SB1397 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 06538 BDA 16574 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1397

Introduced 1/29/2025, by Sen. Adriane Johnson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

415 ILCS 5/22.15
415 ILCS 20/11 new

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Comptroller and Treasurer shall transfer from the Solid Waste Management Fund into a separate account within the Solid Waste Management Fund, $225,000 on October 1, 2026, $234,000 on October 1, 2027, and $243,360 on October 1, 2028, for use in making grants to the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois to cover the costs of implementing a specified provision of the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Amends the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall provide grants to incentivize the use of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate on private and public lands used for commercial farm and specialty farm operations. Provides that the Agency shall partner with the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois to conduct a study of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate use over fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028, with a final report submitted to the General Assembly and Governor by December 1, 2028. 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 Environmental Protection Act is amended by changing Section 22.15 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/22.15)

Sec. 22.15. Solid Waste Management Fund; fees.

(a) There is hereby created within the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Solid Waste Management Fund, to be constituted from the fees collected by the State pursuant to this Section, from repayments of loans made from the Fund for solid waste projects, from registration fees collected pursuant to the Consumer Electronics Recycling Act, from fees collected under the Paint Stewardship Act, and from amounts transferred into the Fund pursuant to Public Act 100-433. Moneys received by either the Agency or the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in repayment of loans made pursuant to the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund.

(b) The Agency shall assess and collect a fee in the amount set forth herein from the owner or operator of each sanitary landfill permitted or required to be permitted by the Agency to dispose of solid waste if the sanitary landfill is located off the site where such waste was produced and if such sanitary landfill is owned, controlled, and operated by a person other than the generator of such waste. The Agency shall deposit all fees collected into the Solid Waste Management Fund. If a site is contiguous to one or more landfills owned or operated by the same person, the volumes permanently disposed of by each landfill shall be combined for purposes of determining the fee under this subsection. Beginning on July 1, 2018, and on the first day of each month thereafter during fiscal years 2019 through 2025, the State Comptroller shall direct and State Treasurer shall transfer an amount equal to 1/12 of $5,000,000 per fiscal year from the Solid Waste Management Fund to the General Revenue Fund.

(1) If more than 150,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at a site in a calendar year, the owner or operator shall either pay a fee of 95 cents per cubic yard or, alternatively, the owner or operator may weigh the quantity of the solid waste permanently disposed of with a device for which certification has been obtained under the Weights and Measures Act and pay a fee of $2.00 per ton of solid waste permanently disposed of. In no case shall the fee collected or paid by the owner or operator under this paragraph exceed $1.55 per cubic yard or $3.27 per ton.

(2) If more than 100,000 cubic yards but not more than 150,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous waste is permanently disposed of at a site in a calendar year, the owner or operator shall pay a fee of $52,630.

(3) If more than 50,000 cubic yards but not more than 100,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at a site in a calendar year, the owner or operator shall pay a fee of $23,790.

(4) If more than 10,000 cubic yards but not more than 50,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at a site in a calendar year, the owner or operator shall pay a fee of $7,260.

(5) If not more than 10,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at a site in a calendar year, the owner or operator shall pay a fee of $1050.

(c) (Blank).

(d) The Agency shall establish rules relating to the collection of the fees authorized by this Section. Such rules shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) necessary records identifying the quantities of solid waste received or disposed;

(2) the form and submission of reports to accompany the payment of fees to the Agency;

(3) the time and manner of payment of fees to the Agency, which payments shall not be more often than quarterly; and

(4) procedures setting forth criteria establishing when an owner or operator may measure by weight or volume during any given quarter or other fee payment period.

(e) Pursuant to appropriation, all monies in the Solid Waste Management Fund shall be used by the Agency for the purposes set forth in this Section and in the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act, including for the costs of fee collection and administration, for administration of the Paint Stewardship Act, and for the administration of the Consumer Electronics Recycling Act, the Drug Take-Back Act, and the Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Act.

(f) The Agency is authorized to enter into such agreements and to promulgate such rules as are necessary to carry out its duties under this Section and the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act.

(g) On the first day of January, April, July, and October of each year, beginning on July 1, 1996, the State Comptroller and Treasurer shall transfer $500,000 from the Solid Waste Management Fund to the Hazardous Waste Fund. Moneys transferred under this subsection (g) shall be used only for the purposes set forth in item (1) of subsection (d) of Section 22.2.

