Illinois Advances Building Safety with Warehouse Safety Bill

On May 31, 2025, the state of Illinois passed legislation that will better prepare warehouse buildings for future tornados and includes requirements for International Code Council certifications.

What’s in the Bill?  

HB2987 includes a safety plan that requires all warehouse operators to prepare a tornado safety plan within 120 days of the bill being signed into law or no later than seven days after a new warehouse becomes operational.  

Warehouses are now also required to have a storm shelter to help protect employees from dangerous weather events and other types of natural disasters.  

Going into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, the final part of this bill amends Illinois’ county and municipal code to now require all building inspectors to hold a certification from the Code Council.

Why Is This Bill Going Into Effect? 

HB2987 was a result of the devastating Edwardsville tornado that took the lives of six people in an Amazon warehouse in 2021. Following the tornado, state lawmakers created a task force to study warehouse safety that completed their findings at the end of 2024.  

“While you always hope disastrous events never happen in your area, being prepared is crucial to staying safe,” said Gabe Maser, Senior Vice President of Government Relations with the Code Council. “We commend Illinois for prioritizing building safety and disaster preparedness, and hope that more states will follow suit.” 

View the Code Council Tornado Safety Toolkit here.  

Learn more about Code Council certifications and credentialing here.