Bill Text: IL HB1699 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision regarding operator certification for sewage works, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional wastewater operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional wastewater operator under a provisional wastewater operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Amends the Public Water Supply Operations Act. In a provision regarding community water supply operator certification, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional community water supply operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional community water supply operator under a provisional community water supply operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-18 - Assigned to Energy & Environment Committee [HB1699 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1699-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1699 Introduced , by Rep. Dagmara Avelar SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
415 ILCS 5/13.5
415 ILCS 45/14 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 514
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision regarding operator certification for sewage works, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional wastewater operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional wastewater operator under a provisional wastewater operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules. Amends the Public Water Supply Operations Act. In a provision regarding community water supply operator certification, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a provisional community water supply operator certification program by which a person who does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may act as a provisional community water supply operator under a provisional community water supply operator certificate. Allows the Agency to adopt rules.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning safety.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by
changing Section 13.5 as follows:
(415 ILCS 5/13.5)
Sec. 13.5. Sewage works; operator certification.
(a) For the purposes of this Section, the term "sewage
works" includes, without limitation, wastewater treatment
works, pretreatment works, and sewers and collection systems.
(b) The Agency may establish and enforce standards for the
definition and certification of the technical competency of
personnel who operate sewage works, and for ascertaining that
sewage works are under the supervision of trained individuals
whose qualifications have been approved by the Agency.
(c) The Agency may issue certificates of competency to
persons meeting the standards of technical competency
established by the Agency under this Section, and may
promulgate and enforce regulations pertaining to the issuance
and use of those certificates.
(d) The Agency shall administer the certification program
established under this Section. The Agency may enter into
formal working agreements with other departments or agencies

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of State or local government under which all or portions of its
authority under this Section may be delegated to the
cooperating department or agency.
(e) This Section and the changes made to subdivision
(a)(4) of Section 13 by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
Assembly do not invalidate the operator certification rules
previously adopted by the Agency and codified as Part 380 of
Title 35, Subtitle C, Chapter II of the Illinois
Administrative Code. Those rules, as amended from time to
time, shall continue in effect until they are superseded or
repealed.
(f) The Agency shall establish a provisional wastewater
operator certification program through which an applicant who
does not possess a high school diploma or its equivalent may
act as a provisional wastewater operator under a provisional
wastewater operator certificate issued by the Agency if the
applicant demonstrates all of the following:
(1) The applicant is capable of performing his or her
duties without endangering the health and well-being of
the populace.
(2) The applicant is capable of maintaining and
properly operating the structures and equipment entrusted
to the applicant's care.
(3) The applicant is capable of conducting and
maintaining the facility in a safe manner.
(4) The applicant has passed any examinations that are

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required by the Agency for provisional wastewater operator
certification.
(5) The applicant will work under the direct
supervision of a certified operator who holds a
certificate of technical competency of the appropriate
class for the wastewater treatment or pretreatment works.
The Agency may adopt any rules needed to implement this
subsection (f).
(Source: P.A. 93-170, eff. 7-10-03.)
Section 10. The Public Water Supply Operations Act is
amended by changing Section 14 as follows:
(415 ILCS 45/14) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 514)
Sec. 14. Every community water supply operator certified
by the Agency shall be capable of performing his or her duties
without endangering the health and well being of the populace;
shall be able to read and write English; and shall produce
evidence acceptable to the Agency as to his or her character
and his or her ability to maintain and operate properly the
structures and equipment entrusted to the operator's care. In
addition, water supply operators shall be certified as Class
"A", Class "B", Class "C", Class "D" operators in accordance
with classes based on the level of competency determined by
examination and in accordance with educational and experience
levels as follows:

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(a) Class "A" and Class "B" Water Supply Operator
Certificates require graduation from high school or equivalent
and not less than 3 years of acceptable study, training, and
responsible experience in water supply operation or management
as described in Sections 13 and 14 of this Act.
(b) Class "C" Water Supply Operator Certificates require
graduation from high school or the equivalent and not less
than one year of acceptable study, training, and responsible
experience in water supply operation or management as
described in Sections 13 and 14 of this Act.
(c) Class "D" Water Supply Operator Certificates require
graduation from high school or equivalent and not less than 6
months of acceptable study, training, and responsible
experience in water supply operation or management as
described in Sections 13 and 14 of this Act.
(d) The requirement for graduation from high school or the
equivalent shall be waived for community water supply
operators certified prior to the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly and for community
water supply operators certified under Section 19(a) of this
Act.
(e) The Agency shall establish a provisional community
water supply operator certification program through which an
applicant who does not possess a high school diploma or its
equivalent may act as a provisional community water supply
operator under a provisional community water supply operator

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certificate issued by the Agency if the applicant demonstrates
all of the following:
(1) The applicant is capable of performing his or her
duties without endangering the health and well-being of
the populace.
(2) The applicant is capable of maintaining and
properly operating the structures and equipment entrusted
to the applicant's care.
(3) The applicant is capable of conducting and
maintaining the water treatment or distribution processes
in a manner which will provide safe, potable water for
human consumption.
(4) The applicant has submitted evidence of his or her
character. The Agency shall consider the violation of any
of the following statutes as evidence of poor character:
(A) Section 44 of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Act;
(B) Section 29D-14.9 of the Criminal Code of 2012
(terrorism);
(C) Section 29D-15.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012
(causing a catastrophe); or
(D) Section 29D-20 of the Criminal Code of 2012
(making a terrorist threat).
(5) The applicant has passed any examinations that are
required for the specific certification by the Agency.
(6) The applicant will work under the direct

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supervision of a responsible operator in charge for the
community water supply.
The Agency may adopt rules to implement this subsection
(e).
(Source: P.A. 91-84, eff. 7-9-99.)