IL HB5541 Amends Environmental Protection Act on Organic Waste & Composting
Summary
Illinois HB5541 passed the House on April 9, 2026, amending the Environmental Protection Act to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for organic waste composting and anaerobic digestion. The bill adds definitions for food waste, anaerobic digestion, biogas, and digestate; establishes permitting requirements for organic waste operations; and creates exemptions for small-scale and farm-based composting that meet volume and setback requirements.
What changed
HB5541 amends the Illinois Environmental Protection Act to add comprehensive definitions for organic waste-related terms and establish a permitting framework for composting and anaerobic digestion facilities. The bill creates exemptions for small-scale operations meeting volume limits and setback distances, and farm-based composting meeting environmental safeguards. Anaerobic digesters using only non-waste feedstock are exempt from solid waste permitting, and digested material returned to economic use is not regulated as waste. The EPA may recommend performance standards, adopted by the Pollution Control Board, for organic waste compost facilities and end-product testing.
Affected parties include food manufacturers, agricultural operations, waste management companies, and construction firms building anaerobic digestion facilities. Businesses currently operating organic waste composting without permits should assess applicability of new requirements. The Technical Advisory Committee with balanced stakeholder representation will develop testing procedures for end-product compost, with standards applying to compost offered for sale or use. On-site residential composting remains exempt.
What to do next
- Determine if your operations handle organic waste subject to new permitting requirements
- Review exemptions for small-scale and farm-based composting operations
- Monitor for Technical Advisory Committee performance standards
Archived snapshot
Apr 10, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Illinois / HB5541 Passed HB5541 House Bill Passed 2026-04-09
FOOD WASTE&COMPOSTING
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Repeals the definition of "food scrap"; adds definitions for "anaerobic digestion", "biogas", "digestate", "food waste", "organic material", and "organic waste"; and updates the definitions of "compost" and "composting". In provisions regarding pollution control facilities, includes a new exemption for portions of sites or facilities used for composting or anaerobic digestion of organic waste that meet specified siting, setback, floodplain, and operational requirements. In provisions regarding prohibited acts, establishes permitting requirements for organic waste composting operations and organic waste anaerobic digesters, and creates exemptions for small-scale and certain farm-based composting operations that meet volume limits, setback distances, and other environmental safeguards. Provides that anaerobic digesters using only non-waste feedstock are exempt from solid waste permitting and clarifies that digested material returned to the economic mainstream is not regulated as waste. Authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to recommend, and the Pollution Control Board to adopt, performance standards for organic waste compost facilities and testing procedures for end-product compost, and requires a Technical Advisory Committee with balanced stakeholder representation. Specifies that standards apply to compost offered for sale or use and exempts on-site residential composting. Makes conforming changes throughout to integrate new definitions and regulatory requirements.
Bill Details
State Illinois
Session 104th General Assembly
Chamber House
Official Source www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum...
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Anna Moeller (Rep - D) Sonya Harper (Rep - D) Margaret DeLaRosa (Rep - D)
Action History
2026-04-09 H Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 103-000-000 2026-04-09 H Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Margaret A. DeLaRosa 2026-04-09 H Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sonya M. Harper 2026-04-07 H Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate 2026-04-07 H Second Reading - Short Debate 2026-03-25 H Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate 2026-03-24 H Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Energy & Environment Committee; 026-000-000 2026-03-24 H House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Energy & Environment Committee; by Voice Vote 2026-03-24 H House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Energy & Environment Committee 2026-03-23 H House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee 2026-03-23 H House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Anna Moeller 2026-03-18 H Assigned to Energy & Environment Committee 2026-02-13 H Referred to Rules Committee 2026-02-13 H First Reading 2026-02-06 H Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Anna Moeller
Committee Referrals
2026-02-13 H Rules 2026-03-18 H Energy & Environment 2026-03-23 H Rules 2026-03-24 H Energy & Environment
Amendments
2026-03-23 House Amendment 001
Bill Text Versions
2026-02-06 Introduced 2026-04-07 Engrossed Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
Related changes
Get daily alerts for Illinois Legislative Events
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from IL-GA.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Illinois Legislative Events publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.