Bill > HB1776

This bill amends the Illinois Municipal Code and the Fire Protection District Act to allow individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States to apply for firefighter positions, removing citizenship as a barrier to entry. Specifically, the legislation expands eligibility for firefighter roles to include non-citizens who have legal work authorization, requiring them to meet all other standard application requirements such as age, health, moral character, and physical fitness. The bill ensures that these non-citizen applicants will be subject to the same examination, background checks, and performance standards as citizen applicants, with the only difference being their citizenship status. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2026, giving municipalities and fire protection districts time to update their hiring policies and procedures. This legislative change aims to potentially address workforce shortages in firefighting and provide more opportunities for legal immigrants who are authorized to work in the United States to serve their local communities in critical public safety roles.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1776&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104