104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2987 Introduced , by Rep. Katie Stuart SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. Provides that all operators of a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the effective date of the Act for each existing warehouse or, for warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective date of the Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse becomes operational. Provides that each plan shall be specific to the warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated at least once per year or upon any significant change to the operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or accuracy of the information in the plan. Specifies what the plan must contain. Requires each warehouse facility to have designated or constructed sufficient shelter space for at least 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, such as delivery drivers. Requires each warehouse to maintain specified emergency supplies in its tornado shelter. Effective immediately. LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2987 Introduced , by Rep. Katie Stuart SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. Provides that all operators of a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the effective date of the Act for each existing warehouse or, for warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective date of the Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse becomes operational. Provides that each plan shall be specific to the warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated at least once per year or upon any significant change to the operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or accuracy of the information in the plan. Specifies what the plan must contain. Requires each warehouse facility to have designated or constructed sufficient shelter space for at least 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, such as delivery drivers. Requires each warehouse to maintain specified emergency supplies in its tornado shelter. Effective immediately. LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2987 Introduced , by Rep. Katie Stuart SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. Provides that all operators of a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the effective date of the Act for each existing warehouse or, for warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective date of the Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse becomes operational. Provides that each plan shall be specific to the warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated at least once per year or upon any significant change to the operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or accuracy of the information in the plan. Specifies what the plan must contain. Requires each warehouse facility to have designated or constructed sufficient shelter space for at least 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, such as delivery drivers. Requires each warehouse to maintain specified emergency supplies in its tornado shelter. Effective immediately. LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b A BILL FOR HB2987LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions.In this Act: 7 "Warehouse" means an establishment as defined by any of 8 the following North American Industry Classification System 9 (NAICS) codes, however such establishment is denominated: 10 (1) 493 for Warehousing and Storage; 11 (2) 423 for Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods; 12 (3) 424 for Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods, 13 (4) 454110 for Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order 14 Houses; or 15 (5) 492110 for Couriers and Express Delivery Services. 16 "Warehouse worker" means any person who spends a majority 17 of working hours working within a warehouse, regardless of 18 that person's status as an employee or independent contractor 19 or the existence or non-existence of any employment 20 relationship between the operator or owner of the warehouse. 21 "Warehouse worker" does not include a person who, due to the 22 person's employment or any other reason, enters a warehouse 23 irregularly, infrequently, or only for a short period of time. 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2987 Introduced , by Rep. Katie Stuart SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act New Act Creates the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. Provides that all operators of a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the effective date of the Act for each existing warehouse or, for warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective date of the Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse becomes operational. Provides that each plan shall be specific to the warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated at least once per year or upon any significant change to the operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or accuracy of the information in the plan. Specifies what the plan must contain. Requires each warehouse facility to have designated or constructed sufficient shelter space for at least 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, such as delivery drivers. Requires each warehouse to maintain specified emergency supplies in its tornado shelter. Effective immediately. LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b A BILL FOR New Act LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987- 2 -LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 2 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 2 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b 1 Section 10. Tornado safety plan required. All operators of 2 a warehouse within this State shall prepare a tornado safety 3 plan for each warehouse they operate within 120 days after the 4 effective date of this Act for each existing warehouse or, for 5 warehouses opened on or after 120 days after the effective 6 date of this Act, no later than 7 days after the warehouse 7 becomes operational. Each plan shall be specific to the 8 warehouse it was prepared for and must be reviewed and updated 9 at least once per year or upon any significant change to the 10 operations of the warehouse that affects the applicability or 11 accuracy of the information in the plan. Copies of this plan 12 and all updates made to the plan must be filed with the Office 13 of the State Fire Marshal, the Illinois Emergency Management 14 Agency and Office of Homeland Security, and the fire 15 department, fire protection district, or local emergency 16 services agency with primary responsibility for the warehouse. 17 The plan must, at a minimum, contain the following 18 information: 19 (1) A floor plan of the warehouse with emergency 20 exits, assembly points, and shelter areas along with 21 orienting landmarks clearly displayed. 22 (2) A written description of the actions that 23 employees and supervisors are required to perform in the 24 event of a tornado warning or other severe weather event. 25 (3) A list of all emergency equipment stored in the HB2987 - 2 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987- 3 -LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 3 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 3 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b 1 warehouse and the equipment's location and instructions on 2 the use of the equipment. 3 (4) A written description of the actions that 4 employees and supervisors are required to perform in the 5 aftermath of a tornado or other severe weather event 6 including basic first aid procedures, and guidelines for 7 communications with other warehouse workers and first 8 responders. 9 Section 15. Tornado shelters. Each warehouse facility must 10 designate or construct sufficient shelter space for at least 11 125% of persons who regularly work in the warehouse at the same 12 time, including persons who are at the warehouse temporarily, 13 such as delivery drivers. The tornado shelters must be built 14 to withstand high winds and must, at a minimum, meet the 15 requirements of a storm shelter as defined in Chapter 4, 16 Section 423 of the International Building Code in effect on 17 the effective date of this Act or, for warehouses built or 18 reconstructed after the effective date of this Act, any 19 successor section and amendments to the International Building 20 Code for warehouses. 21 Section 20. Emergency supplies. Each warehouse must 22 maintain in its tornado shelters a first aid kit, food and 23 water sufficient for the entire shelter's capacity for 12 24 hours, a fire extinguisher, flashlights and other lighting HB2987 - 3 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987- 4 -LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 4 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b HB2987 - 4 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b 1 equipment, high visibility clothing, and communications 2 equipment, including, but not limited to, a 2-way radio 3 communication device, a weather radio, and whistles. HB2987 - 4 - LRB104 09137 RPS 19193 b