INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION ACT
HB3119 creates the Prairie State Infrastructure Protection Act and adds a related section to the Illinois Procurement Code. The bill would prohibit Illinois business entities and governmental entities from entering into contracts or other agreements involving critical infrastructure if the contracting company is able to directly or remotely access or control that infrastructure and is associated with China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or another country later designated as a threat by the Governor. The bill defines critical infrastructure broadly to include communication infrastructure systems, cybersecurity systems, the electric grid, hazardous waste treatment systems, and water treatment facilities.
The measure gives the Governor authority to designate additional countries as threats to critical infrastructure, in consultation with the Director of the Illinois State Police, and allows consultation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to assess threats. It also specifies that the restriction applies regardless of whether a company is publicly traded or listed on a stock exchange, and it reaches subsidiaries, parent companies, affiliates, and entities controlled by foreign governments or citizens of the listed countries.
In practical terms, the bill would change state procurement and contracting rules by barring certain foreign-owned or foreign-controlled companies from participating in contracts tied to sensitive infrastructure. It would affect both private business entities operating in Illinois and state agencies or local governmental bodies covered by the Procurement Code, potentially limiting the pool of eligible vendors for infrastructure-related work and services.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the bill’s general sentiment cannot be measured from legislative debate or roll calls. Based on the text alone, the bill appears aimed at national security and infrastructure protection, suggesting a precautionary policy approach rather than a partisan compromise measure.
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials, but the bill’s likely areas of dispute would include the breadth of the country-based restrictions, the Governor’s discretion to add designated threat countries, and the potential impact on procurement competition, foreign investment, and existing vendor relationships.
HB3119 would add a new statutory framework in Illinois governing contracts involving critical infrastructure and amend the Illinois Procurement Code to bar certain state and local contracts with companies tied to China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or other countries designated as threats. It would create new compliance obligations for business entities and governmental entities that contract for infrastructure-related services, and it would expand state authority to screen vendors based on ownership, control, and headquarters location.
No committee discussion or vote history is available, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize. From the bill text, the measure is framed as a security-focused response to foreign access to critical infrastructure, indicating a generally protective and restrictive policy posture. The absence of recorded debate means support or opposition cannot be directly assessed from the provided materials.
The main potential points of contention are the bill’s broad exclusion of companies associated with specified foreign countries, the Governor’s authority to designate additional threat countries, and the reach of the prohibition to subsidiaries, affiliates, and publicly traded companies. Critics could argue the bill may reduce competition, complicate procurement, or sweep too broadly, while supporters would likely emphasize cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and protection against foreign control or access.