2026 Environmental Legislative Recap
Environmental protection and climate change have had a rough time federally, but in Illinois, we’ve notched some significant victories and made progress on other priorities. Here’s what’s happened so far, and what we’re continuing to advocate for in the coming months.
State-Level Recap
Not unexpectedly, the 2026 legislative session was short on time and results. Despite strong support from the the LWV, the public and lawmakers, the General Assembly failed to enact critical guardrails for LWVIL’s top three priorities this session: guardrails for data centers, protection of wetlands from development, and the banning of toxic polystyrene foam foodware.
Data centers guardrails (SB4016/HB5513) and the banning of polystyrene foam foodware (SB1531) will be top priorities for Veto Session (November 17-19 & December 1-3 ), while wetlands protections (HB3596) are on hold until study results commissioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources come in.
The 2026 session will be defined by small advances and defense against rollbacks and industrial polluters. Here are wins on other bills we followed:
Clean Water - PFAS
Two bills on PFAS and water passed the Illinois legislature. HB2955 will create a PFAS action task force to bring together water management organizations, advocates, and the government to address this issue. SB3917 will set standards for PFAS in biosolids, which is important for keeping this chemical out of our food and water.
Zero Waste - Plastic Pellets Pollution
Illinois became the first state in the Great Lakes to address pre-production plastic pellets, requiring the Illinois EPA to include them in its stormwater pollution prevention plan. The passage of HB4418 marks the first time these pellets are recognized as a pollutant in Illinois state law.
Environmental Justice
The General Assembly passed SB3772, codifying for the first time in Illinois law a legal framework for addressing the cumulative impact of industrial air pollution in Illinois’ Environmental Justice communities. In another win, the state budget includes an increase of $190 million in funding for lead service line replacement in Illinois.
Defense Against Federal Rollbacks
The Illinois EPA stepped up to protect Illinois’ environment amid the Trump administration’s ongoing rollbacks. HB5070 passed the House, ending the state's automatic adoption of federal environmental rules when rollbacks would weaken in-state protections.
City-Level Recap
At the urging of the Chicago chapter of the Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR), of which our League is a member, Alderman Martin has proposed a Polystyrene Foam Foodware ban in City Departments. This mirrors the State Agency and Department ban enacted in 2025. It has been assigned to the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee of the City Council.
The Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance is still in negotiation. We remain firmly behind this ordinance.
The City purchase of the Greyhound Bus Station is moving ahead thanks to the support of Alderman Conway. There will be a hearing on June 10 at City Hall regarding the potential purchase for a price of $19.2 million. You can view the ordinance and submit written comments to committeeonhousingandrealestate@cityofchicago.org by 5:00 pm on June 9.
We will keep you informed of opportunities for ACTION on our priorities as they arise. Please contact environment@lwvchicago.org to get involved with our work and view our webpage for news and environmental advice. The Environmental Action Committee meets the second Monday of each month at 4:30 pm.