ISACo

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) are teaming up to make sure haunted houses in Illinois are safe before doors open for the Halloween season. Haunted houses operated by not-for-profit religious, educational, or charitable organizations may apply for an exemption from IDOL inspections. Haunted house operators/owners should contact local authorities to see what requirements apply locally for haunted houses. Local authorities should be providing those inspections. For those municipalities that do not have local codes or inspectors, OSFM will perform a Fire Department Assistance inspection upon receiving a request from the local Fire Chief.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings today announced an $18 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to replace existing on-road diesel Class 4-8 medium- and heavy-duty local freight trucks and Class 8 port drayage trucks with all-electric Class 4-8 trucks located and operated in one of the Volkswagen (VW) priority areas described below. Illinois EPA will also fund a portion of the necessary new Level 2 or direct current fast charging (DCFC) equipment if charging infrastructure is needed.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced today that the application period is now open for the Small Equipment Grant Program. A total of $6 million will be awarded to eligible fire departments and ambulance services to assist with the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment. This year, departments will be required to apply online only with applications due no later than November 14, 2025.

The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) released today 2026 Plan Year rates for the Get Covered Illinois Marketplace. Similar to national trends impacting states across the country, Illinois’ average rate increase is rising due to the devastating impacts of Trump’s budget bill, which will result in the loss of the federal enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) as well as a much higher rate of uninsured Illinoisans, thereby increasing the cost of care. While health plan availability and rates vary based on where consumers live, the statewide weighted average rate increase for individual plans is 28.8 percent compared to last year.

The United States House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the FEMA Act of 2025. The Act will next be considered by the full House. Both the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) support the FEMA Act. This article summarizes the provisions within the Act and links to a model letter counties can use to advocate in support of passage. Please click on the title of this post to read the article.