HB0162eng 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0162 Engrossed LRB102 04036 AWJ 14052 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 Decennial Committees on Local Government Consolidation and Efficiency Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Governmental unit" includes all units of local government that may levy any tax, except municipalities and counties.

Section 10. Formation of committee; members; vacancy; administrative support.

(a) Within one year after the effective date of this Act and at least once every 10 years thereafter, each governmental unit must form a committee to: study local efficiencies, including an analysis of whether to consolidate with another governmental unit, municipality, or county; and provide a report with recommendations regarding efficiencies, increased accountability, and consolidation.

(b) Each committee's membership shall include the elected or appointed members of the governing board of the governmental unit, at least 2 residents appointed by the chair of the board of the governmental unit, with the advise and consent of the board, and any chief executive officer or officer of the governmental unit. The committee shall be chaired by the president or chief elected or appointed official of the governing board of the governmental unit, or his or her designee. The chairperson may appoint additional members to the committee as he or she deems appropriate.

Committee members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed by the governmental unit for their expenses incurred in performing their duties.

(c) A committee may employ or use the services of specialists in public administration and governmental management and any other trained consultants, analysts, investigators, and assistants it considers appropriate, including seeking assistance from community colleges or universities with research and the development and review of reports of the committee.

(d) If a vacancy occurs in the committee membership, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the appointments under subsection (b).

(e) The governmental unit shall provide administrative and other support to the committee.

Section 15. Duties of a committee. The duties of a committee include, but are not limited to, the study of the governmental unit's governing statutes, ordinances, rules, procedures, powers, jurisdiction, shared services, intergovernmental agreements, and interrelationships with other governmental units and the State. The committee shall collect data, research, and analysis for its purposes and shall allow public input.

Section 20. Meetings. Each committee shall meet at least 3 times. The committee may meet during a regularly scheduled meeting of the governmental unit as long as: (1) separate notice is given in conformance with the Open Meetings Act; (2) the committee meeting is listed as part of the board of the governmental unit's agenda; and (3) at least a majority of the members of the committee are present at the committee's meeting. Each meetings of the committee shall be public and the committee shall provide an opportunity for any person to be heard at the public hearings for at least 3 minutes. The committee may require speakers to register. The committee shall meet in accordance with the Open Meetings Act and the committee shall be a public body to which the Freedom of Information Act applies.

At the conclusion of each meeting, the committee shall conduct a survey of residents who attended asking for input on what was discussed at the meeting.

Section 25. Report. Each committee shall summarize its work and findings within a report, including recommendations in respect to consolidation, increased accountability and efficiency, and shall provide a written report to the county board in which the governmental unit lies no later than 18 months after the formation of the committee. The report shall be made available to the public.

Section 30. Dissolution of the committee. After a committee has made the report available to the public, the committee is dissolved until it is reestablished with newly appointed members under Section 10.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.45 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.45 new)

Sec. 8.45. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

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