Bill Text: IL SB2395 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act. Provides that on or before July 1, 2026, municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 residents and all counties must adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform. Requires the public reporting of information about such a platform on the official website of the municipality and county. Provides that a person or entity aggrieved by a violation of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act may file a civil action in the county in which the alleged offense occurred or where any person who is party to the action resides, without regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative remedies provided in the Act. Provides that a person or entity whose rights have been violated under the Act by a municipality or county is entitled to collect: (i) up to 50% of the total cost of the residential photovoltaic system installation for which the permit is requested; (ii) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate; and (iii) attorney's fees and costs. Creates a statute of limitations for a civil action 3 years from the date that a person or entity requested a permit for a residential photovoltaic system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-07 - Referred to Assignments [SB2395 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB2395-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2395 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Bill Cunningham SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act. Provides that on or before July 1, 2026, municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 residents and all counties must adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform. Requires the public reporting of information about such a platform on the official website of the municipality and county. Provides that a person or entity aggrieved by a violation of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act may file a civil action in the county in which the alleged offense occurred or where any person who is party to the action resides, without regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative remedies provided in the Act. Provides that a person or entity whose rights have been violated under the Act by a municipality or county is entitled to collect: (i) up to 50% of the total cost of the residential photovoltaic system installation for which the permit is requested; (ii) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate; and (iii) attorney's fees and costs. Creates a statute of limitations for a civil action 3 years from the date that a person or entity requested a permit for a residential photovoltaic system.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning civil law.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act.
Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Baseline residential code" means an edition of the
International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family
Dwellings first published by the International Code Council
during the current year or preceding 9 calendar years
excluding Parts IV and VII.
"Residential automated solar permitting platform" means
software or a combination of software that automates plan
review, automatically produces code-compliant approvals,
accepts online payments for permitting fees if permitting fees
are levied, and instantly issues permits and permit revisions
for residential photovoltaic systems upon online submission of
permitting fee payments, if permitting fees are levied, and a
code-compliant application. The residential automated solar
permitting platform shall be available for residential
photovoltaic systems up to the maximum capacity allowed with a
200-amp main service disconnect and installed to the
requirements of the baseline residential code that may include

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an energy storage system up to the maximum capacity allowed
under the baseline residential code, a main panel upgrade, or
a main breaker derate.
Section 10. Adoption of platform. On or before July 1,
2026, municipalities with a population of more than 5,000
residents and all counties shall adopt a residential automated
solar permitting platform. The municipality or county shall
anticipate that the residential automated solar permitting
platform will have the capability to process at least 75% of
residential solar applications on existing construction
submitted to authorities having jurisdiction in the State.
For a solar photovoltaic system approved by such a
platform under this Section, municipalities and counties may
not require manual review at any time during the permitting
and inspection processes, including, but not limited to,
before issuing a permit or before conducting or finalizing the
inspection. This does not preclude an inspector from examining
construction documents.
Section 15. Reporting.
(a) On or before July 1, 2026, municipalities with a
population of more than 5,000 residents and all counties shall
include on their websites the availability of a residential
automated solar permitting platform and how to access it.
(b) Municipalities and counties shall publish compliance

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reports to their official website when the municipality or
county is in compliance with Section 10. The reports shall be
published within 60 days of the municipality or county
becoming compliant with Section 10. The reports shall include
the following:
(1) the date of compliance;
(2) the software used for compliance;
(3) confirmation that the municipality or county is:
(A) using a residential automated solar permitting
platform to issue permits instantly and issue permit
revisions instantly for residential solar photovoltaic
systems; and
(B) not requiring manual review at any time during
the permitting and inspection processes, including,
but not limited to, before issuing a permit or before
conducting or finalizing the inspection for solar
photovoltaic systems approved by the residential
automated solar permitting platform; and
(4) an explanation as to why the municipality or
county anticipates the residential automated solar
permitting platform has the capability to process at least
75% of the residential solar photovoltaic permit
applications on existing construction submitted to
municipalities and counties in the State. Municipalities
and counties may provide explanations that are based on,
but are not necessarily limited to, statements from the

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provider of the residential automated solar permitting
platform.
(c) Municipalities and counties of more than 5,000
residents and all counties shall publish annual reports on
their website on the usage of the residential automated solar
permitting platform. A municipality and county shall publish
the report annually by April 1st each year, covering the
previous calendar year, starting on April 1, 2027. This annual
reporting requirement shall become inoperative on April 2,
2036. The reports shall include the following:
(1) the number of permits issued through the
residential automated solar permitting platform and
relevant characteristics of those systems;
(2) the number of residential photovoltaic solar
permits issued by means other than the residential
automated solar permitting platform and relevant
characteristics of those systems;
(3) the software used for compliance; and
(4) confirmation that the municipality or county is:
(A) using a residential automated solar permitting
platform to issue permits instantly and issue permit
revisions instantly for residential solar photovoltaic
systems;
(B) not requiring manual review at any time during
the permitting and inspection processes, including,
but not limited to, before issuing a permit or before

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conducting or finalizing the inspection for permits
and permit revisions issued by the residential
automated solar permitting platform; and
(C) plan to increase usage of the residential
automated solar permitting platform if fewer than 75%
of residential solar photovoltaic permits are issued
through the automated permitting platform on existing
construction.
Section 20. Remedies.
(a) A person or entity aggrieved by a violation of this Act
or any rule adopted under this Act by a municipality or county
may file a civil action in the county in which the alleged
offense occurred or where any person who is party to the action
resides, without regard to exhaustion of any alternative
administrative remedies provided in this Act. Actions may be
brought by one or more persons or entities for and on behalf of
themselves and other persons similarly situated. A person or
entity whose rights have been violated under this Act by a
municipality or county is entitled to collect:
(1) up to 50% of the total cost of the residential
photovoltaic system installation for which the permit is
requested;
(2) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or
equitable relief as may be appropriate; and
(3) attorney's fees and costs.

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(b) The right of an interested party or aggrieved person
to bring an action under this Act terminates after 3 years from
the date that a person or entity requested a permit for a
residential photovoltaic system. This limitation period is
tolled if a municipality or county has deterred a person's
exercise of rights under this Act.
Section 25. Local ordinances. Beginning July 1, 2026, any
municipal building code or county building code must regulate
photovoltaic systems and stationary storage battery systems in
one-family and 2-family dwellings in a manner that is at least
as stringent as the baseline residential code.
Section 30. Remote inspections. On or before July 1 2026,
municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 residents
and all counties shall provide an option for remote
inspections via recorded video or photo that can be submitted
electronically for projects permitted by the residential
automated solar permitting platform. These inspections shall
be offered at no greater cost and shall be available with no
greater delay than in-person inspections.
(1) A municipality or county shall require no more
than one inspection for projects permitted by the
automated solar permitting software unless the first
inspection failed.
(2) A municipality or county that does not require a

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permit for residential photovoltaic solar and storage
systems is exempt from the requirements in this section.