98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB3090

 

Introduced 2/7/2014, by Sen. William R. Haine

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 70/1
220 ILCS 70/5
220 ILCS 70/10
220 ILCS 70/15
220 ILCS 70/20
220 ILCS 70/30
220 ILCS 70/35
220 ILCS 70/25 rep.

    Amends the Crossing of Railroad Right-of-way Act. Changes the short title to the Crossing and Encroachment of Railroad Right-of-way Act. Defines "encroachment" and "rail carrier". Makes changes to other definitions, including "utility". Removes the definition of "special circumstances" and removes all references to "special circumstances". Repeals provisions concerning dispute resolution if the parties cannot agree whether a special circumstance exists. Provides that a utility shall be deemed to have authorization to commence encroachment activity 35 days after the (i) mailing of the notice, (ii) completion of the engineering specifications, and (iii) payment of the fee. Provides that a utility that locates its facilities within the railroad right-of-way for an encroachment shall pay the rail carrier or land management company a one-time fee of $1,000 for the first 1,000 feet of encroachment and $1 per additional 1,000 feet of encroachment, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. Makes changes in provisions concerning crossing and encroachment fees; powers not limited; conflicting provisions; and applicability. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3090LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Crossing of Railroad Right-of-way Act is
5amended by changing Sections 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 35 as
6follows:
 
7    (220 ILCS 70/1)
8    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Crossing
9and Encroachment of Railroad Right-of-way Act.
10(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
11    (220 ILCS 70/5)
12    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
13context otherwise requires:
14    "Crossing" means the construction, operation, repair, or
15maintenance of a facility over, under, along, or across a
16railroad right-of-way by a utility when the right-of-way is
17owned by a land management company or a rail carrier and not a
18registered rail carrier.
19    "Direct expenses" includes, but is not limited to, any or
20all of the following:
21        (1) The cost of inspecting and monitoring the crossing
22    site.

 

 

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1        (2) Administrative and engineering costs for review of
2    specifications and for entering a crossing on the
3    railroad's books, maps, and property records and other
4    reasonable administrative and engineering costs incurred
5    as a result of the crossing.
6        (3) Document and preparation fees associated with a
7    crossing, and any engineering specifications related to
8    the crossing.
9        (4) Damages assessed in connection with the rights
10    granted to a utility with respect to a crossing.
11    "Encroachment" means the construction, operation, repair,
12or maintenance of a facility over, under, or along a railroad
13right-of-way by a utility when the right-of-way is owned by a
14rail carrier or a land management company, not to exceed 15,000
15feet in length.
16    "Facility" means any cable, conduit, wire, pipe, casing
17pipe, supporting poles and guys, manhole, or other material or
18equipment, that is used by a utility to furnish any of the
19following:
20        (1) Communications, video, or information services.
21        (2) Electricity.
22        (3) Gas by piped system.
23        (4) Sanitary and storm sewer service.
24        (5) Water by piped system.
25    "Land management company" means an entity that is the
26owner, manager, or agent of a railroad right-of-way and is not

 

 

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1a registered rail carrier.
2    "Rail carrier" has the meaning ascribed to that term in
3Section 18c-1104 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
4    "Railroad right-of-way" means one or more of the following:
5        (1) A right-of-way or other interest in real estate
6    that is owned or operated by a rail carrier or a land
7    management company and not a registered rail carrier.
8        (2) Any other interest in a former railroad
9    right-of-way that has been acquired or is operated by a
10    rail carrier or a land management company or similar
11    entity.
12    "Special circumstances" means either or both of the
13following:
14        (1) The characteristics of a segment of a railroad
15    right-of-way not found in a typical segment of a railroad
16    right-of-way that enhance the value or increase the damages
17    or the engineering or construction expenses for the land
18    management company associated with a proposed crossing, or
19    to the current or reasonably anticipated use by a land
20    management company of the railroad right-of-way,
21    necessitating additional terms and conditions or
22    compensation associated with a crossing.
23        (2) Variances from the standard specifications
24    requested by the land management company.
25    "Special circumstances" may include, but is not limited to,
26the railroad right-of-way segment's relationship to other

 

 

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1property, location in urban or other developed areas, the
2existence of unique topography or natural resources, or other
3characteristics or dangers inherent in the particular crossing
4or segment of the railroad right-of-way.
5    "Utility" shall include (1) public utilities as defined in
6Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act and their affiliate
7companies, (2) telecommunications carriers as defined in
8Section 13-202 of the Public Utilities Act, (3) electric
9cooperatives as defined in Section 3.4 of the Electric Supplier
10Act, (4) telephone or telecommunications cooperatives as
11defined in Section 13-212 of the Public Utilities Act, (5)
12rural water or waste water systems with 10,000 connections or
13less, (6) a holder as defined in Section 21-201 of the Public
14Utilities Act, and (7) municipalities owning or operating
15utility systems consisting of public utilities as that term is
16defined in Section 11-117-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
17(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
18    (220 ILCS 70/10)
19    Sec. 10. Terms and conditions for a crossing or
20encroachment.
21    (a) After 30 days from (1) the mailing of the notice, (2)
22completing the engineering specifications, and (3) payment of
23the fee if applicable, the utility, absent a claim of special
24circumstances, shall be deemed to have authorization to
25commence the crossing activity.

