SB3178 EngrossedLRB102 23106 RJF 32264 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Rivers
5of Illinois Coordinating Council Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purpose. The Rivers of Illinois Coordinating
7Council was created by Executive Order 2013-5. This Act is the
8implementation of Part III of that Executive Order, together
9with additional provisions to ensure that the Council is able
10to function as intended under that Executive Order. The intent
11of this Act is to ensure that the Council is able to fulfill
12its duties and purpose under that Executive Order. If there is
13a conflict between the provisions of the Executive Order and
14this Act, this Act shall be controlling.
 
15    Section 10. Transfer and consolidation of powers.
16    (a) The Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council created by
17Executive Order 2013-5 and implemented by this Act is the
18successor to: (i) the Illinois River Coordinating Council;
19(ii) the Mississippi River Coordinating Council; and (iii) the
20Wabash and Ohio River Coordinating Council.
21    (b) All rights, powers, duties, and functions vested by
22law in the entities specified under subsection (a), or any

 

 

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1office, division, council, committee, bureau, board,
2commission, officer, employee, or associated individual,
3person, or entity thereof, and all rights, powers, and duties
4incidental to those entities, including funding mechanisms,
5are consolidated in and transferred to the Rivers of Illinois
6Coordinating Council.
 
7    Section 15. Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council.
8    (a) There is established the Rivers of Illinois
9Coordinating Council consisting of 20 voting members to be
10appointed by the Governor as provided in this Section. The
11Governor may, at his or her discretion, also appoint
12individuals to serve as additional non-voting members of the
13Council.
14    (b) The Council shall include the following members:
15        (1) One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor, who
16    shall serve as a voting member and as Chairperson of the
17    Council.
18        (2) The State agency members of the Council shall
19    include the head, or his or her designee, of each of the
20    following State agencies or divisions thereof: (A) the
21    Department of Agriculture; (B) the Department of Commerce
22    and Economic Opportunity; (C) the Illinois Environmental
23    Protection Agency; (D) the Department of Natural
24    Resources; (E) the Department of Transportation; and (F)
25    the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of

 

 

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1    Natural Resources.
2        (3) The head, or his or her designee, of the: (A) Army
3    Corp of Engineers; (B) the National Great Rivers Research
4    and Education Center (NGRREC); (C) the Illinois State
5    Water Survey; and (D) the Association of Illinois Soil and
6    Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD).
7        (4) Nine members representing local communities and
8    not-for-profit organizations working to protect the
9    rivers, business, agriculture, recreation, conservation,
10    and the environment.
11    (c) Members of the Council appointed under paragraph (4)
12of subsection (b) shall serve 2-year terms, except that of the
13initial appointments, 5 members shall be appointed to serve
142-year terms and 4 members to serve one-year terms.
15    (d) Members of the Council shall meet at least quarterly,
16and meetings may be held in-person, by videoconference, or by
17telephone conference at the discretion of the Chairperson.
18    (e) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be
19responsible for the operations of the Council, including,
20without limitation, funding and oversight of the Council's
21activities. Members of the Council shall serve without
22compensation, but the Office of the Lieutenant Governor may
23reimburse members of the Council for travel expenses from
24funds appropriated for that purpose.
 
25    Section 20. Duties of the Council.

 

 

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1    (a) The Council shall do the following:
2        (1) periodically review activities and programs
3    administered by State and federal agencies that directly
4    impact the Illinois River Watershed, the Mississippi
5    River, and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers;
6        (2) work with local communities and organizations to
7    encourage partnerships that enhance awareness and
8    capabilities to address watershed and water resource
9    concerns and to encourage strategies that protect,
10    restore, and expand critical habitats and soil
11    conservation and water quality practices;
12        (3) work with State and federal agencies to optimize
13    the expenditure of funds affecting the Illinois River
14    Watershed and rivers;
15        (4) advise and make recommendations to the Governor
16    and State agencies on ways to better coordinate the
17    expenditure of appropriated funds affecting the Illinois
18    River Watershed and rivers;
19        (5) advise and make recommendations to the Governor on
20    funds and the priority of projects;
21        (6) encourage local communities to develop watershed
22    management plans to address storm water, erosion,
23    flooding, sedimentation, and pollution problems, and
24    encourage projects for the natural conveyance and storage
25    of floodwaters, the enhancement of wildlife habitat and
26    outdoor recreation opportunities, the recovery,

 

 

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1    management, and conservation of the rivers, the
2    preservation of farmland, prairies, and forests, and the
3    use of measurable economic development efforts that are
4    compatible with the ecological health of the State; and
5        (7) help identify possible sources of additional
6    funding for rivers and watershed management projects.
7    (b) To the extent practical, the Council shall perform its
8duties in accordance with the Office of the Lieutenant
9Governor's Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River
10Watershed Technical Report.
 
11    Section 25. State agency duties. State agencies
12represented on the Council shall provide to the Council, upon
13request, information concerning agency programs and activities
14that impact the Illinois River Watershed and the rivers.
 
15    (20 ILCS 3967/Act rep.)
16    Section 100. The Illinois River Watershed Restoration Act
17is repealed.
 
18    (20 ILCS 4003/Act rep.)
19    Section 105. The Mississippi River Coordinating Council
20Act is repealed.
 
21    (20 ILCS 4060/Act rep.)
22    Section 110. The Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating

 

 

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1Council Act is repealed.