Bill Text: IL HB3632 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Public Utilities Act. Creates the Disadvantaged Communities Protection Commission comprised of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that available energy sources appropriately benefit and do not inappropriately burden such communities. Specifies duties for the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall make a recommendation to the Governor and the energy company proposing an energy project if there are any current or potential threats or anticipated burdens resulting from a proposed energy project. Provides that the Commission will work with the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to establish and maintain a statewide advanced leak detection standard for all pipeline operators. Provides that this standard shall require pipeline operators to find and repair leaks on the operators' system, including those previously designated as nonhazardous. Provides that funding shall be made available for disadvantaged communities to build better infrastructure to safeguard against gas pipeline adversities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-10 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3632 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB3632-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3632 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
220 ILCS 5/8-406.3 new
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Creates the Disadvantaged Communities Protection Commission comprised of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that available energy sources appropriately benefit and do not inappropriately burden such communities. Specifies duties for the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall make a recommendation to the Governor and the energy company proposing an energy project if there are any current or potential threats or anticipated burdens resulting from a proposed energy project. Provides that the Commission will work with the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to establish and maintain a statewide advanced leak detection standard for all pipeline operators. Provides that this standard shall require pipeline operators to find and repair leaks on the operators' system, including those previously designated as nonhazardous. Provides that funding shall be made available for disadvantaged communities to build better infrastructure to safeguard against gas pipeline adversities.
LRB103 30496 AMQ 56929 b
A BILL FOR
HB3632 LRB103 30496 AMQ 56929 b
AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
Section 8-406.3 as follows:
(220 ILCS 5/8-406.3 new)
Sec. 8-406.3. Disadvantaged Communities Protection
Commission.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Commission" means the Disadvantaged Communities
Protection Commission created under subsection (b).
(b) For the protection of disadvantaged, vulnerable, or
marginalized communities in need of energy solutions
throughout this State, the Disadvantaged Communities
Protection Commission is formed, which shall be comprised of
the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental
Protection Agency to ensure that available energy sources
appropriately benefit and do not inappropriately burden such
communities. The Commission shall jointly conduct:
(1) a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the proposed
energy project, which shall include socioeconomic, public
health, and environmental risk factors in addition to
vulnerabilities that may affect the costs and benefits of

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the proposed energy project; and
(2) an accounting of the social cost of greenhouse gases
and consideration of any unique economic, environmental,
and ecological impacts of the energy project on
disadvantaged, vulnerable, or marginalized communities.
The Commission shall advocate for such communities to ensure
that the energy project is net-beneficial as a whole. Further,
the Commission shall advocate for renewable energy options for
such communities, considering affordability, sustainability,
distributional impacts, and impacts on the affected
environment. The Commission's analysis shall also evaluate
rate estimates for energy options.
(c) The Commission shall make a recommendation to the
Governor and the energy company proposing an energy project if
there are any current or potential threats or anticipated
burdens resulting from a proposed energy project.
(d) The Commission shall work with the federal Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to establish and
maintain a statewide advanced leak detection standard for all
pipeline operators, including local distribution companies.
This standard shall require pipeline operators to find and
repair leaks on the operators' system, including those
previously designated as nonhazardous.
(e) Funding shall be made available for disadvantaged
communities to build better infrastructure to safeguard
against gas pipeline adversities.