(h) The Agency is authorized to provide financial assistance to units of local government for the performance of inspecting, investigating, and enforcement activities pursuant to subsection (r) of Section 4 at nonhazardous solid waste disposal sites.

(i) The Agency is authorized to conduct household waste collection and disposal programs.

(j) A unit of local government, as defined in the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, in which a solid waste disposal facility is located may establish a fee, tax, or surcharge with regard to the permanent disposal of solid waste. All fees, taxes, and surcharges collected under this subsection shall be utilized for solid waste management purposes, including long-term monitoring and maintenance of landfills, planning, implementation, inspection, enforcement and other activities consistent with the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act and the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, or for any other environment-related purpose, including, but not limited to, an environment-related public works project, but not for the construction of a new pollution control facility other than a household hazardous waste facility. However, the total fee, tax or surcharge imposed by all units of local government under this subsection (j) upon the solid waste disposal facility shall not exceed:

(1) 60¢ per cubic yard if more than 150,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at the site in a calendar year, unless the owner or operator weighs the quantity of the solid waste received with a device for which certification has been obtained under the Weights and Measures Act, in which case the fee shall not exceed $1.27 per ton of solid waste permanently disposed of.

(2) $33,350 if more than 100,000 cubic yards, but not more than 150,000 cubic yards, of non-hazardous waste is permanently disposed of at the site in a calendar year.

(3) $15,500 if more than 50,000 cubic yards, but not more than 100,000 cubic yards, of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at the site in a calendar year.

(4) $4,650 if more than 10,000 cubic yards, but not more than 50,000 cubic yards, of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at the site in a calendar year.

(5) $650 if not more than 10,000 cubic yards of non-hazardous solid waste is permanently disposed of at the site in a calendar year.

The corporate authorities of the unit of local government may use proceeds from the fee, tax, or surcharge to reimburse a highway commissioner whose road district lies wholly or partially within the corporate limits of the unit of local government for expenses incurred in the removal of nonhazardous, nonfluid municipal waste that has been dumped on public property in violation of a State law or local ordinance.

For the disposal of solid waste from general construction or demolition debris recovery facilities as defined in subsection (a-1) of Section 3.160, the total fee, tax, or surcharge imposed by all units of local government under this subsection (j) upon the solid waste disposal facility shall not exceed 50% of the applicable amount set forth above. A unit of local government, as defined in the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, in which a general construction or demolition debris recovery facility is located may establish a fee, tax, or surcharge on the general construction or demolition debris recovery facility with regard to the permanent disposal of solid waste by the general construction or demolition debris recovery facility at a solid waste disposal facility, provided that such fee, tax, or surcharge shall not exceed 50% of the applicable amount set forth above, based on the total amount of solid waste transported from the general construction or demolition debris recovery facility for disposal at solid waste disposal facilities, and the unit of local government and fee shall be subject to all other requirements of this subsection (j).

A county or Municipal Joint Action Agency that imposes a fee, tax, or surcharge under this subsection may use the proceeds thereof to reimburse a municipality that lies wholly or partially within its boundaries for expenses incurred in the removal of nonhazardous, nonfluid municipal waste that has been dumped on public property in violation of a State law or local ordinance.

If the fees are to be used to conduct a local sanitary landfill inspection or enforcement program, the unit of local government must enter into a written delegation agreement with the Agency pursuant to subsection (r) of Section 4. The unit of local government and the Agency shall enter into such a written delegation agreement within 60 days after the establishment of such fees. At least annually, the Agency shall conduct an audit of the expenditures made by units of local government from the funds granted by the Agency to the units of local government for purposes of local sanitary landfill inspection and enforcement programs, to ensure that the funds have been expended for the prescribed purposes under the grant.

The fees, taxes or surcharges collected under this subsection (j) shall be placed by the unit of local government in a separate fund, and the interest received on the moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. The monies in the fund may be accumulated over a period of years to be expended in accordance with this subsection.

A unit of local government, as defined in the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, shall prepare and post on its website, in April of each year, a report that details spending plans for monies collected in accordance with this subsection. The report will at a minimum include the following:

(1) The total monies collected pursuant to this subsection.

(2) The most current balance of monies collected pursuant to this subsection.

(3) An itemized accounting of all monies expended for the previous year pursuant to this subsection.

(4) An estimation of monies to be collected for the following 3 years pursuant to this subsection.

