SPRINGFIELD – As Illinois recognizes PFAS Awareness Week, members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus are highlighting a comprehensive effort to reduce exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, strengthen environmental monitoring and protect Illinois families from these persistent chemicals.
PFAS have been widely used in consumer and industrial products can persist in the environment. Illinois has taken significant steps to address PFAS in recent years, including establishing drinking water and groundwater standards and enacting restrictions on certain PFAS-containing products. Senate Democrats are continuing that work by advancing legislation focused on testing, source reduction, consumer protections, wastewater and the state’s water resources.
To better understand and address PFAS in Illinois’ waterways and wastewater systems, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is leading efforts to increase testing and transparency through Senate Bill 3917. The law requires certain facilities operating under wastewater discharge permits to conduct periodic PFAS sampling, including testing of influent, effluent and biosolids at covered publicly owned treatment works. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
"PFAS are persistent chemicals that move through our environment and into the water systems communities rely on every day,” Fine said. “To protect public health, we need clear, reliable data about where these chemicals are entering our waterways and how they travel through treatment systems. This would allow us to take meaningful steps to address it.”
Fine is also working to strengthen protections for children through Senate Bill 167. The proposal would prohibit the sale, offer for sale or distribution of juvenile products containing intentionally added PFAS, with exemptions for certain federally preempted products, used products and specifically medical applications.
“Parents shouldn’t have to question whether products made for their children contain intentionally added chemicals when safer alternatives exist,” Fine said. “This bill reduces unnecessary PFAS exposure in items designed for infants and children while still accounting for essential medical uses and federal requirements.”
House Bill 2516, led by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest), takes effect Jan. 1, 2032. The law prohibits the sale and distribution of certain products containing intentionally added PFAS in Illinois, including cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstrual products and intimate apparel.
Morrison is also working to expand those protections through Senate Bill 117, which would prohibit the sale, offer for sale or distribution of additional consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS, including cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstrual products, intimate apparel and food packaging or food-contact products.
PFAS can also enter the environment through wastewater and the management of biosolids, prompting Morrison to introduce Senate Bill 3101. The proposal would establish PFAS testing and land-application standards for biosolids, including annual testing before land application and quarterly testing for biosolids designated as exceptional quality. The bill would also establish requirements for notifying landowners and maintaining records of PFAS testing.
“People shouldn’t have to worry about being repeatedly exposed to toxic chemicals from products they use every day,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Through the legislation we’ve passed, Illinois is poised to lead the way in phasing out dangerous substances that don’t belong in our homes or bodies.”
As communities and wastewater agencies continue to navigate the challenges posed by PFAS, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) is leading an effort to bring stakeholders together through House Bill 2955, the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Act. The measure creates the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Committee to examine PFAS data, wastewater treatment technologies and costs, potential funding sources and policy recommendations, with the committee required to develop a PFAS Action Plan.
“PFAS pose a public health threat to our communities, especially when they are found in wastewater runoff,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “By establishing a committee aimed at combating these substances in wastewater, we are bolstering the tools and knowledge we need to prevent potential negative health or environmental effects on our communities.”
With Lake Michigan serving as a critical source of drinking water for communities across Illinois, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) is working to strengthen monitoring through Senate Bill 3681, the Protect the Great Lakes Act. The proposal would require the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to test Lake Michigan monthly for PFAS and microplastics and require the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to test the Illinois drinking water system for those contaminants. It would also create and intergovernmental working group between the Illinois EPA and Illinois Department of Public Health to examine the effects of PFAS and micro plastic pollution and develop recommendations.
"Clean, safe water is fundamental to the health of our communities, and we have a responsibility to understand what contaminants are making their way into the water people rely on every day," said State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago). "By consistently testing for PFAS and microplastics, we can better understand the scope of the problem and take informed steps toward protecting Lake Michigan and our drinking water for generations to come."
Together, the measures address PFAS at multiple angles – from the products consumers purchase and the chemicals entering wastewater systems to the biosolids that may be applied to land and the water resources that Illinois communities depend on.
The efforts build on Illinois’ broader PFAS strategy, including existing restrictions on certain PFAS-containing products, environmental monitoring and drinking water protections. During PFAS Awareness Week, Illinois lawmakers are emphasizing the continued need for testing, source reduction, transparency and collaboration as the state works to reduce PFAS exposure and protect public health and the environment.
###
