Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, along with congressmen Dan Lipinski and Bob Dold teamed up to sponsor the new bipartisan legislation.
They made the announcement at the Shedd Aquarium Friday afternoon.
"Our generation will do what's best to make Lake Michigan cleaner than ever," Durbin said.
"Our intention then is to move this bicameral, bipartisan legislation to protect what is 90 percent of all the fresh water of the united states," Kirk said.
The great lakes provide drinking water for nearly 40 million people.
