104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3681
 
Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Mike Simmons
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
    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.


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
5Protect the Great Lakes Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7        (1) An International Joint Commission Great Lakes 
8    Science Advisory Board Microplastics Work Group was 
9    established in 2022 to address growing concerns over the 
10    presence and potential ecological effects of microplastics 
11    in the transboundary waters of the Great Lakes.
12        (2) Laboratory toxicity tests show that microplastics 
13    can adversely affect species relevant to the Great Lakes. 
14    Several laboratory studies have found effects of 
15    microplastics on organisms including tissue inflammation, 
16    changes to gene expression, reduced growth and feeding, 
17    decreased reproductive output, and increased mortality. 
18    Plastics can also leach additives or sorb contaminants 
19    present in the environment and may potentially act as 
20    vectors for other toxic compounds.
21        (3) Most of what is known about PFAS comes from 
22    studies of humans and animals exposed to perfluorooctanoic 
23    acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. PFOA and PFOS are 
 
 
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1    no longer produced in the United States, but they continue 
2    to be detected in human blood, along with other PFAS. 
3    Exposure to PFAS in contaminated drinking water may result 
4    in the following health effects:
5            (A) increased cholesterol levels;
6            (B) liver damage;
7            (C) increased risk for thyroid disease;
8            (D) high blood pressure or preeclampsia during 
9        pregnancy;
10            (E) small decreases in infant birth weights;
11            (F) decreased vaccine response in children; and
12            (G) increased risk of cancers.
13        (4) A regionally coordinated monitoring program 
14    following harmonized methods and adhering to consistent 
15    reporting guidelines should be implemented to inform 
16    ecological risk assessment, mitigation, and management of 
17    microplastic and PFAS in the Great Lakes.
 
18    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
19    "District" means the Metropolitan Water Reclamation 
20District of Greater Chicago.
21    "Microplastic" means a plastic particle less than 5 mm in 
22size.
23    "Perfluoroalkyl substance or polyfluoroalkyl substance" or 
24"PFAS" means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals 
25containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
 
 
 
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1    Section 15. Pilot program. At the start of each month, the 
2District shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS 
3in Lake Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
4test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in the 
5Illinois drinking water system. At the end of each month, the 
6District shall submit a report to the Environmental Protection 
7Agency containing the test results taken at the start of the 
8month. After one year of testing and reporting, the District 
9and Environmental Protection Agency shall submit a report to 
10the General Assembly.
 
11    Section 20. Working group. The Environmental Protection 
12Agency and the Department of Public Health shall establish an 
13intergovernmental working group. The group shall meet at the 
14beginning of every month to (i) address the effects of 
15microplastic and PFAS water pollution on public health and 
16(ii) find ways to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water 
17pollution. Every 6 months, the group shall submit a report to 
18the General Assembly containing recommendations to eliminate 
19microplastic and PFAS water pollution.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
211, 2027.