Bill Text: IL SB3501 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Creates the Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act. Includes legislative findings. Defines terms. Provides that all new, renovated, or retrofitted luminaires purchased with State funds after the effective date of the Act or installed after the effective date of the Act on a structure or land that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State must follow specified outdoor lighting control requirements. Includes various exceptions to compliance. Allows the Attorney General, a municipality, or a county to enforce the Act by filing an action for injunctive relief in a circuit court. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall make available a resource guide for the public to add lighting to homes and businesses consistent with the requirements for luminaires on a structure or land that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State under the Act, and provides that the guide must include references to publicly accessible websites of advocacy groups approved by the State that provide education, guidance, and specifications relating to the implementation of responsible lighting principles. Provides that, if the Act conflicts with any other federal law, State law, or local ordinance controlling lighting, outdoor luminaries, signage, outdoor advertising, displays, or devices that is more stringent than the Act, then the federal law, State law, or local ordinance controls to the extent it is more stringent than the Act. Effective 60 days after becoming law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-08-09 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-1007 [SB3501 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB3501-Introduced.html

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3501

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Laura Ellman

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act

Creates the Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act. Includes legislative findings. Defines terms. Provides that all new, renovated, or retrofitted luminaires purchased with State funds after the effective date of the Act or installed after the effective date of the Act on a structure or land that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State must follow specified outdoor lighting control requirements. Includes various exceptions to compliance. Allows the Attorney General, a municipality, or a county to enforce the Act by filing an action for injunctive relief in a circuit court. Provides that the Department of Central Management Services shall make available a resource guide for the public to add lighting to homes and businesses consistent with the requirements for luminaires on a structure or land that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State under the Act, and provides that the guide must include references to publicly accessible websites of advocacy groups approved by the State that provide education, guidance, and specifications relating to the implementation of responsible lighting principles. Provides that, if the Act conflicts with any other federal law, State law, or local ordinance controlling lighting, outdoor luminaries, signage, outdoor advertising, displays, or devices that is more stringent than the Act, then the federal law, State law, or local ordinance controls to the extent it is more stringent than the Act. Effective 60 days after becoming law.
LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b

A BILL FOR

SB3501LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 AN ACT concerning safety.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act.
6 Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7 (1) Article XI of the Illinois Constitution states the
8 public policy of the State and the duty of each person is
9 to provide and maintain a healthful environment for the
10 benefit of this and future generations and that the
11 General Assembly shall provide by law for the
12 implementation and enforcement of this policy.
13 (2) The House of Representatives has resolved in House
14 Resolution 884 of the 96th General Assembly to (i) express
15 its support for improved night preservation practices in
16 Illinois, (ii) encourage State agencies to adopt suitable
17 outdoor lighting practices based on the principles of
18 applying artificial light only where it is needed, when it
19 is needed, and to only the levels needed using the best
20 safety and energy-efficient standards available, and (iii)
21 encourage the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center of
22 the University of Illinois to provide artificial outdoor
23 illumination engineering assistance to State agencies,

SB3501- 2 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 municipalities, and businesses that seek to implement
2 responsible outdoor lighting to conserve and preserve the
3 important natural phenomenon of night.
4 (3) The Senate has resolved in Senate Resolution 65 of
5 the 103rd General Assembly that local governments in
6 Illinois should abide by the International Dark-Sky
7 Association (now known as Dark Sky International)
8 guidelines and lighting principles to help mitigate the
9 effects of light pollution produced by outdoor lighting.
10 (4) The State should promote responsible outdoor
11 lighting.
12 (5) Government structures, facilities, places, and
13 spaces should serve as models of best practices for
14 private structures, facilities, places, and spaces. These
15 government structures, facilities, places, and spaces
16 should encourage residents, business owners, and others to
17 join in transitioning to responsible lighting.
18 Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
19 "ANSI/IES standards" means the American National Standards
20Institute and Illuminating Engineering Society's lighting
21guidelines, also known as the IES Lighting Library Standards
22Collection.
23 "Correlated color temperature" means the measure of the
24approximate spectrum of the color of light of an object as
25perceived by the eye, measured in degrees Kelvin.

