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Bill Action of Note:
HB 1076, County Lease/Farmland passed the House 93-18-0. This bill provides that, notwithstanding other specified county property leasing provisions, upon three-fourths vote the county board may lease farmland acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding 5 years. Provides that farmland may be leased to either public or private entities for the public purpose of financially supporting the operations of the government at any time or times and on any terms and conditions that the county board deems best for the interest of the county, including, but not limited to, crop-sharing arrangements.
HB 1166, Procurement/Equal Pay passed the House 77-35-0. This bill amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Provides that, for procurements first solicited on or after January 1, 2025, a person who is required to obtain an equal pay registration certificate under Section 11 of the Equal Pay Act of 2003 may qualify as a bidder, offeror, or contractor under this Code if the person was issued an equal pay registration certificate from the Department of Labor during the previous 2 calendar years. Provides that, for any bid or offer for a contract with a State agency by a person required to obtain an equal pay registration certificate under Section 11 of the Equal Pay Act of 2003, the chief procurement officer shall verify that the person holds an equal pay registration certificate issued during the 2 calendar years prior to award. Amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003. Provides that, beginning December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Director shall make publicly available a list of businesses that were issued an equal pay registration certificate by the Department in the previous 2 calendar years.
HB 1236, Bidding passed the House 79-29-0. This bill Provides that, in determining the lowest responsible bidder, a county board of a county with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants may take into consideration the bidder's active participation in an applicable apprenticeship program registered with the United States Department of Labor.
HB 1409, Contracting Goals passed the House 73-36-0. This bill amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Provides that all goals established concerning the awarding of State contracts apply to architectural, engineering, and land surveying contracts under the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act.
HB 1465, Bidding passed the House 107-0-0. This bill amends the Illinois Highway Code. In provisions concerning the performance of functions by the highway commissioner of a road district, provides that, except for professional services, when the cost of construction, materials, supplies, new machinery or equipment exceeds $30,000 (instead of $20,000), the contract for such construction, materials, supplies, machinery or equipment shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder if specified conditions are met.
HB 2288, Veterans Procurement passed the House 110-0-0. This bill provides that, as used in a provision of the Code that establishes procurement goals for veteran-owned small businesses, the term "small business" means a business that has annual gross sales of less than $150,000,000 (rather than less than $75,000,000). This is a Chamber member initiative.
HB 2300, Illinois Works Jobs Credit passed the House 81-30-0. This bill amends the Illinois Works Job Program Act. Provides that contractors or subcontractors may be eligible to earn bid credits for employing apprentices who have completed the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program (previously bid credits were available for public works contracted by the State). Provides that contractors and subcontractors can use bid credits toward future bids for public works projects contracted or funded by the State or an agency of the State in order to increase the likelihood that the contractor and the subcontractors are selected as the contractor for the public works project. Provides that, for contracts and grant agreements executed after the effective date of the amendatory Act, of a specified goal at least half of the labor hours of each prevailing wage classification performed by apprentices shall be performed by graduates of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may grant a reduction or waiver upon a determination that the contractor or subcontractor has demonstrated that insufficient graduates of the Illinois Works Preapprenticeship Program are available to meet the requirements. Provides that contractors and subcontractors must submit a certification to the Department and the agency that is administering the contract, or the grant agreement funding the contract, demonstrating that the contractor or subcontractor has not complied with the labor hour goals and did not receive a reduction or waiver. Provides the penalties for failing to comply with the Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative.
HB 2301, Radioactive Waste passed the House 111-0-0. This bill modifies the definition of "low-level radioactive waste" or "waste" to expand the referenced definition of byproduct material.
HB 2487, Justice 40 Oversight Committee passed the House 71-37-0. This bill establishes the Justice40 Oversight Committee. Provides that the Justice40 Oversight Committee shall make findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding environmental justice in this State and uses of federal funds provided to the State for environmental justice.
HB 2520, Environmental Justice was placed on the order of postpone consideration after failing to receive 60 votes on the floor and a show of bipartisan opposition. An applicant for a permit for the construction of a new source that will become a major source subject to the Clean Air Act Permit Program to be located in an environmental justice community or a new source that has or will require a federally enforceable State operating permit and that will be located in an environmental justice community must conduct a public meeting prior to submission of the permit application and must submit with the permit application an environmental justice assessment identifying the potential environmental and health impacts to the area associated with the proposed project. Provides that a supplemental fee of $100,000 for each construction permit application shall be assessed if the construction permit application is subject to the requirements regarding the construction of a new source located in an environmental justice community. If the Agency grants a permit to construct, modify, or operate a facility that emits air pollutants and is classified as a minor source, a third party may petition the Pollution Control Board for a hearing to contest the issuance of the permit. The Chamber opposes this bill.
HB 2527, Water and Wastewater Funding Study passed the House 110-0-0. This bill extends the date that the Municipal Water and Wastewater Funding Study Committee is required to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to September 30, 2023 (from January 31, 2023).
