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| Public Act 101-0383 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning agriculture.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The County Cooperative Extension Law is amended | ||||
by changing Section 8 as follows:
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(505 ILCS 45/8) (from Ch. 5, par. 248)
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Sec. 8. County extension education funds.
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(a) The county governing
board shall annually consider the | ||||
total budget certified by the county
or multi-county extension | ||||
board in order to consider the total funds
needed for | ||||
Cooperative Extension Service programs in the county. The
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county governing board may appropriate and pay 50% of the total
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so determined from the general corporate fund or other | ||||
available funds
or from an existing extension education tax of | ||||
the county for the
extension educational program in the county | ||||
or multi-county group of
which it is a part, provided that the | ||||
amount so appropriated shall not
exceed $54,400 in counties of | ||||
less than 10,000 inhabitants,
$61,200 in
counties of 10,000 or | ||||
more but less than 20,000 inhabitants, $68,000 in
counties of | ||||
20,000 or more but less than 30,000 inhabitants, $91,000 in
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counties of 30,000 or more but less than 50,000 inhabitants, | ||||
$117,000 in
counties of 50,000 or more but less than 100,000 | ||||
inhabitants, $156,000 in
counties of 100,000 or more but less | ||||
than 250,000 inhabitants, $233,000
in counties of 250,000 or | ||
more but less than 500,000 inhabitants,
$311,000 in counties of | ||
500,000 or more but less than
1,000,000
inhabitants and | ||
$583,000 in counties of 1,000,000 or more
inhabitants.
The | ||
amount to be so appropriated by the county governing board may | ||
be
reduced by the total of any private gifts or grants | ||
specifically made to
support the county extension programs | ||
included in such determination,
and may also be reduced by the | ||
fair market value of office space
furnished the Cooperative | ||
Extension Service by the county governing
board, provided it is | ||
suitable for extension needs and meets the housing
standards | ||
adopted by the Cooperative Extension Service.
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In order to provide matching funds, which shall not exceed | ||
an amount equal
to 50% of the funds needed as provided herein, | ||
and funds
for the purpose of general support to counties for | ||
Cooperative
Extension programs the State will recognize those | ||
needs and shall may make an
annual appropriation from the | ||
Agricultural Premium Fund or any other source
of funding | ||
available.
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On or before October 15 of each year, the director of | ||
extension of the
University of Illinois shall forward to the | ||
Director of Agriculture, the
Governor, the Speaker of the House | ||
of
Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of | ||
Representatives,
the President of the Senate, and the Minority | ||
Leader
of the
Senate, a report of the determinations made by | ||
the various county
governing boards of the total funds needed | ||
for Cooperative Extension
Service programs in the respective | ||
counties. The State matching funds and
funds for the purpose of | ||
general support shall
be included in an appropriation request | ||
by the Department of Agriculture for
the
next State fiscal | ||
year. That request shall be separate and apart from the
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operating appropriation request for the Department of | ||
Agriculture. The funds
so appropriated
by the State to the | ||
Department of Agriculture shall be deposited into the
State | ||
Cooperative Extension Service Trust Fund and transferred as | ||
provided
in Section 8 (d) of this Act.
The Department of | ||
Agriculture shall have no responsibility for or control
over | ||
the cooperative extension service or its programs.
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All funds provided pursuant to this Act may be used for | ||
operations or
facilities.
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(b) If sufficient funds are not available from the general | ||
corporate
fund or if sums greater than the maximum listed above | ||
are needed for the
county's share of the extension education | ||
program, the county governing
board shall have the power to | ||
increase by not more than .05 per cent,
with approval by | ||
referendum, the maximum rate at which it levies, or can
levy, | ||
taxes for general county purposes. Such additional rate shall | ||
not
be included within any statutory limitation or rate or | ||
amount for other
county purposes and shall be in addition | ||
thereto.
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Any county that under this Cooperative Extension Law has | ||
approved a
rate by referendum prior to the effective date of | ||
this amendment, shall
have authority to continue such tax as | ||
approved, but may use the
provisions of this subsection as | ||
amended provided that another
referendum must be held if the | ||
rate desired is greater than the rate
previously approved.
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(c) Upon approval by resolution the county board shall | ||
certify the
resolution and the
question of the adoption of a | ||
levy sufficient to produce the sums
determined by the county | ||
board to the proper election officials, who shall
submit the | ||
question to the electors of the county at an election in | ||
accordance
with the general election law. No such
levy shall be | ||
made until the adoption by majority vote of the electors
voting | ||
on the proposition.
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(d) Funds received from local sources and funds | ||
appropriated by the
county governing board or the State for the | ||
county extension education
program in any county shall be paid | ||
over to the University of Illinois.
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(Source: P.A. 89-691, eff. 12-31-96; 90-591, eff. 7-1-98.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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