Representative Dan Swanson’s January 9 Capitol News Update

Inside:

• Getting ready for another spring session at the Capitol
• Firefighter training bill becomes law
• A warning about energy shortfalls
• Applications now open for IDNR Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants

Getting ready for another spring session at the Capitol

Another spring session of the Illinois House of Representatives is about to get underway.

We will be returning to the Capitol on Tuesday January 20 to convene this year's spring session. The Governor will offer his Budget Address and State of the State speech on February 18. House bills must be out of committees by the end of March and must have passed the full House by mid-April. Bills which come over from the Senate will be heard in House committees in early May and must be through the full House by later that month, though deadlines can sometimes be extended.

The House and Senate are scheduled to adjourn the spring session on Sunday May 31.

It should be a busy year at the Capitol once again. Our state budget problems continue, and we still need to act on cleaning up corruption, addressing high energy prices and improving public safety. I am sure there will be many other important issues which emerge during the spring.

Please feel free to reach out to me through repswanson.com or my district office to let me know what you think about what we are doing in Springfield.

Firefighter training bill becomes law

More than 200 bills which the General Assembly passed back in the spring became law on January 1. A bill I sponsored to help our firefighters was among them.

House Bill 1149 creates a college credit for training completed as a firefighter. Illinois already offers a similar opportunity for EMT training. This bill extends that credit to firefighters. The bill passed both houses unanimously.

A warning about energy shortfalls

Last fall the state passed another wide-ranging energy bill, a follow-up to 2021's Clean Energy and Jobs Act. The results have been mixed so far, with a lot of Illinoisans paying higher energy prices than ever. Now we have a warning from three state agencies about the state facing 'credible risk' of electricity shortages over the next five years.

The Illinois Power Agency, along with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Commerce Commission released a study at the end of 2025 which warned that "conditions create a credible risk of regional capacity shortfalls that will impact Illinois' future ability to import power during critical hours and may cause reliability issues in Illinois even if Illinois market zones have enough capacity to meet their (resource adequacy) requirements."

This is not the first such notice about our energy supply. For years House Republicans have raised red flags about the state's flawed energy policies and the threat they pose to cause energy shortages and higher electric bills. Since as far back as 2016, Democrats in Springfield have been enacting energy bills with promises of reliability and lower costs. Each time, the opposite has happened. Illinois needs to change our failing energy policies, move away from the Green New Deal, and embrace an "all of the above" energy plan based on reliable energy sources which will ensure an adequate supply of power at affordable rates.

Applications now open for IDNR Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants

Some news from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on grants:

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting applications for Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants now through Feb. 16, 2026.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service VFA federal grant program provides matching funds to aid fire departments in the purchase of new equipment and helps fund training. Funding is passed through IDNR to local fire departments and fire training academies.

The VFA grant program reimburses 50% of the recipients' project costs up to $10,000. Grant recipients must make the initial financial outlay for the projects before being reimbursed.

In 2025, the program awarded $322,893 for 48 Illinois projects. The types of projects that have been funded under previous grants include radios, hoses, self-contained breathing apparatus, turn-out gear, wildland personal protective equipment, hand tools, chainsaws, backpack blowers, modifying federal excess vehicles and equipment, and other equipment.

Additional information about grant requirements and opportunities can be found on the IDNR grants website and the Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance.

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