Environment

Creates the Protect the Great Lakes Act. Provides that, at the start of each month, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in Lake Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in the Illinois drinking water system. Provides that, at the end of each month, the District shall submit a report to the Environmental Protection Agency containing the test results taken at the start of the month. Provides that, after one year of testing and reporting, the District and Environmental Protection Agency shall submit a report to the General Assembly. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health shall establish an intergovernmental working group. Provides that the group shall meet at the beginning of every month to (i) address the effects of microplastic and PFAS water pollution on public health and (ii) find ways to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Provides that, every 6 months, the group shall submit a report to the General Assembly containing recommendations to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. In provisions concerning High Impact Businesses, adds utility-scale brownfield site photovoltaic projects and over 5,000 kilowatts and utility-scale solar projects to High Impact Businesses that may be located, at the time of designation, in an enterprise zone. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that "brownfield site photovoltaic project" includes photovoltaics that are interconnected to an electric utility, a municipal utility, a public utility, or an electric cooperative, where at least 50% of the acreage occupied by the photovoltaics is located on the property regulated under specified United States Environmental Protection Agency or Illinois Environmental Protection Agency programs. Makes other changes

Amends the Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks Title of the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a municipality or county may, to the same extent as an owner or operator, conduct tank removal, abandonment, site investigation, and corrective action with respect to a petroleum orphan underground storage tank in accordance with the requirements of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program, except that a municipality or county does not have to elect to proceed as an owner and the costs shall be eligible for payment from the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Defines "orphan underground storage tank". Makes conforming and other changes in provisions regarding the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

Creates the District Energy and Thermal Energy Storage Parity Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission, in consultation with Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish an optional certification process for Qualified District Energy Infrastructure. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to support certain projects. Provides that, within 180 days after the effective date of the Act, the Commission shall initiate a docketed proceeding to develop standardized thermal service agreement templates, suitable for developer financing and underwriting, and minimum requirements for customer rate stabilization options. Provides that a developer shall obtain a District Energy Feasibility Assessment from a qualified preparer for certain projects. Sets forth requirements for the content of the District Energy Feasibility Assessment. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department to develop and make available to units of local government a municipal alignment toolkit to facilitate the development and expansion of district energy systems. Requires the Department to establish and administer a district energy expansion program to support the development expansion, modernization, and decarbonization of district energy systems in the State. Amends the Illinois Finance Authority Act. Provides that the Authority may provide loans, credit enhancements, interest rate buydowns, loan loss reserves, or other financial assistance for the development, construction, expansion, or operation of the Qualified Energy Infrastructure and Dispatchable Thermal Energy Storage. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Creates the Thermal Energy Storage Credit procurement program. Sets forth requirements for the program. Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy evaluation in State procurements. Amends the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning exemptions. Amends the Property Tax Code. Defines "commercial energy storage system". Amends the Public Utilities Act. Sets forth provisions concerning district energy enabling measures and heat recovery incentives. Makes other changes.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Environmental Protection Agency for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: Other State Funds $536,333,587; Federal Funds $127,209,103; Total $663,542,690.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Reverts provisions regarding greenhouse gases to the language existing before changes made by amendment under P.A. 102-662. Repeals a provision defining "clean energy". Effective immediately.

Creates the Climate Change Superfund Act. Creates the Illinois Climate Change Superfund as a special fund in the State treasury. Requires at least 40% of the Fund to be spent on projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities facing climate change impacts. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules within one year, including regarding the apportionment of liability for climate change for payments into the Fund by responsible parties, regarding qualifying expenditures from the Fund, and regarding an Illinois Climate Change Superfund Program. Requires the Agency to establish procedures to challenge its determinations of liability for climate change and provides for judicial review under the Administrative Review Law. Makes findings. Defines terms. Provides that the Act is severable. Makes conforming changes to the State Finance Act.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits authorizing a discharge from a facility designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a major facility, shall, at a minimum, require for publicly owned treatment works, periodic sampling of influent, effluent, and biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods and, for all other facilities, periodic effluent sampling for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall require any NPDES permit application for a discharge of wastewater that has potential to contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to fully characterize the discharge through sample results for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall not issue any permit under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids unless the application includes sample results for the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that any permit issued under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids shall require, at minimum, periodic sampling of the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods.

Appropriates $780,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Cook County Forest Preserve District for the administration and operation of Greencorps Chicago and the Forest Preserve Experience Program. Effective July 1, 2026.

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Department of Natural Resources for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $97,945,800; Other State Funds $479,723,783; Federal Funds $51,126,622; Total $628,796,205.