 

 

SB3090- 5 -LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1    (a-5) The utility shall be deemed to have authorization to
2commence the encroachment activity 35 days after the (i)
3mailing of the notice, (ii) completion of the engineering
4specifications, and (iii) payment of the fee.
5    (b) The rail carrier or the land management company and the
6utility must maintain and repair its own property within the
7railroad right-of-way and bear responsibility for its own acts
8and omissions, except that the utility shall be responsible for
9any bodily injury or property damage that typically would be
10covered under a standard railroad protective liability
11insurance policy.
12    (c) A utility shall have immediate access to a crossing and
13an encroachment for repair and maintenance of existing
14facilities in case of emergency.
15    (d) Applicable engineering standards shall be complied
16with for utility facilities crossing or encroaching upon
17railroad rights-of-way.
18    (e) The utility shall be provided an expedited crossing or
19encroachment , absent a claim of special circumstances, after
20payment by the utility of the standard crossing or encroachment
21fee, if applicable, and submission of completed engineering
22specifications to the rail carrier or land management company.
23The engineering specifications shall address the applicable
24clearance requirements as established by the National
25Electrical Safety Code.
26    (f) The utility and the rail carrier or land management

 

 

SB3090- 6 -LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1company may agree to other terms and conditions necessary to
2provide for reasonable use of a railroad right-of-way by a
3utility.
4(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
5    (220 ILCS 70/15)
6    Sec. 15. Crossing and encroachment fees fee.
7    (a) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and subject to
8Section 20, a utility that locates its facilities within the
9railroad right-of-way for a crossing, other than a crossing
10along, over, or under a the public highway, street, road,
11alley, or other public way roads of the State pursuant to the
12Telephone Line Right of Way Act, shall pay the rail carrier or
13land management company a one-time standard crossing fee of
14$1,000 1,500 for each crossing.
15    (b) A utility that locates its facilities within the
16railroad right-of-way for a crossing along, over, or under a
17public highway, street, road, alley, or other public way shall
18not pay the rail carrier or land management company any
19crossing fee unless the rail carrier or land management company
20owns the fee over or under which the public highway, street,
21road, alley, or other public way is located. If the rail
22carrier or land management company owns the fee over or under
23which the public highway, street, road, alley, or other public
24way is located, unless otherwise agreed by the parties and
25subject to Section 20, the utility shall pay the rail carrier

 

 

SB3090- 7 -LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1or land management company a one-time standard crossing fee of
2$1,500 for each crossing. A rail carrier or land management
3company claiming to own the fee over or under which the public
4highway, street, road, alley, or other public way is located
5shall produce a copy of the deed establishing its fee to the
6utility within 30 days after the utility has made a written
7request for the document. If a rail carrier or land management
8company fails to produce a copy of the deed in response to such
9a request, the utility shall be deemed to have authorization to
10commence the crossing activity without the payment of any
11crossing fee.
12    (c) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and subject to
13Section 20, a utility that locates its facilities within the
14railroad right-of-way for an encroachment shall pay the rail
15carrier or land management company a one-time fee of $1,000 for
16the first 1,000 feet of encroachment and $1 per additional foot
17of encroachment plus the costs associated with modifications to
18existing insurance contracts of the utility and the land
19management company.
20    (d) The standard crossing or encroachment fees fee shall be
21in lieu of any license, permit, application, or any other fees
22or charges to reimburse the rail carrier or land management
23company for the direct expenses incurred by the rail carrier or
24land management company as a result of the crossing or
25encroachment.
26    (e) The utility shall also reimburse the rail carrier or

 

 

SB3090- 8 -LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1land management company for any actual flagging expenses
2associated with a crossing or encroachment in addition to the
3standard crossing or encroachment fee.
4    (f) Utilities shall not be subject to application fees,
5engineering review fees, permit fees, or any additional fees
6not listed in this Act for crossing over or under a
7right-of-way within public streets, roads, alleys, or other
8public easements.
9(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
10    (220 ILCS 70/20)
11    Sec. 20. Powers not limited.
12    (a) Notwithstanding Section 10, nothing shall prevent a
13rail carrier or land management company and a utility from
14otherwise negotiating the terms and conditions applicable to a
15crossing or encroachment or the resolution of any disputes
16relating to the crossing or encroachment.
17    (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), this Section shall not
18impair the authority of a utility to secure crossing or
19encroachment rights by easement pursuant to the exercise of the
20power of eminent domain.
21(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
22    (220 ILCS 70/30)
23    Sec. 30. Conflicting provisions. Notwithstanding any
24provision law to the contrary, this Act shall apply in all

 

 

SB3090- 9 -LRB098 15332 RPS 50361 b

1crossings and encroachments of railroad rights-of-way
2involving a rail carrier or a land management company and a
3utility and shall govern in the event of any conflict with any
4other provision of law.
5(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
6    (220 ILCS 70/35)
7    Sec. 35. Applicability. This Act applies to (i) a crossing
8or encroachment commenced prior to the effective date of this
9Act if an agreement concerning the crossing or encroachment has
10expired or is terminated and (ii) a crossing or encroachment
11commenced on or after the effective date of this Act.
12(Source: P.A. 96-595, eff. 8-18-09.)
 
13    (220 ILCS 70/25 rep.)
14    Section 10. The Crossing of Railroad Right-of-way Act is
15amended by repealing Section 25.
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.