Public Act 099-0003
 
HB0373 EnrolledLRB099 05633 JLK 25672 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Park District Aquarium and Museum Act is
amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
    (70 ILCS 1290/1)  (from Ch. 105, par. 326)
    Sec. 1. Erect, operate, and maintain aquariums and museums.
The corporate authorities of cities and park districts having
the control or supervision over of any public park or parks,
including parks located on formerly submerged land, are hereby
authorized to purchase, erect, and maintain within any such
public park or parks under the control or supervision of such
corporate authorities, edifices to be used as aquariums or as
museums of art, industry, science, or natural or other history,
including presidential libraries, centers, and museums, such
aquariums and museums consisting of all facilities for their
collections, exhibitions, programming, and associated
initiatives, or to permit the directors or trustees of any
corporation or society organized for the construction or
maintenance and operation of an aquarium or museum as
hereinabove described to erect, enlarge, ornament, build,
rebuild, rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its
aquarium or museum or museums within any public park now or
hereafter under the control or supervision of any city or park
district, and to contract with any such directors or trustees
of any such aquarium or , museum or museums relative to the
erection, enlargement, ornamentation, building, rebuilding,
rehabilitation, improvement, maintenance, ownership, and
operation of such aquarium or museum. Notwithstanding the
previous sentence, a city or park district may enter into a
lease for an initial term not to exceed 99 years, subject to
renewal, allowing a corporation or society as hereinabove
described to erect, enlarge, ornament, build, rebuild,
rehabilitate, improve, maintain, and operate its aquarium or
museum, together with grounds immediately adjacent to such
aquarium or museum, and to use, possess, and occupy grounds
surrounding such aquarium or museum as hereinabove described
for the purpose of beautifying and maintaining such grounds in
a manner consistent with the aquarium or museum's purpose, and
on the conditions that (1) the public is allowed access to such
grounds in a manner consistent with its access to other public
parks, and (2) the city or park district retains a reversionary
interest in any improvements made by the corporation or society
on the grounds, including the aquarium or museum itself, that
matures upon the expiration or lawful termination of the lease.
It is hereby reaffirmed and found that the aquariums and
museums as described in this Section, and their collections,
exhibitions, programming, and associated initiatives, serve
valuable public purposes, including, but not limited to,
furthering human knowledge and understanding, educating and
inspiring the public, and expanding recreational and cultural
resources and opportunities and operation thereof. Any city or
park district may charge, or permit such an aquarium or museum
to charge, an admission fee. Any such aquarium or museum,
however, shall be open without charge, when accompanied by a
teacher, to the children in actual attendance upon grades
kindergarten through twelve in any of the schools in this State
at all times. In addition, any Any such aquarium or museum,
however, must be open to persons who reside in this State
without charge for a period equivalent to 52 days, at least 6
of which must be during the period from June through August,
each year. Notwithstanding said provisions, charges may be made
at any time for special services and for admission to special
facilities within any aquarium or museum for the education,
entertainment, or convenience of visitors. The proceeds of such
admission fees and charges for special services and special
facilities shall be devoted exclusively to the purposes for
which the tax authorized by Section 2 hereof may be used. If
any owner or owners of any lands or lots abutting or fronting
on any such public park, or adjacent thereto, have any private
right, easement, interest or property in such public park
appurtenant to their lands or lots or otherwise, which would be
interfered with by the erection and maintenance of any aquarium
or museum as hereinbefore provided, or any right to have such
public park remain open or vacant and free from buildings, the
corporate authorities of the city or park district having
control of such park, may condemn the same in the manner
prescribed for the exercise of the right of eminent domain
under the Eminent Domain Act. The changes made to this Section
by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly are
declaratory of existing law and shall not be construed as a new
enactment.
(Source: P.A. 97-187, eff. 7-22-11.)