The Illinois State Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would make the state filing fee to start a small business the cheapest in the country.

The bill would decrease the filing fee to establish a limited liability company from $500 to $39.

The bill aims to help the economy by making it easier to start a small business, said state Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored the bill.

“Anything we can do to make it easier and less expensive to start a new business is a boon to entrepreneurs, job seekers and the entire economy,” the Chicago Democrat said in a news release.

The bill intends to address the relatively higher filing fee in Illinois compared to surrounding states, the release said. In Minnesota and Kentucky, which the release cited, the fees are respectively $135 and $40. The bill is now up for consideration by the Illinois House of Representatives.

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