103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1544

 

Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Bill Cunningham

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
765 ILCS 165/20
765 ILCS 165/25
765 ILCS 165/30
765 ILCS 165/40

    Amends the Homeowners Energy Policy Statement Act. Requires any energy policy statement to explicitly include the minimum standards. Provides that a written energy policy statement may not condition approval of an application on approval by adjacent property owners. Restricts an association from inquiring into a property owner's energy usage, imposing conditions impairing the operation of a solar energy system, imposing conditions negatively impacting any component warranty, or requiring post-installation reporting. Provides that a property owner may not be denied permission to install a solar energy system based on system ownership or financing method chosen by the property owner. Allows an association's written energy policy statement to impose reasonable conditions concerning the location of on-site storage of materials and equipment during the installation process and the maintenance, repair, replacement, and ultimate removal of damaged or inoperable systems. Provides that no energy policy statement shall be valid unless recorded as required by applicable law in the office of the recorder of deeds in the county where the property is located. Requires an application for approval to be made available in hard copy form at a property owner's request or, if the association maintains a website, through the website. Provides that an application shall be processed by the appropriate approving entity of the association within 30 (rather than 75) days of the submission of the application. Provides that if an association fails to adopt a written solar energy policy statement or process an application for approval within the specified time, the property owner may proceed with the installation or use of the proposed solar energy system notwithstanding any other policy or provision in the homeowners' common interest community or condominium unit owners' association declaration. Allows a property owner to resubmit an application for approval previously denied by an association, and requires any such resubmitted application shall be evaluated under the changes made by the amendatory Act. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1544LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Homeowners' Energy Policy Statement Act is
5amended by changing Sections 20, 25, 30, and 40 as follows:
 
6    (765 ILCS 165/20)
7    Sec. 20. Deed restrictions; covenants.
8    (a) No deed restrictions, covenants, or similar binding
9agreements running with the land shall prohibit or have the
10effect of prohibiting a solar energy system from being
11installed on a building erected on a lot or parcel covered by
12the deed restrictions, covenants, or binding agreements, if
13the building is subject to a homeowners' association, common
14interest community association, or condominium unit owners'
15association. A property owner may not be denied permission to
16install a solar energy system, or be required to utilize
17specific technology, by any entity granted the power or right
18in any deed restriction, covenant, or similar binding
19agreement to approve, forbid, control, or direct alteration of
20property. However, for purposes of this Act, the entity may
21determine the specific configuration of the elements of a
22solar energy system on a given roof face, provided that it may
23not prohibit elements of the system from being installed on

 

 

SB1544- 2 -LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

1any roof face and that any such determination may not reduce
2the production of the solar energy system by more than 10%. For
3the purposes of this Section, "production" means the estimated
4annual electrical production of the solar energy system.
5    (b) Within 90 days after a homeowners' association, common
6interest community association, or condominium unit owners'
7association receives a request for a policy statement or an
8application from an association member, the association shall
9adopt a written an energy policy statement. Any energy policy
10statement, regardless of when adopted, shall explicitly
11include as the minimum standards the terms of this Section but
12may also include standards regarding: (i) the location,
13design, and architectural requirements of solar energy
14systems; and (ii) whether a wind energy collection, rain water
15collection, or composting system is allowed, and, if so, the
16location, design, and architectural requirements of those
17systems. A written energy policy statement may not condition
18approval of an application on approval by adjacent property
19owners. An association may not inquire into a property owner's
20energy usage, impose conditions impairing the operation of a
21solar energy system, impose conditions negatively impacting
22any component warranty, or require post-installation
23reporting. Nor may a property owner be denied permission to
24install a solar energy system based on system ownership or
25financing method chosen by the property owner. Notwithstanding
26the foregoing and consistent with an association's conditions

 

 

SB1544- 3 -LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

1pertaining to nonsolar projects, an association's written
2energy policy statement may impose reasonable conditions
3concerning the location of on-site storage of materials and
4equipment during the installation process and the maintenance,
5repair, replacement, and ultimate removal of damaged or
6inoperable systems. An association shall disclose, upon
7request, its written energy policy statement and shall include
8the statement in its homeowners' common interest community, or
9condominium unit owners' association declaration. No energy
10policy statement shall be valid unless recorded as required by
11applicable law in the office of the recorder of deeds in the
12county where the property is located.
13(Source: P.A. 102-161, eff. 7-26-21.)
 
14    (765 ILCS 165/25)
15    Sec. 25. Standards and requirements. A solar energy system
16shall meet applicable standards and requirements imposed by
17State and local permitting authorities other than a
18homeowners' association, common interest community
19association, or condominium unit owners' association.
20(Source: P.A. 96-1436, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
21    (765 ILCS 165/30)
22    Sec. 30. Application for approval.
23    (a) Whenever approval is required for the installation or
24use of a solar energy system, the application for approval

 

 

SB1544- 4 -LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

1shall be made available in hard copy form at a property owner's
2request or, if the association maintains a website, through
3the website. An association need not utilize an application
4form specific to solar installations. An association may not
5impose any fee for submitting an application pertaining to a
6solar energy system above that which it assesses for any other
7application related to changes to property. The application
8shall be processed by the appropriate approving entity of the
9association within 30 75 days of the submission of the
10application. At the request of the property owner, an
11association may communicate with the property owner's solar
12energy system contractor.
13    (b) If However, if an application is submitted before a
14written an energy policy statement is adopted by an
15association, the application shall be processed within 120
16days from the date the property owner submitted the
17application 75-day period shall not begin to run until the
18date that the policy is adopted.
19    (c) If an association fails to adopt a written solar
20energy policy statement consistent with this Act or process an
21application for approval within the specified time, the
22property owner may proceed with the installation or use of the
23proposed solar energy system notwithstanding any other policy
24or provision in the homeowners' common interest community or
25condominium unit owners' association declaration. In such
26situations, an association may not impose fines or otherwise

 

 

SB1544- 5 -LRB103 26884 LNS 53248 b

1penalize a property owner for exercising its rights under this
2Act.
3    (d) A property owner may resubmit an application for
4approval previously denied by an association; any such
5resubmitted application shall be evaluated under the changes
6made by this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly.
7(Source: P.A. 102-161, eff. 7-26-21.)
 
8    (765 ILCS 165/40)
9    Sec. 40. Costs; attorney's fees. In any litigation arising
10under this Act or involving the application of this Act, the
11prevailing party shall be entitled to costs and reasonable
12attorney's fees.
13(Source: P.A. 96-1436, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.