HB0263eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0263 Engrossed LRB099 03967 AWJ 23984 b

AN ACT concerning local 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 of any public park or parks, are hereby authorized to purchase, erect and maintain within any 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, 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, museum or museums relative to the erection, enlargement, ornamentation, building, rebuilding, rehabilitation, improvement, maintenance 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. For a period of 3 years beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, any Any such aquarium or museum, however, must be open to persons who reside in this State without charge for a period equivalent to: (i) for persons 23 years of age and younger, 52 days, at least 6 of which must be during the period from June through August, each year; and (ii) for persons older than 23 years of age, 26 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.

(Source: P.A. 97-187, eff. 7-22-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.