SB3501- 3 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 "Fully shielded" means a luminaire that is constructed in
2such a manner that all light emitted, either directly from the
3lamp or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part
4of the luminaire, is projected below the horizontal plane
5aligned with the bottom of the luminaire aperture, where no
6part of the lamp protrudes outside of the luminaire or shield.
7 "Glare" means light emitted by a luminaire that causes
8visual discomfort, reduced visibility of objects, or produces
9momentary blindness.
10 "IES U0 rating" means the luminaire classification system
11developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society that ranks
12and defines how many lumens of light a luminaire emits
13backwards, upwards, and in glare.
14 "Lamp" means the component of a luminaire that produces
15light.
16 "Light pollution" means the scattering of artificial light
17into the nighttime environment caused by excessive or
18improperly positioned artificial outdoor lighting resulting in
19sky glow, light trespass, or glare.
20 "Light trespass" means light emitted by a luminaire that
21shines beyond the boundaries of the property on which the
22luminaire is intended to illuminate.
23 "Luminaire" means a complete installed or portable
24illuminating device, including a lamp, together with the parts
25designed to distribute the light, such as a reflector or
26refractor, parts to position and protect the lamps, and parts

SB3501- 4 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1to connect the lamps to the power supply.
2 "Lumen" means a standard unit of measurement of luminous
3flux.
4 "Lux" means a standard unit of luminous flux expressed in
5lumens per square meter.
6 "Nadir" means the point directly below the center of a
7luminaire in respect to the ground.
8 "Ornamental lighting" means a luminaire that has a
9historical or seasonal holiday purpose that serves a
10historical or seasonal holiday purpose only.
11 "Outdoor luminaire" means installed or portable outdoor
12artificial illuminating devices used for flood lighting,
13roadway and area lighting, general illumination, or
14advertisement.
15 "Permanent outdoor luminaire" means exterior lighting or a
16system of lighting that is used in place for 7 days or longer.
17 "Reflective roadway markings" means lines and markers with
18reflective properties intended to promote vehicular and
19pedestrian safety.
20 "Reflective signage" means roadway and informational
21signage that has reflective properties to aid with vehicular
22and pedestrian safety.
23 "Responsible lighting principles" means the use of modern
24lighting technologies, including shielding, an upper limit on
25color temperature (2,700 Kelvin), on-off controls, dimming
26controls, and motion sensors.

SB3501- 5 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 "Roadway lighting" means permanent outdoor luminaires that
2are specifically intended to illuminate roadways for safe
3vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
4 "Sky glow" means the brightening of the night sky due to
5inefficiently and improperly lit areas.
6 Section 15. Outdoor lighting control. All new, renovated,
7or retrofitted luminaires purchased with State funds after the
8effective date of this Act or installed after the effective
9date of this Act on a structure or land that is owned,
10supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State, including
11roadways, facilities, properties, nonhabitable structures,
12monuments, and public right-of-way spaces, including
13sidewalks, with the intended purpose of outdoor illumination
14must follow the following outdoor lighting control
15requirements:
16 (1) Permanent outdoor luminaires must be fully
17 shielded with an IES U0 rating and produce less than 1% of
18 its emitted light above 80 degrees from the downward
19 vertical direction of nadir. Light should not be emitted
20 at an angle above 60 degrees from the downward vertical
21 direction of nadir.
22 (2) Luminaires must avoid light trespass by not
23 exceeding an illuminance of 0.05 lux as measured at ground
24 level both horizontally and vertically at the property
25 boundary.

SB3501- 6 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 (3) Luminaires must have a correlated color
2 temperature less than or equal to 2,700 Kelvin. In
3 residential areas, dark sky locations, or environmentally
4 sensitive areas, such as State parks and outdoor
5 recreation facilities, correlated color temperature should
6 be no more than 2,200 Kelvin.
7 (4) Luminaires must be turned off or dimmed by at
8 least 50% of ANSI/IES standards (i) after 11:00 p.m. or
9 one hour after closure of business or event, whichever is
10 earlier, (ii) when motion is no longer detected, or (iii)
11 if no lighting is needed when a human task can be achieved
12 at night without the addition of lighting.
13 (5) Outdoor lighting must be minimized to no more than
14 10% above ANSI/IES standards or United States Department
15 of Transportation recommendations.
16 (6) Facade lighting must be minimized to no more than
17 10% above ANSI/IES standards, must project downward, and
18 must not violate the light trespass limits in paragraph
19 (2).
20 (7) Light trespass from the interior of a building or
21 structure shall be minimized by lowering window shades
22 after dark or by turning off lighting when not in use.
23 (8) When the installation or replacement of roadway
24 lighting is planned, the appropriate authority must
25 determine whether reflective roadway markings or
26 reflective signage is appropriate and safe for the

