HB2452 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 08517 JDS 18637 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB2452

Introduced 2/19/2009, by Rep. Dave Winters

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Science Advisory Board Act. Creates the Science Advisory Board for the purpose of rendering scientific assessment, risk based analysis, and consensus advice upon questions of science posed by the Governor or Legislative Committees having jurisdiction over scientific matters. Provides for appointments to the Board; terms of appointees; and the removal of appointees. Sets forth qualifications for Board members. Prohibits certain persons from participating in the work of the Board. Requires the Board to review and summarize pertinent scientific studies related to charged topics; to summarize findings and recommendations in a manner that is timely, objective, transparent, and understandable by elected officials and policymakers; to achieve consensus in its decision making, if possible, and to provide for reports of minority opinions, if consensus is not possible. Sets out other requirements for Board action. Provides that the Director of the Legislative Research Unit shall act as the Executive Director of the Board and shall assign such clerical and staff support from the Legislative Research Unit staff as is required. Requires members of the Board to be reimbursed from appropriations made by the General Assembly for reasonable expenses incurred as a result of their services.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State 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 Science Advisory Board Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Board is to render scientific assessment, risk based analysis, and consensus advice upon questions of science posed by the Governor or Legislative Committees having jurisdiction over scientific matters.

Section 10. Creation of the Science Advisory Board. The Science Advisory Board is established and shall be comprised of 16 members qualified and appointed as provided under this Act and who shall constitute an independent non-partisan board under the Legislative Research Unit.

Section 15. Manner of Appointment; Term; Removal.

(a) The Governor shall appoint 8 members to the Board (one of whom shall be designated the Chairperson of the Board) and the President of the Illinois Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives shall each appoint 2 members to the Board. Each appointee under this Section must meet the qualifications set forth in Section 20 and be selected from a list of names of scientists submitted for consideration by nationally recognized professional associations serving the academic disciplines listed in Section 20.

(b) The term for Board members shall be 4 years, except that the initial Board appointments shall be staggered with the Governor initially appointing 4 members for one year and 4 other members for 2 years. The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives shall each initially appoint one member for a term of 3 years and one member for a term of 4 years, respectively. Upon the expiration of these initial terms, Board members may be reappointed or the respective appointing authorities shall appoint their replacements for terms of 4 years.

(c) The Governor, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives may, by a majority vote of those officers, remove a Board member in the event of a professional ethics violation, conflict of interest, criminality, or the member's attainment of employment with an entity of State government other than a university.

Section 20. Qualifications of Board Members.

(a) The Board must be comprised of individuals who have reputations for professional competence and technical expertise and who hold doctoral degrees in at least one of the following disciplines:

(1) Environmental Health.

(2) Toxicology.

(3) Engineering.

(4) Ecological Science.

(5) Economics.

(6) Chemistry.

(7) Physics.

(8) Biology.

(9) Forestry.

(10) Human Medicine.

(11) Statistics.

(12) Risk Assessment.

(13) Geology.

(14) Agricultural Science.

(15) Marine Science.

(16) Hydrology.

(b) The following classes of persons may not be appointed to the Board:

(1) State employees other than university employees.

(2) Any person affiliated with an organization that represents partisan interests (e.g., a lobbying organization).

Section 25. Duties of the Board.

(a) The Board shall:

(1) Review and summarize pertinent scientific studies related to charged topics or questions, placing an emphasis on studies and data that are most relevant to the subject of concern.

(2) Summarize findings and recommendations in a manner that is timely, objective, transparent, and understandable by elected officials and policymakers.

(3) Have the ability to recruit and include expertise from other qualified experts, as needed.

(4) Achieve consensus in its decision making, if possible, and provide for reports of minority opinions, if consensus is not possible.

(b) Board interpretations, findings, and recommendations must represent the prevailing weight of scientific evidence for a charged topic or question.

(c) Board discussions and recommendations shall, when possible, include risk assessments, comparative risk analyses, and economic analyses.

(d) The Board's draft findings must be subject to an open public comment period and process before being finalized.

(e) Science should be identified and delineated from policy as separate components that impact risk management and legislative decision-making.

(f) Board members must excuse themselves from the Board's consideration of specific topics when such topics represent a conflict of interest.

Section 30. Staff. The Director of the Legislative Research Unit shall act as the Executive Director of the Board and shall assign clerical and staff support from the Legislative Research Unit staff as required.

Section 35. Compensation and Expenses. Members of the Board shall be reimbursed from appropriations made by the General Assembly for reasonable expenses incurred as a result of their services.