Illinois Statutes Chapter 25. Legislature § 50/1. Necessity on certain bills

§ 1. Every bill, except those bills making a direct appropriation, (1) the purpose or effect of which is (i) to expend any State funds or to increase or decrease the revenues of the State, either directly or indirectly, or (ii) to require the expenditure of their own funds by, or to increase or decrease the revenues of, units of local government, school districts or community college districts, or to revise the distribution of State funds among units of local government, school districts, or community college districts, either directly or indirectly, or (2) that amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code  1 or the Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act  2 shall have prepared for it prior to second reading in the house of introduction a brief explanatory statement or note which, for a bill under item (1), shall include a reliable estimate of the anticipated change in State, local governmental, school district, or community college district expenditures or revenues under its provisions and, for a bill under item (2), shall include a reliable estimate of the fiscal impact of its provisions upon community agencies. For purposes of this Act, indirect revenues include, but are not limited to, increased tax revenues or other increased revenues resulting from economic development, job creation, or cost reduction. The statement or note shall also include an explanation of the methodology used to determine the estimated direct and indirect costs or estimated impact on community agencies. Any notes for bills having a fiscal impact on units of local government, school districts or community college districts shall include such cost estimates as may be required under the State Mandates Act.  3

If a bill authorizes capital expenditures or appropriates funds for capital expenditures, a statement shall be prepared by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget specifying by year any principal and interest payments required to finance such capital expenditures.

If a bill authorizes the issuance of bonds, a statement or note shall be prepared by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget specifying the estimated total principal and interest payments (assuming interest is paid at a fixed rate) if all of the bonds authorized were issued. The statement or note shall include the total principal on all other then-outstanding Bonds of the State.

These statements or notes shall be known as “fiscal notes”.