HB4938eng 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4938 Engrossed LRB103 38078 RJT 68210 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Southern Illinois University Management Act is amended by changing Section 6.6 as follows:

(110 ILCS 520/6.6)

Sec. 6.6. The Illinois Ethanol Research Advisory Board.

(a) There is established the Illinois Ethanol Research Advisory Board (the "Advisory Board").

(b) The Advisory Board shall be composed of 14 members, including: the President of Southern Illinois University or the President's designee, who shall be Chairperson Chairman; the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or the Director's designee; the Director of Agriculture or the Director's designee; the President of the Illinois Corn Growers Association or the President's designee; the President of the National Corn Growers Association or the President's designee; the President of the Renewable Fuels Association or the President's designee; the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Science, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, or the Dean's designee; the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, or the Dean's designee; and 6 at-large members appointed by the Governor representing the ethanol industry, growers, suppliers, and universities or those members' designees.

(c) The 6 at-large members shall serve a term of 4 years. The Advisory Board shall meet at least annually or at the call of the Chairman. At any time a majority of the Advisory Board may petition the Chairman for a meeting of the Board. Seven members of the Advisory Board shall constitute a quorum.

(d) The Advisory Board shall:

(1) Review the annual operating plans and budget of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Pilot Plant.

(2) Advise on research and development priorities and projects to be carried out at the Corn-to-Ethanol Research Pilot Plant.

(3) Advise on policies and procedures regarding the management and operation of the ethanol research pilot plant. This may include contracts, project selection, and personnel issues.

(4) Develop bylaws.

(5) Submit a final report to the Governor and General Assembly outlining the progress and accomplishments made during the year along with a financial report for the year.

(6) Establish and operate, subject to specific appropriation for the purpose of providing facility operating funds, the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville as a State Biorefining Center of Excellence with the following purposes and goals:

(A) To utilize interdisciplinary, interinstitutional, and industrial collaborations to conduct research.

(B) To provide training and services to the ethanol fuel industry to make projects and training to advance the biofuels industry in the State more affordable for the institutional and industrial bodies, including, but not limited to, Illinois farmer-owned ethanol cooperatives.

(C) To coordinate near-term industry research needs and laboratory services by identifying needs and pursuing federal and other funding sources.

(D) To develop and provide hands-on training to prepare students for the biofuels workforce and train workforce reentrants.

(E) To serve as an independent, third-party source for review, testing, validation standardization, and definition in areas of industry need.

(F) To provide seminars, tours, and informational sessions advocating renewable energy.

(G) To provide consultation services and information for those interested in renewable energy.

(H) To develop demonstration projects by pursuing federal and other funding sources.

(e) The Advisory Board established by this Section is a continuation, as changed by the Section, of the Board established under Section 8a of the Energy Conservation and Coal Development Act and repealed by Public Act 92-736.

(Source: P.A. 102-370, eff. 8-13-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

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