• SB 3609 passed out of committee 19-0-0. This bill provides that the registration fee for cars and small trucks shall be reduced by $25 if vehicle is manufactured in this State and the application for registration is made no more than one year after the month in which the vehicle was manufactured. On this legislation, Senator Dewitte raised concern about members of the majority party filing legislation that is identical to legislation filed by members of the SGOP yet moving the bill filed by the Senate Democrat caucus. Senator Dewitte was referencing SB 3041 filed by Senator Fowler.  
• SB 3629 passed out of committee unanimously. The bill states that if a vehicle owner has a legal agreement with the owner of private property permitting the vehicle owner to park on the property, the owner or person in charge of the private property shall provide notice of a tow of the vehicle that is personally given to the owner or other legally authorized person in control of the vehicle. Provides that notice of a lien sale shall be personally given to the owner. Provides that the notice is effective upon the owner or other legally authorized person in control of the of the vehicle personally receiving notice, rather than upon the mailing of the notice. 
• SB 3096 passed out of Committee 19-0-0. This bill creates a path for digital drivers’ licenses in the state. The sponsor, Senator Connor, said he is “keeping his foot on the gas” for a digital license that would allow drivers to operate a motor vehicle without a physical copy of their license. The bill also provides that a person shall not be issued a citation for driving a motor vehicle without a physical driver's license if the person presents a digitized driver's license to a law enforcement officer in connection with a traffic stop. 

• SB 2981 (Villivalam) - Creates the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act. Adds provisions governing: authorization of project delivery methods; preconditions to commencement of procurement; procurement; evaluation and selection of proposals; project records; confidentiality; public disclosure; design-build contracts; construction manager/general contractor contracts; funding and financing; minority, disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses; labor agreements; acquisition of property; federal requirements; powers of the Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; and rulemaking. 
• This initiative was originally sponsored by Senator DeWitte. The Chamber is supportive of this initiative and thanks both senators for their leadership on this important issue.  

• HB 2545 (Ugaste) – consolidates the RTA service boards. 

• HB 3980 (Ness)- greatly restricts automated traffic cameras. This one has a chief co-sponsor the chairman of the committee so look for it to have momentum 

• HB 4250 (Friess) – increases the number of permissible farm trucks 

• HB 4764 (Mazzochi) – For a year after the effective date, no unit of local government, including a home rule unit, may enact or enforce an ordinance that restricts the operation of delivery trucks to certain times of the day. Provides that a unit of local government may regulate delivery trucks for traffic control purposes or in accordance with the Sections of the Code concerning mufflers, the prevention of noise, and engine braking.
• I spoke to the sponsor about this bill and her intention is to help with the supply chain issues that have plagued the country for the last year.  

• HB 5329 (Miller)- would reduce the motor vehicle registration fee from $148 to $2. (I wrote my registration check last week- bad timing on my part… All joking aside, this would be a decent sized hit to the Road Fund. I doubt it moves.)  

• HB 5395 (Greenwood) if a manufacturer exercises a right of first refusal in order to terminate a dealership that paid at least 10% of the local retailers' occupation tax imposed by the municipality or county where the terminated dealership is located during the calendar year immediately prior to the termination, then, for a period of 20 consecutive years after the dealership is terminated, the manufacturer must pay to the municipality or county in which the terminated dealership was located an amount equal to the certified local retailers' occupation tax amount. Provides that the certified local retailers' occupation tax amount is the highest amount paid by the dealership in any of the 5 years immediately prior to the year in which the dealership was terminated. The Illinois Chamber is opposed and plans to testify against this bill.

• EV charging infrastructure is installed every 50 miles along the State’s portions of the Interstate Highway System within 1 travel mile of the Interstate, unless a discretionary exception has been granted 
• EV charging infrastructure has minimum station power capability at or above 600kW and supports at least 150kW per port simultaneously across four ports for charging 
• State may use funds provided under the NEVI Formula Program for EV charging infrastructure on any public road or in other publicly accessible locations that are open to the general public or to authorized commercial motor vehicle operators from more than one company 
• Publicly accessible locations may include public parking facilities, parking at public buildings, public transportation stations, Park-and-Rides, public schools, public parks, private parking facilities available for public use and more. 
• The Federal cost-share for NEVI Formula Program projects is 80 percent. Private and State funds can be used to provide the remaining cost-share. NEVI Formula Program funds can be spread further by combining them with other eligible USDOT funding for EV charging infrastructure projects if the eligibility requirements are met for both programs and the total Federal cost-share does not exceed 80 percent. 
• Funds made available under the NEVI Formula Program may be used to contract with a private entity for acquisition, installation, and operation and maintenance of publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and the private entity may pay the non-Federal share of the cost of a project funded. States can own or lease EV charging infrastructure in accordance with 2 CFR part 13 200. 

• Committee members were introduced to IDOT’s new Director of the Office of Intermodal Project Implementation, Jason Osborn.  
• Sis Killen from Cook County announced that applications for freight projects is open on their website.  
• Chamber member Dennis Wilmsmeyer from America’s Central Port thanked IDOT for the $21 million in grants to fund port projects in the metro east. The Chamber is appreciative of IDOT’s recent efforts to support maritime transit.  
• IDOT’s new legislative affairs director, Matt McAnarney, gave a federal legislative and grant update.  
• Brad Franke from state legislative affairs said IDOT has 5 bills. One is the annual land conveyance bills and the other four are technical cleanup omnibus bills.  
• A new study is being launched to study the pipelines in Illinois- 134,000 miles in total. The focus of this study will be on the transmission pipelines. Three operators provide services to 91 percent of the customers, Ameren, Peoples and Northern Illinois.