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HB 2729

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2025 Regular Session Introduced by Eric Brooks and 7 co-sponsors

Imposes minimum riparian buffers along mapped public waters to reduce runoff, requires mapping, and provides timelines and supports for landowners and local authorities.

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Bill Summary · HB 2729

HB 2729 — Riparian Protection and Water Quality Practices Act (summary)

Status and procedural history
- Introduced in the Illinois House (Rep. Anna Moeller) in early February 2025.
- Referred to committees and considered in public hearing; record shows testimony taken and the bill was left pending in committee. Recent status: Rule 19(a) / re‑referred to Rules Committee. (Dates in bill record: introduced Feb 6–12, 2025; public hearing Apr 30, 2025.)

Purpose
- Establish statewide minimum riparian buffer and water‑quality protection requirements to reduce runoff pollution, stabilize soils/banks and protect or provide riparian corridors along mapped public waters and public drainage systems.

Key provisions
- Definitions and mapping
- Requires the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to maintain buffer‑protection maps identifying water bodies subject to the Act.
- Defines key terms (buffer, public waters, normal water level, local water management authority, etc.).

  • Riparian buffer requirements (Section 15)

    • For mapped public waters: a buffer of perennial rooted vegetation averaging 50 feet in width with a 30‑foot minimum, continuous.
    • For public drainage systems: a minimum buffer (to be consistent with drainage authority rules) that must not impede future maintenance.
    • For cultivated farmland adjacent to mapped waters: a reduced continuous buffer of 16.5 feet is allowed if landowners install other retention/management practices or approved alternative practices (NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, DNR‑approved practices, or locally approved soil & water district practices).
    • Measurement: buffers on public waters measured from top/crown of bank or normal water level; drainage system measurement per drainage authority guidance.
    • Planting materials must use seed mixes approved by the Department of Agriculture to avoid invasive species/noxious weeds.

  • Timelines

    • Buffers/alternatives must be implemented by:
    • November 1, 2026 for public waters.
    • November 1, 2027 for public drainage systems.

  • Local planning and coordination

    • Soil & water conservation districts, in consultation with local water management authorities, must submit a summary of watercourses within their jurisdiction by July 1, 2026.
    • Local water management authorities must incorporate these recommendations into their comprehensive water management plans by July 1, 2027 (no formal plan amendment required if recommendations are distributed).

  • Exemptions

    • Exempt lands include: enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP); public or private water access/recreational areas; lands covered by roads/trails/buildings/structures; NPDES‑regulated sites; cropping systems that are part of water‑inundation practices; lands temporarily non‑vegetated due to authorized construction/maintenance/conservation.

  • Assistance, funding, and enforcement

    • Soil & water conservation districts must help landowners with planning and technical support.
    • DNR must provide sufficient funding to local authorities and conservation districts to implement the Act.
    • Local water management authorities issue notices and corrective actions for noncompliant landowners; administrative penalties may apply but can be forgiven upon adequate corrective action.
    • DNR may withhold funding from local authorities that fail to implement the Act until a corrective plan is approved.
    • Landowners may appeal validation/penalty notifications; the Director must issue a final administrative decision within 60 days; decisions are appealable under the Administrative Review Law.

  • Applicability

    • The Act applies to State lands as well as private lands adjacent to mapped waters.

Who would be affected
- Private landowners with property adjacent to mapped public waters or public drainage systems (new planting/maintenance obligations; potential costs or access to assistance).
- Farmers adjacent to water bodies (specific reduced buffer option of 16.5 ft if they implement approved alternative practices).
- Soil & water conservation districts and local water management/drainage authorities (planning, mapping, enforcement, and outreach responsibilities).
- Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture (mapping, approvals, funding, and oversight).

Potential impacts
- Environmental: increased riparian vegetation should reduce runoff pollution, erosion, and improve riparian habitat and water quality.
- Financial/administrative: costs for buffer establishment and maintenance; need for DNR funding to local authorities and landowners; potential compliance costs for landowners and administrative burden for local agencies.
- Agricultural: provides specific flexibility for cultivated lands (alternative practices) but imposes timelines and technical requirements.

Notes and uncertainties
- The bill requires DNR funding but does not specify funding levels or sources.
- The statute includes appeals and withholding of funds as enforcement levers; implementation details (forms, maps, technical standards) will depend on agency guidance and local adoption.

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

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