SB3501- 7 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 situation in lieu of outdoor lighting. Reflectorized
2 roadway markings, lines, warning signs, informational
3 signs or other passive means must be used for roadway
4 lighting, except at intersections of 2 or more streets or
5 highways, unless it is determined that adequate safety
6 cannot be achieved by reflective means.
7 (9) No artificial lighting above 0.05 lux, as measured
8 at ground level both horizontally and vertically, may
9 trespass onto land or waterways designated or managed as
10 habitat, reserve, natural area, open space, or wilderness.
11 (10) Even if they do not meet the other requirements
12 of this subsection, outdoor luminaires emitting fewer than
13 600 lumens are allowed if extinguished between the hours
14 of 11:00 p.m. and sunrise.
15 (b) Whenever possible, existing luminaires on a structure
16or land that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed
17by the State shall be repositioned or shielded to minimize
18upward-directed light, glare, and light trespass.
19 Section 20. Exceptions. This Act does not apply if:
20 (1) the luminaires are on a structure or land that is
21 owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the State
22 in a county or municipality that, by ordinance or
23 resolution, has adopted provisions that are equal to or
24 more stringent than the provisions of this Act;
25 (2) a federal law or regulation preempts this Act;

SB3501- 8 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 (3) a State agency determines a safety or security
2 need exists that cannot be addressed by any other method;
3 (4) fire, police, rescue, or repair personnel need
4 light for temporary emergencies or road repair work;
5 (5) it has been determined that a reasonable safety
6 and security interest exists at correctional or hospital
7 facilities that cannot be addressed by another method as
8 long as it complies with existing standards,
9 specifications, or policies;
10 (6) navigational lighting systems and other lighting
11 are necessary to comply with Federal Aviation
12 Administration airside operations or nautical safety;
13 (7) lamps greater than 2,700 Kelvin are used on active
14 sports grounds or show grounds, but only for the duration
15 of a practice, match, or event. Lamps emitting greater
16 than 2,700 Kelvin under this paragraph must be positioned,
17 angled, or shielded to prevent direct glare and light
18 trespass onto neighboring property or properties, and the
19 positioning, angling, or shielding must limit upward light
20 emission to only the amount necessary to light the
21 sporting or grounds activity;
22 (8) flagpoles installed after the effective date of
23 this Act are lit by means of a downward-facing lamp and
24 using a lamp of 2,700 Kelvin or lower;
25 (9) flagpoles installed on or before the effective
26 date of this Act are upward-lit by partially shielded or

SB3501- 9 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1 unshielded luminaires using a lamp of 2,200 Kelvin or
2 lower to minimize the impact of glare, light trespass, and
3 sky glow and are converted to conform to requirements upon
4 retrofitting;
5 (10) the luminaries are existing decorative and
6 ornamental lighting that serve historical purposes, but
7 replacement luminaries for the existing decorative and
8 ornamental lighting must meet the standards of this Act;
9 or
10 (11) the luminaries are temporary seasonal holiday
11 lighting lasting no longer than 45 days surrounding the
12 holiday season.
13 Section 25. Enforcement. This Act may be enforced by the
14Attorney General, a municipality, or a county filing an action
15for injunctive relief in a circuit court.
16 Section 30. Resources. The Department of Central
17Management Services shall make available a resource guide for
18the public to add lighting to homes and businesses consistent
19with the requirements for luminaires on a structure or land
20that is owned, supported, funded, leased, or managed by the
21State under this Act. The guide must include references to
22publicly accessible websites of advocacy groups approved by
23the State that provide education, guidance, and specifications
24relating to the implementation of responsible lighting

SB3501- 10 -LRB103 36511 AWJ 66617 b
1principles.
2 Section 35. Other laws. If this Act conflicts with any
3other federal law, State law, or local ordinance controlling
4lighting, outdoor luminaries, signage, outdoor advertising,
5displays, or devices that is more stringent than the Act, then
6the federal law, State law, or local ordinance controls to the
7extent it is more stringent than the Act.
feedback