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HB 2745

Vacant and blighted or derelict property; locality allowed to sell.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Israel O'Quinn

Creates a state program paying Illinois farmers per acre to cut commercial nitrogen fertilizer use via biofertilizers and new nitrogen management, improving water quality.

Failed to report from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (9-Y 13-N)
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Bill Summary · HB 2745

HB 2745 — Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program Act (Introduced 2025)

Status summary
- Introduced: Feb 2025 (filed/first readings in February–March 2025). Current status: Rule 19(a) / Re‑referred to Rules Committee.
- Primary sponsors: Rep. Jay Hoffman and Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (with numerous cosponsors).
- Companion bills: SB 2984, HB 144.

Purpose / intent
- Establish a state‑administered incentive program to encourage Illinois farmers to reduce commercial nitrogen fertilizer use and to adopt innovative/biological nitrogen management technologies, with the objective of improving water quality by reducing nitrate leaching and runoff.

Key provisions
- Program creation and administration
- Creates the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program, to be developed and administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and soil & water conservation districts.
- Development deadline: by January 1, 2026.
- IDOA must adopt rules to implement the Act and establish product/label standards for qualifying products.

  • Eligibility and qualifying practices

    • Program open to all Illinois farmers.
    • Qualifying items may include fertilizers/products with nitrogen‑fixing properties, biological sources of nitrogen, and other "biofertilizers" as determined by IDOA.
    • “Commercial nitrogen fertilizer” is defined as fertilizer with nitrogen content of at least 25%.
    • To qualify, a farmer must demonstrate a reduction in commercial nitrogen fertilizer use from a historic baseline equal to the lesser of (i) 15% or (ii) 30 pounds per acre (per the bill text).

  • Payments and timeline

    • Program provides an annual per‑acre incentive; the Department must set a per‑acre payment that is not less than $5/acre and periodically review rates for inflation or emerging technology.
    • Payments distributed to qualifying entities after meeting program requirements.
    • The program is established to renew annually for 4 years (subject to appropriation).

  • Oversight and review

    • Department required to review at least once during the program’s life whether to raise reduction targets and whether to add qualifying products/applications.

  • Funding and findings

    • Implementation is subject to appropriation. Legislative findings state an initial program cost of $5,000,000 in year one and renewal funding for at least four years (these are legislative findings, not binding appropriations).

  • Confidentiality

    • Crop management records collected (including field boundaries, crop yields, and nitrogen rates) are designated confidential and to be used solely for implementing the Act.

Who would be affected
- Directly: Illinois farmers who apply commercial nitrogen fertilizer (≥25% N) and who wish to participate to receive per‑acre incentives.
- Indirectly: Illinois Department of Agriculture (program design/administration), Department of Natural Resources, soil & water conservation districts, fertilizer manufacturers/distributors whose products may be certified as qualifying, and water quality stakeholders.

Potential impacts / considerations
- Environmental: Intended to reduce nitrogen application and thereby decrease nitrate runoff/leaching to improve water quality.
- Financial: Incentives start at a minimum of $5/acre; actual program funding requires legislative appropriation (bill references a $5M first‑year target in findings).
- Administrative: IDOA must create product standards, verify reductions relative to historic baselines, and maintain confidentiality of farmer data.
- The bill’s required reduction metric (the “lesser of 15% or 30 lbs/acre”) and the limited minimum payment may influence farmer participation and the cost‑effectiveness of measured nitrate reductions.

Effective date
- The Act takes effect upon becoming law; program is subject to appropriation and rulemaking by the Department of Agriculture.

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

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