* Tribune…

Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, and Rep. Anna Moeller, an Elgin Democrat, introduced companion bills Tuesday that would establish a permitting program to protect wetlands from pollution and draining.

Illinois is one of several states with no statewide protections for wetlands on private land. It relied on federal Clean Water Act protections until the conservative court severely curtailed them in Sackett v. EPA, a ruling that has been celebrated by real estate developers and industry but has greatly concerned environmentalists.

“We’re not trying to write or pass the perfect wetlands law of our dreams as conservationists. What we’re trying to do is step up where the federal government has now stepped back,” said Paul Botts, the executive director of the Wetlands Initiative, a Chicago-based conservation organization that advised on the bill.

If passed, the Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act will empower the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to regulate land use around the state’s remaining wetlands, which can be valuable natural defenses against flooding and water pollution.

* Press release…

Today, Illinois Senator Laura Ellman (District 21) and State Representative Anna Moeller (District 43) joined forces with community advocates to announce the “Wetlands and Small Stream Protection Act” – new legislation protecting Illinois waters in the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that rolled back crucial federal safeguards in the Clean Water Act.

Illinois law does not currently include a comprehensive program to safeguard waters and wetlands that are now no longer federally protected, leaving the few remaining Illinois wetlands vulnerable to development. In their May 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision, the Court left protections up to the states, prompting Sen. Ellman and Rep. Moeller to introduce SB3669 and HB5386. […]

When enacted, this legislation will reinstate vital protections for Illinois wetlands, creating a long-term Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) program to protect our state waters by:

-requiring that wetland developers apply to IDNR for a permit before destroying the wetlands and small streams on which the Supreme Court has now declared an open season,
-requiring avoiding wetlands destruction to the extent possible and compensating for the losses that their activity would have on floodwater retention, water quality, and wildlife,
-allowing the Illinois counties that have good wetlands protection programs to continue their good work, and
-charging applicants a modest fee that would help pay for the program.

* WAND…

Private insurance companies in Illinois can currently limit patients to four rounds of IVF treatment. State lawmakers removed the cap on infertility coverage for state employees last year. Although, a proposal in the Illinois House could expand private insurance coverage for the critical infertility treatments.

Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) told the House Insurance Committee Tuesday that the live birth rate for a single cycle of IVF is roughly 30%. She explained there are similar success rates for one to four cycles of IVF. […]

Rep. Will Hauter (R-Morton) argued that some people may abuse the insurance coverage instead of looking into alternative family planning options such as adoption or foster care. However, Croke stressed that people make very personal decisions about starting a family and the state should not prevent patients from receiving this coverage.

The plan passed out of the House Insurance Committee on a 11-2 vote and now heads to the House floor for further consideration. If approved by both chambers and Gov. JB Pritzker, House Bill 4112 could take effect on January 1, 2026.

* Sen. Mike Porfirio…

To protect our nation’s veterans from predatory business practices, State Senator Mike Porfirio has advanced legislation aimed at combating “claim sharks” who target veterans by offering veteran and military benefit services in exchange for financial compensation.

“Our veterans have sacrificed greatly for our country, and it is our duty to ensure they are protected from crooked practices,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “This bill will not only hold claim sharks accountable, but it will also establish a framework that promotes transparency, empowering veterans with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their benefits.”

Senate Bill 3479 aims to combat claim sharks who target veterans in their deceptive business practices by ensuring transparency regarding these businesses lack of VA accreditation. Some of their predatory practices include guaranteeing an increased disability rating or percentage increase, advertising expedited VA claims decisions, requesting login credentials to access a veteran’s personal information through secure VA websites and more.

Through this measure, veterans will be better informed about the services offered to them, reducing the risk of misleading or fraudulent advice. The goal is to provide veterans with an avenue of recourse against these deceptive practices and establish a more secure environment when seeking assistance related to their veteran or military benefits. […]

SB 3479 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

* WGEM…

Pharmacists from across Illinois rallied outside the state capitol Tuesday calling for legislation banning certain practices from pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), which they said hurt local pharmacies.

Illinois Pharmacists Association Executive Director Garth Reynolds said PBMs are prescription drug middlemen. Examples include Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx. They negotiate between insurance companies, drug manufacturers and pharmacies.

He supports a bill that would ban PBMs from steering patients to pharmacies they own or a mail-order service. It would also ban “spread pricing.” It’s a practice in which PBMs charge insurers or drug companies more than they pay pharmacies.

“Because of a lot of this restrictive economic structure, it makes it so that for each and every prescription, pharmacies more and more are being paid in the negative, and you can’t run a pharmacy, or any business let alone, on negative dollars coming in,” Reynolds said.

* Sen. Michael Hastings…

Residents across Illinois may soon have relief from noisy highways, thanks to a measure advanced by State Senator Michael E. Hastings. […]

Hastings introduced Senate Bill 3175 in response to a number of noise complaints he was receiving from residents in the 19th Senate District.

IDOT currently maintains a Type 1 program which studies the possible impact and mitigation effects on newly constructed highways. Hastings measure would require IDOT create and implement a Type 2 Noise Suppression Program by July 1, 2025 to provide noise abatement for existing highways.

