Committee hears request to review Senate Bill 1397 creating compost/digestate grants; no formal endorsement yet

Austin Powell presented a request that the committee review and offer input on Senate Bill 1397, a proposed amendment to the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act that would create a three‑year grant program to incentivize the use of finished compost, liquid digestate and solid digestate on private and public lands used for commercial and specialty farming.

Powell described the bill as establishing an annual appropriation of up to $2,000,000 for three years, with a maximum award of $50,000 per grant recipient; awards would cover up to 90% of the costs to purchase, transport and apply finished compost. The bill, as described in the committee discussion, would require grant recipients to allow the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois to study compost and digestate use. Powell said he had recommended the bill also be routed to the Agriculture Committee for input and asked the Farm Bureau and county ag partners for feedback before committee or board-level endorsements.

Committee members asked technical questions about the source and quality control of digestate (e.g., whether material would come from wastewater treatment plants or food processors), raised concerns about past compost contamination incidents in other jurisdictions, and requested clarity on administration (Powell said the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would likely administer the program). Members agreed to circulate the bill text to Farm Bureau partners and to discuss the measure at the Energy and Environment meeting the following day; no formal committee position or vote was taken that night.

Ending

The committee requested additional technical details and Farm Bureau input before taking action. Austin Powell and committee staff will distribute bill materials to ag partners and follow up at the next relevant meetings.