SB2571eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2571 Engrossed LRB096 17504 RLJ 32860 b

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission.

"High-speed rail" means a system of new electrified tracks designed primarily for trains capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour.

Section 10. Composition of the Commission.

(a) The Commission shall be composed of 15 members as follows:

(1) 12 public members appointed by the Governor; and

(2) 3 ex-officio members as follows:

(A) the Illinois Secretary of Transportation;

(B) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; and

(C) the Executive Director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

(b) A person appointed as a public member of the Commission must be a resident of this State. Public members of the Commission must include the following: (i) local elected officials who have expressed interest in high-speed rail; (ii) former elected officials with transportation policy expertise; (iii) individuals with professional expertise in long-term financing of infrastructure; and (iv) individuals with expertise in transportation or railroad infrastructure projects. The appointed members shall reflect the geographic diversity of the State and shall include representation from all regions of the State.

(c) Commission members shall be appointed within 45 days after the effective date of this Act.

(d) The Governor shall designate one public member of the Commission to serve as the chair of the Commission and one public member to serve as the vice-chair of the Commission.

Section 15. Ex-officio members; eligibility; designation of representative.

(a) An ex-officio member of the Commission vacates the person's position on the Commission if the person ceases to hold the position that qualifies the person for service on the Commission.

(b) An ex-officio member may designate a representative to serve on the Commission in the member's absence. A representative designated under this subsection must be an officer or employee of the State agency that employs the ex-officio member.

Section 20. Compensation; expenses.

(a) A public member of the Commission is not entitled to compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the travel expenses incurred by the member while transacting Commission business.

(b) An ex-officio member's service on the Commission is an additional duty of the underlying position that qualifies the member for service on the Commission. The entitlement of an ex-officio member to compensation or to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while transacting Commission business is governed by the law that applies to the member's service in that underlying position, and any payment to the member for either purpose must be made from an appropriation that may be used for the purpose and is available to the State agency that the member serves in that underlying position.

Section 25. Meetings; quorum.

(a) The Commission shall meet at least monthly at the times and places in this State that the chair designates until April 2011 and at least quarterly thereafter.

(b) Members of the Commission may participate in Commission meetings by teleconference or video conference.

(c) A majority of the members of the Commission constitute a quorum for transacting Commission business.

Section 30. General powers and duties of the Commission.

(a) The Commission shall:

(1) Prepare and issue a report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the public recommending the best governmental structure for a public-private partnership to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance a high-speed rail system for Illinois and the Midwest. The report must include specific recommendations for legislation, if statutory change is required, or specific administrative regulations, if regulatory change is required, to implement the recommended high-speed rail system. The report must include recommended sources for the funding of a high-speed rail system including private sources of capital and revenue bonds. The report must contain recommendations for integrating the high-speed rail system into existing and planned Amtrak expansions, airports, and public transportation systems. The report must include recommendations for federal, State, and local actions for the development and implementation of a high-speed rail system. The report must be issued by March 20, 2011.

(2) Prepare a follow-up report that details the status of recommendations issued by the Commission and any revised and updated recommendations based on further public and stakeholder input. The follow-up report must be issued by February 1, 2012.

(3) Develop a process to receive public and stakeholder input on opinions and proposals for building, designing, maintaining, operating, and financing a high-speed rail system for Illinois and the Midwest. The process must include the solicitation and receipt of formal expressions of interest and other testimony from global high-speed rail operators including without limitation Amtrak.

(4) Solicit and receive formal testimony, both written and oral, from representatives of the other states in the Midwest including without limitation representatives from units of local government.

(5) Work collaboratively with the Department of Transportation on any planning projects for high-speed rail administered by the Department to comply with federal high-speed rail requirements including without limitation the solicitation of public input and comments.

(b) In implementing subsection (a), the Commission must consult with and receive testimony from global high-speed rail operators including without limitation Amtrak.

(c) Nothing in this Act shall preclude the Department of Transportation from planning for high-speed rail.

Section 35. Funding. The Illinois Department of Transportation may provide staff and other support to the Commission from money available to the Department that may be used for this purpose. The General Assembly may also specifically appropriate money to the Department to provide staff and other support to the Commission.

The Commission may accept monetary gifts and grants from any public or private source. The Commission may also accept in-kind gifts.

Section 95. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2014.

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