HB0373 EnrolledLRB099 05633 JLK 25672 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Park District Aquarium and Museum Act is
5amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 1290/1)  (from Ch. 105, par. 326)
7    Sec. 1. Erect, operate, and maintain aquariums and museums.
8The corporate authorities of cities and park districts having
9the control or supervision over of any public park or parks,
10including parks located on formerly submerged land, are hereby
11authorized to purchase, erect, and maintain within any such
12public park or parks under the control or supervision of such
13corporate authorities, edifices to be used as aquariums or as
14museums of art, industry, science, or natural or other history,
15including presidential libraries, centers, and museums, such
16aquariums and museums consisting of all facilities for their
17collections, exhibitions, programming, and associated
18initiatives, or to permit the directors or trustees of any
19corporation or society organized for the construction or
20maintenance and operation of an aquarium or museum as
21hereinabove described to erect, enlarge, ornament, build,
22rebuild, rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its
23aquarium or museum or museums within any public park now or

 

 

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1hereafter under the control or supervision of any city or park
2district, and to contract with any such directors or trustees
3of any such aquarium or , museum or museums relative to the
4erection, enlargement, ornamentation, building, rebuilding,
5rehabilitation, improvement, maintenance, ownership, and
6operation of such aquarium or museum. Notwithstanding the
7previous sentence, a city or park district may enter into a
8lease for an initial term not to exceed 99 years, subject to
9renewal, allowing a corporation or society as hereinabove
10described to erect, enlarge, ornament, build, rebuild,
11rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its aquarium or
12museum, together with grounds immediately adjacent to such
13aquarium or museum, and to use, possess, and occupy grounds
14surrounding such aquarium or museum as hereinabove described
15for the purpose of beautifying and maintaining such grounds in
16a manner consistent with the aquarium or museum's purpose, and
17on the conditions that (1) the public is allowed access to such
18grounds in a manner consistent with its access to other public
19parks, and (2) the city or park district retains a reversionary
20interest in any improvements made by the corporation or society
21on the grounds, including the aquarium or museum itself, that
22matures upon the expiration or lawful termination of the lease.
23It is hereby reaffirmed and found that the aquariums and
24museums as described in this Section, and their collections,
25exhibitions, programming, and associated initiatives, serve
26valuable public purposes, including, but not limited to,

 

 

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1furthering human knowledge and understanding, educating and
2inspiring the public, and expanding recreational and cultural
3resources and opportunities and operation thereof. Any city or
4park district may charge, or permit such an aquarium or museum
5to charge, an admission fee. Any such aquarium or museum,
6however, shall be open without charge, when accompanied by a
7teacher, to the children in actual attendance upon grades
8kindergarten through twelve in any of the schools in this State
9at all times. In addition, any Any such aquarium or museum,
10however, must be open to persons who reside in this State
11without charge for a period equivalent to 52 days, at least 6
12of which must be during the period from June through August,
13each year. Notwithstanding said provisions, charges may be made
14at any time for special services and for admission to special
15facilities within any aquarium or museum for the education,
16entertainment, or convenience of visitors. The proceeds of such
17admission fees and charges for special services and special
18facilities shall be devoted exclusively to the purposes for
19which the tax authorized by Section 2 hereof may be used. If
20any owner or owners of any lands or lots abutting or fronting
21on any such public park, or adjacent thereto, have any private
22right, easement, interest or property in such public park
23appurtenant to their lands or lots or otherwise, which would be
24interfered with by the erection and maintenance of any aquarium
25or museum as hereinbefore provided, or any right to have such
26public park remain open or vacant and free from buildings, the

 

 

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1corporate authorities of the city or park district having
2control of such park, may condemn the same in the manner
3prescribed for the exercise of the right of eminent domain
4under the Eminent Domain Act. The changes made to this Section
5by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly are
6declaratory of existing law and shall not be construed as a new
7enactment.
8(Source: P.A. 97-187, eff. 7-22-11.)