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ASA strongly opposes Illinois House Bill 5042, which seeks to amend Section 1 (30 ILCS 550/1) of the Public Construction Bond Act, Illinois’ Little Miller Act, by raising the bond threshold to $10,000,000 for Illinois Department of Transportation (ILDOT) and State Highway Authority projects, and $5,000,000 for other state and local public works contracts. ASA has long advocated for policies that strengthen the construction industry and protect subcontractors from payment risks. The 2023 compromise, which increased the bond threshold to $500,000 for ILDOT and Toll Authority projects and $150,000 for state and local projects—set to sunset in 2029—was a thoughtful balance between administrative efficiency and financial security for subcontractors. HB 5042, by dramatically increasing thresholds and extending the sunset to 2034, would place Illinois far above federal standards under the Miller Act (40 U.S.C. §§ 3131 et seq.) and out of alignment with neighboring states, including Indiana ($200,000), Iowa ($25,000), Michigan ($50,000), Minnesota ($175,000), Missouri ($50,000), and Wisconsin ($148,000/local, $369,000/state). Such an increase would leave subcontractors and suppliers exposed to substantial financial risk in the event of contractor defaults, while Illinois taxpayers would bear the cost of unbonded projects.