Illinois Bill Amends Water Commission Act and Municipal Code

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

Illinois House Bill 4951 proposes amendments to the Water Commission Act of 1985 and the Illinois Municipal Code. The bill seeks to remove restrictions on compensation for water commissioners and expand the authority of county water commissions regarding project delivery methods and service area.

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What changed

Illinois House Bill 4951, currently in the draft stage, proposes significant changes to the state's water commission regulations. Key amendments include removing the prohibition on compensation for commissioners who are also officers or employees of local governments, allowing water commissions to utilize alternate project delivery methods such as design-build contracts, and expanding the radius for constructing water transmission and distribution lines from 25 to 50 miles outside member municipalities.

Compliance officers in Illinois government agencies overseeing water commissions should review the bill's implications for compensation structures and procurement processes. The expansion of the service area radius may also impact strategic planning for water supply contracts. While the bill is in its early stages, its passage could lead to increased operational flexibility and potential for expanded service provision by county water commissions.

What to do next

Review Illinois HB4951 for potential impacts on water commission operations and compensation.
Monitor the bill's progress through the Illinois General Assembly legislative process.

Source document (simplified)

IL HB4951 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly

Illinois House Bill 4951

IL State Legislature page for HB4951
- Summary
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Status

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Introduced on February 4 2026 - 25% progression
Action: 2026-03-27 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
Pending: House Rules Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Summary

Amends the Water Commission Act of 1985. Deletes a provision which specifies that no commissioner who is a member of the governing board or an officer or employee of the county or any unit of local government within the county may receive any compensation for serving as a commissioner on the county water commission. Allows a county water commission to use alternate project delivery methods, establish goals or requirements for the procurement of goods and services and for construction contracts, and accept assignment of municipal waterworks system contracts or other public improvement contracts. Gives commissions the authority to enter into design-build contracts and use a design-build delivery system. Includes requirements pertaining to the design-build delivery system. Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a county water commission may construct water transmission and distribution lines within a radius of 50 miles (rather than 25 miles) outside the corporate limits of member municipalities for the purpose of furnishing water to any additional entities that contract with the commission for a supply of water.
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Title

WATER COMMISSION-CONSTRUCTION

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-27 | House | Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Assigned to Public Utilities Committee |
| 2026-02-06 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2026-02-06 | House | First Reading |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Martha Deuter |

Code Citations

| Chapter | Article | Section | Citation Type | Statute Text |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 65 | 5 | 11-135-8 | Amended Code | Citation Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 10 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 11 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 12 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 13 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 14 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 15 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 2 | Amended Code | Citation Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 6 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 7 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 8 | New Code | See Bill Text |
| 70 | 3720 | 9 | New Code | See Bill Text |

Illinois State Sources

| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=4951&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104 |
| Text | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?LegDocId=207649&DocName=10400HB4951&DocNum=4951&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=166303&GAID=18&SessionID=114&SpecSess=&Session= |

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