Senator Sally Turner’s Tiny Vets Home Bill becomes law

[August 19, 2025]  Springfield, IL—Legislation championed by State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason) to protect affordable housing options for at-risk veterans has officially been signed into law.

Senate Bill 39 ensures that nonprofit-built tiny homes for homeless and at-risk veterans are exempt from burdensome Electric Vehicle (EV) charging requirements that could otherwise drive up construction costs. The measure passed both chambers of the General Assembly with unanimous bipartisan support before arriving at the Governor’s desk.

“This is a commonsense law with the clear goal of ensuring our veterans have access to safe, affordable housing without unnecessary obstacles,” said Senator Sally Turner. “The organizations building these types of tiny homes should be supported, not slowed down by well-intentioned but unnecessary mandates.”

Under the 2023 Electric Vehicle Charging Act, newly built residential properties were required to include EV-capable infrastructure. For small nonprofit organizations building affordable tiny homes for at-risk veterans, those requirements could significantly increase costs and divert limited resources away from their core mission. The new law ensures those provisions do not apply to tiny homes for at-risk veterans constructed and funded by qualified nonprofit organizations such as the Central Illinois Veterans Commission (CIVC), which has led efforts to provide housing for homeless veterans in central Illinois.

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“This law is about getting potentially burdensome governmental regulations out of the way of the people who are stepping up to serve our veterans,” continued Senator Sally Turner. “I know that the late former Chairman of the CIVC, Joe Schaler, would be proud to see this legislation receive such strong bipartisan support and officially become law.”

Senate Bill 39 was signed into law by the Governor on Friday, August 15, and takes effect immediately.

[Marcus J. Durrett
Senior Communications Strategist
Communications and Public Affairs
Illinois Senate Republican Staff]

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