102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1792
 
Introduced , by Rep. Dave Vella
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



  
30 ILCS 105/6z-32

 Creates the Illinois Partners for Nutrient Loss Reduction Act. Provides legislative findings. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that moneys in the Partners for Conservation Fund and the Partners for
Conservation Projects Fund may be used to implement the State's Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, including funding for specified needs. Provides that the State Comptroller shall automatically transfer moneys to the Partners for Conservation Fund through June 30, 2027 (currently, 2021). Specifies the amount of moneys transferred to the Fund from 2022 through 2027 (currently, only for 2021). Specifies amounts and uses for moneys to be used by the Fund through specified years. Provides specified amounts to be transferred from the General Revenue Fund into the Partners for Conservation Fund for each year of 2022 through 2027. Provides that for years 2022 through 2027 funding from the Partners for Conservation Fund shall be provided to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Natural Resources annually in specified amounts and for specified uses. Effective immediately.



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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 


HB1792LRB102 10936 CPF 16268 b



1 AN ACT concerning.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 1. References to Act. This Act may be referred to 
5as the Illinois Partners for Nutrient Loss Reduction Act.

6 Section 3. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7 (1) Excessive levels of nutrients are degrading the 
8quality of streams, rivers, and lakes within the State of 
9Illinois and contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of 
10Mexico.
11 (2) The State's Environmental Protection Agency and 
12Department of Agriculture collaborated with the Policy Working 
13Group, working with academics, environmental nonprofits, 
14representatives of federal, State, and local agencies, 
15wastewater treatment professionals, and the agricultural 
16community to develop the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction 
17Strategy in 2015. They continue to collaborate to implement 
18the Strategy.
19 (3) The Strategy sets a milestone to reduce nitrogen loads 
20in Illinois waters that leave the State by 15% and phosphorus 
21loads by 25% by 2025 from baseline levels of 1980-1996. One 
22goal is to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus loads by 45%.
23 (4) The Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
 
 
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1Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture require 
2resources to administer and implement the Strategy in order to 
3meet the Strategy's 2025 milestone and goal.
4 (5) Nutrient capture practices cost share grants will 
5assist Illinois' agricultural economy in meeting the goals of 
6the Strategy.
7 (6) Soil and Water Conservation Districts assist Illinois 
8farmers in implementing nutrient capture practices on their 
9farmland.

10 Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing 
11Section 6z-32 as follows:




12 (30 ILCS 105/6z-32)


13 Sec. 6z-32. Partners for Planning and Conservation. 

14 (a) The Partners for Conservation Fund (formerly known as 
15the Conservation 2000 Fund) and the Partners for
Conservation 
16Projects Fund (formerly known as the Conservation 2000 
17Projects Fund) are
created as special funds in the State 
18Treasury. These funds
shall be used to establish a 
19comprehensive program to protect Illinois' natural
resources 
20through cooperative partnerships between State government and 
21public
and private landowners. Moneys in these Funds may be

22used, subject to appropriation, by the Department of Natural 
23Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Department 
24of Agriculture for purposes relating to natural resource 
 
 
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1protection,
planning, recreation, tourism, and compatible 
2agricultural and economic development
activities. Without 
3limiting these general purposes, moneys in these Funds may
be 
4used, subject to appropriation, for the following specific 
5purposes:

6  (1) To foster sustainable agriculture practices and 
7 control soil erosion,
and sedimentation, and nutrient loss 
8 from farmland, including grants to Soil and Water 
9 Conservation Districts
for conservation practice 
10 cost-share grants and for personnel, educational, and

11 administrative expenses.

12  (2) To establish and protect a system of ecosystems in 
13 public and private
ownership through conservation 
14 easements, incentives to public and private
landowners, 
15 natural resource restoration and preservation, water 
16 quality protection and improvement, land use and watershed 
17 planning, technical assistance and grants, and
land 
18 acquisition provided these mechanisms are all voluntary on 
19 the part of the
landowner and do not involve the use of 
20 eminent domain.

21  (3) To develop a systematic and long-term program to 
22 effectively measure
and monitor natural resources and 
23 ecological conditions through investments in
technology 
24 and involvement of scientific experts.

