SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS (August 15, 2023) — The Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group (IERG) applaud Governor JB Pritzker on the recent signing of legislation to improve the permitting process for businesses in Illinois.
HB3017 amends the Business Assistance and Regulatory Reform Act by consolidating status updates from state agencies for covered projects in an accessible online portal. With such a portal, businesses seeking certain new and existing environmental permits for industrial projects can access a website to better understand the timeline and process for agency approval.
“This new law will expedite the outdated and lengthy permit issuance process in Illinois,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). “By increasing transparency for permit applicants and the public via an online dashboard there can be greater clarity on cases so unnecessary steps can be avoided. If we can streamline any process to make Illinoisans’ lives easier, then it’s a win for all.”
“HB3017 places DCEO as the much-needed quarterback for permit issuance on large-scale projects in our state,” said Chief House Sponsor Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). “I’ve been proud to work on this legislation over the past two years and look forward to the investment it will bring for Illinois and the increased opportunity it can bring for workers in our state.”
“I am proud to have co-sponsored legislation that will ultimately help businesses save time and money by cutting back on regulations and expediting the permitting process. Illinois sometimes finds itself at a competitive disadvantage with neighboring states when it comes to the permitting process. This new law will help level the playing field for our state and attract and keep businesses that employ hard-working Illinoisans,” said House Chief-Co Sponsor Dave Severin (R-Benton).
This law makes Illinois more competitive with regional states that already offer this tool. While each is unique in its design, permit-tracking dashboards are in place at the federal level as well in nearby states such as Wisconsin, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
Kelly Thompson, Executive Director of IERG, said the following. "This is a win/win for both permit applicants and the Agency tasked with issuing the permits. This allows the permit applicant to have timely and up-to-date permit application tracking information but also assists the Agency and Department, which both have limited resources, to streamline the process and provide timely customer service to businesses already established here and those looking to locate within the State of Illinois."
“We appreciate the attentive work of the sponsors and the entire General Assembly for empowering DCEO to utilize information technology to streamline interagency coordination. We look forward to the implementation of this act.” Said Andrew Cunningham, Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber Infrastructure Council.
HB3017, an initiative of the Illinois Chamber and IERG, passed the Illinois House and Senate unanimously.
