093_SB1363eng

 
SB1363 Engrossed                     LRB093 10762 MKM 11161 b

 1        AN ACT concerning historic preservation.

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

 4        Section 5.  The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Act
 5    is amended by adding Section 20 as follows:

 6        (20 ILCS 3405/20 new)
 7        Sec. 20.  Freedom Trail Commission.
 8        (a)  Creation. The Freedom Trail  Commission  is  created
 9    within  the  Agency.  The budgeting, procurement, and related
10    functions    of    the    commission    and    administrative
11    responsibilities for the staff of  the  commission  shall  be
12    performed under the direction and supervision of the Agency.
13        (b)  Membership.  The  commission  shall  consist  of  16
14    members,  appointed  as  soon as possible after the effective
15    date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The
16    members shall be appointed as follows:
17             (1)  one member appointed by the  President  of  the
18        Senate;
19             (2)  one  member  appointed  by  the Senate Minority
20        Leader;
21             (3)  one member appointed  by  the  Speaker  of  the
22        House;
23             (4)  one  member  appointed  by  the  House Minority
24        Leader;
25             (5)  9 members appointed by the Governor as follows:
26                  (i)  3 members from the academic community  who
27             are    knowledgeable   concerning   African-American
28             history; (ii) one  public  member  who  is  actively
29             involved  in  civil  rights issues; (iii) one public
30             member who is knowledgeable in the field of historic
31             preservation; (iv) one public member who  represents
 
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 1             local  communities in which the underground railroad
 2             had a significant presence; and  (v)  3  members  at
 3             large,  one of whom shall be a representative of the
 4             DuSable  Museum  and  one  of  whom   shall   be   a
 5             representative of the Chicago Historical Society;
 6             (6)  the Director of Commerce and Community Affairs,
 7        ex officio, or a designee of the Director;
 8             (7)  the  State Librarian, ex officio, or a designee
 9        of the State Library; and
10             (8)  the  Director  of  the  Historic   Preservation
11        Agency, ex officio, or a designee of that Agency.
12        Appointed  members  shall  serve  at  the pleasure of the
13    appointing authority.
14        (c)  Election of  chairperson;  meetings.  At  its  first
15    meeting,  the commission shall elect from among its members a
16    chairperson and other  officers  it  considers  necessary  or
17    appropriate.  After  its  first meeting, the commission shall
18    meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at  the  call  of
19    the chairperson or if requested by 7 or more members.
20        (d)  Quorum.  A majority of the members of the commission
21    constitute a quorum for the  transaction  of  business  at  a
22    meeting  of the commission. A majority of the members present
23    and  serving  is  required  for  official   action   of   the
24    commission.
25        (e)  Public meeting. The business that the commission may
26    perform  shall  be  conducted  at  a  public  meeting  of the
27    commission held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.
28        (f)  Freedom of information. A writing  prepared,  owned,
29    used,  in the possession of, or retained by the commission in
30    the performance of an official function  is  subject  to  the
31    Freedom of Information Act.
32        (g)  Compensation.  Members of the commission shall serve
33    without compensation. However, members of the commission  may
34    be   reimbursed  for  their  actual  and  necessary  expenses
 
SB1363 Engrossed            -3-      LRB093 10762 MKM 11161 b
 1    incurred in the  performance  of  their  official  duties  as
 2    members of the commission.
 3        (h)  Duties. The commission shall do the following:
 4             (1)  Prepare  a  master plan to promote and preserve
 5        the history of the freedom trail and underground railroad
 6        in the State.
 7             (2)  Work in  conjunction  with  State  and  federal
 8        authorities    to   sponsor   commemorations,   linkages,
 9        seminars, and public forums  on  the  freedom  trail  and
10        underground  railroad  in  the  State  and in neighboring
11        states.
12             (3)  Assist   in   and   promote   the   making   of
13        applications for inclusion  in  the  national  and  State
14        registers  of  historic  places  for significant historic
15        places related to the freedom trail and  the  underground
16        railroad in the State.
17             (4)  Assist  in  developing and develop partnerships
18        to seek public and private funds to carry out  activities
19        to  protect,  preserve,  and  promote  the  legacy of the
20        freedom trail and the underground railroad in the State.
21             (5)  Work with the Illinois State Board of Education
22        to evaluate, conduct research concerning, and  develop  a
23        curriculum  for  use in Illinois public schools regarding
24        the underground railroad, with emphasis on the activities
25        of the underground railroad within the State.
26        (i)  Report. The commission shall report  its  activities
27    and findings to the General Assembly by February 1, 2004.

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