Bill > HB4773

This bill, titled the Climate Change Superfund Act, establishes a dedicated fund in the state treasury to address the impacts of climate change in Illinois, with at least 40% of the funds designated for projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected by climate change. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is tasked with creating rules within one year to determine how "responsible parties," defined as entities that extracted or refined fossil fuels and contributed over one billion tons of "covered fossil fuel emissions" (greenhouse gases released from fossil fuels) between 2000 and 2024, will be held liable for payments into the fund. These rules will also outline what expenditures qualify for funding, such as infrastructure improvements for flood control, urban heat reduction, water management, and ecosystem restoration, and establish an "Illinois Climate Change Superfund Program" to manage these funds. The bill also provides a process for responsible parties to challenge the IEPA's liability determinations, with the option for judicial review under the Administrative Review Law, and clarifies that this act is remedial, aiming to recover costs for adaptation rather than punish polluters.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4773&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104