He believes this expansion of the program would alleviate constituents’ concerns and help improve the quality of life for residents throughout the state.

“This legislation will move us one step closer in improving the quality of life for those who have been suffering from endless highway noise for years,” Hastings said.

Senate Bill 3175 passed the Senate’s Transportation Committee on Tuesday and will continue on for further consideration.

* The American Council of Engineering Companies…

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) has unveiled its 2024 legislative agenda, calling for a renewed commitment to full funding for infrastructural development through Rebuild Illinois and modernizing research and education tax credits and other incentives that will help the state recruit and retain engineers who build the infrastructure that will keep the state at pace with a 21st century economy.

The legislative agenda prioritizes the continued funding of transportation and infrastructure projects by the state through the historic $45 billion Rebuild Illinois program. ACEC Illinois is urging the state and the legislature to reconsider the recently-released budget proposal that calls for a diversion of $175 million committed to fund bridge repair, road improvement and other critical need projects to pay for spending on public transportation operations in the Chicago region. These public transportation costs have been historically paid for by the state’s General Revenue Fund since they are not associated with capital improvements, repairs or upgrades.

According to the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, the $175 million loss in road funding would multiply to more than a $1 billion impact in lost road and bridge improvements over the next few years. The fiscal impact of such a roll back would limit plans by IDOT and other agencies, delay projects, slow the modernization of the state’s transportation network and have an enormous impact on the state’s ambitious infrastructure development program.

“The bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Program is a once in a generation opportunity to upgrade and modernize our state’s road transportation and physical infrastructure to meet current needs and the demands of the future,” said Kevin Artl, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. “Our legislative priorities aim to ensure that the progress so far made is protected and not diminished by infrastructure funding cutbacks or diversion and that incentives for research, training and workforce development are maintained to make Illinois a destination point for engineers from across the world to locate here and work on these critical projects.

Other key issues in ACEC Illinois’ 2024 Legislative Agenda include a call for continued appropriation of funds for training and retention of engineering talent through education tax credits that will provide for a tax credit of 10% of the salary paid by engineering firms to recent graduates of Illinois’ engineering schools and 5% of the salary paid to recent graduates of engineering schools outside of Illinois; and modernization of the state’s research and development (R&D) tax credits to match changes to the R&D credit at the federal level. ACEC Illinois also supports legislation that will protect and help diverse businesses succeed at the state level through diversity in contracting and calls for a resolution to urge Congress to take action to protect the USDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program which is at risk due to recent legal decisions. ACEC Illinois also supports the Knowledge Transfer Act that promotes knowledge transfer, collaboration and greater communication between engineering companies, state agencies and the private sector. […]

ACEC-IL 2024 Legislative Agenda

-Preserve REBUILD Illinois: To keep Illinois’ promise to citizens to repair, maintain and upgrade Illinois’ infrastructure to support a 21st Century economy, ACEC Illinois will oppose efforts to roll back or divert funding for ReBuild Illinois capital investments.

-Maintain Funding for IDOT Engineer Student Loan Repayment Program: Legislation was passed last year to launch a pilot program to incentivize engineers trained in Illinois to work in Illinois. The state budget included funding at the pilot level, and ACEC requests re-appropriations of those dollars, as students graduate college and become eligible for the program, in order to see the program implemented.

-Modernize the State’s Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit (SB 163), (HB 4457): Research and Development (R&D) is critical to Illinois’ engineers as they work to modernize the state’s infrastructure. However, Illinois’ R&D credit is outdated and expires without state intervention. ACEC Illinois supports this initiative that increases the R&D credit by providing that the increase in research and development activities shall be based on an increase over 50% of the average of the qualifying expenditures for each year in the base period. This change modernizes the bill to match changes to the R&D credit at the federal level. Additionally, the bill makes the R&D credit permanent moving forward. The legislation is sponsored by Senator DeWitte and Rep. Joe Sosnowski.

-Retain Illinois Students of Engineering (RISE) Tax Credit (HB 2425) (SB 2282): Helping attract and retain engineers as the industry faces a shortage of educated talent, this legislation provides for a tax credit of 10% of the salary paid to recent graduates of Illinois’ engineering schools and 5% of the salary paid to recent graduates of engineering schools outside of Illinois. This legislation is sponsored by Rep. Marty Moylan and Senator Ram Villivalam.

-Knowledge Transfer Innovation Act (SB 3712): To ensure Illinois’ most innovative engineering firms can share their cutting-edge technology and design approaches with state agencies, this legislation allows for greater communication and knowledge transfer between the private and public sector. This legislation is sponsored by Senator Ram Villivalam.

-Protect Illinois’ Diverse Businesses: The USDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program along with other local DBE programs are at risk due to the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling last year to block considerations of race in university admissions. In Illinois, IDOT, Tollway and CDB have effectively and credibly used these programs to help Illinois businesses succeed and grow, and ACEC is calling for attention to this issue to ensure they are protected. The Resolution is sponsored by Senator Villivalam.