# Illinois SB4044: LAND CONSERVATION ACT Illinois SB4044, LAND CONSERVATION ACT, is a 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by David Koehler (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-05-26 (Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB4044-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Illinois SB4044 - State: Illinois - Session: 104th General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: LAND CONSERVATION ACT - Status: in committee - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-06 - Last action: 2026-05-26, Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa - Sponsor: David Koehler (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 14 - Subjects: assignments, appropriations - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Creates the Agricultural Land Conservation Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2027, a Farmland Conversion Fee of $275 per acre shall be paid by the buyer or lessee of a transaction for any agricultural land that will be removed from production for the specific purpose of developing an industrial park, a commercial area, a single-family or multi-family dwelling or for being put to any other use that removes the agricultural land from production. Provides that the fee shall be collected by the Department of Agricultural. Provides for the creation of the Farmland Conversion Fee Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Provides that all Farmland Conversion Fees collected by the Department of Agriculture shall be contributed to the Fund. Further provides that moneys in the Fund may be exclusively used for the following purposes: (i) supporting education and programs that support healthy soil clean water, and climate-smart agricultural practices; (ii) supporting operations funding for soil and water conservation districts; (iii) covering costs associated with administering the Act; (iv) any other purposes that the Department of Agriculture determines are consistent with the purposes of the Act. Provides that, before expending moneys for any other purposes, the Department of Agriculture shall, subject to the availability of moneys in the Fund, ensure that during each State fiscal year, $10,000,000 is distributed to soil and water conservation districts, for the purpose of supporting their operations funding. Provides that $500,000 shall be distributed to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of collecting fees and administering the program created under the Act. Provides for penalties. Effective immediately. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: David Koehler (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Chapin Rose (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Balkema (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Dave Syverson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Donald P. DeWitte (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Karina Villa (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Laura M. Murphy (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Linda Holmes (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark L. Walker (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael E. Hastings (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael W. Halpin (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Porfirio (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Patrick J. Joyce (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Paul Faraci (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Sally J. Turner (Republican), Senate ## Actions (26) - 2026-05-26: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Karina Villa (Senate) - 2026-05-22: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2026-05-22: Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2026-05-21: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mike Porfirio (Senate) - 2026-05-15: Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 22, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-05-12: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Donald P. DeWitte (Senate) - 2026-05-07: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Dave Syverson (Senate) - 2026-05-04: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Chris Balkema (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael E. Hastings (Senate) - 2026-04-29: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Chapin Rose (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 15, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-14: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Linda Holmes (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As April 24, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Michael W. Halpin (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Paul Faraci (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. David Koehler (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Mark L. Walker (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Patrick J. Joyce (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Added as Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Sally J. Turner (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Assigned to Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Referred to Assignments (Senate) - 2026-02-06: First Reading (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Filed with Secretary by Sen. David Koehler (Senate) ## Bill text - Introduced: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB4044.pdf) - Senate Amendment 1: [PDF](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB4044sam001.pdf) ## Related bills - HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS (passed house) - SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS (passed senate) - HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY (in committee) - HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT (in committee) - SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL (passed senate) - SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION (signed) ## Sources - [Introduced (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB4044.pdf) - [Senate Amendment 1 (PDF)](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/SB/PDF/10400SB4044sam001.pdf) ## Related - [HB5198: AFFORDABLE HOUSING-CILAS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB5198-2025-2026) - [SB1937: PENSION CODE-VARIOUS](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB1937-2025-2026) - [HB2563: CONDO-RESERVE STUDY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB2563-2025-2026) - [HB4701: LIMITATIONS FACILITY FEES ACT](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-HB4701-2025-2026) - [SB3008: DHS-ABLE PROGRAM INFO MATERIAL](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3008-2025-2026) - [SB3484: VEH CD-PLATES-REGISTRATION](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB3484-2025-2026) - [Illinois bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois/bills) - [Illinois state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/illinois) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IL-SB4044-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).