Two bills considered by the 81st General Assembly of the State of Illinois could provide access to collective bargaining for public employees. House Bill 808 provides these rights to employees in public and higher education, and House Bill 1178 requires collective bargaining for police officers in units of local government with populations under one million. The author discusses these bills, as well as legislation in several other states, in the process of determining the elements that should be treated in any law governing collective bargaining for public employees. These elements include the following: specification of the bargaining unit, clarification of rights to organize and strike, definition of negotiable items, and description of impasse resolution procedures. (Author/PGD)