Rock Island Today

State Rep. Ryan Spain shared information on new regulations for business owners, stating, "Illinois businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, are still struggling to recover from pandemic losses." He made this statement in a Sept. 4 Facebook post.

"Illinois businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, are still struggling to recover from pandemic losses," said Spain, State Representative, according to Facebook. "Instead of helping businesses thrive, Democrats heap on the regulations."

In his Facebook post, Spain shared a link to an Illinois Policy article about a new ban on mini single-use toiletries at hotels, beginning July 1, 2025. According to the article, the law will go into effect for hotels with more than 50 rooms starting July 1, 2025. Hotels with fewer than 50 rooms will need to comply by Jan. 1, 2026.

Screenshot of State Rep. Ryan Spain's Sept. 4 Facebook post | State Represetnative Ryan Spain's Facebook page

The Illinois Legislative General Assembly webpage focused on Senate Bill 2960 notes that Sen. Laura Fine was the chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate and filed it on Jan. 31, 2024. It passed the Senate on April 10. In the House of Representatives, Nicholas K. Smith was the chief sponsor of the bill, which had its first reading on April 11 and passed both houses on May 24. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it on Aug. 9. The bill sets a business offense with a fee of not more than $1,500 for a second offense.

A report from WGN-9 notes that the Small Plastic Bottle Act defines personal care products as shampoo, hair conditioner, and bath soap to be used in the shower and that bottles under six ounces are considered small plastic single-use bottles.

The WGN article also states that hotels may still provide personal care products in single-use plastic bottles at no charge to a person but only upon request at a place other than a room or public bathroom. State hotels will be expected to transition to refillable containers.

Spain has been serving the people of the 73rd House District since 2017. A lifelong resident of Peoria, he holds degrees in political science and speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Bradley University. His service record includes tenure on the Peoria City Council from 2007 to fall of 2016, according to his official biography.