Illinois Governor JB Pritzker officially signed the Dark Sky Act legislation (Senate Bill 3037) on August 7, 2026, with the law scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Key Provisions of the Law
Sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), the Dark Sky Act expands upon previous environmental legislation to mitigate statewide light pollution:
- Statewide Expansion: The law amends the previous Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act (which only covered the Department of Natural Resources) to ensure that all state agencies must comply with responsible outdoor illumination standards for new or renovated fixtures bought with state funds.
- Commercial Energy Stretch Code: It updates the Illinois Energy Efficient Building Act by integrating national ANSI/IES lighting standards into the optional stretch energy codes for municipalities. This will regulate outdoor lighting for public and private commercial properties to minimize glare, skyglow, and light trespass.
- Targeted Implementation: By December 2029, the Illinois Capital Development Board will finalize these stretch energy codes for local municipalities that choose to adopt them.
Environmental Impact
The legislation aims to address ecological issues by lowering excessive artificial light at night, which advocates claim has been increasing at an alarming 10% annually. The law specifically targets:
- Reducing the deaths of hundreds of millions of migratory birds disoriented by city lights.
- Protecting nocturnal wildlife ecosystems.
- Saving taxpayer dollars and decreasing energy waste.
- Aligning human circadian rhythms to natural day-and-night cycles.
The full legislative text is available here.
Image above is Chicago at night, courtesy of Pixabay.com.
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