Every legislative session, IEC works with our over 100 member affiliates and many supportive lawmakers to introduce a broad environmental legislative agenda each year. Below you’ll find Illinois’ Environmental Legislative Agenda for 2022!
After eight months of research, priority setting, convenings and bill drafting, we have adopted a substantial number of important environmental issues in our legislative agenda. We’re also actively tracking over 300 bills that have been introduced that could impact environmental resources, climate change and public health.
Read on to see the list, ask your lawmakers to support them, and help us out by doing your part when we alert you to especially important opportunities for action. You can find all of our active action alerts in the Action Center here on our website.
Illinois' 2022 Environmental Legislative Agenda
Environmental Justice
Protect Environmental Justice Communities – HB 4093 (Harper) – (written and supported by environmental justice organizations) Reviews the cumulative impact of air pollution sources and denies air pollution permits that are unhealthy for those communities.
Power Plant Demolition Notice – HB 2767/SB1103 (Mah/Villanueva) – Requires a more robust public notice and engagement process with a public hearing, state oversight that requires operators to submit an air quality plan for IEPA’s approval, and civil penalties for operators who fail to comply with these requirements.
Protect Lake Michigan from Coal Ash – HB4358/SB3073 (Mayfield/Johnson) – Requires the removal of all coal ash from the Waukegan Electric Generating Station to protect the largest public drinking water supply in the State of Illinois.
Amend PFAS Incineration – HB4818 (Greenwood) – This bill seeks to ban PFAS incineration but must be amended to remove provisions that would rollback the ban if USEPA modified its regulations.
Energy and Climate
CEJA Tech Fix – HB 4390 (Evans, Jr.) – Fixes a technical error within CEJA to ensure full funding for the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.
Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure – HB 3125 (Gabel) – Requires that the construction of new residential property be EV ready.
HB4394 Mining Equipment Tax Exemption – Oppose Exempts coal and aggregate mining equipment from four separate taxes. This includes equipment used in exploration, the process of mining, off highway hauling of materials, processing of materials, and even maintenance equipment.
Decarbonize the Capitol Complex – HB 4336 (Kifowit) – Requires a study to reduce emissions in the Capitol Complex and set a closure date for the Capitol Complex power plant in Springfield. With the recent passage of CEJA, this legislation will ensure that the Illinois State Government is following the example set by the legislature.
Consumer Protections for Gas Storage Leaks – HB 705 (Morgan) – Makes owners and operators responsible for verifying the source of leaks occurring near an underground natural gas storage facility and supplying affected residents with equipment to mitigate any potential hazards to drinking water or other infrastructure.
Waste Reduction
Illinois Drug Take-Back Act – HB1780 (Gong-Gershowitz) – Protects Illinois wildlife, waterways and drinking water by establishing the Illinois Drug Take-back program with funding from pharmaceutical companies.
Compost Awareness Week – SR706 (Fine) – Declares the week of May 1 through May 7, 2022 as “Compost Awareness Week” to raise awareness of composting in Illinois and the world.
Polystyrene Reduction – HB 3067 (Gong-Gershowitz) – Creates a path forward for the elimination of polystyrene (foam) containers from the restaurant industry with reasonable expectations set for low-income businesses.
Natural Organic Reduction – HB 4552 (Cassidy) – This legislation would allow for the green, natural disposal of human remains, greatly reducing the carbon footprint associated with traditional burials or cremation.
Right to Repair – HB3061 (Mussman) – This initiative will give every consumer and small business access to the parts, tools and service information they need to repair products so we can keep things in use and reduce waste.
Styrofoam Based Product Ban – HB5161 (Yingling) Support – Would end the purchase of polystyrene products by Illinois state government.
Carpet Recycling Program – HB 4356 (Gabel) – Creates an extended producer responsibility model for the environmentally friendly disposal of carpet, along with the creation of carpet recycling jobs in Illinois.
PFA Take-Back Program – HB4795 (Moeller) – Requires that the IEPA create a take-back program, which local fire departments and fire protection districts can voluntarily enter, for firefighting foam that contains PFAS.
