Public Act 096-0074
 
HB1042 Enrolled LRB096 09852 RLJ 20015 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Green Governments Illinois Act is amended by
changing Sections 15, 20, and 35 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 3954/15)
    Sec. 15. Composition of the Council. The Council shall be
comprised of representatives from various State agencies and
State universities with specific fiscal, procurement,
educational, and environmental policy expertise. The
Lieutenant Governor is the chair of the Council. The director
or President, respectively, of each of the following State
agencies and State universities, or his or her designee, is a
member of the Council: the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, the Environmental Protection Agency, the
University of Illinois, ; the Department of Natural Resources,,
the Department of Central Management Services, the Governor's
Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Agriculture,
the Department of Transportation, the Department of
Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department
of Public Health, the State Board of Education, the Board of
Higher Education, and the Capital Development Board. The Office
of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative
support to the Council. A minimum of one staff position in the
Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be dedicated to the
Green Governments Illinois program.
(Source: P.A. 95-657, eff. 10-10-07; 95-728, eff. date - See
Sec. 999.)
 
    (20 ILCS 3954/20)
    Sec. 20. Responsibilities of the Council. The Council is
responsible for the development and dissemination of programs,
plans, and policies to reduce the environmental footprint of
State government and for improving the implementation of
greening the government initiatives in other institutions,
thereby reducing costs to taxpayers and improving efficiency in
operations. The Council shall convene on a quarterly basis and
shall be responsible for the following:
        (a) Establishing long-term environmental
    sustainability goals that the State will strive to achieve
    within a period of 3, 5, and 10 years to improve the energy
    and environmental performance of State buildings,
    consistent with efficiency and economic objectives. These
    goals shall, at a minimum, include the following:
    broad-based performance goals for energy efficiency; use
    of renewable fuels; water conservation; green purchasing;
    paper consumption; and solid waste generation. These goals
    can be met through increased efficiency, operational
    changes, and improved maintenance and use of
    cost-effective alternative technologies, raw materials,
    and fuels.
        The Council shall:
            (1) communicate the environmental sustainability
        goals to all State agencies;
            (2) establish an electronic system to track and
        report on environmental progress;
            (3) monitor improvement activities; and
            (4) propose new goals as appropriate.
        (b) Coordinating an awards program that recognizes
    units of State and local government and educational
    institutions for developing, adopting, and implementing
    innovative or exemplary environmental sustainability plans
    in conformance with this Act.
        (c) Creating specific guidance materials for State
    agencies, educational institutions, and units of local
    government on how to integrate environmental
    sustainability into existing management systems, planning,
    and operational practices, while still providing necessary
    services and ensuring efficient and effective operations.
    These guidance materials must include a list of
    environmental and energy best practices, case studies,
    policy language, model plans, and other resource
    information. These materials must be made available on a
    website devoted to the Green Governments Illinois program.
        (d) Developing and implementing, to the extent
    fiscally feasible, training programs designed to instill
    the importance and value of environmental sustainability.
        (e) Providing new ways for State government to build
    markets for environmentally preferable products and
    services without compromising price, competition, and
    availability. The Council shall initially focus on
    integrated pest management, bio-based products, recycled
    content paper, energy efficiency, renewable energy,
    alternative fuel vehicles, and green cleaning supplies.
    Within existing resources, and within 60 days after the
    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General
    Assembly, the Department of Central Management Services,
    with the approval of the council, shall designate a single
    point of contact for State agencies, suppliers, and other
    interested parties to contact regarding environmentally
    preferable purchasing issues.
        (f) Working collaboratively with State agencies, units
    of local government, educational institutions, and the
    legislative branches of government to promote
    benchmarking, commissioning, and retro-commissioning to
    make government and institutional buildings more
    resource-efficient, energy efficient, and healthful public
    places.
        (g) Reviewing budgetary policy and making
    recommendations to the Governor on incentives for State
    agencies to undertake environmental improvements that
    result in long-term cost-savings, productivity
    enhancements, or other outcomes deemed appropriate to the
    State's sustainability goals.
        (h) Reporting annually to the Governor and the General
    Assembly on the results of environmental sustainability
    actions taken by State agencies, educational institutions
    and units of local government during the prior fiscal
    calendar year. The report must include the environmental
    and economic benefits of the environmental sustainability
    actions, where feasible, the consumption of those actions,
    and provide recommendations for future environmental
    improvement activities during the following year. The
    report shall be filed by September 1, 2008, and November
    September 1 of each subsequent year.
        (h-5) Participating in the proposal review and
    subgrant award processes conducted by the Department of
    Commerce and Economic Opportunity to distribute the
    portion of funds eligible for State government use under
    the federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,
    H.R. 6, Title V, Subtitle E (Energy Efficiency and
    Conservation Block Grants). A designee of the Governor
    shall also participate in these processes, and no subgrant
    may be awarded unless the Governor's designee first
    approves that subgrant.
        (i) The chairman of the Council shall determine whether
    or not the I-Cycle program is operating effectively and
    make recommendations concerning management of the I-Cycle
    program. The chairman has the authority to dissolve the
    I-Cycle program if the program is found to be ineffective.
(Source: P.A. 95-657, eff. 10-10-07.)
 
