The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up their 2025 legislative session at the end of May after passing some environmental legislation but leaving more bills to be decided in future sessions. Policymaking challenges this term including industry lobbying, uncertainty at the federal level, and time and budget pressure may have slowed consideration of some issues. This article is informed by reports from the Illinois Environmental Council.
Among the more notable bills that passed both chambers and are headed to the governor, as of this writing, are:
• PFAS Phase-Out (HB2516): This bill would phase out the “forever chemical” PFAS in children’s products, cosmetics, intimate apparel, menstrual products, and dental floss by 2032, making Illinois one of the first 10 states to enact a phase-out. Environmental advocates are hoping to add cleaning products, cookware, and food packaging in the coming years.
• Mahomet Aquifer Carbon Capture and Sequestration Protection (HB3614/SB1723): Illinois passed legislation regulating carbon capture and underground sequestration (CCS) in 2023, but did not include the Mahomet Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to almost 1 million people in Central Illinois. This bill protects this vital water source from proposed carbon injection well projects.
• EPA Wastewater Industry Use (HB2391): This bill changes the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) to allow treated municipal water to be used for irrigation and industrial purposes (under a permit) to reduce the burden on freshwater resources. This strategy will become increasingly important as industries and data centers ramp up water demand while ancient aquifers, which have been primary water sources for many communities, run dry, and it will help preserve freshwater supplies for potable/home use.
• On the Environmental Justice front, several bills passed: Local Siting Reviews (HB2419) ensures that hearings for major trash facilities are accessible to people with disabilities and non-English speakers, and allows local governments to ask for a vehicle emission study for vehicles associated with trash hauling. The Climate Displacement Act (SB1859) establishes Illinois’ first Climate Displacement Task Force, which will prioritize Environmental Justice (EJ) community voices, including immigrant rights organizations, labor, housing advocates, and EJ organizations to prepare Illinois for the human impacts of climate change. And the Indigenous Peoples’ Conservation Rights Act (HB1605) adds federally recognized tribes to the list of entities that can hold a conservation easement and oversee conservation of important sites.
Several bills important to environmental efforts did not pass this session, but are expected to be worked on and reintroduced in future sessions:
• The bill that received the most publicity for non-passage was Public Transit Governance Reform and Funding (SB2111/HB3438), which would address the $750+ million “fiscal cliff” faced by transportation entities next year after pandemic funding is no longer available. There is a good chance that a special session will be called this fall to address this issue, to avoid a 40% reduction in service.
• Another highly significant bill that has not passed yet is Protecting Our Wetlands (SB2401/HB3596). This would return many of the wetland protections taken away by the Supreme Court’s Sackett vs. EPA decision, which dramatically narrowed the definition of protected Waters of the US.
• A third broad and significant bill that the General Assembly will continue to consider is the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (SB2473/HB3779). It did not pass this session in part due to pressure from industry. Illinois will have trouble meeting its clean energy goals without significant transmission grid upgrades. This bill would require strategic planning and transmission infrastructure upgrades to remove renewable energy interconnection bottlenecks, add battery storage, and assist with low-income energy efficiency upgrades.
• Other notable bills that did not pass this session but will likely receive further consideration include the Clean and Healthy Buildings Act (SB2269/HB3525) which would incentivize building decarbonization, Polystyrene Foam Ban (SB1531) which would phase out polystyrene beginning in 2030, “Skip the Stuff” (HB1600/SB1194) which would require food delivery apps to supply utensils only on request, “Bye Bye Bags” which would phase out plastic bags statewide, similar to the current situation in Evanston, and Reducing Landfill Methane Emissions (HB1707/HB1302) which would reduce the amount of organic material in landfills and improve methane leak detection and capture.
These unfinished initiatives and others will provide ample opportunities for advocacy in the future via witness slips and communication with representatives.