Illinois Valley Times

Amy Briel introduced HB1627 in the Illinois House on Jan. 23, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill allows counties in Illinois to deny permits for the construction, modification, or improvement of commercial solar and wind energy facilities unless the work is executed under a project labor agreement with local building trades. It amends the Counties Code by updating standards that counties may apply to these energy facilities, such as setback requirements, sound limitations, and construction standards, ensuring they are no more restrictive than specified in the section. The bill also details procedures for public hearings, encourages vegetation management practices in solar facilities, and mandates the repair of roadways and drainage systems impacted by construction. Counties cannot impose zoning ordinances that disallow such facilities in agricultural or industrial zones or enforce fees unrelated to project-specific roadwork. Additionally, it outlines requirements for ecological and historical assessments and exempts certain applications from the new regulations, specifically if they were filed before Jan. 27, 2023.

Amy Briel has proposed another two bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Briel graduated from Illinois State University in 1998.

Amy Briel is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 76th House District. She replaced previous state representative Lance Yednock in 2025.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB1627	01/23/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made.
HB1629	01/23/2025	Creates the Municipal Assistance and Permit Review Reform Act. Provides that, by January 1, 2027, each State agency that requires authorization or environmental review of municipal construction or public works projects shall develop a web portal to be posted on the agency's website for the purpose of enhancing review and promoting timely issuance of permits required. Specifies the information an agency must make available on its web portal. Provides that, if an applicant submits a completed permit application to an agency for a covered project in accordance with all applicable State and federal law and there is no final action by the agency, then (1) the application is automatically approved after 180 days if notice and opportunity for public hearing are not required by State or federal law; and (2) the application is automatically approved after 270 days if notice and opportunity for public hearing are required by State or federal law. Defines terms including "covered project". Effective immediately.
HB1580	01/22/2025	Amends the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act, the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Nurse Practice Act, the Pharmacy Practice Act, and the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. Provides that, during State fiscal years 2025 and 2026, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall allow individuals in rural counties a one-time waiver of fees imposed under specific provisions in each Act. Effective immediately.
HB1301	01/13/2025	Creates the Rural Hospital Task Force Act. Establishes the Rural Hospital Task Force within the Department of Public Health for the purpose of investigating the current state of rural hospitals and providing recommendations to prevent further closures of rural hospitals and to potentially expand rural hospital services. Provides that the Task Force shall convene to conduct business on at least 4 separate days. Requires the Department of Public Health to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Requires each agency and entity represented on the Task Force to share with the Task Force any data of the agency or entity necessary to achieve the purpose of the Task Force. Provides that all findings and recommendations made by the Task Force must be reported to the General Assembly before January 1, 2027. Provides that the Task Force is dissolved, and the Act is repealed, on January 1, 2027