HB3748 would amend the Department of Transportation Law to address non-roadway property owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation that has been used as an encampment site for people experiencing homelessness for 30 days or more. In that circumstance, the property would have to be transferred within 30 days to the Department of Natural Resources and then treated as a campground under the Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act.
The bill appears to create a statutory process for reclassifying certain IDOT-owned lands after prolonged homeless encampment use, shifting responsibility from transportation to natural resources and campground regulation. It does not address roadway property, and it would apply only to property owned by IDOT that meets the 30-day encampment threshold.
Impact
If enacted, HB3748 would add a new Section 2705-627 to the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and require interagency transfer of qualifying IDOT property to the Department of Natural Resources. The affected property would then be regulated as a campground, which could trigger licensing, safety, and land-use requirements under the Campground Licensing and Recreational Area Act. The bill would affect state agencies, especially IDOT and DNR, and could also affect people experiencing homelessness who are using state-owned land as encampment sites.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded debate or voting record to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure is framed as an administrative land-management response to encampments rather than a direct housing or social-services proposal. The caption and structure suggest a policy approach focused on state property control and reclassification of land use.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s treatment of homeless encampments through property transfer and campground designation rather than through housing, outreach, or shelter services. Supporters may view it as a way to clarify responsibility for long-term encampment sites on state land, while critics may argue it could displace unhoused individuals or recharacterize encampments in a way that does not address underlying homelessness. Another possible issue is the administrative burden and legal implications of transferring state property and applying campground regulations to land not originally intended for that use.