25  (4) To initiate strategies to enhance, use, and 
26 maintain Illinois' inland
lakes through education, 
 
 
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1 technical assistance, research, and financial
incentives.

2  (5) To partner with private landowners and with units 
3 of State, federal, and local government and with 
4 not-for-profit organizations in order to integrate State 
5 and federal programs with Illinois' natural resource 
6 protection and restoration efforts and to meet 
7 requirements to obtain federal and other funds for 
8 conservation or protection of natural resources.
9  (6) To implement the State's Nutrient Loss Reduction 
10 Strategy, including, but not limited to, funding the 
11 resources needed to support the Strategy's Policy Working 
12 Group, cover water quality monitoring in support of 
13 Strategy implementation, prepare a biennial report on the 
14 progress made on the Strategy every 2 years, and provide 
15 cost share funding for nutrient capture projects. 

16 (b) The State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall 
17automatically transfer
on the last day of each month, 
18beginning on September 30, 1995 and ending on
June 30, 2027 
192021,
from the General Revenue Fund to the Partners for 
20Conservation
Fund,
an
amount equal to 1/10 of the amount set 
21forth below in fiscal year 1996 and
an amount equal to 1/12 of 
22the amount set forth below in each of the other
specified 
23fiscal years:























24Fiscal Year Amount
251996$ 3,500,000
261997$ 9,000,000


 
 
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11998$10,000,000
21999$11,000,000
32000$12,500,000
42001 through 2004$14,000,000
52005
$7,000,000
62006
$11,000,000

72007
$0

82008 through 2011
$14,000,000

92012 $12,200,000 
102013 through 2017 $14,000,000
112018 $1,500,000 
122019 $14,000,000 
132020 $7,500,000 
142021 $14,000,000 
152022 $18,135,000 
162023 $19,900,000 
172024 $23,025,000 
182025 $25,665,000 
192026 $25,680,000 
202027 $25,695,000 
21 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the 
22contrary and in addition to any other transfers that may be 
23provided for by law, on the last day of each month beginning on 
24July 31, 2006 and ending on June 30, 2007, or as soon 
25thereafter as may be practical, the State Comptroller shall 
26direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer $1,000,000 from 
 
 
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1the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund to the 
2Partners for Conservation Fund (formerly known as the 
3Conservation 2000 Fund).

4 (d) There shall be deposited into the Partners for

5Conservation Projects Fund such
bond proceeds and other moneys 
6as may, from time to time, be provided by law.

7 (e) For years 2022 through 2027, $1,075,000 from the 
8Partners for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually to 
9the Agency and used as follows:
10  (1) $530,000 for coordination of Strategy 
11 implementation, including, but not limited to, meeting 
12 coordination, reporting, and watershed coordination; and
13  (2) $545,000 to cover water quality monitoring in 
14 support of Strategy implementation.
15 (f) For years 2022 through 2027, funding from the Partners 
16for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually to the 
17Department of Agriculture:
18  (1) to be used for Soil and Water Conservation 
19 Districts for personnel, educational, and administrative 
20 expenses;
21  (2) to fund the Cover Crops Insurance Premium Discount 
22 Program; and
23  (3) for conservation practices cost share grants and 
24 technical assistance.
25 Funding provided to the Department of Agriculture under 
26this subsection shall be in the amount set forth below in each 
 
 
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1of the specified fiscal years: 
2Fiscal Year Amount 
32022 $10,060,000 
42023 $11,825,000 
52024 $14,950,000 
62025 $17,590,000 
72026 $17,605,000 
82027 $17,620,000 
9 (g) For years 2022 through 2027, $7,000,000 funding from 
10the Partners for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually 
11to the Department of Natural Resources and used as follows:
12  (1) $6,000,000 for personnel, educational, 
13 administrative, and conservation practices expenses; and
14  (2) $1,000,000 for conservation practices on publicly 
15 owned property of the Department of Natural Resources, and 
16 its surrounding area, that is leased to agricultural 
17 producers. 
18 In this Section, "strategy" means the Illinois 
19Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 Illinois Nutrient Loss 
20Reduction Strategy and its biennial reports of 2017 and 2019.
21(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17; 101-10, eff. 6-5-19.)



22 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
23becoming law.