Lung Association Applauds New Law to Protect Tenants from Radon

On Friday, July 28, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB 2217 known as the Tenant Radon Protection Act into law. Radon is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country, behind cigarette smoking. An estimated 21,000 people die from lung cancer caused by radon in the U.S. each year and approximately 1,200 of those deaths are in Illinois.

Kristina Hamilton, Illinois Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association issued the following statement in response:

“The American Lung Association commends Governor Pritzker for signing HB 2217 into law to help protect renters across Illinois from the health harms of radon.

“One-third of all housing units in Illinois are rental units. This bill requires landlords to give applicants an informational pamphlet on radon, plus it requires landlords to disclose what they know about radon levels in the building.

“We are happy to see that Illinois renters now have more options to prevent them from living in a potentially cancer-causing, radioactive living environment, such as the option of being released from their lease if high levels of radon are detected and their landlord chooses not to mitigate the radon in 60 days.”

The law takes effect on January 1, 2024.