Public Act 93-0405

SB726 Enrolled                       LRB093 03022 RCE 03039 b

    AN ACT in relation to executive agencies.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section  5.   The Department of Transportation Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is  amended  by  adding
Section 2705-207 as follows:

    (20 ILCS 2705/2705-207 new)
    Sec. 2705-207.  Regional Transportation Task Force.
    (a)  The  Regional  Transportation  Task Force is created
within the Department.
    (b)  The Task Force shall consist of 11  voting  members,
as  follows: 3 members appointed by the Governor, one of whom
shall be designated as chair of the task force at the time of
appointment; 2 members appointed  by  the  President  of  the
Senate;  2 members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; 2
members  appointed  by  the   Speaker   of   the   House   of
Representatives;   and  2  members  appointed  by  the  House
Minority Leader.
    The following shall  serve,  ex  officio,  as  non-voting
members:   the   Secretary   of  Transportation;  one  member
designated by the Chicago Area Transportation  Study  (CATS);
one  member  designated by the Northeastern Illinois Planning
Commission (NIPC); one  member  designated  by  the  Regional
Transportation  Authority (RTA); one member designated by the
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA); 2  members  of
Congress   representing  Illinois  from  different  political
parties,  as  designated  by  the  Governor;  and  4  members
designated by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
    If a vacancy occurs in the  task  force  membership,  the
vacancy  shall  be  filled  in the same manner as the initial
appointment.
    (c)  The task force may begin to  conduct  business  upon
the   appointment  of  a  majority  of  the  voting  members,
including the chair.
    (d)  The task force may adopt bylaws;  it  must  meet  at
least  once  each  calendar  quarter;  and  it  may establish
committees and officers as it deems necessary.  For  purposes
of  task  force  meetings,  a  quorum  is  6  voting members.
Meetings of the task force are subject to the  Open  Meetings
Act.  The  task  force  must afford an opportunity for public
comment at each of its meetings.
    (e)  Task force members shall serve without compensation,
but may be reimbursed for their  reasonable  travel  expenses
from  funds  available for that purpose. The Department shall
provide staff and administrative support services to the task
force. The Department and the task force may  accept  donated
services  and  other resources from registered not-for-profit
organizations as may be necessary to complete the work of the
task force with minimal expense to the State of Illinois.
    (f)  The task force shall  gather  information  and  make
recommendations  to  the Governor and to the General Assembly
regarding metro area transportation programs in  northeastern
Illinois, which includes, without limitation, the counties of
Cook,   DuPage,   Kane,   Lake,   McHenry,  and  Will.  These
recommendations must include, without limitation:
         (1)  examining  the  feasibility  of  merging  CATS,
    NIPC, RTA, and ISTHA into a single agency;
         (2)  identifying areas where functions of these  and
    other agencies are redundant or unnecessary;
         (3)  identifying    methods    to    promote    cost
    effectiveness,  efficiency,  and equality in meeting area
    transportation needs; and
         (4)  examining regional and economic  impact  as  it
    relates to potential policy implementation.
    (g)  The task force shall submit a report to the Governor
and  the  General  Assembly  by  March 1, 2004 concerning its
findings and recommendations.
    (h)  This Section is repealed on January 1, 2005.

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/1/2003