102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1945

 

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. Tony McCombie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
70 ILCS 835/1  from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6801

    Amends the Forest Preserve Zoological Parks Act. Provides that a zoological park shall be open to the public without charge for at least one day for every 30 days (rather than every 7 days) the zoological park is open. Removes provisions which required a zoological park to be open to the public without charge for at least one day for every 14 days from June 12, 2020 through June 30, 2022. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1945LRB102 04471 AWJ 14489 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Forest Preserve Zoological Parks Act is
5amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 835/1)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6801)
7    Sec. 1. The corporate authorities of forest preserve
8districts, containing a population of 140,000 or more located
9in counties of less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, having the
10control or supervision of any forest preserves, may erect and
11maintain within such forest preserves, under the control or
12supervision of such corporate authorities, edifices to be used
13for the collection and display of animals as customary in
14zoological parks, and may collect and display such animals, or
15permit the directors or trustees of any zoological society
16devoted to the purposes aforesaid to erect and maintain a
17zoological park and to collect and display zoological
18collections within any forest preserve now or hereafter under
19the control or supervision of such forest preserve district,
20out of funds belonging to such zoological society, or to
21contract with the directors or trustees of any zoological
22society on such terms and conditions as may to such corporate
23authorities seem best, relative to the erection, operation and

 

 

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1maintenance of a zoological park and the collection and
2display of such animals within such forest preserve, out of
3the tax hereinafter in this Act provided.
4    This Act applies to any forest preserve district that
5maintains a zoological park that was established under this
6Act prior to 1964, regardless of whether the population
7requirements continue to be met.
8    A forest preserve district, containing a population of
9140,000 or more, or the directors or trustees of such
10zoological society when so authorized by the forest preserve
11district, may (a) police the property of the zoological park,
12(b) employ, establish, maintain and equip a security force for
13fire and police protection of the zoological park and (c)
14provide that the personnel of the security force shall perform
15other tasks relating to the maintenance and operation of the
16zoological park. Members of the security force shall be
17conservators of the peace with all the powers of policemen in
18cities and of sheriffs, other than to serve or execute civil
19processes, but such powers may be exercised only within the
20area comprising the zoological park when required to protect
21the zoological park's property and interests, its personnel
22and persons using the facilities or at the specific request of
23appropriate federal, State or local law enforcement officials.
24All otherwise lawful actions taken on or after August 13, 1978
25(the effective date of Public Act 80-1364) and before the
26effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General

 

 

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1Assembly by a forest preserve district or a zoological society
2located in a county of 3,000,000 or more in exercising the
3powers provided in this paragraph are hereby validated,
4notwithstanding Public Act 80-1364, which was a
5non-substantive combining revisory Act.
6    A forest preserve district, containing a population of
7140,000 or more located in counties of less than 3,000,000
8inhabitants, may charge, or permit such zoological society to
9charge, an admission fee. The proceeds of such admission fee
10shall be devoted exclusively to the operation and maintenance
11of such zoological park and the collections therein. All
12Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all such
13zoological parks shall be open to the public without charge
14(i) a total number of days, to be scheduled at any time during
15the calendar year, equivalent to at least one day for each 30 7
16days the zoological park is open during the calendar year and
17(ii) to the children in actual attendance upon any of the
18schools in the State at all times. Beginning on the effective
19date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly
20through June 30, 2022, any such zoological park must be open to
21the public without charge: (i) a total number of days, to be
22scheduled at any time during the calendar year, equivalent to
23at least one day for each 14 days the zoological park is open
24during the calendar year; and (ii) to the children in actual
25attendance upon any of the schools in the State at all times.
26The managing authority of the zoological park may limit the

 

 

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1number of school groups that may attend the zoo on any given
2day and may establish other rules and regulations that
3reasonably ensure public safety, accessibility, and
4convenience, including without limitation standards of conduct
5and supervision. Charges may be made at any time for special
6services and for admission to special facilities within any
7zoological park for the education, entertainment or
8convenience of visitors.
9(Source: P.A. 101-640, eff. 6-12-20.)
 
10    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
11becoming law.