IL HB3336

Creates mandatory candidate filing fees of $2,500 as a pre-filing fee (due before petition circulation begins) and $2,500 as a filing fee (due when submitting nomination papers) for all candidates seeking elected office in consolidated or general elections in Illinois, effective January 1, 2026

Establishes the Election Income Tax Rebate Fund as a special fund in the State treasury to collect all candidate fees paid under the new requirements

Requires the State Board of Elections to create a payment system to collect fees and mandates that election authorities reject nomination papers without certification of fee payment

Beginning in 2027, the Department of Revenue will distribute annual rebates to all individual Illinois income tax filers who file by the second Friday in October, with each eligible taxpayer receiving an equal share of the Fund's balance

Rebate amounts will not count as income or resources for determining eligibility in means-tested government benefit programs unless required by federal law