State Representative Jason Bunting | Illinois General Assembly
State Representative Jason Bunting | Illinois General Assembly
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Counties Code. In provisions about commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities, removes changes made by Public Act 102-1123. Provides that any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms, commercial wind energy facilities, or commercial solar energy facilities that was in effect before January 27, 2023 may continue in effect notwithstanding any changes made in Public Act 102-1123 and, if applicable, any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms that was in effect before August 16, 2007 may continue in effect notwithstanding the changes made in Public Act 95-203."
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 Counties Code concerning wind farms, electric-generating wind devices, and commercial wind energy facilities. It removes changes made by Public Act 102-1123 and allows any county zoning ordinance related to wind or solar energy facilities that was in effect prior to January 27, 2023, or wind farms prior to August 16, 2007, to continue unchanged. Counties can establish standards, including the height and number of devices, and regulate the siting of wind farms in unincorporated areas outside a municipality's zoning jurisdiction and the 1.5-mile surrounding radius. The bill requires a public hearing within 30 days of any siting decision, with notice published in a newspaper, and mandates an agricultural impact mitigation agreement be executed prior to hearings or permit extensions. Additionally, counties may permit test wind towers without formal approval but cannot demand setbacks exceeding 1.1 times a renewable energy system's height from the property line of systems used exclusively by end users.
Jason R. Bunting has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.
Bunting graduated from Joliet Junior College.
Jason Bunting is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 106th House District. He replaced previous state representative Thomas Bennett 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HB1201 | 01/09/2025 | Amends the Counties Code. In provisions about commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities, removes changes made by Public Act 102-1123. Provides that any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms, commercial wind energy facilities, or commercial solar energy facilities that was in effect before January 27, 2023 may continue in effect notwithstanding any changes made in Public Act 102-1123 and, if applicable, any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms that was in effect before August 16, 2007 may continue in effect notwithstanding the changes made in Public Act 95-203. |
| HB1200 | 01/09/2025 | Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates within the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board a Recruitment Division. Provides that the Division shall establish a Back-the-Badge Program, which shall establish recruitment plans for law enforcement agencies. Provides that the Division shall determine and prioritize specific characteristics that a law enforcement agency and community desire in their police officers. Provides that the Division shall cooperate with law enforcement agencies to determine a strategy to hire and retain sworn police officers who are diverse and reflective of the community and the priorities of the law enforcement agencies. |
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