    (20 ILCS 3954/35)
    Sec. 35. Environmental Plans and Reporting.
    (a) Each State agency shall submit an adopted environmental
sustainability plan to the chairman of the Council for review
and approval on or before April 1, 2008 November 1, 2007.
    On or before November August 1, 2007, the Council shall
prepare a downloadable plan template designed to provide a
simple framework for the development of an environmental
sustainability plan as required by this Act. The Council shall
adopt procedures for reviewing and approving the plans, and
make staff available during preparation of the plans to assist
State agencies with their plan-writing efforts. The Council
shall complete its plan review process on or before June
January 1, 2008. The sustainability plans shall be reviewed and
updated periodically, but at least once every 3 years. Units To
the extent feasible and cost-effective, units of local
government and , educational institutions, and State agencies
are encouraged to submit adopt and implement similar
sustainability plans. Environmental sustainability plans may
be submitted to the chairman of the Council, by request, for
review and approval.
    (b) On or before January 1, 2008 August 1, 2007, each State
agency, using existing resources, shall form an internal
environmental sustainability committee. The environmental
sustainability committee shall (i) assess the environmental
and resource use impacts of its major operational activities
making environmental improvements, conserving resources, and
reducing health risks; (ii) develop an environmental
sustainability plan as required under this Act; and (iii)
establish an ongoing process through which their
sustainability efforts can be reviewed and improved upon. The
committee shall focus on the most significant environmental and
resource use impacts, examine the feasibility and
cost-effectiveness of addressing these impacts, and prioritize
their actions accordingly.
    Where feasible, the committee shall quantify the specific
impacts of major operational activities such as gallons of
water used, pounds of solid waste generated, gallons of
gasoline consumed, and dollars spent per year on electricity.
The committee shall consist of representatives from different
departments and program areas, including purchasing,
maintenance, and facility management. A senior member of
management shall be designated to coordinate environmental
sustainability efforts of each committee. The coordinator
shall provide information to agency facilities and staff,
coordinate planning and reporting activities, and act as
liaison to the Council. Where appropriate, State agencies may
appoint facility coordinators in addition to the agency
coordinator. Coordinators shall be given full management
support and provided with the necessary resources to meet the
goals of this Act.
    (c) On or before July April 1, 2008 and on or before
September April 1 of each subsequent year, each State agency
shall submit to the chairman of the Council a report
summarizing the progress made in implementing its
environmental sustainability plan, including sustainability
measures adopted and goals achieved. The information in this
report shall encompass the previous fiscal calendar year.
    On or before June January 1, 2008, the Council shall
develop and adopt a reporting form to be used to comply with
the provisions of this Section. Participating units of local
government, State agencies, and educational institutions are
encouraged to must submit an annual progress report on or
before September June 1, 2008 and on or before June 1 of each
subsequent year.
    (d) State agencies shall be invited to participate in the
Council's efforts to foster environmental sustainability
practices throughout State government.
    (e) The Council shall provide technical assistance to State
agencies, units of local government, and educational
institutions for the purpose of implementing the environmental
sustainability planning requirement.
    (f) The Council may establish criteria for exempting select
State agencies from the environmental sustainability planning
based on staff size, probable environmental impacts, and scope
of operations.
(Source: P.A. 95-657, eff. 10-10-07.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.