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HB 3594

EXTREME WEATHER RECOVERY ACT

104th Regular Session Introduced by Lilian Jiménez

Creates a private right to sue a “responsible party” in Illinois for climate-related damages over $10,000, covering harms from 1965 onward.

Chief Sponsor Changed to Rep. Lilian Jiménez
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Bill Summary · HB 3594

Summary — HB 3594: Extreme Weather Recovery Act

Status: Enacted (signed by Governor 5/29/2025; effective immediately)
Chief sponsor: Rep. Lilian Jiménez (originally filed by Rep. Kam Buckner)
Companion: SB 2318

Purpose / Intent

The Extreme Weather Recovery Act creates a private civil cause of action for Illinois persons and entities harmed by climate disasters, extreme weather attributable to climate change, or harms resulting from long‑term changes to the climate system. The statute is intended to provide a judicial forum to recover damages allegedly caused by actions or products of “responsible parties,” to hold those parties accountable, and to reimburse harmed parties and public systems for climate‑related losses.

Key provisions

  • Private cause of action: Permits a harmed party to sue a “responsible party” where the amount in controversy is $10,000 or more.
  • Covered period: Liability may be alleged for harms occurring from 1965 through the Act’s effective date (retroactive exposure).
  • Damages: Authorizes recovery of property losses, compensatory and non‑economic damages, and punitive damages “allowable under this State’s laws and constitution.” The bill enumerates illustrative harms (damage to public/private infrastructure, natural resource damages, emergency responder costs, premature public building upgrades, productivity and education losses, public/private health costs).
  • Statute of limitations: Actions must be filed/commenced within 3 years (the bill creates a 3‑year limitations period).
  • Government standing limitation: The State, units of local government, and their agents or employees are prohibited from commencing actions under this Act.
  • Rulemaking: Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) authorized to adopt implementing rules.
  • Legislative findings: The Act includes extensive findings on observed and projected climate changes in Illinois (e.g., increases in precipitation and extreme precipitation events, historic temperature rises, projected temperature increases), and on the role of misinformation by some manufacturers/actors.

Who is affected

  • Harmed parties: Individuals, businesses, or others in Illinois with climate‑related losses meeting the $10,000 threshold.
  • Responsible parties: Entities identified by the Act (definitions are created in the bill text) alleged to have contributed to climate harms via products or actions during the covered period.
  • Illinois state & local governments: Barred from bringing suits under this Act, but the Act contemplates recovering public costs indirectly through private suits.

Procedural / timeline highlights

  • Introduced: 2/18/2025 (filed 3/3/2025); chief sponsor changed 3/7/2025.
  • Passed both chambers: 5/19/2025.
  • Sent to Governor: 5/20/2025; signed: 5/29/2025; effective immediately.

Notes / open points

  • The bill text indicates it “makes definitions” but the summary provided here does not list specific statutory definitions for “responsible party,” “qualified products,” accrual rules for the 3‑year limitation, or other procedural standards — these definitions and procedural details in the full text will determine scope and litigation mechanics.
  • The Act bars governmental plaintiffs but does not on its face preclude government participation as a defendant or define interactions with existing environmental or statutory remedies.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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