97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1966

 

Introduced , by Rep. Daniel J. Burke

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission Act. Contains provisions concerning the composition of the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission. Provides that by November 20, 2011, the Commission must prepare and issue a report recommending the best governmental structure for a public-private partnership to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance a high-speed rail system for the State. Provides that a follow-up report shall be issued by October 1, 2012. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2015. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Commission" means the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed
8Rail Commission.
9    "High-speed rail" means a system of new electrified tracks
10designed primarily for trains capable of traveling at speeds in
11excess of 150 miles per hour.
 
12    Section 10. Composition of the Commission.
13    (a) The Commission shall be composed of 19 members as
14follows:
15        (1) 12 public members appointed by the Governor; and
16        (2) 7 ex-officio members as follows:
17            (A) the Illinois Secretary of Transportation;
18            (B) the Director of Commerce and Economic
19        Opportunity;
20            (C) the Executive Director of the Illinois State
21        Toll Highway Authority;
22            (D) a member of the House of Representatives

 

 

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1        appointed by the Speaker of the House of
2        Representatives;
3            (E) a member of the House of Representatives
4        appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
5        Representatives;
6            (F) a member of the Senate appointed by the
7        President of the Senate; and
8            (G) a member of the Senate appointed by the
9        Minority Leader of the Senate.
10    (b) A person appointed as a public member of the Commission
11must be a resident of this State. Public members of the
12Commission must include the following: (i) local elected
13officials who have expressed interest in high-speed rail; (ii)
14former elected officials with transportation policy expertise;
15(iii) individuals with professional expertise in long-term
16financing of infrastructure; and (iv) individuals with
17expertise in transportation or railroad infrastructure
18projects. The appointed members shall reflect the geographic
19diversity of the State and shall include representation from
20all regions of the State.
21    (c) Commission members shall be appointed within 45 days
22after the effective date of this Act.
23    (d) The Governor shall designate one public member of the
24Commission to serve as the chair of the Commission and one
25public member to serve as the vice-chair of the Commission.
 

 

 

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1    Section 15. Ex-officio members; eligibility; designation
2of representative.
3    (a) An ex-officio member of the Commission vacates the
4person's position on the Commission if the person ceases to
5hold the position that qualifies the person for service on the
6Commission.
7    (b) An ex-officio member may designate a representative to
8serve on the Commission in the member's absence. A
9representative designated under this subsection by the
10Illinois Secretary of Transportation, the Director of Commerce
11and Economic Opportunity, or the Executive Director of the
12Illinois State Toll Highway Authority must be an officer or
13employee of the State agency that employs the ex-officio
14member.
 
15    Section 20. Compensation; expenses.
16    (a) A public member of the Commission is not entitled to
17compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the travel
18expenses incurred by the member while transacting Commission
19business.
20    (b) An ex-officio member's service on the Commission is an
21additional duty of the underlying position that qualifies the
22member for service on the Commission. The entitlement of an
23ex-officio member to compensation or to reimbursement for
24travel expenses incurred while transacting Commission business
25is governed by the law that applies to the member's service in

 

 

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1that underlying position, and any payment to the member for
2either purpose must be made from an appropriation that may be
3used for the purpose and is available to the State agency that
4the member serves in that underlying position.
 
5    Section 25. Meetings; quorum.
6    (a) The Commission shall meet at least monthly at the times
7and places in this State that the chair designates until April
82011 and at least quarterly thereafter.
9    (b) Members of the Commission may participate in Commission
10meetings by teleconference or video conference.
11    (c) A majority of the members of the Commission constitute
12a quorum for transacting Commission business.
 
13    Section 30. General powers and duties of the Commission.
14    (a) The Commission shall:
15        (1) Prepare and issue a report to the Governor, the
16    General Assembly, and the public recommending the best
17    governmental structure for a public-private partnership to
18    design, build, operate, maintain, and finance a high-speed
19    rail system for Illinois and the Midwest. The report must
20    include specific recommendations for legislation, if
21    statutory change is required, or specific administrative
22    regulations, if regulatory change is required, to
23    implement the recommended high-speed rail system. The
24    report must include recommended sources for the funding of

 

 

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1    a high-speed rail system including private sources of
2    capital and revenue bonds. The report must contain
3    recommendations for integrating the high-speed rail system
4    into existing and planned Amtrak expansions, airports, and
5    public transportation systems. The report must include
6    recommendations for federal, State, and local actions for
7    the development and implementation of a high-speed rail
8    system. The report must be issued by November 20, 2011.
9        (2) Prepare a follow-up report that details the status
10    of recommendations issued by the Commission and any revised
11    and updated recommendations based on further public and
12    stakeholder input. The follow-up report must be issued by
13    October 1, 2012.
14        (3) Develop a process to receive public and stakeholder
15    input on opinions and proposals for building, designing,
16    maintaining, operating, and financing a high-speed rail
17    system for Illinois and the Midwest. The process must
18    include the solicitation and receipt of formal expressions
19    of interest and other testimony from global high-speed rail
20    operators including without limitation Amtrak.
21        (4) Solicit and receive formal testimony, both written
22    and oral, from representatives of the other states in the
23    Midwest including without limitation representatives from
24    units of local government.
25        (5) Work collaboratively with the Department of
26    Transportation on any planning projects for high-speed

 

 

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1    rail administered by the Department to comply with federal
2    high-speed rail requirements including without limitation
3    the solicitation of public input and comments.
4    (b) In implementing subsection (a), the Commission must
5consult with and receive testimony from global high-speed rail
6operators including without limitation Amtrak.
7    (c) Nothing in this Act shall preclude the Department of
8Transportation from planning for high-speed rail.
 
9    Section 35. Funding. The Illinois Department of
10Transportation may provide staff and other support to the
11Commission from money available to the Department that may be
12used for this purpose. The General Assembly may also
13specifically appropriate money to the Department to provide
14staff and other support to the Commission.
15    The Commission may accept monetary gifts and grants from
16any public or private source. The Commission may also accept
17in-kind gifts.
 
18    Section 95. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
192015.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.