Sen. Ram Villivalam

Filed: 4/20/2021

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2474

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2474 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be referred to as the
5Illinois Partners for Nutrient Loss Reduction Act.
 
6    Section 3. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7    (1) Excessive levels of nutrients are degrading the
8quality of streams, rivers, and lakes within the State of
9Illinois and contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of
10Mexico.
11    (2) The State's Environmental Protection Agency and
12Department of Agriculture collaborated with the Policy Working
13Group, working with academics, environmental nonprofit
14organizations, representatives of federal, State, and local
15agencies, wastewater treatment professionals, and the
16agricultural community to develop the Illinois Nutrient Loss

 

 

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1Reduction Strategy in 2015. They continue to collaborate to
2implement the Strategy.
3    (3) The Strategy sets a milestone to reduce nitrogen loads
4in Illinois waters that leave the State by 15% and phosphorus
5loads by 25% by 2025 from baseline levels of 1980-1996. One
6goal is to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus loads by 45%.
7    (4) The Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of
8Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture require
9resources to administer and implement the Strategy in order to
10meet the Strategy's 2025 milestone and goal.
11    (5) Nutrient capture practices cost share grants will
12assist Illinois' agricultural economy in meeting the goals of
13the Strategy.
14    (6) Soil and Water Conservation Districts assist Illinois
15farmers in implementing nutrient capture practices on their
16farmland.
 
17    Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing
18Section 6z-32 as follows:
 
19    (30 ILCS 105/6z-32)
20    Sec. 6z-32. Partners for Planning and Conservation.
21    (a) The Partners for Conservation Fund (formerly known as
22the Conservation 2000 Fund) and the Partners for Conservation
23Projects Fund (formerly known as the Conservation 2000
24Projects Fund) are created as special funds in the State

 

 

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1Treasury. These funds shall be used to establish a
2comprehensive program to protect Illinois' natural resources
3through cooperative partnerships between State government and
4public and private landowners. Moneys in these Funds may be
5used, subject to appropriation, by the Department of Natural
6Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department
7of Agriculture for purposes relating to natural resource
8protection, planning, recreation, tourism, and compatible
9agricultural and economic development activities. Without
10limiting these general purposes, moneys in these Funds may be
11used, subject to appropriation, for the following specific
12purposes:
13        (1) To foster sustainable agriculture practices and
14    control soil erosion, and sedimentation, and nutrient loss
15    from farmland, including grants to Soil and Water
16    Conservation Districts for conservation practice
17    cost-share grants and for personnel, educational, and
18    administrative expenses.
19        (2) To establish and protect a system of ecosystems in
20    public and private ownership through conservation
21    easements, incentives to public and private landowners,
22    natural resource restoration and preservation, water
23    quality protection and improvement, land use and watershed
24    planning, technical assistance and grants, and land
25    acquisition provided these mechanisms are all voluntary on
26    the part of the landowner and do not involve the use of

 

 

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1    eminent domain.
2        (3) To develop a systematic and long-term program to
3    effectively measure and monitor natural resources and
4    ecological conditions through investments in technology
5    and involvement of scientific experts.
6        (4) To initiate strategies to enhance, use, and
7    maintain Illinois' inland lakes through education,
8    technical assistance, research, and financial incentives.
9        (5) To partner with private landowners and with units
10    of State, federal, and local government and with
11    not-for-profit organizations in order to integrate State
12    and federal programs with Illinois' natural resource
13    protection and restoration efforts and to meet
14    requirements to obtain federal and other funds for
15    conservation or protection of natural resources.
16        (6) To implement the State's Nutrient Loss Reduction
17    Strategy, including, but not limited to, funding the
18    resources needed to support the Strategy's Policy Working
19    Group, cover water quality monitoring in support of
20    Strategy implementation, prepare a biennial report on the
21    progress made on the Strategy every 2 years, and provide
22    cost share funding for nutrient capture projects.
23    (b) The State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall
24automatically transfer on the last day of each month,
25beginning on September 30, 1995 and ending on June 30, 2027
262021, from the General Revenue Fund to the Partners for

 

 

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1Conservation Fund, an amount equal to 1/10 of the amount set
2forth below in fiscal year 1996 and an amount equal to 1/12 of
3the amount set forth below in each of the other specified
4fiscal years:
5Fiscal Year Amount
61996$ 3,500,000
71997$ 9,000,000
81998$10,000,000
91999$11,000,000
102000$12,500,000
112001 through 2004$14,000,000
122005 $7,000,000
132006 $11,000,000
142007 $0
152008 through 2011 $14,000,000
162012 $12,200,000
172013 through 2017 $14,000,000
182018 $1,500,000
192019 $14,000,000
202020 $7,500,000
212021 $14,000,000
222022 through 2027 $14,000,000
23    (b-5) In addition to the amounts transferred under
24subsection (b), each fiscal year the State Comptroller and
25State Treasurer may transfer from any other State fund deemed
26to have an excessive balance an amount necessary to meet the

 

 

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1funding obligations enumerated in subsections (e), (f), and
2(g) of this Section.
3    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
4contrary and in addition to any other transfers that may be
5provided for by law, on the last day of each month beginning on
6July 31, 2006 and ending on June 30, 2007, or as soon
7thereafter as may be practical, the State Comptroller shall
8direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer $1,000,000 from
9the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Fund to the
10Partners for Conservation Fund (formerly known as the
11Conservation 2000 Fund).
12    (d) There shall be deposited into the Partners for
13Conservation Projects Fund such bond proceeds and other moneys
14as may, from time to time, be provided by law.
15    (e) For years 2022 through 2027, $1,075,000 from the
16Partners for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually to
17the Agency and used as follows:
18        (1) $530,000 for coordination of Strategy
19    implementation, including, but not limited to, meeting
20    coordination, reporting, and watershed coordination; and
21        (2) $545,000 to cover water quality monitoring in
22    support of Strategy implementation.
23    (f) For years 2022 through 2027, funding from the Partners
24for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually to the
25Department of Agriculture:
26        (1) to be used for Soil and Water Conservation

 

 

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1    Districts for personnel, educational, and administrative
2    expenses;
3        (2) to fund the Cover Crops Insurance Premium Discount
4    Program; and
5        (3) for conservation practices cost share grants and
6    technical assistance.
7    Funding provided to the Department of Agriculture under
8this subsection shall be in the amount set forth below in each
9of the specified fiscal years:
10Fiscal Year Amount
112022 $10,060,000
122023 $11,825,000
132024 $14,950,000
142025 $17,590,000
152026 $17,605,000
162027 $17,620,000
17    (g) For years 2022 through 2027, $7,000,000 funding from
18the Partners for Conservation Fund shall be provided annually
19to the Department of Natural Resources and used as follows:
20        (1) $6,000,000 for personnel, educational,
21    administrative, and conservation practices expenses; and
22        (2) $1,000,000 for conservation practices on publicly
23    owned property of the Department of Natural Resources, and
24    its surrounding area, that is leased to agricultural
25    producers.
26    In this Section, "strategy" means the Illinois

 

 

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1Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 Illinois Nutrient Loss
2Reduction Strategy and its biennial reports of 2017 and 2019.
3(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17; 101-10, eff. 6-5-19.)
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.".