The Illinois General Assembly's legislative session begins on Jan. 31, and the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) — the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Illinois — is ready to represent the church's interests. CCI is composed of a number of departments, each with a specific area of focus, through which conference staff and diocesan representatives formulate policy recommendations for the bishop's consideration. Upon the bishops' approval, CCI staff work to implement the recommendations by interacting with agencies of state government, grassroots advocacy networks and religious and secular media.