Rep. Sanalitro supports HB5021 to revise ginseng harvesting laws, permit equipment seizure

Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro (R-48th) voted in favor of HB5021 on May 31, 2026, during the 104th General Assembly. The bill, which proposes changes to ginseng harvesting regulations and enables equipment forfeiture, earned a 117-0 approval in the House, according to the Illinois House.

According to the bill's official summary, its focus is: "GINSENG HARVESTING-FORFEITURE."

The following summary draws on the official bill language and interprets its main points for clarity.

HB5021 revises the Ginseng Harvesting Act, broadening the definitions related to ginseng, and specifying the difference between wild and cultivated plants. It criminalizes not only illegal harvesting and trespassing to harvest ginseng but also attempts at those actions. License holders—including harvesters, growers and dealers—must show their identification to conservation officials or law enforcement upon request. The legislation authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to suspend ginseng-related licenses for violations and allows law enforcement to seize and a court to order forfeiture of tools, vehicles, and equipment used or attempted to be used in violations, with proceeds benefiting the Wildlife and Fish Fund. The bill aligns these seizures with the Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act and eliminates outdated statutes.

HB5021 is listed as having the action 'Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 House Concurs.'

Sanalitro, a Republican, began representing Illinois’ 48th House District in 2023 after succeeding Terra Costa Howard.

Illinois bills follow a multi-step legislative process that includes introduction, committee consideration, debates, and roll call votes in both the House and Senate, after which legislation is sent to the governor. Illinois’ General Assembly sessions are biennial and result in thousands of introduced bills, though comparatively few reach enactment.