Tucked away in the more than 400 bills Illinois lawmakers passed during their spring session is a bill that aims to improve warehouse safety during a tornado .

“I was elated,” said Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, who authored the bill, which stems from the Edwardsville tornado that killed six people in 2021.

The legislation , which awaits the governor's signature, mandates that all warehouses in the state craft a tornado safety plan and build storm shelters in newly constructed warehouses. It requires county and city building inspectors hold a certification from the International Code Council.

The passage of the legislation in the last hours of the Illinois legislature’s spring session marks a critical step in a more than three-year-long journey to passing legislation in respons

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