(5) A narrative detailing the general direction and scope of future expenditures for one, 2 and 3 years.

The exemptions granted under Sections 22.16 and 22.16a, and under subsection (k) of this Section, shall be applicable to any fee, tax or surcharge imposed under this subsection (j); except that the fee, tax or surcharge authorized to be imposed under this subsection (j) may be made applicable by a unit of local government to the permanent disposal of solid waste after December 31, 1986, under any contract lawfully executed before June 1, 1986 under which more than 150,000 cubic yards (or 50,000 tons) of solid waste is to be permanently disposed of, even though the waste is exempt from the fee imposed by the State under subsection (b) of this Section pursuant to an exemption granted under Section 22.16.

(k) In accordance with the findings and purposes of the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act, beginning January 1, 1989 the fee under subsection (b) and the fee, tax or surcharge under subsection (j) shall not apply to:

(1) waste which is hazardous waste;

(2) waste which is pollution control waste;

(3) waste from recycling, reclamation or reuse processes which have been approved by the Agency as being designed to remove any contaminant from wastes so as to render such wastes reusable, provided that the process renders at least 50% of the waste reusable; the exemption set forth in this paragraph (3) of this subsection (k) shall not apply to general construction or demolition debris recovery facilities as defined in subsection (a-1) of Section 3.160;

(4) non-hazardous solid waste that is received at a sanitary landfill and composted or recycled through a process permitted by the Agency; or

(5) any landfill which is permitted by the Agency to receive only demolition or construction debris or landscape waste.

(l) The Comptroller shall order transferred, and the Treasurer shall transfer, from the amounts appropriated to the Agency for solid waste management activities in the then-current fiscal year, and into a separate account within the Solid Waste Management Fund, $225,000 on October 1, 2026, $234,000 on October 1, 2027, and $243,360 on October 1, 2028, for use in making grants to the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois to cover the costs of implementing subsection (b) of Section 11 of the Solid Waste Management Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-310, eff. 8-6-21; 102-444, eff. 8-20-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1055, eff. 6-10-22; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-372, eff. 1-1-24; 103-383, eff. 7-28-23; 103-588, eff. 6-5-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

Section 10. The Illinois Solid Waste Management Act is amended by adding Section 11 as follows:

(415 ILCS 20/11 new)

Sec. 11. Compost and digestate market development and study.

(a) It is the responsibility of the State to assist with the development of markets for finished compost produced in the State by permitted compost facilities, and for liquid digestate and solid digestate produced by anaerobic digesters. The Agency shall provide grants to incentivize the use of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate on private and public lands used for commercial farm and specialty farm operations. Grants provided under this Section shall provide funding based on the following requirements:

(1) for land owned by the State or units of local government used for commercial or specialty farm operations, the grant shall cover 100% of the cost associated with purchasing, transporting, and applying finished compost, which must meet the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) certification requirements or a similar nationally recognized compost standard for liquid digestate or solid digestate;

(2) for land owned by private entities for commercial or specialty farm operations, the grant shall cover 90% of the cost associated with purchasing, transporting, and applying finished compost, which must meet the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) certification requirements or a similar nationally recognized compost standard for liquid digestate or solid digestate;

(3) no single grant award shall exceed $50,000 per recipient per State fiscal year;

(4) grant recipients must allow for the study of the use of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate under subsection (b) of this Section;

(5) grants shall be made available on an annual basis for State fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028 from the Solid Waste Management Fund in an annual amount not to exceed $2,000,000; and

(6) the Agency shall administer the grants in consultation with the Department of Agriculture.

(b) It is the responsibility of the State to study the use of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate to determine their impact on soil, farming operations and soil sequestration of carbon. The Agency shall partner with the Prairie Research Institute of the University of Illinois to conduct the study of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate use. The study shall be conducted over State fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028, and the final report shall be submitted to the General Assembly and the Governor by December 1, 2028. The study shall include an evaluation of the following topics regarding the use of finished compost, liquid digestate, and solid digestate:

(1) its impact on the use of inorganic fertilizers to grow the crops specified in the grant agreements;

(2) its impact on soil composition and nutrient concentrations;

(3) its impact on soil health;

(4) its impact on improving the drought resistance of the crops specified in the grant agreements;

(5) its impact on crop rotation; and

(6) its ability to increase the soil's ability to retain carbon and the degree to which it is able to do so.

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