HB 2531, South Suburban Airport passed the House 72-40-0. This bill amends the Public-Private Agreements for the South Suburban Airport Act. Defines cargo-oriented development as the development of places that are both multimodal nodes of freight transportation and centers of employment in logistics and manufacturing businesses. Provides that the Department of Transportation shall (instead of may) establish a process for prequalification of offerors. Requires the Department to commence the prequalification process within 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
HB 2557, Farmer Equity and Innovation Act passed the House 72-36-0. This bill creates the Farmer Equity and Innovation Act. Subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, creates the Farmer Equity and Innovation Center at the University of Illinois Extension. Provides that the Farmer Equity and Innovation Center shall: (1) ensure the continued economic viability of small-scale and moderate-scale diversified farms by creating a coordinated, statewide program to support the operators of those farms, prioritizing limited resource farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers ; (2) establish a Farmer Equity and Innovation Program administered by the Center; (3) utilize the University of Illinois Small Farm Advisors, and require the University to increase its Small Farm Advisor positions to 6 in number; (4) include applied research on specified subjects concerning farming in Illinois, outreach regarding those subjects, and informational services on assistance provided by or through the Center or nonprofit organizations designated by the Center; (5) authorize the Program to include special training for new and beginning farmers with priority given to socially disadvantaged farmers and ; and (6) conduct a study to determine and issue an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly containing a demographic breakdown of farmers and ranchers who participate in the Program.
HB 2569, Compost Products passed the House 108-0-0. This bill provides that all State agencies and local governments shall consider whether compost products can be utilized in the land maintenance activity project when soliciting and reviewing bids for land maintenance activity projects. Provides that, if compost products can be used in the project, the State agency or local government must use compost products unless the compost products: (1) are not available within a reasonable period of time; (2) do not comply with existing purchasing standards; or (3) do not comply with federal or State health and safety standards. Provides that State agencies and local governments are encouraged to give priority to purchasing compost products from companies that produce compost products locally, are certified by a nationally recognized organization, and produce compost products that are derived from municipal solid waste compost programs. Provides that beginning January 1, 2024, the Department of Transportation shall report each year to the General Assembly: (i) the volume of compost used in State highway construction projects; (ii) the status of compost and compost-based products used in State highway construction projects; and (iii) recommendations to maximize the use of compost as a recycled material in State highway construction projects.
HB 2776, Lead Pipe/Notice passed the House 108-0-0. This bill provides that an owner or operator of a community water supply must (rather than may) provide a consumer notice by email (if an email address is available) when replacing a lead service line or repairing or replacing water mains with lead service lines or partial lead service lines attached to them. Provides that a municipality with a population of more than 1,000,000 inhabitants shall publicly post on its website or arrange with the Environmental Protection Agency to have posted on the Agency's website data describing progress the municipality has made toward replacing (rather than installing) lead service lines.
HB 2782, Sustainability Disclosure passed the House 79-26-1. This bill provides that, effective January 1, 2024, every investment manager shall comply with annual disclosure requirements that will require the investment manager to provide a description of the process through which the manager prudently integrates sustainability factors into its investment decision-making, investment analysis, portfolio construction, due diligence, and investment ownership in order to maximize anticipated financial returns, identify and minimize projected risk, and execute its fiduciary duties more effectively. Provides that the investment manager shall provide the annual disclosure to each public agency, pension fund, retirement system, or governmental unit for whom the investment manager is acting as a fiduciary or seeking selection as a fiduciary prior to acting in this capacity and at least annually thereafter.
HB 2845, Prevailing Wage/Biosolids passed the House 78-32-2. This bill amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that the definition of "public works" also includes the removal, hauling, and transportation of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue from a water treatment plant or facility and the disposal of biosolids, lime sludge, and lime residue removed from a water treatment plant or facility at a landfill.
HB 2901, Site Remediation Plan passed the House 113-0-0. This bill provides that the Environmental Protection Agency may require an RA for a site to make an advance partial payment of $2,500 (rather than an advance partial payment not exceeding $5,000 or one-half the total anticipated costs of the Agency, whichever sum is less). Makes changes concerning the persons who must review and approve site remediation plans. Allows reviews undertaken by the Agency or a RELPEG to be completed and the decisions communicated to the RA within 90 days after the request for review or approval if 2 or more plans or reports are submitted concurrently. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision, the Agency is not required to take action on any submission from or on behalf of an RA if the RA has failed to pay all fees due. Requires any deadline for Agency action on such a submission to be tolled until the fees are paid in full.
HB 2907, Dispute Damages passed the House 80-30-2. This bill provides that no award of monetary damages, except for damage done to an employer's property as a result of conduct prohibited by law, shall be granted by any court of this State in any case involving a labor dispute.
HB 3017, Permitting Portal passed the House 108-0-0. Provides that the Office shall implement reforms to improve interagency coordination and encourage expeditious permit issuance. Provides that the Office shall use information technology tools to track project schedules and metrics in order to improve transparency and accountability of the permitting process, reduce uncertainty and delays, and reduce costs and risks to taxpayers. This bill is the Chamber/IERG initiative to create an online permitting portal for large industrial projects in Illinois.
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