Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB1859 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 04/10/2025

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1  AN ACT concerning safety.
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  Climate Displacement Task Force Act.
6  Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to ensure
7  Illinois proactively plans for climate-driven displacement by
8  identifying the projected climate risks and climate-driven
9  displacement and the future resource needs, supporting
10  community resilience, and developing policies in collaboration
11  with residents, advocates, and industry stakeholders. With
12  rising global water levels and more extreme weather events,
13  states like Illinois will see an increase in the number of
14  people relocating to escape these situations, which may
15  include: (i) an influx of people from areas outside of
16  Illinois facing greater threats, which can put strain on
17  existing resources, (ii) increasing impacts on current
18  Illinois residents, which may lead to a need to relocate
19  within Illinois and even within smaller geographies, or (iii)
20  both. The State of Illinois has a responsibility to analyze
21  the State's future needs and to ensure the resilience of
22  resources. As a result, the State of Illinois must adequately
23  prepare to make robust policy suggestions in consultation with

 

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1  residents, advocates, and industry.
2  Section 10. Appointments. Members of the Task Force must
3  be appointed no later than 90 days after the effective date of
4  this Act. If a vacancy occurs on the Task Force, it shall be
5  filled according to the guidelines of the initial appointment.
6  These guidelines may include, but are not limited to,
7  consultation with relevant stakeholders, adherence to
8  diversity and equity principles, and consideration of
9  expertise in climate displacement, expertise in systems and
10  risk assessment, or a combination of expertise in climate
11  displacement and systems and risk assessment. At the
12  discretion of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, additional
13  individuals may be appointed by the Chairperson and
14  Vice-Chairperson as voting members in the meetings of the Task
15  Force, provided they have relevant expertise or experience in
16  addressing climate displacement, building community
17  resilience, or related fields. The qualifications for the
18  appointments under this Section shall be documented and made
19  publicly available by the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.
20  Section 15. Duties. The Climate Displacement Task Force is
21  created to make findings and recommendations regarding climate
22  displacement within this State and to submit 2 reports. The
23  first report shall analyze scientific research and global
24  modeling to accurately assess the level of climate

 

 

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1  displacement that is projected to happen within the United
2  States and its neighboring countries. The first report shall
3  also delineate the Task Force's findings, conclusions, and
4  recommendations and shall be submitted to the General Assembly
5  no later than June 30, 2026.
6  The second report shall be developed with the information
7  gathered in the first report and shall provide a needs
8  assessment of infrastructure, systems development, and
9  collaboration plans between State agencies to ensure that the
10  State is prepared through 2050 for these upcoming challenges.
11  The second report shall also delineate the Task Force's
12  findings, conclusions, and recommendations and shall be
13  submitted to the General Assembly no later than June 30, 2027.
14  In this Section, "systems development" includes building
15  resilient and adaptable systems across various sectors,
16  including governance, infrastructure, and social services, to
17  proactively address the challenges and impacts of climate
18  change-induced displacement.
19  Once the initial voting members have been appointed, the
20  Task Force shall meet not less than once each month following
21  the effective date of this Act to carry out the duties
22  prescribed in this Act.
23  Section 20. Membership. The Task Force shall consist of
24  the following voting members:
25  (1) the Governor or his or her designee;

 

 

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1  (2) 4 members of the General Assembly:
2  (A) one member, who shall serve as Chairperson,
3  appointed by the Speaker of the House of
4  Representatives;
5  (B) one member, who shall serve as
6  Vice-Chairperson, appointed by the President of the
7  Senate;
8  (C) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of
9  the Senate;
10  (D) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of
11  the House of Representatives;
12  (3) the Director of the Illinois Environmental
13  Protection Agency or the Director's designee;
14  (4) the Director of Public Health or the Director's
15  designee;
16  (5) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's
17  designee;
18  (6) the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's
19  designee;
20  (7) the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management
21  Agency and Office of Homeland Security or the Director's
22  designee;
23  (8) the Director of Insurance or the Director's
24  designee;
25  (9) the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission
26  or the Chairman's designee;

 

 

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1  (10) one representative from labor organizations,
2  appointed by the Governor;
3  (11) one representative from community-based
4  organizations working on affordable housing or
5  transportation or other essential services, appointed by
6  the Governor;
7  (12) one representative from immigrant rights
8  organizations, appointed by the Governor;
9  (13) one representative from environmental justice
10  organizations, appointed by the Governor;
11  (14) 2 representatives of academic institutions with
12  experience in climate change, environmental science, urban
13  planning, or any combination of those 3 fields of study,
14  appointed by the Governor; and
15  (15) any other additional members appointed under
16  Section 10.
17  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18  becoming law.

 

 

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