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HB5021 • 2026
GINSENG HARVESTING-FORFEITURE
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
GINSENG HARVESTING-FORFEITURE
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5021 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience.
Sent to the Governor
Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. John F. Curran
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs 117-000-000
House Concurs
Passed Both Houses
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Rules Referred to Agriculture & Conservation Committee
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Recommends Be Adopted Agriculture & Conservation Committee ; 009-000-000
Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a)
Arrived in House
Placed on Calendar Order of Concurrence Senate Amendment(s) 2
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion Filed Concur Rep. Sonya M. Harper
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Motion to Concur Referred to Rules Committee
Rule 2-10 Third Reading Deadline Established As May 31, 2026
Second Reading
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted; Fowler
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 18, 2026
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommend Do Adopt Criminal Law ; 010-000-000
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Assignments Refers to Criminal Law
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dale Fowler
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Assignments
Do Pass Criminal Law ; 008-000-000
Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 7, 2026
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Assignments Refers to Criminal Law
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dale Fowler
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Assignments
Assigned to Criminal Law
Arrive in Senate
Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Dale Fowler
First Reading
Referred to Assignments
Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 097-000-000
Second Reading - Short Debate
Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
Do Pass / Short Debate Agriculture & Conservation Committee ; 008-000-000
Assigned to Agriculture & Conservation Committee
First Reading
Referred to Rules Committee
Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Sonya M. Harper
GINSENG HARVESTING-FORFEITURE
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5021 Select Language × The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein. Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet. The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website. NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window. 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Full Text of HB5021 Home Legislation Full Text HB5021 - 104th General Assembly Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Select Menu Bill Status Full Text Votes Witness Slips Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled Senate Amendment 001 Senate Amendment 002 Printer Friendly Version Introduced Engrossed Enrolled Senate Amendment 001 Senate Amendment 002 Open PDF HB5021 Enrolled LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 AN ACT concerning conservation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Ginseng Harvesting Act is amended by 5 changing Sections 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 4, and 6 as follows: 6 (525 ILCS 20/1) (from Ch. 61, par. 501) 7 Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the 8 context otherwise requires: 9 "Cultivated ginseng" means ginseng growing in tilled beds 10 under shade of artificial structures. 11 "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources. 12 "Ginseng" means the root of the American ginseng plant 13 (Panax quinquefolium). "Ginseng" includes, but is not limited 14 to, the roots, rhizomes, leaves, and seeds of the American 15 ginseng plant, which may be cultivated or wild. "Ginseng" does 16 not include those parts of the American ginseng plant that 17 have been processed. 18 "Green ginseng" means a root of ginseng from which the 19 moisture has not been removed by drying. In this Act, the 20 amount of dried ginseng rhizome that can be derived from green 21 ginseng rhizome may be calculated using a ratio of 3.3 to one 22 by weight. 23 "Grower" means a person who grows cultivated ginseng for HB5021 Enrolled - 2 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 the purpose of selling the ginseng. 2 "Harvester" means any person who harvests, possesses, 3 transports, cuts, gathers, destroys, digs, or uproots wild 4 ginseng for the purpose of selling the ginseng or for personal 5 use. 6 "Root" means the ginseng rhizome and its roots. 7 "Wild ginseng" means ginseng in, or collected from, its 8 natural habitat, notwithstanding whether the ginseng is native 9 to that habitat or was introduced or increased in abundance by 10 sowing ginseng seed or by transplanting ginseng plants from 11 other areas. 12 (Source: P.A. 83-680.) 13 (525 ILCS 20/2a) (from Ch. 61, par. 508) 14 Sec. 2a. Harvest License. No person may cut, root up, 15 gather or harvest wild ginseng , or attempt to do so, unless the 16 person has a harvest license issued by the Department. All 17 persons licensed by the Department pursuant to this Section 18 shall immediately produce the license when requested to do so 19 by an officer or authorized employee of the Department or any 20 sheriff, deputy sheriff, or other peace officer. The fee for a 21 harvest license is $7 and is valid from April 1 to March 31. A 22 harvest license is valid during the established harvest season 23 for wild ginseng for the year during which it is issued. The 24 Department shall establish by administrative rule the 25 procedure for issuing licenses and regulations on the methods HB5021 Enrolled - 3 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 used to harvest. Harvested wild ginseng may be sold only to 2 dealers licensed by the State of Illinois. All wild ginseng 3 must be sold by harvesters no later than March 1 of the year 4 following harvest. 5 (Source: P.A. 85-152.) 