HB 3541 Illinois House · 104th Regular Session

ILLINOIS CLIMATE WORKS PROGRAM

Summary

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program shall recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training relevant to clean energy apprenticeships in the construction and building trades and that the Program shall meet certain requirements regarding applicant placements (rather than requiring each Climate Works Hub that receives funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to perform certain actions).

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Apr 14, 2025 Last action Jun 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 10, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift responsibility for recruiting and training pre-apprentices from a single central program to individual Climate Works Hubs receiving funding. This change clarifies that each funded Hub must independently meet specific placement goals for applicants from economically challenged areas, rather than relying on a centralized program to handle these tasks.

Scope change

The scope of the program's obligations expanded from a centralized 'Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program' to include every individual 'Climate Works Hub' that receives funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the requirement for a centralized program to recruit and train with a mandate for each individual funded Hub to perform these tasks.

Added specific placement quotas requiring each Hub to dedicate at least one-third of placements to applicants from areas with both economic/environmental challenges and at least two-thirds to applicants from areas with either type of challenge.

Removed the previous specific requirement that one-third of placements must come from 'R3 Areas' or 'environmental justice communities' as distinct categories, merging them into a broader 'impacted by challenges' definition.

ELIGIBILITY

Introduced new preferences for applicants facing barriers to employment, including those with low education, prior criminal justice involvement, language barriers, or foster care backgrounds.

Floor votes · House Apr 10, 2025

How they voted

92–21

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 118

Apr 10, 2025

D Democratic78

76 Yea 2

97% Yea

R Republican40

16 Yea 21 Nay 3

52% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 2, 2025

Committee

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As June 1, 2025

upper

May 9, 2025

Upper · Passed

Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 23, 2025

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Committee

Assigned to Energy and Public Utilities

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Assignments

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Introduced

Arrive in Senate

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 092-021-000

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommends Be Adopted Labor & Commerce Committee; 027-000-000

lower

Apr 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Labor & Commerce Committee

lower

Apr 7, 2025

Committee

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee

lower

Apr 7, 2025

Introduced

House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Amended

House Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Do Pass / Short Debate Labor & Commerce Committee; 027-000-000

lower

Mar 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Labor & Commerce Committee

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Introduced

House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Assigned to Labor & Commerce Committee

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules Committee

lower

2 primary · 5 co-sponsors