$DCEO-MUNICIPAL GRANTS-WATER

104th Regular Session Introduced by Marty McLaughlin

Appropriates $25,000 from the General Revenue Fund to DCEO to grant BACOG funds to monitor the shallow Barrington-area aquifer's water quality and quantity for local water supply.

Summary — HB 2645 ("$DCEO‑MUNICIPAL GRANTS‑WATER")

Note: the materials provided include text from two different bills with the same number (an unrelated Arizona bill repealing a retirement statute and an Illinois appropriation bill). This summary focuses on the Illinois bill titled for a DCEO municipal water grant (Rep. Martin McLaughlin), which matches the “$DCEO‑MUNICIPAL GRANTS‑WATER” subject.

Main purpose

Appropriate $25,000 from the Illinois General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to provide grants to the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) to implement a Water Resources Initiative. The initiative will monitor water quality and quantity in the shallow aquifer that supplies several Barrington‑area municipalities and surrounding areas.

Key provisions

Appropriation: $25,000 (or so much as may be necessary) is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to DCEO.

Use of funds: Grants to the Barrington Area Council of Governments to facilitate implementation of its Water Resources Initiative.

Scope of monitoring: Water quality and quantity monitoring of the shallow aquifer that supports the water supply for:

Villages of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, South Barrington, Tower Lakes
Township of Barrington
Surrounding areas

Effective date: The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Who/what is affected

Beneficiary: Barrington Area Council of Governments (grant recipient and project implementer).

Local governments/residents: Municipalities and townships named above and residents who rely on the shallow aquifer for water supply.

State agency: DCEO — acts as the grant administrator for the appropriation.

State finances: General Revenue Fund reduced by $25,000 (one‑time appropriation).

Potential impact and implications

Direct impact: Funds will support initial or ongoing monitoring activities (data collection on aquifer levels and water quality) under BACOG’s initiative.

Scale: $25,000 is a relatively small, one‑time appropriation—likely intended for planning, limited monitoring equipment, data analysis, or to leverage additional local/federal funds.

Benefits: Improved local hydrologic data to inform water resource planning, potential early detection of contamination or over‑withdrawal, and better-informed municipal water management decisions.

No policy changes to statutes beyond the appropriation; implementation depends on DCEO grant administration and BACOG project execution.

Legislative status / timeline (as provided)

Introduced: Filed with the Clerk Feb 4, 2025; introduced Feb 6, 2025 by Rep. Martin McLaughlin.

Early actions: First reading on Feb 6, 2025; referred to Rules Committee; assigned to Appropriations‑Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee.

Other listed entries show later procedural references (e.g., “Read first time” and committee referrals in March and a Rule 19(b) / re‑referral to Rules Committee on July 1). These indicate the bill has moved through early steps and is at the committee/rules stage; check the legislature’s official status page for the most current status.

Bill