Environment

Creates the Single-Use Plastic Bag Taxation Act. Provides that, if a retail mercantile establishment offers a single-use checkout bag to consumers, the retail mercantile establishment shall charge consumers a fee of $0.05 for each single-use checkout bag offered. Provides that all fees collected shall be retained by the retail mercantile establishment and may be used for any lawful purpose, other than providing a customer a rebate or other form of reimbursement for the fee. Provides that the fee shall not apply to recycled paper bags that are used to carry items purchased pursuant to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Women Infants, and Children program or a similar governmental food assistance program. Contains other provisions. Denies home rule powers.

Amends the Illinois Pesticide Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2029, it is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, use, or distribute within this State any corn, soybean, or wheat seed coated or treated with a pesticide containing neonicotinoids, unless a valid waiver is issued by the Department of Agriculture. Lists requirements for the waiver. Directs the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules and annually report to the General Assembly regarding the waivers. Provides for civil penalties for violations (but not other penalties under the Act). Directs the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the University of Illinois, to conduct a study regarding alternatives to the use of pesticides containing specified ingredients to be submitted on or before January 1, 2029.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Establishes the data center self-direct program to allow for customers taking service under the data center tariff to receive a reduction in the charges collected for the procurement of renewable energy resources. Provides that the reduction in charges available to the customer shall increase based on the energy or capacity value of the new additive clean energy generation's contribution pursuant to the specified requirements. Provides that the Illinois Power Agency may require that participating customers provide annual reports related to facility operation and performance, customer electricity consumption and load profiles, and other information as necessary. Amends the Public Utilities Act. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State and discharging water to a wastewater treatment plant to identify likely pollutants in the data center's water discharges to monitor the data center's water discharges for the likely pollutants and to maintain data on the pollutant levels in water discharges. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to analyze and assess all data center water pollutant discharge level disclosure data. On and after January 1, 2027, requires all data centers operating within the State to maintain water consumption data to submit annual disclosures of the data center's water usage to the Department of Natural Resources. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to make an aggregated and anonymized form of data disclosed to it available on a publicly accessible website. Provides that data centers that fail to comply with any disclosure requirements under the Act may be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Commerce Commission to adopt implementing rules. Requires a specified electric utility to, no later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, make a filing with the Commission that proposes revenue-neutral tariff changes, which shall present the Commission with an opportunity to suspend the tariffs and consider revenue-neutral tariff changes related to rate design. Amends the Water Use Act of 1983. Makes changes in provisions concerning water conflict resolution and groundwater emergency restrictions. Sets forth requirements for data centers under the Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Procurement Code. Creates the Deforestation-Free Illinois Law within the Code. Provides that neither the State nor any State agency shall allow any person having a contract with the State or with a State agency to purchase, at wholesale or retail, or obtain any tropical hardwood or tropical hardwood product for use in completing a contract with the State or with any State agency, subject to certain exceptions. Requires contractors who enter into contracts with the State to certify that the commodity furnished to the State was not extracted from, grown, derived, harvested, reared, or produced on land where deforestation or primary forest and old-growth forest degradation occurred. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Provides that it is the policy of the State to rapidly transition to 100% clean energy by 2060 (rather than 2050). Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions relating to performance incentives and metrics for electric utilities designed to encourage those utilities to support and facilitate the State's clean energy transition, extends timelines by 10 years from existing statutory dates to allow for competitive market development and cost declines. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all electricity generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use coal or oil as a fuel and are not public GHG-emitting units shall permanently reduce all CO2e and co-pollutant emissions to zero no later than January 1, 2040 (rather than 2030). Further provides that All EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that use coal as a fuel and are public GHG-emitting units shall permanently reduce CO2e emissions to zero no later than December 31, 2055 (rather than 2045). Provides that if the emissions reduction requirement is not achieved by December 31, 2045 (rather than 2035), the plant shall retire one or more units or otherwise reduce its CO2e emissions by 45% from existing emissions by June 30, 2048 (rather than 2038). Provides that no later than January 1. 2050 (rather than 2040) all EGUs and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that have a NOx emission rate of greater than 0.12 lbs/MWh or a SO2 emission rate greater than 0.006 lb/MWh, and are not located in or within 3 miles of an environmental justice community designated as of January 1, 2021 or an equity investment eligible community shall permanently reduce all CO2e and co-pollutant emissions to zero, including through unit retirement or the use of 100% green hydrogen or other similar technology that is commercially proven to achieve zero carbon emissions.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Repeals the definition of "food scrap"; adds definitions for "anaerobic digestion", "biogas", "digestate", "food waste", "organic material", and "organic waste"; and updates the definitions of "compost" and "composting". In provisions regarding pollution control facilities, includes a new exemption for portions of sites or facilities used for composting or anaerobic digestion of organic waste that meet specified siting, setback, floodplain, and operational requirements. In provisions regarding prohibited acts, establishes permitting requirements for organic waste composting operations and organic waste anaerobic digesters, and creates exemptions for small-scale and certain farm-based composting operations that meet volume limits, setback distances, and other environmental safeguards. Provides that anaerobic digesters using only non-waste feedstock are exempt from solid waste permitting and clarifies that digested material returned to the economic mainstream is not regulated as waste. Authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to recommend, and the Pollution Control Board to adopt, performance standards for organic waste compost facilities and testing procedures for end-product compost, and requires a Technical Advisory Committee with balanced stakeholder representation. Specifies that standards apply to compost offered for sale or use and exempts on-site residential composting. Makes conforming changes throughout to integrate new definitions and regulatory requirements.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions regarding the regulation of greenhouse gases, defines "heat rate" as the gross amount of energy used by an electric generator or power plant, expressed in British thermal units (Btus), to generate one kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity, as measured using a 12-month average. In provisions regarding electric generating units and large greenhouse gas-emitting units that have a heat rate greater than or equal to 7,000 Btus/kWh, requires each EGU and large GHG-emitting unit, by no later than January 1, 2035, to reduce its COe emissions by at least 50% from its existing COe emissions as measured using a 12-month gross average in 2034.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2027, upon receipt of certain air pollution control construction permit applications, the Environmental Protection Agency shall evaluate (i) whether the applicable source falls within an area of environmental justice concern and, if so, notify specified persons; (ii) whether emissions can be reduced or limited; (iii) whether additional air quality modeling is needed; and (iv) whether specified permit enhancements are needed. Requires the Agency's permitting decisions to be informed by the applicant's history of violations of environmental laws and other factors. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Amends the Environmental Justice Act. Establishes the Office of Environmental Justice within the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate the integration of environmental justice into Agency programs and for other purposes. Requires the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency to appoint an Environmental Justice Officer to administer the Office of Environmental Justice. Effective immediately.

Amends the Water Use Act of 1983. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall consider water quantity in its procedures for restricting groundwater withdrawal under the Act and rules adopted under the Act. Requires the Department to adopt rules. Amends the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act to direct the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2028, on the unsustainable depletion of aquifers in the State with a legislative proposal to remedy the problem.

Amends the Illinois Pesticide Act. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2027, a pesticide containing a neonicotinoid may not be used on an ornamental plant, except in accordance with specified restrictions. Specifies that "restricted use pesticide" includes any pesticide that contains a neonicotinoid unless applied by a licensed applicator or certified technician working in structural pest control. Defines "neonicotinoid", "ornamental plant", and "zoophilous species". Grants rulemaking powers to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Effective immediately.