Bill Text: IL HR0884 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for improved night preservation practices in the State of Illinois and encourages municipalities and State agencies to research and adopt suitable outdoor lighting practices.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 15-1)
Status: (Passed) 2010-03-17 - Resolution Adopted [HR0884 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2009-HR0884-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Our nation's use of energy continues to escalate, | ||||||
| 3 | with increasingly detrimental environmental and economic | ||||||
| 4 | impact; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Outdoor lighting practices currently in | ||||||
| 6 | widespread use in the State of Illinois consume large amounts | ||||||
| 7 | of energy and are very energy-inefficient; much more efficient | ||||||
| 8 | outdoor lighting practices exist; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Energy savings would reduce carbon emissions into | ||||||
| 10 | our air, preserve natural resources used to produce this | ||||||
| 11 | energy, set a positive precedent for the rest of the nation, | ||||||
| 12 | and result in a reduction in costs for Illinois taxpayers and | ||||||
| 13 | businesses; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, The safety and welfare of pedestrians, cyclists, | ||||||
| 15 | and motorists depend upon the reduction of glare and the | ||||||
| 16 | establishment of consistent and well-defined standards for | ||||||
| 17 | levels of artificial outdoor illumination; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois recognizes the need to | ||||||
| 19 | define limits and protect the State's residents and business | ||||||
| 20 | owners from the trespass of excessive and misdirected | ||||||
| 21 | artificial outdoor illumination from adjacent properties; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, There is growing evidence that excessive | ||||||
| 2 | artificial outdoor illumination at night has detrimental | ||||||
| 3 | effects on human health; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Excessive artificial outdoor illumination at | ||||||
| 5 | night has been shown to have detrimental effects on numerous | ||||||
| 6 | species of flora and fauna, which depend on the natural cycle | ||||||
| 7 | of day and night for survival; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois recognizes the night sky as | ||||||
| 9 | a natural resource and the need to preserve the unique quality | ||||||
| 10 | of life of Illinois residents by preserving and enhancing their | ||||||
| 11 | ability to view the night sky; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The sky glow from artificial outdoor illumination | ||||||
| 13 | negatively impacts the enjoyment of State parks and other areas | ||||||
| 14 | of natural beauty and wildlife conservation; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Establishing pre-determined standards for | ||||||
| 16 | artificial outdoor illumination will provide Illinois | ||||||
| 17 | residents, business owners, and developers with a clear set of | ||||||
| 18 | guidelines to follow; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, A clear set of guidelines for artificial outdoor | ||||||
| 20 | illumination will eliminate the need for business | ||||||
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| 1 | establishments to compete for visual attention by escalating | ||||||
| 2 | outdoor lighting levels; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, A void remains in the creation and implementation | ||||||
| 4 | of a modern, practical set of lighting standards which address | ||||||
| 5 | the issues of energy consumption, environmental, and quality of | ||||||
| 6 | life related to artificial outdoor illumination in a | ||||||
| 7 | "holistic", effective manner; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has the potential to become | ||||||
| 9 | a leader in the area of artificial outdoor illumination | ||||||
| 10 | practices by promoting sound environmental policies which will | ||||||
| 11 | benefit residents of the State of Illinois and serve as a | ||||||
| 12 | positive example for the nation to follow; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois acknowledges its | ||||||
| 14 | responsibility to care for both the daytime and nighttime | ||||||
| 15 | environments; therefore, be it
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| 16 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 17 | NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 18 | express our support for improved night preservation practices | ||||||
| 19 | in the State of Illinois; and be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That we encourage municipalities and State | ||||||
| 21 | agencies to adopt suitable outdoor lighting practices based on | ||||||
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| 1 | the principle of applying artificial light only where it is | ||||||
| 2 | needed, when it is needed, and to only the levels needed, using | ||||||
| 3 | the best safety and energy-efficiency standards available; and | ||||||
| 4 | be it further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois Sustainable | ||||||
| 6 | Technology Center to provide artificial outdoor illumination | ||||||
| 7 | engineering assistance to State agencies, municipalities, and | ||||||
| 8 | businesses that seek to implement responsible outdoor lighting | ||||||
| 9 | to conserve energy and preserve the important natural | ||||||
| 10 | phenomenon of night; and be it further
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| 11 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent | ||||||
| 12 | to the Governor and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.
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