Peoria Standard

Sharon Chung introduced HB1538 in the Illinois House on Jan. 21, 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 Sanitary District Act of 1917. Provides that the board of trustees of the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may enter into an agreement to sell, convey, or disburse treated wastewater to a private entity located within 50 miles of the District's boundaries. Provides that the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may accept wastewater for treatment from a private entity located within 50 miles of the district's boundaries. Provides that the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may acquire and accept, by gift, grant, purchase, or otherwise fee simple interest or any lesser interest as may be desired in real property necessary to carry out its powers under the provisions. Effective immediately."

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

In essence, this bill amends the Sanitary District Act of 1917 to authorize the Sanitary District of Decatur and the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District to engage in agreements with private entities located within 50 miles of their boundaries for the sale, conveyance, or disbursement of treated wastewater. These agreements may not exceed 30 years. Additionally, the districts can accept wastewater from private entities for treatment within the same geographical scope. The bill also permits these districts to acquire real property interests necessary for executing these powers. However, it excludes private entities located outside Illinois. The bill takes effect upon becoming law.

Sharon Chung has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.

Chung graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BA.

Sharon Chung is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 91st House District. She replaced previous state representative Mark Luft in 2023.

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
HB1538	01/21/2025	Amends the Sanitary District Act of 1917. Provides that the board of trustees of the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may enter into an agreement to sell, convey, or disburse treated wastewater to a private entity located within 50 miles of the District's boundaries. Provides that the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may accept wastewater for treatment from a private entity located within 50 miles of the district's boundaries. Provides that the Bloomington and Normal Water Reclamation District may acquire and accept, by gift, grant, purchase, or otherwise fee simple interest or any lesser interest as may be desired in real property necessary to carry out its powers under the provisions. Effective immediately.
HB1358	01/14/2025	Amends the School Code. Creates the Waiver Process Task Force. Sets forth provisions concerning membership, meetings, and support services. Provides that the purposes of the Task Force are to examine the current waiver response process and make recommendations on a more equitable and fair waiver response at the elementary and secondary school levels in this State; develop and use metrics to access the viability of waiver requests and the impact of such requests on students in kindergarten through grade 12; promote training and professional development on creating waiver requests that include accountability measures for teachers and other community stakeholders across this State; identify and seek local, State, and national resources to support an equitable and fair waiver process; and complete such other strategies as may be identified by the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on how waivers should be requested, how waivers should be reviewed for approval, and how to demonstrate the ability to fulfill accountability measures proposed in requested waivers. Requires the Task Force to file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2025. Effective immediately.