Bill Text: IL SB3681 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Protect the Great Lakes Act. Provides that, at the start of each month, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in Lake Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in the Illinois drinking water system. Provides that, at the end of each month, the District shall submit a report to the Environmental Protection Agency containing the test results taken at the start of the month. Provides that, after one year of testing and reporting, the District and Environmental Protection Agency shall submit a report to the General Assembly. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health shall establish an intergovernmental working group. Provides that the group shall meet at the beginning of every month to (i) address the effects of microplastic and PFAS water pollution on public health and (ii) find ways to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Provides that, every 6 months, the group shall submit a report to the General Assembly containing recommendations to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Effective January 1, 2027.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-22 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB3681 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB3681-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026SB3681 Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Mike Simmons SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Protect the Great Lakes Act. Provides that, at the start of each month, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in Lake Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in the Illinois drinking water system. Provides that, at the end of each month, the District shall submit a report to the Environmental Protection Agency containing the test results taken at the start of the month. Provides that, after one year of testing and reporting, the District and Environmental Protection Agency shall submit a report to the General Assembly. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health shall establish an intergovernmental working group. Provides that the group shall meet at the beginning of every month to (i) address the effects of microplastic and PFAS water pollution on public health and (ii) find ways to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Provides that, every 6 months, the group shall submit a report to the General Assembly containing recommendations to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water pollution. Effective January 1, 2027.
LRB104 19275 BDA 32721 b
A BILL FOR
SB3681 LRB104 19275 BDA 32721 b
AN ACT concerning safety.
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
Protect the Great Lakes Act.
Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
(1) An International Joint Commission Great Lakes
Science Advisory Board Microplastics Work Group was
established in 2022 to address growing concerns over the
presence and potential ecological effects of microplastics
in the transboundary waters of the Great Lakes.
(2) Laboratory toxicity tests show that microplastics
can adversely affect species relevant to the Great Lakes.
Several laboratory studies have found effects of
microplastics on organisms including tissue inflammation,
changes to gene expression, reduced growth and feeding,
decreased reproductive output, and increased mortality.
Plastics can also leach additives or sorb contaminants
present in the environment and may potentially act as
vectors for other toxic compounds.
(3) Most of what is known about PFAS comes from
studies of humans and animals exposed to perfluorooctanoic
acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. PFOA and PFOS are

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no longer produced in the United States, but they continue
to be detected in human blood, along with other PFAS.
Exposure to PFAS in contaminated drinking water may result
in the following health effects:
(A) increased cholesterol levels;
(B) liver damage;
(C) increased risk for thyroid disease;
(D) high blood pressure or preeclampsia during
pregnancy;
(E) small decreases in infant birth weights;
(F) decreased vaccine response in children; and
(G) increased risk of cancers.
(4) A regionally coordinated monitoring program
following harmonized methods and adhering to consistent
reporting guidelines should be implemented to inform
ecological risk assessment, mitigation, and management of
microplastic and PFAS in the Great Lakes.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"District" means the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago.
"Microplastic" means a plastic particle less than 5 mm in
size.
"Perfluoroalkyl substance or polyfluoroalkyl substance" or
"PFAS" means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals
containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.

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Section 15. Pilot program. At the start of each month, the
District shall test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS
in Lake Michigan and the Environmental Protection Agency shall
test for the presence of microplastics and PFAS in the
Illinois drinking water system. At the end of each month, the
District shall submit a report to the Environmental Protection
Agency containing the test results taken at the start of the
month. After one year of testing and reporting, the District
and Environmental Protection Agency shall submit a report to
the General Assembly.
Section 20. Working group. The Environmental Protection
Agency and the Department of Public Health shall establish an
intergovernmental working group. The group shall meet at the
beginning of every month to (i) address the effects of
microplastic and PFAS water pollution on public health and
(ii) find ways to eliminate microplastic and PFAS water
pollution. Every 6 months, the group shall submit a report to
the General Assembly containing recommendations to eliminate
microplastic and PFAS water pollution.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2027.