Call for adoption of Small Business Bill of Rights
Legislation tracker › License and Consumer Protection › 5th Ward: Desmon C. Yancy
- Record number: R2026-0026043
- Type: Resolution; category: Committee/Public Hearings
- Status: In Committee (Held in Committee)
- Sponsor: Desmon C. Yancy (5th Ward)
- Committee: Committee on License and Consumer Protection
- Submitted Date: Jun 8, 2026
- Introduction Date: Jun 17, 2026
- Official record: Office of the City Clerk
Impact report
Written by AI from the official document. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.
The City Council would adopt a Small Business Bill of Rights, a set of guiding principles that urges City departments to limit fines and fees, speed up inspections and permits, and give small businesses more notice and time to comply with new rules.
Who it affects
- Small business owners: They would be covered by principles calling for reasonable fines, no new or higher fees without notice and hearings, and more time to follow new rules.
- Workers at small businesses: The resolution says large penalties can put businesses out of business and people out of work, and it calls for fines that are reasonable and proportional.
- Restaurants and food businesses: The text points to annual food inspection fees that were raised in the 2026 budget and calls for timely, consistent inspections.
- Businesses seeking permits and licenses: City departments would be urged to track how long permits and licenses take and to record the reasons for delays.
- Employees or others with claims against small businesses: Rules that let people sue businesses would be urged to include a notice and cure period so businesses can fix mistakes before legal action.
- City departments and agencies: They would be urged to follow these principles in policymaking, regulation, licensing, enforcement, and administration.
What changes
- City departments would be urged not to fine small businesses separately for each day the same rule is broken.
- No new or higher business fees or fines should be passed without ample notice and public hearings.
- City departments would be urged to track permit and license wait times and record the reasons for delays.
- Budget changes would be urged not to be added at the last minute, so small businesses have time to review them and be heard.
- New mandates on small businesses would be urged to come with enough time and resources to comply.
Money
- The resolution says business licensing and annual food inspection fees, paid by businesses, were dramatically increased in the 2026 Chicago budget; no dollar amounts are given.
Timeline
- Jun 17, 2026: Referred, City Council. The matter was Referred to Committee.
- Sep 9, 2026: Recommended for Re-Referral, Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. The matter was recommended for Re-Referral by controlling legislative body.
- Oct 7, 2026: Held in Committee, Committee on License and Consumer Protection. The matter was Held in Committee.
Documents
- w5 - Bill of Rights Resolution.pdf (Legislation)
Lobbying and money
Computed links; money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.
Who lobbied on it
- The Small Business Advocacy Council: CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF ACTIONS AND REFORMS IN PACKAGE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES (1 filing, Oct 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025; Elliot Richardson; matched by semantic embedding)
Related legislation
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- Call for subject matter hearing(s) to explain City of Chicago's policies and procedures for identifying, disclosing and collecting… (R2025-0021939, introduced Dec 20, 2025, Referred)
- Permit fee waiver for Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Or2025-0020320, introduced Oct 16, 2025, Passed)
More on Committee/Public Hearings
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- Call on City of Chicago departments to prioritize heat mitigation, maintain and expand cooling centers, and install heat-resilient… (R2026-0028725, introduced Sep 23, 2026, Adopted)
- Call for hearing(s) on implementation of advanced law enforcement training technology (R2026-0028822, introduced Sep 23, 2026, Referred)
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