Springfield,IL – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill sponsored by State Senator Michael Noland (D-Elgin) to help the state better track funds from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The legislation has become more important in the wake of a report that gave Illinois the lowest marks in the nation when it comes to stimulus tracking. House Bill 571 will allow state government to receive reports regarding how funds are being spent and how to better spend funds in the future. The legislation requires the Governor’s Office or a designated state agency to track and report the State’s spending of its federal stimulus money on a monthly basis. The reports will be posted on the State’s website and must be filed with legislative leaders.

The General Assembly would be able to request data and findings to be included in the reports. Each report will include the State’s stimulus spending by category and may include required matching funds by the State. The reports may also make recommendations on how Illinois can maximize the amount of federal stimulus dollars it receives.

The proposal is one part of Senator Noland’s strategy to achieve transparency with regard to the state’s spending of stimulus dollars, aid residents in navigating the complexities of the stimulus package and help residents and businesses remain safe from fraudulent organizations promising to expedite stimulus funds.

"I have been disturbed at the news that our state is failing to properly track federal stimulus funds. With the signing of this legislation, we will be able to better track the funds our state has received and ensure those funds are spent properly. As Vice President Joe Biden said at the onset of the federal stimulus program, states need to make certain that the money is spent wisely, because there would be no more funds forthcoming. We need to get this right the first time," Senator Noland said.