Illinois Rep. Welch’s civil procedure code amendment bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch aims to clarify the Code of Civil Procedure by revising its short title and formally designating sections as the Civil Practice Law and Administrative Review Law, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 70 Democrats and two Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 37 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 40 Democrats and five Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 12 Republicans voted against it.

Welch introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Jan. 9, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB0250, was passed on Oct. 30, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in the short title Section.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Code of Civil Procedure by making a technical change in the short title section. Specifically, it revises the language in Section 1-101 to affirm that the Act may be known and cited as the “Code of Civil Procedure.” Additionally, it designates Article II as the “Civil Practice Law” and Article III as the “Administrative Review Law,” allowing these terms to be used for reference.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Lawrence “Larry” Walsh, Jr. (Democrat-86th District) and Sen. Napoleon Harris, III (Democrat-15th District).

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Welck graduated from Northwestern University in 1993 with a BS and again in 1997 from The John Marshall Law School with a JD.

Welck, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 7th House District, replacing previous state representative Cory Foster.

Some lawmakers were physically present but did not vote. Those marked “Present” formally abstained by choosing not to vote either “Yea” or “Nay”, while those listed as “Not Voting” were in attendance but did not cast any vote. Others were not present at all—either listed as “Absent” without formal explanation or marked as having an “Excused Absence”, indicating their absence was approved in advance, often for personal or medical reasons.

While the final vote determined the bill’s passage, lawmakers in both chambers held an additional vote related to a concurrence. This earlier vote is included below for context.