McLean County Times

Jason R. Bunting introduced HB2630 in the Illinois House on Feb. 4, 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: "Creates the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test the use of solar powered LED road signs in 5 counties of varied population. After getting reports of the program from the counties, the Department shall file a report with the General Assembly that contains the complete findings of the program. 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 establishes the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act, mandating the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test solar-powered LED road signs in five counties of varied population. The program will be implemented six months following the bill's effective date and requires each county to deploy solar-powered signs on non-state or federal highways with low-visibility signs, adhering to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. After at least 90 days of testing, counties must report their findings to the Department, which will subsequently compile a report for the General Assembly highlighting the signs' functionality, benefits, safety concerns, and projected statewide costs. The Act is set to be repealed on Dec. 31, 2027, and is effective immediately.

Jason R. Bunting has proposed another two bills 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
HB2630	02/04/2025	Creates the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test the use of solar powered LED road signs in 5 counties of varied population. After getting reports of the program from the counties, the Department shall file a report with the General Assembly that contains the complete findings of the program. Effective immediately.
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.
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.