employers
• Additional record-keeping requirements on small businesses
• New environmental regulations on land usage or vehicle fuels/emissions
• Regulatory changes for the health-insurance industry that could impact small business health-insurance premiums
• Transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)
• New requirements for temporary staffing agencies
• Prohibitions on covenants not to solicit

The General Assembly is currently scheduled to adjourn on May 24 but has penciled in contingency session days through May 31.