HB 1873 Update
By Scott Hays
Illinois HB (House Bill) 1873 will open up access to all Illinois rivers for paddlers statewide. Significantly, 1873 is the year that the first statewide conservation law was passed in Illinois.
Unfortunately, HB 1873 did not make it to a vote during the first session of the 104th General Assembly (the second session is in Spring 2026). Our bill was referred back to the House Rules Committee after not being called during a hearing by the House Energy and Environment Committee.
It had a good run though, with nine co-sponsors joining our chief sponsor, Representative Janet Yang-Rohr, and with 322 witness slips filed by proponents supporting our bill (only 17 were filed in opposition). Even though it didn’t pass, we’re building momentum and support among our supporters who are stronger and more committed to passage than ever. Yet the opposition to our bill, arising primarily from both the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – is both real and strong.
Over the summer, look for more webinars and perhaps town halls to gain support for the bill and to inform the broader public of this issue and why it’s important. We are also encouraging paddling clubs around the state to encourage their local state rep to get out there and join them on a river trip this summer!
HB 1873 will retain this number through the next session so we can continue our message around building support and more co-sponsorships all summer and fall. Stay tuned!
As part of this effort, the IPC has also begun to gather information from paddlers directly on experiences they may have had with anyone limiting their right to paddle Illinois rivers. This includes both experiences with law enforcement or any trespassing threats paddlers may have had from landowners or others. If you had any such experiences, please complete our reporting form on our website at: https://illinoispaddling.org/ipc-seeks-paddler-confrontation-information/
IPC will be continuing our leading role in the advocacy charge for this bill and would like to thank YOU for your continuing efforts to restore the rights of paddlers to again freely paddle all of our beautiful Illinois rivers.