Compostable Products Procurement Preference – SB1915 (Morrison) – Requires the state to make procurement choices that avoid single-use plastics.
Sustainable Agriculture and Local Food
Partners for Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Act – SB3471 (Villivalam) – In order to address the state’s difficulties with implementing the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, this legislation would add implementation of the strategy to the purposes of the Partners for Conservation Fund (which must be re-authorized this session) and provide additional fiscal resources to agencies implementing the strategy.
Increase Pesticide Penalties for Human Exposure – HB 4711 (Avelar) – Increases the fines associated with human exposure to pesticides. This is being done as a result of an incident in which many migrant farm workers were inadvertently sprayed with fungicide, resulting only in a small fine.
Low-Bid Requirement; ISBE Food Procurement – HB 4813 (Gordon-Booth) – Eliminates the current low-bid requirement for procurement of food and food services within ISBE to give schools more flexibility in accessing locally sourced, healthy food options for students and faculty.
Black Farmer Restoration Act – HB 3501 (Harper) – Creates training programs administered by IDOA to train disadvantaged communities in farming practices; requires IDOA to review existing processes and create ways to end systemic disparities in access to farming programs.
Healthy Food Access Program – HB2382 (Harper) – Establishes a Healthy Food Development Program to expand access to healthy foods in the State
Procurement of Food from Socially Disadvantaged Farmers – HB 3089 (Harper) – Provides that it shall be the goal of this State that at least 20% of all food and food products purchased by State agencies and State-owned facilities shall be local farm or food products produced by socially disadvantaged farmers.
Ban Pre-Treated Seeds in Ethanol Production – HB1847 (Guzzardi/Villa) – Bans the use of pretreated seeds (i.e. coated with pesticides) in the production of ethanol.
Soil Health Week – SJR44 – Declares the first full week of March 2022 as “Illinois Soil Health Week” and the Wednesday of that week as “Illinois Soil Health Day.”
Mosquito Abatement Restrictions – HB 3118 (Gabel) – Sets restrictions on when and how pesticides targeting mosquitoes can be used. Requires additional training for sprayers on the life cycles of mosquitoes to ensure proper use of pesticides.
Bees & Apiaries Toxic Pesticide – HB5195 (Harper) – Disallows the application of pesticides that are toxic to bees during certain hours if the application would occur near a registered apiary and requires notification to nearby registered apiaries.
Agriculture Equity Commission – HB201 (Harper) – Establishes the Agriculture Equity Commission to recognize the difficulties of BIPOC farmers and growers face in the agricultural industry and requires an annual report of findings and recommendations.
Healthy Soil Act – HB5224 (Harper) – Creates the Healthy Soil Program to promote and support through education and grant land management practices to improve and sustain soil health.
Clean Water
Flood Insurance Training – HB 5450 (Halpin) – Requires home insurance providers to attend a free, virtual course offered by FEMA to better understand when it is appropriate to issue flood insurance.
Environmental Response Project – HB5170 (Williams) – Changes the definition of “environmental response project” to include plans beyond remediation.
EPA – Lead Home Filter Grants – HB5566 (Robinson) – Subject to appropriations, IEPA must provide grants for home lead filters to municipalities that lack a lead service line replacement plan.
EPA – Filing Fees – HB5436 (Williams) – Increases the filing fees collected by the Pollution Control Board for certain petitions to $250 (rather than $75).
Open space and Conservation
Ensure Safety on Forest Preserve Property – HB 4296 (Stoneback) – Provides that citizens who carry concealed carry licenses are not allowed to bring firearms onto forest preserve property.
Natural Resources Advisory Board – HB4371 (Walsh) – Refreshes the Natural Resources Advisory Board to meet the needs of current times by diversifying the membership.
State Parks DNR Approval – HB4542 (Vella) – Allows DNR to grant permission for certain actions that otherwise would be a violation under the State Parks Act.
Wildlife Navigational Lighting – HB5204 (Stoneback) – Requires owners of structures to turn off lights that are not necessary for safety during migratory seasons and certain times of day.