Bill aims to reduce state requirements for name changesSponsors cite safety concerns for victims of domestic abuse, transgender people
Link to Full ArticleCapitol News Illinois - Atmika Iyer and Medill Illinois News Bureau
December 27, 2024
Illinois lawmakers in early January could consider easing requirements for residents to change their names, a move proponents say will reduce risks for victims of domestic abuse, transgender residents and others.
The measure must clear the full Senate in the first week of January to reach Gov. JB Pritzker's desk, otherwise it must go through the entire legislative process again after a new General Assembly convenes Jan. 8.
The bill, House Bill 5164, would eliminate an existing requirement to publish name changes with a local newspaper. It would also reduce the state residency requirement of people wanting to change their name from six months to three months.
"There are residents in our state who do not feel safe when they are an adoptee; they're transgender; they're an immigrant; they're a survivor of domestic violence, survivor of sexual exploitation and human trafficking," Sen. Ram Villivalam, the bill's sponsor and a Chicago Democrat, said in an interview. "So they would like to change their name, and in doing so, we need to remove as many barriers as we can to ensure their health and safety."-------------------------
