Senate Sponsors: KARPIEL-RAUSCHENBERGER-PHILIP-KLEMM-BOWLES, SIEBEN, HAWKINSON, SHADID, MADIGAN,L, LINK, SMITH, PARKER AND CRONIN. House Sponsors: MOORE,ANDREA-O'BRIEN-WINTERS-LINDNER-SLONE Short description: OPEN LAND TRUST ACT Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Creates the Illinois Open Land Trust Act. Allows the Department of Natural Resources to develop and administer an Open Land Trust Program to acquire real property for conservation and recreation purposes. Allows the Department to make grants and loans to units of local government and not-for-profit corporations to acquire property for the purposes of the Act. Sets the criteria for the grants and loans. Allows the Department to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture in acquiring development rights to protect and enhance farmland and other natural areas. Authorizes the Department to make payments to units of local government in the form of Community Planning Allowances. Amends the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to allow the Department of Agriculture to acquire development rights under the Illinois Open Land Trust Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Open Lands Loan Fund. Effective immediately. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Replaces the provisions of the Open Land Trust Act concerning community planning allowances. Authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to make grants to units of local government for the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, improvement, financing, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities to protect, preserve, or enhance open space. Provides that the grants are available only for land acquired in fee simple title. Provides that the amount of the grant may not exceed 7% of the purchase price of the open space land. Provides that the new pro- visions do not apply to (i) counties with a population greater than 3,000,000 or (ii) counties contiguous to counties with a population greater than 3,000,000. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 2. Deletes reference to: 20 ILCS 205/40.28 30 ILCS 105/5.490 new Deletes everything but the short title provision. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 3. Deletes everything. Creates the Illinois Open Land Trust Act. Allows the Department to acquire real property in (i) fee simple title or (ii) conservation easements for natural areas, provided that the mechanisms used are voluntary on the part of the landowners and do not involve the use of eminent domain. Allows the Department of Natural Resources to develop and administer an Illinois Open Land Trust Program. Allows the Department to acquire real property from willing sellers for conservation and recreation purposes. Allows the Department to make grants and loans to units of local government for the acquisition of lands for open space from willing sellers. Sets requirements for the making of those grants and loans. Allows the Department to make grants in the form of Community Planning Allowances to units of local government for the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, improvement, financing, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities. Limits those grants to an amount equal to 7% of the purchase price of the land acquired for the project. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Open Land Loan Fund. Effective immediately. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 91-0220 Last action date: 99-07-21 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 0 SENATE - 3 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status