An Interview with Senator Adriane Johnson on Illinois Food Diversion Legislation

The impact of food being wasted is significant for people who are food insecure and for the health of our planet. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Illinoisans are food insecure. ReFED reported that Illinois generated nearly $13.8 billion worth of surplus food in 2023. This uneaten food is overwhelmingly landfilled. Food scraps make up 24% of landfill waste and generate 58% of methane emissions. Methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

About the Bills

In response to these challenges, Senator Adriane Johnson and Representative Joyce Mason filed Senate Bill 1397 and Senate Bill 1398/House Bill 1707, which aim to reduce methane/greenhouse gas emissions by diverting food scraps from landfills, increase food recovery for human consumption, provide data on the benefits of compost and digestate use on agricultural land, and phase in food diversion requirements to provide time for infrastructure to develop. This article draws from an interview conducted by DePaul student Olivia Galic (class of 2025) with Senator Adriane Johnson and Walter Willis, executive director of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County.

SB1397 has two major components. The first is a grant program that provides funding for private, public, and non-profit-owned agricultural land to offset the cost of purchasing, transporting, and applying finished compost and/or digestate. The program appropriates $2 million annually for three years (2026-2028) to support market expansion. The second is a comprehensive research study that examines the environmental and agricultural benefits of compost and digestate, including soil health, carbon sequestration, and reduced reliance on inorganic fertilizers.

SB1398 and HB1707 currently share the exact same language. The bills establish a food scrap hierarchy, prioritizing food scrap waste prevention and reduction, then donation for human consumption, use in animal feed, and finally, composting or anaerobic digestion​. These bills have a ten-year phase-in, which Senator Johnson refers to as the “ten-year ramp-up approach.” Food scrap separation requirements would start with the largest generators in 2028, eventually covering most generators by 2034. The bills would also require compliance for entities within 20 miles of compost facilities or anaerobic digesters, expanding to 25 miles in 2035. 

SB1397 was made with SB1398/HB1707 in mind. “If [SB1397] had been passed,” Willis noted, “the thought was that it would help with market development in 2026 and 2027 so that the compost sites…can start to market that material, because they’re going to get a lot more as we divert food scraps.”

Progress

At the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, SB1398 was assigned to the Appropriations Committee. “Anytime there’s any funding required and any potential costs associated with a [bill]…sometimes it gets kicked to Appropriations,” Senator Johnson said. Although the bill seemed to be stalling, Johnson and Willis were able to present the bill at a subject matter hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on April 23, 2025. “Walter was able to testify, which was important in this process of presenting your bill in Appropriations,” Johnson said. “The reason why that’s important is because it is on record—official record. I feel it will be important to ongoing negotiations and discussions moving forward.”

The Feed and Conserve Illinois team was also able to get SB1398 into the House by amending HB1707, which had already been assigned to the House Energy and Environment Committee. In just a few months, the Feed and Conserve Illinois movement grew to over 40 organizations and hundreds of individuals. HB1707 passed out of the House Energy and Environment Committee with over 550 witness slips in support. Despite not passing during the 2025 legislative session, fifteen Senators are currently signed on as co-sponsors. “We need thirty to pass it, so we’ve made a lot of progress this year,” Willis noted.

With stakeholders expressing a range of opinions on the bills, Willis anticipated the challenges of moving the bills forward in one session. “We knew this was going to be a heavy lift,” he explained. “[It would be a] bill that would have a lot of attention, so this isn’t surprising that we had to learn a little about what people were thinking about.”

Johnson echoed the need for careful collaboration, emphasizing her approach to legislation: “I don’t believe in just pushing anything through without really working with the advocates, industry, and the key stakeholders. If there are questions and there are things we need to consider, I understand that.”

Despite not reaching a consensus this past session, Senator Johnson and Willis stay optimistic. “President Harmon says, and I agree with him, ‘State government is not going out of business. If you can’t get your legislation moving or advanced in one session, you always have the next session,’” Johnson emphasized. “I stay motivated because I believe in this work, and I believe in the goals of Senate Bill 1398, and I understand the importance of it.”

The most important step, when SB1397 and HB1707/SB1398 pass, is implementation, according to Johnson; the ten-year ramp-up approach can be vital to the bills’ successes when passed. “Sometimes you have to give people time when [there are] new requirements,” Johnson said, “and I see this as that: more time for education and awareness, more time for infrastructure development, and more time for addressing potential challenges…When you don’t give people enough time, legislation that becomes law rarely gets implemented. When I do things, I like real, meaningful legislation, and I don’t advance legislation or agree to just to say I’m doing it. I do it because it matters, and I want it to be implemented.” Although a tedious process, it is an effective one. And it’s the way to make sure the bill gets done right.

When asked about how community members can get involved once the 2026 legislative session starts in January, Johnson recommended constituents stay engaged by visiting ilga.gov for updates on current bills and encouraged constituents to submit witness slips for bills they support. “The reason why that is important is because it shows the leadership and the Senate, both chambers, that people care about this. If we could have 500 people slipping in support of the bill—500 proponents—it really shows how important this legislative measure is.”

Senator Johnson also added, “I love community and constituent engagement.” Emailing, calling, or even talking with your legislator in person, either at informal events hosted by legislators or at larger community events, can be an effective way to communicate with your senator or representative. “Often, people walk up to me [at events] and they’ll let me know what’s going on, and then they’ll apologize. I say, ‘No, I’m out here to hear from you, and my colleagues feel the same way.’”

Next Steps

With momentum building and groundwork being laid, Johnson and Willis remain confident that Illinois is on its way to stronger food waste solutions. In the summer of 2025, Senator Johnson and her staff held a meeting to begin discussions with SB1398’s key stakeholders. The Feed and Conserve Illinois team is working to schedule another meeting and make progress before the next session with possible amendments to the bills. The sponsors, co-sponsors, and supporters of SB1397 and HB1707/SB1398 recognize that meaningful change takes time, collaboration, and persistence, and are committed to building support in the years ahead. Their perseverance reflects a shared belief that reducing food waste and strengthening composting infrastructure is possible and essential for the state’s future.