HB1897 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 05837 BDA 15868 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB1897

Introduced 1/29/2025, by Rep. Gregg Johnson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new
415 ILCS 5/Art. Tit. XIX heading new
415 ILCS 5/60 new
415 ILCS 5/60.1 new
415 ILCS 5/60.2 new
415 ILCS 5/60.3 new
415 ILCS 5/60.4 new
415 ILCS 5/60.5 new

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Department of Agriculture determines are eligible for grant funding. Provides that eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, and fuel dispensers. Provides that an eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding. Provides that no funding under the program shall be made available to a public body. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Provides that, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund, unless the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000. Creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. Sets forth membership and duties of the Task Force. Amends the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning safety.

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

Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 5.1030 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new)

Sec. 5.1030. The Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund.

Section 10. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by adding Title XIX as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/Art. Tit. XIX heading new)

ARTICLE Tit. XIX. RENEWABLE FUELS INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM

(415 ILCS 5/60 new)

Sec. 60. Creation; administration. The General Assembly hereby establishes the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program (RFI Program). The Department of Agriculture shall administer the Renewable Infrastructure Program in accordance with the terms of this Title. Grants may be awarded from the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund to applicants satisfying the application and eligibility requirements established by the Department of Agriculture, by rule.

(415 ILCS 5/60.1 new)

Sec. 60.1. Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund.

(a) The Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. The Fund may accept moneys from any lawful source. Any interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall be deposited into the Fund.

(b) Moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Department of Agriculture solely to provide grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other companies that the Department of Agriculture, by rule, determines are eligible for grant funding under this Title.

(c) An eligible grant recipient shall not receive more than $1,000,000 in grant funding under this Title.

(415 ILCS 5/60.2 new)

Sec. 60.2. Funding. From July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, the Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, $3,000,000 each calendar quarter from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund for the purpose of establishing a grant program funding the installation of equipment for the storage and dispensing of fuels with higher blends of ethanol or biodiesel feedstock. For the purposes of this Section, "higher blends" means gasoline blends greater than E-10 and biodiesel blends greater than B-10. No transfer shall take place from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Fund in any calendar quarter from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, when the Underground Storage Tank Fund has a balance at or below $75,000,000.

(415 ILCS 5/60.3 new)

Sec. 60.3. Eligibility. Eligible recipients for grant funding under this Title are exclusively limited to retail petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and any other related companies identified by the Department of Agriculture, by rule. No funding shall be made available to any public body pursuant to this Title. Applicants for grant funding under this Title are responsible for covering at least 50% of the costs associated with installing the equipment for which grant funding is provided under this Title. A company may not apply for more than $1,000,000 in grant funding under this Title or more than $100,000 for any one site.

In this Section, "public body" has the meaning given to that term in Section 1.02 of the Open Meetings Act.

(415 ILCS 5/60.4 new)

Sec. 60.4. Task Force. The Department of Agriculture shall establish the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force. The Department of Agriculture shall solicit feedback from and consult with, at least annually, representatives from stakeholder groups. The Task Force shall be composed of 6 members representing petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, or any other related companies or associations. At least 3 of these 6 members shall hold a valid motor fuel tax license. The Task Force shall also include 2 members representing Illinois corn growers and 2 members representing Illinois soybean growers. Task Force members shall be selected by the Director of Agriculture. The substance of consultations shall include, but may not be limited to, an overall review of the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program, whether the Renewable Infrastructure program is meeting its goals and whether the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program should be renewed beyond June 30, 2027. The Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force shall not have binding decision-making authority.

(415 ILCS 5/60.5 new)

Sec. 60.5. Expenditures. Eligible expenditures include tank modifications, tanks, piping, fuel dispensers, and any other equipment deemed necessary by the Department of Agriculture, by rule.

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