Springfield, Illinois—As the final deadline for moving bills from the Illinois Senate approaches Friday, State Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) earned a right of passage as his first piece of legislation passed the Illinois Senate. Senate Bill 1970 came to a vote in the Senate Chamber Wednesday and passed unanimously 59-0. 

Senate Bill 1970 changes the threshold in which a charitable organization must file for an audit with the Attorney General. Current law states when a charitable organization reaches contributions of $150,000 they must file for an audit. With Senator Duffy’s bill, charities will not be required to file for an audit until they reach a threshold of $300,000.

“I’m proud to say that one of my very first bills to be passed through the Senate was initiated by a constituent, John Sfire of Lake Zurich who operates the largest food pantry in Illinois.  This legislation would greatly reduce their costs and allow for more money to be used for its intended purpose,” explained Senator Duffy.

According to Senator Duffy, an audit costs around $10,000 and in the case of the Faith Food Pantry, those funds could provide around 125,000 pounds of food.

Senator Duffy said it is common for legislators to hear much grief during the “hazing process” discussion on their first bill; however the 26th District legislator said he took it in stride and appreciates the unanimous passage of this legislation.