Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB1859

SB1859 Enrolled LRB104 10734 BDA 20813 b

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Climate Displacement Task Force Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to ensure Illinois proactively plans for climate-driven displacement by identifying the projected climate risks and climate-driven displacement and the future resource needs, supporting community resilience, and developing policies in collaboration with residents, advocates, and industry stakeholders. With rising global water levels and more extreme weather events, states like Illinois will see an increase in the number of people relocating to escape these situations, which may include: (i) an influx of people from areas outside of Illinois facing greater threats, which can put strain on existing resources, (ii) increasing impacts on current Illinois residents, which may lead to a need to relocate within Illinois and even within smaller geographies, or (iii) both. The State of Illinois has a responsibility to analyze the State's future needs and to ensure the resilience of resources. As a result, the State of Illinois must adequately prepare to make robust policy suggestions in consultation with residents, advocates, and industry.

Section 10. Appointments. Members of the Task Force must be appointed no later than 90 days after the effective date of this Act. If a vacancy occurs on the Task Force, it shall be filled according to the guidelines of the initial appointment. These guidelines may include, but are not limited to, consultation with relevant stakeholders, adherence to diversity and equity principles, and consideration of expertise in climate displacement, expertise in systems and risk assessment, or a combination of expertise in climate displacement and systems and risk assessment. At the discretion of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, additional individuals may be appointed by the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson as voting members in the meetings of the Task Force, provided they have relevant expertise or experience in addressing climate displacement, building community resilience, or related fields. The qualifications for the appointments under this Section shall be documented and made publicly available by the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

Section 15. Duties. The Climate Displacement Task Force is created to make findings and recommendations regarding climate displacement within this State and to submit 2 reports. The first report shall analyze scientific research and global modeling to accurately assess the level of climate displacement that is projected to happen within the United States and its neighboring countries. The first report shall also delineate the Task Force's findings, conclusions, and recommendations and shall be submitted to the General Assembly no later than June 30, 2026.

The second report shall be developed with the information gathered in the first report and shall provide a needs assessment of infrastructure, systems development, and collaboration plans between State agencies to ensure that the State is prepared through 2050 for these upcoming challenges. The second report shall also delineate the Task Force's findings, conclusions, and recommendations and shall be submitted to the General Assembly no later than June 30, 2027. In this Section, "systems development" includes building resilient and adaptable systems across various sectors, including governance, infrastructure, and social services, to proactively address the challenges and impacts of climate change-induced displacement.

Once the initial voting members have been appointed, the Task Force shall meet not less than once each month following the effective date of this Act to carry out the duties prescribed in this Act.

Section 20. Membership; compensation.

(a) The Task Force shall consist of the following voting members:

(1) 4 members of the General Assembly:

(A) one member, who shall serve as Chairperson, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(B) one member, who shall serve as Vice-Chairperson, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(C) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(D) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(2) the Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or the Director's designee;

(3) the Director of Public Health or the Director's designee;

(4) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's designee;

(5) the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's designee;

(6) the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security or the Director's designee;

(7) the Director of Insurance or the Director's designee;

(8) the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission or the Chairman's designee;

(9) one representative from labor organizations, appointed by the Governor;

(10) one representative from community-based organizations working on affordable housing or transportation or other essential services, appointed by the Governor;

(11) one representative from immigrant rights organizations, appointed by the Governor;

(12) one representative from environmental justice organizations, appointed by the Governor;

(13) 2 representatives of academic institutions with experience in climate change, environmental science, urban planning, or any combination of those 3 fields of study, appointed by the Governor; and

(14) any other additional members appointed under Section 10.

(b) The members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation.

Section 90. Dissolution; repeal. The Task Force is dissolved and this Act is repealed on December 31, 2028.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.