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91_HB3032eng
HB3032 Engrossed LRB9109455DHmg
1 AN ACT creating the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail
2 Compact.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6 Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact Act.
7 Section 1. Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.
8 The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact is hereby
9 enacted into law and entered into by this State as a party
10 with any other state or states legally joining therein in the
11 form substantially as follows:
12 ARTICLE I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
13 The purposes of this compact are, through joint or
14 cooperative action:
15 (A) to promote the development and implementation
16 of improvements to intercity passenger rail service in
17 the Midwest;
18 (B) to coordinate interaction among Midwestern
19 state elected officials and their designees on passenger
20 rail issues;
21 (C) to promote development and implementation of
22 long-range plans for high speed rail passenger service in
23 the Midwest and among other regions of the United States;
24 (D) to work with the public and private sectors at
25 the federal, State, and local levels to ensure
26 coordination among the various entities having an
27 interest in passenger rail service and to promote
28 Midwestern interests regarding passenger rail; and
29 (E) to support efforts of transportation agencies
30 involved in developing and implementing passenger service
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1 in the Midwest.
2 ARTICLE II. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION
3 To further the purposes of the compact, a Commission is
4 created to carry out the duties specified in this compact.
5 ARTICLE III. COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP
6 The manner of appointment of Commission members, terms of
7 office consistent with the terms of this compact, provisions
8 for removal and suspension, and manner of appointment to fill
9 vacancies shall be determined by each party state pursuant to
10 its laws, but each Commissioner shall be a resident of the
11 state of appointment. Commission members shall serve without
12 compensation from the Commission.
13 The Commission shall consist of 4 resident members of
14 each state as follows: the Governor or the Governor's
15 designee who shall serve during the tenure of office of the
16 Governor, or until a successor is named; one member of the
17 private sector who shall be appointed by the Governor and
18 shall serve during the tenure of office of the Governor, or
19 until a successor is named; and 2 legislators, one from each
20 legislative chamber (or 2 legislators from any unicameral
21 legislature), who shall serve two-year terms, or until
22 successors are appointed, and who shall be appointed by the
23 appropriate appointing authority in each legislative chamber.
24 All vacancies shall be filled in accordance with the laws of
25 the appointing states. Any Commissioner appointed to fill a
26 vacancy shall serve until the end of the incomplete term.
27 Each member state shall have equal voting privileges, as
28 determined by Commission bylaws.
29 ARTICLE IV. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION
30 The duties of the Commission are to:
31 (1) advocate for the funding and authorization
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1 necessary to make passenger rail improvements a reality
2 for the region;
3 (2) identify and seek to develop ways that states
4 can form partnerships, including with rail industry and
5 labor, to implement improved passenger rail in the
6 region;
7 (3) seek development of a long-term, interstate
8 plan for high speed rail passenger service
9 implementation;
10 (4) cooperate with other agencies, regions, and
11 entities to ensure that the Midwest is adequately
12 represented and integrated into national plans for
13 passenger rail development;
14 (5) adopt bylaws governing the activities and
15 procedures of the Commission and addressing, among other
16 subjects: the powers and duties of officers; the voting
17 rights of Commission members, voting procedures,
18 Commission business, and any other purposes necessary to
19 fulfill the duties of the Commission; and
20 (6) report on the activities of the Commission to
21 the legislatures and governor of the member states on an
22 annual basis.
23 In addition to its exercise of these duties, the
24 Commission is empowered to:
25 (1) provide multistate advocacy necessary to
26 implement passenger rail systems or plans;
27 (2) work with local elected officials, economic
28 development planning organizations, and similar entities
29 to raise the visibility of passenger rail service
30 benefits and needs;
31 (3) educate other state officials, federal
32 agencies, other elected officials, and the public on the
33 advantages of passenger rail as an integral part of an
34 intermodal transportation system in the region;
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1 (4) work with federal agency officials and members
2 of Congress to ensure the funding and authorization
3 necessary to develop a long-term, interstate plan for
4 high speed rail passenger service implementation; and
5 (5) establish committees.
6 ARTICLE V. OFFICERS
7 The Commission shall annually elect from among its
8 members a chair, a vice-chair who shall not be a resident of
9 the state represented by the chair, and others as approved in
10 the Commission bylaws. The officers shall perform such
11 functions and exercise such powers as are specified in the
12 Commission bylaws.
13 ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS AND COMMISSION ADMINISTRATION
14 The Commission shall meet at least once in each calendar
15 year, and at such other times as may be determined by the
16 Commission. Commission business shall be conducted in
17 accordance with the procedures and voting rights specified in
18 the bylaws.
19 ARTICLE VII. ENACTMENT, EFFECTIVE DATE, AND AMENDMENTS
20 The States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
21 Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
22 Dakota, and Wisconsin are eligible to join this compact.
23 Upon approval of the Commission according to its bylaws,
24 other states may also be declared eligible to join the
25 compact. As to any eligible party state, this compact shall
26 become effective when its legislature shall have enacted the
27 same into law; provided that it shall not become initially
28 effective until enacted into law by any 3 party states
29 incorporating the provisions of this compact into the laws of
30 such states. Amendments to the compact shall become effective
31 upon their enactment by the legislatures of all compacting
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1 states.
2 ARTICLE VIII. WITHDRAWAL
3 Withdrawal from this compact shall be by enactment of a
4 statute repealing the same and shall take effect one year
5 after the effective date of such statute. A withdrawing state
6 shall be liable for any obligations which it may have
7 incurred prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
8 ARTICLE IX. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY
9 The provisions of this compact entered into hereunder
10 shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or
11 provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the
12 constitution of any compacting state or of the United States
13 or the applicability thereof to any government, agency,
14 person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the
15 remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to
16 any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be
17 affected hereby. If this compact entered into hereunder shall
18 be held contrary to the constitution of any compacting state,
19 the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the
20 remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state
21 affected as to all severable matters. The provisions of this
22 compact entered into pursuant hereto shall be liberally
23 construed to effectuate the purposes thereof.
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