Public Act 097-0391
 
SB2193 EnrolledLRB097 08242 JDS 48368 b

    AN ACT concerning environmental justice.
 
    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
Environmental Justice Act.
 
    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds that:
        (i) the principle of environmental justice requires
    that no segment of the population, regardless of race,
    national origin, age, or income, should bear
    disproportionately high or adverse effects of
    environmental pollution;
        (ii) certain communities in the State may suffer
    disproportionately from environmental hazards related to
    facilities with permits approved by the State; and
        (iii) these environmental hazards can cause long-term
    health effects.
 
    Section 10. Commission on Environmental Justice.
    (a) The Commission on Environmental Justice is established
and consists of the following 20 voting members:
        (1) 2 members of the Senate, one appointed by the
    President of the Senate and the other by the Minority
    Leader of the Senate, each to serve at the pleasure of the
    appointing officer;
        (2) 2 members of the House of Representatives, one
    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
    and the other by the Minority Leader of the House of
    Representatives, each to serve at the pleasure of the
    appointing officer;
        (3) the following ex officio members: the Director of
    Aging or his or her designee, the Director of Commerce and
    Economic Opportunity or his or her designee, the Director
    of the Environmental Protection Agency or his or her
    designee, the Director of Natural Resources or his or her
    designee, the Director of Public Health or his or her
    designee, and the Director of Transportation or his or her
    designee; and
        (4) 10 members appointed by the Governor who represent
    the following interests:
            (i) affected communities concerned with
        environmental justice;
            (ii) business organizations;
            (iii) environmental organizations;
            (iv) experts on environmental health and
        environmental justice;
            (v) units of local government; and
            (vi) members of the general public who have an
        interest or expertise in environmental justice.
    (b) Of the initial members of the Commission appointed by
the Governor, 5 shall serve for a 2-year term and 5 shall serve
for a 1-year term, as designated by the Governor at the time of
appointment. Thereafter, the members appointed by the Governor
shall serve 2-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same
manner as appointments. Members of the Commission appointed by
the Governor may not receive compensation for their service on
the Commission and are not entitled to reimbursement for
expenses.
    (c) The Governor shall designate a Chairperson from among
the Commission's members. The Commission shall meet at the call
of the Chairperson, but no later than 90 days after the
effective date of this Act and at least quarterly thereafter.
    (d) The Commission shall:
        (1) advise State entities on environmental justice and
    related community issues;
        (2) review and analyze the impact of current State laws
    and policies on the issue of environmental justice and
    sustainable communities;
        (3) assess the adequacy of State and local laws to
    address the issue of environmental justice and sustainable
    communities;
        (4) develop criteria to assess whether communities in
    the State may be experiencing environmental justice
    issues; and
        (5) recommend options to the Governor for addressing
    issues, concerns, or problems related to environmental
    justice that surface after reviewing State laws and
    policies, including prioritizing areas of the State that
    need immediate attention.
    (e) On or before October 1, 2011 and each October 1
thereafter, the Commission shall report its findings and
recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly.
    (f) The Environmental Protection Agency shall provide
administrative and other support to the Commission.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.