HR0405 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0405 LRB098 12092 JDS 45884 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council has delegated many of its programmatic responsibilities under the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Act, including the duty to receive and process license applications and the duty to receive and process claims, to a private company, Williams and Company Consulting, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, This delegation of programmatic duties potentially threatens the integrity of the regulatory scheme established under the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Act; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that, when conducting the next scheduled annual audit of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council, we urge the Auditor General to investigate and report on:

(1) whether Williams and Company Consulting, Inc., is administering the Council's programmatic responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Act and rules adopted under that Act, as well as all relevant State procurement laws;

(2) the gross revenues of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund during each of the last 14 years, as well as the total expenditures from the Fund for remedial actions of drycleaning solvent releases at drycleaning facilities in the State during each of those years;

(3) expenses that Williams and Company Consulting, Inc., has billed for acting as the administrator of the Fund during each of the years of its current contract with the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council;

(4) the amount paid from the Fund to each State agency, as defined in the Illinois State Auditing Act, during each of the last 14 years;

(5) any ancillary charges that Williams and Company, Inc., imposes against owners and operators for the administrative services that it provides; and

(6) the number of Illinois drycleaners whose properties are in need of remedial action and whose participation in the State's drycleaner environmental cleanup insurance system has been terminated for noncompliance with the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Act and rules adopted under that Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence its next annual audit of the Council as soon as possible and report the findings and recommendations upon completion in accordance with the Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council and Williams and Company Consulting, Inc., shall provide all needed information that the Auditor General deems necessary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to the Auditor General and to each of the member of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council.