6 (525 ILCS 20/2b) (from Ch. 61, par. 509) 7 Sec. 2b. Grower's License. Any person engaged in the 8 propagation and harvesting of cultivated ginseng shall secure 9 a registered grower's license from the Department annually for 10 a fee of $25.00. A grower's license shall authorize the 11 harvest of cultivated ginseng at any time. A grower's license 12 is valid from April 1 through March 31. A grower shall maintain 13 records as to the location of all cultivated ginseng fields, 14 areas or facilities, quantity of ginseng produced and any 15 other information required by the Department by administrative 16 rule and shall keep records and make reports to the Department 17 as required by administrative rule. The Department shall 18 establish by administrative rule procedures of issuing 19 licenses, keeping records and reports, reporting transactions 20 and certifying the amounts, quantities and origin of the 21 cultivated ginseng. The Department shall supply, free of 22 additional charges proper forms to growers for all required 23 data and information. All persons licensed by the Department 24 pursuant to this Section shall immediately produce the license 25 when requested to do so by an officer or authorized employee of HB5021 Enrolled - 4 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 the Department or any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or other peace 2 officer. 3 (Source: P.A. 83-680.) 4 (525 ILCS 20/2c) (from Ch. 61, par. 510) 5 Sec. 2c. Dealer License. No person shall be engaged in the 6 business of buying wild or cultivated ginseng from harvesters, 7 growers or other dealers for resale to exporters or to other 8 dealers unless the person has a license issued by the 9 Department to be a dealer of ginseng. The fee for a dealer's 10 license is $50.00 for Illinois residents and $100.00 for 11 nonresidents and is valid from April 1 through March 31. A 12 dealer shall maintain records, open to duly authorized agents 13 of the Department, of the quantity of material purchased and 14 sold, the county where purchased ginseng was harvested, and 15 other information required by the Department by administrative 16 rule, and shall make reports to the Department as required. 17 The Department shall establish by administrative rule 18 procedures for issuing licenses, keeping records, reporting 19 transactions, and certifying the origin of ginseng. The 20 Department shall supply free of additional charge, proper 21 forms to dealers for all required data and information. A 22 dealer may purchase roots of wild ginseng harvested in 23 Illinois only during the period from two weeks after the 24 opening of the harvest season for wild ginseng to the 25 following March 1, or may purchase at any time wild or HB5021 Enrolled - 5 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 cultivated ginseng harvested in another state and certified 2 for export by that state. All persons licensed by the 3 Department pursuant to this Section shall immediately produce 4 the license when requested to do so by an officer or authorized 5 employee of the Department or any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or 6 other peace officer. 7 (Source: P.A. 84-1065.) 8 (525 ILCS 20/4) (from Ch. 61, par. 516) 9 Sec. 4. Trespass to Harvest Ginseng. No person shall, 10 without permission of the owner, enter the forest, field, 11 yard, building, garden or other enclosure of another and 12 willfully break down, dig, destroy, take or carry away any 13 ginseng or attempt to do so . 14 (Source: P.A. 83-680.) 15 (525 ILCS 20/6) 16 Sec. 6. Additional license revocation and denial 17 provisions. 18 (a) If a license has been issued to any person under this 19 Act and that person is found guilty of any misrepresentation 20 in obtaining that license or a violation of any of the 21 provisions of this Act or its rules or a violation of the 22 United States Code that involves the possession, use, sale, 23 transportation, or harvesting of ginseng when any part of the 24 United States Code violation occurred in Illinois, the license HB5021 Enrolled - 6 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 may be revoked by the Department. The Department may also 2 refuse to issue any license to that person and may suspend that 3 person from engaging in any activity requiring the license for 4 a period of time in accordance with rules adopted by the 5 Department not to exceed 5 years following the revocation . 6 (b) If a person who has not been issued a license under 7 this Act is found guilty of a violation of any of the 8 provisions of this Act or its rules or a violation of the 9 United States Code that involves the possession, use, sale, 10 transportation, or harvesting of ginseng when any part of the 11 United States Code violation occurred in Illinois, the 12 Department may refuse to issue any license to that person and 13 may suspend that person from engaging in any activity 14 requiring the license for a period of time in accordance with 15 rules adopted by the Department not to exceed 5 years . 16 (c) The Department's license revocation procedures must be 17 established by administrative rule. 18 (d) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this 19 Act or its rules during any period when his or her license is 20 revoked or denied by virtue of this Section, or during the time 21 he or she is suspended under subsection (b), is guilty of a 22 Class A misdemeanor. 23 (e) A person whose license to engage in any activity 24 regulated under this Act has been suspended or revoked may 25 not, during the period of the suspension or revocation or 26 until obtaining the proper license, (i) be in the company of HB5021 Enrolled - 7 - LRB104 17969 BDA 34060 b 1 any person engaging in the activity covered by the license or 2 (ii) serve as a guide or facilitator for a person who is 3 engaged or prepared to engage in the activity covered by the 4 license. 5 (Source: P.A. 102-837, eff. 5-13-22.) 6 (525 ILCS 20/1a rep.) 7 (525 ILCS 20/1b rep.) 8 (525 ILCS 20/1c rep.) 9 (525 ILCS 20/1d rep.) 10 (525 ILCS 20/1e rep.) 11 Section 10. The Ginseng Harvesting Act is amended by 12 repealing Sections 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and 1e. Footer Disclaimer This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706. Contact ILGA Webmaster ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. Read About Cookies ILGA.GOV 2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved | ADA | Disclaimers | Learn This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706. Contact ILGA Webmaster ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies. Read About Cookies ILGA.GOV 2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved | ADA | Disclaimers | Learn