Balloon Releases Could Soon Be Illegal In Illinois

Hold tight to your balloons, Illinoisans.

Balloon releases often mark birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions.

But now, state representatives are seeking to make it illegal to hold them — and violating the proposed law would mean paying a $500 fine.

That’s for each offense. One offense is defined as “the release of 50 balloons or fewer at one time.”

Officials introduced House Bill 0418 to amend the Environmental Protection Act to clarify that “no person shall knowingly release or cause or organize the release of balloons into the air.”

If there’s a balloon release, it should be for a government agency, a higher education institution or for scientific reasons. The balloons have to remain indoors, according to the bill.

Rep. Sam Yingling introduced the legislation. He said he hopes it would “prevent organized release of large quantities of these balloons.”

“Obviously, there are significant ecological impacts and there's also significant infrastructure impact when these balloons land,” he told The Pantagraph in a story last month. “Not only are they dangerous for our habitat but they also complicate our storm sewer systems and our water systems.”

If passed, it’s slated to go into effect on January 1, 2022.

Photo: Getty Images