Illinois Sen. Halpin swimming facility safety bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Michael W. Halpin aims to enhance public health and safety in swimming facilities by updating enforcement rules covering sanitation, design, and safety measures, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 32 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 36 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Halpin introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 17, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB0189, was passed on May 31, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Swimming Facility Act. Provides that the rules adopted by the Department of Public Health shall permit sporting good equipment systems and fitness equipment systems to be installed in swimming facilities if the sporting good equipment system or fitness equipment system is designed for pool use and installed in accordance with the safe-use parameters specified by the manufacturer. Provides that sporting good equipment systems and fitness equipment systems that meet those requirements shall not be considered an obstruction.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Swimming Facility Act to mandate that the Department of Public Health develop and update rules necessary for enforcing the act to safeguard public health and safety in swimming facilities. These regulations must cover design criteria, sanitation, plumbing, water supply, waste disposal, and communicable disease control, among other areas. The rules must also include measures to prevent bather entrapment or entanglement. Additionally, the bill specifies that sporting and fitness equipment designed for pool use can be installed in swimming facilities, provided they adhere to manufacturer safety guidelines and are not considered obstructions. This provision, however, does not apply to school swimming facilities. The effective date of amendments made by P.A. 96-1081 was July 16, 2010, and those by 97-957 was Jan. 1, 2013.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Gregg Johnson (Democrat-72nd District), Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (Democrat-8th District), and Sen. Lakesia Collins (Democrat-5th District), along with one other sponsor.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Halpin graduated from Roger Williams University in 2001 with a BA and again in 2008 from University of Illinois with a JD.

Halpin, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 36th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Neil Anderson.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.

While the final vote determined the bill’s passage, lawmakers in both chambers held an additional vote related to a concurrence. This earlier vote is included below for context.