Illinois Sen. Halpin’s easement authorization bill for state land in Knox County passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Sen. Michael W. Halpin aims to allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to grant a limited easement for property access in Knox County, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 34 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 37 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Halpin introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 4, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB3379, was passed on May 21, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Authorizes the Director of Department of Natural Resources to convey a nonexclusive easement in Knox County to Nancy J. and Robert D. Moore, co-trustees of the Dean Moore Family Trust. Effective immediately.”

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

In essence, this bill authorizes the Illinois Department of Natural Resources director to grant a 25-foot-wide, nonexclusive ingress and egress easement over about 0.83 acres of state land in Knox County to Nancy J. and Robert D. Moore, co-trustees of the Dean Moore Family Trust, for $1. The easement is subject to existing utilities, roads and recorded restrictions and requires a shared maintenance agreement between the department and the trust. If that agreement ends, the easement automatically terminates and the land fully reverts to the state. The bill takes effect upon becoming law.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Dan Swanson (Republican-71st District) and Rep. Gregg Johnson (Democrat-72nd District).

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.