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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0553

HB4257 Enrolled                                LRB9212588BDdv

    AN ACT concerning aquariums and museums.

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

    Section  5.  The Park District Aquarium and Museum Act is
amended by changing Section 1 as follows:

    (70 ILCS 1290/1) (from Ch. 105, par. 326)
    Sec. 1.  The corporate authorities  of  cities  and  park
districts  having  the  control  or supervision of any public
park or parks, are hereby authorized to purchase,  erect  and
maintain within any public park or parks under the control or
supervision  of  such  corporate  authorities, edifices to be
used as aquariums or as museums of art, industry, science  or
natural  or  other  history,  or  to  permit the directors or
trustees of any corporation  or  society  organized  for  the
construction  or  maintenance and operation of an aquarium or
museum as hereinabove described to erect, enlarge,  ornament,
build,  rebuild,  rehabilitate, improve, maintain and operate
its aquarium or museum or museums within any public park  now
or  hereafter under the control or supervision of any city or
park district, and to contract with  any  such  directors  or
trustees  of any such aquarium, museum or museums relative to
the   erection,   enlargement,    ornamentation,    building,
rebuilding,   rehabilitation,  improvement,  maintenance  and
operation thereof. Any city or park district may  charge,  or
permit  such  an  aquarium  or museum to charge, an admission
fee.: Provided, that Any such aquarium  or  museum,  however,
shall  be  open to the public without charge for at least one
day each week, and, when accompanied by  a  teacher,  to  the
children   in  actual  attendance  upon  grades  kindergarten
through twelve in any of the schools in  this  State  at  all
times. During a 2-year period beginning on the effective date
of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, Any such
aquarium  or  museum,  however,  must  be  open to the public
without charge for a period equivalent to 52 days, at least 6
of which must be during the period from June through  August,
each   year,   instead   of  at  least  one  day  each  week.
Notwithstanding said provisions, charges may be made  at  any
time  for  special  services  and  for  admission  to special
facilities within any aquarium or museum for  the  education,
entertainment  or  convenience  of  visitors. The proceeds of
such admission fees and  charges  for  special  services  and
special  facilities  shall  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the
purposes for which the tax authorized by Section 2 hereof may
be used. If any owner or owners of any lands or lots abutting
or  fronting  on  any  such public park, or adjacent thereto,
have any private right, easement,  interest  or  property  in
such  public  park  appurtenant  to  their  lands  or lots or
otherwise, which would be interfered with by the erection and
maintenance  of  any  aquarium  or  museum  as   hereinbefore
provided,  or  any right to have such public park remain open
or vacant and free from buildings, the corporate  authorities
of the city or park district having control of such park, may
condemn the same in the manner prescribed for the exercise of
the  right of eminent domain under Article VII of the Code of
Civil Procedure, as now or hereafter amended.
(Source: P.A. 91-918, eff. 7-7-00.)
    Passed in the General Assembly April 18, 2002.
    Approved June 24, 2002.
    Effective January 01, 2003.

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