101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2508

 

Introduced 1/28/2020, by Sen. Paul Schimpf

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
605 ILCS 127/15

    Amends the Heroes Way Designation Program Act. Provides that any person who is related by marriage, adoption, or consanguinity within the second degree to a first responder who was killed in the line of duty, and who was a resident of the State at the time he or she was killed in the line of duty, may apply for a designation allowing the placement of an honorary sign alongside roads. Provides that one of the application requirements may be a signed form from an individual or organization that contains the permission of a family member (in place of a signed form certifying that the applicant is related by marriage, adoption, or consanguinity within the second degree to the member of the United States Armed Forces or the first responder). Requires the application for an honorary sign to include signed approval from the Representative and Senator of the district where the designation is located. Makes conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2021.


LRB101 16081 LNS 65444 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2508LRB101 16081 LNS 65444 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Heroes Way Designation Program Act is
5amended by changing Section 15 as follows:
 
6    (605 ILCS 127/15)
7    Sec. 15. Heroes Way Designation Program.
8    (a) Any person who is related by marriage, adoption, or
9consanguinity within the second degree to a member of the
10United States Armed Forces or a first responder, including a
11police officer, firefighter, or EMS provider, who was killed in
12action while performing active military duty with the Armed
13Forces or was killed in the line of duty, and who was a
14resident of this State at the time he or she was killed in
15action or killed in the line of duty, may apply for a
16designation allowing the placement of an honorary sign
17alongside roads designated under the provisions of this Act.
18    (b) The honorary signs may be placed upon interstate or
19state-numbered highway interchanges or upon bridges or
20segments of highway under the jurisdiction of the Department
21according to the provisions of this Section, and any applicable
22federal and State limitations or conditions on highway signage,
23including location and spacing.

 

 

SB2508- 2 -LRB101 16081 LNS 65444 b

1    (c) Any person described under subsection (a) of this
2Section who desires to have an interstate or state-numbered
3highway interchange or bridge or segment of highway under the
4jurisdiction of the Department designated after his or her
5family member shall petition the Department by submitting an
6application in a form prescribed by the Secretary. The form
7shall include the amount of the fee under subsection (d) of
8this Section. The application must meet the following
9requirements:
10        (1) describe the interstate or state-numbered highway
11    interchange or bridge or segment of highway under the
12    jurisdiction of the Department for which the designation is
13    sought and the proposed name of the interchange, bridge, or
14    relevant segment of highway. The application shall include
15    the name of at least one current member of the General
16    Assembly who will sponsor the designation. The application
17    may contain written testimony for support of the
18    designation;
19        (2) a signed form, prescribed by the Secretary,
20    certifying that the applicant is related by marriage,
21    adoption, or consanguinity within the second degree to the
22    member of the United States Armed Forces or the first
23    responder who was killed in action, or a signed form from
24    an individual or organization that contains the permission
25    of a family member; and
26        (3) the name of the member of the United States Armed

 

 

SB2508- 3 -LRB101 16081 LNS 65444 b

1    Forces or the first responder for whom the designation is
2    sought must be listed on the National Gold Star Family
3    Registry; and .
4        (4) include a signed approval from the Representative
5    and Senator of the district where the designation is
6    located.
7    (d) After determining that the petitioner meets all of the
8application requirements of subsection (c), and upon the
9Department shall submit a recommendation containing the
10proposed designations to the sponsor in the General Assembly
11named in the application. The Department shall be notified upon
12the approval or denial of a proposed designation. Upon the
13approval of a proposed designation, the petitioner shall submit
14a fee to be determined by the Secretary to cover the costs of
15constructing and maintaining the proposed signs on the
16interchange, bridge, or segment of highway. The fee shall not
17exceed the cost of constructing and maintaining each sign.
18    (e) The Department shall give notice of any proposed
19designation under this Section on the Department's official
20public website.
21    (f) Two signs shall be erected for each interchange,
22bridge, or segment of highway designation processed under this
23Section.
24    (g) No interchange, bridge, or segment of highway may be
25named or designated under this Section if it carries an
26existing designation. A designated member of the United States

 

 

SB2508- 4 -LRB101 16081 LNS 65444 b

1Armed Forces shall not be eligible for more than one
2interchange, bridge, or segment of highway designation under
3this Section.
4    (h) All moneys received by the Department for the
5construction and maintenance of interchange, bridge, or
6segment of highway signs shall be deposited in the "Road Fund"
7of the State treasury.
8    (i) The documents and fees required under this Section
9shall be submitted to the Department.
10(Source: P.A. 99-802, eff. 1-1-17.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
121, 2021.