Skip to content

General Assembly Passes Occupational Licensing Reform!

Occ Lic 040822

General Assembly Passes Occupational Licensing Reform

Occupational licenses can create unnecessary barriers for Illinois residents looking to start new jobs. Occupational licenses can also create roadblocks for entrepreneurs that would like to start new businesses.

House Bill 5576 unanimously passed the Senate and will go to the Governor!

This legislation builds on the current licensing review process by collecting important information about the requirements associated with obtaining a license, so they can be more comprehensively reviewed by the General Assembly. This legislation will provide crucial information which can help legislators evaluate occupational licenses and eliminate or modify them when appropriate.

Modifying or eliminating overly burdensome or restrictive occupational licenses can support small businesses struggling to hire employees, remove unnecessary or outdated barriers for entrepreneurs, and foster the growth of our economy.

We are thankful to our partners at the IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship for their collaboration. We are grateful to Representative Ammons and Senator Koehler for their leadership in moving this legislation forward.

Insights Archive

REVITALIZATION IN THE NEWS: West Garfield/Chatham Pop!

By growthzone | April 1, 2022

“The activation of underutilized West and South side properties is a key strategy to revitalize neighborhood commercial corridors with active, people-oriented activities,” Commissioner Cox said. The City of Chicago announced on Thursday, the creation of two new public plazas located in West Garfield Park and Chatham. These projects are a part of the Department of…

You’re Invited to The Rebound!

By growthzone | March 28, 2022

The SBAC and A Safe Haven are thrilled to invite you for a LIVE and IN-PERSON evening you won’t forget! It will be our first big live event of the year, and with the mask mandate now lifted, we hope to see many of you face-to-face once again.   Join us to celebrate the culmination…

Back to Business Grants Action Call

By growthzone | March 14, 2022

Illinois Policymakers Should Support Small Businesses The pandemic and COVID-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to small businesses in March 2020.  Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants.  While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of applicants were not awarded a grant. Illinois then received over $8 billion in…

Scroll To Top