Full Text of SB1558 95th General Assembly
SB1558 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008 SB1558
Introduced 2/9/2007, by Sen. Michael W. Frerichs SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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Creates the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council Act. Creates the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council. Sets forth the membership of the Council and the terms of the members. Sets forth the powers and duties of the Council.
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| FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
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A BILL FOR
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SB1558 |
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LRB095 11092 HLH 31419 b |
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| AN ACT concerning local government.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Wabash | 5 |
| and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council Act. | 6 |
| Section 5. Legislative Purpose. The restoration and | 7 |
| conservation of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their | 8 |
| tributaries is in the economic and ecological interest of the | 9 |
| citizens of this State. It is further in the public interest to | 10 |
| establish, implement, and monitor water management projects | 11 |
| run by local, State, federal and not for profit entities. | 12 |
| Section 10. Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council.
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| (a) There is established the Wabash and Ohio Rivers | 14 |
| Coordinating Council (Council), consisting of 13 voting | 15 |
| members. One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor who shall | 16 |
| serve as a voting member and as chairperson of the Council. The | 17 |
| Directors of the following agencies and departments, or their | 18 |
| designees, shall serve as ex-officio voting members: the | 19 |
| Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and | 20 |
| Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Environmental Protection | 21 |
| Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department | 22 |
| of Transportation. In addition, the Council shall include one |
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| member, appointed by the Governor, representing soil and water | 2 |
| conservation districts located in the proximity of the Wabash | 3 |
| and Ohio Rivers and its tributaries, and 6 members, appointed | 4 |
| by the Governor, representing local communities and | 5 |
| not-for-profit organizations working to protect the Wabash and | 6 |
| Ohio Rivers and their tributaries, businesses, agriculture, | 7 |
| recreation, conservation, and the environment. | 8 |
| (b) The Governor may appoint, as non-voting members, | 9 |
| individuals representing the interests of the states that | 10 |
| border the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and individuals representing | 11 |
| federal agencies. | 12 |
| (c) The voting members of the Council who are appointed by | 13 |
| the Governor shall serve 2-year terms, except that of the | 14 |
| initial appointments, 3 members shall be appointed to serve | 15 |
| 2-year terms and 4 members to serve one-year terms. | 16 |
| (d) The Council shall meet at least quarterly. | 17 |
| (e) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be | 18 |
| responsible for the operations of the Council, including, | 19 |
| without limitation, funding and oversight of the Council's | 20 |
| activities. Members of the Council shall serve without | 21 |
| compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary travel | 22 |
| expenses. | 23 |
| (f) This Section is subject to the provisions of Section | 24 |
| 405-500 of the Department of Central Management Services Law. | 25 |
| Section 15. Duties of the Council. The Council shall do |
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| the following: | 2 |
| (1) periodically review activities and programs
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| administered by State and federal agencies that directly impact | 4 |
| the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries; | 5 |
| (2) work with local communities and organizations
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| encourage partnerships that enhance awareness and capabilities | 7 |
| to address watershed and water resource concerns and to | 8 |
| encourage strategies that protect, restore, and expand | 9 |
| critical habitats and soil conservation and water quality | 10 |
| practices; | 11 |
| (3) work with State and federal agencies to
optimize the | 12 |
| expenditure of funds affecting the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and | 13 |
| their tributaries; | 14 |
| (4) advise and make recommendations to the Governor
and | 15 |
| State agencies on ways to better coordinate the expenditure of | 16 |
| appropriated funds affecting the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and | 17 |
| their tributaries; | 18 |
| (5) encourage local communities to develop water
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| management plans to address stormwater, erosion, flooding, | 20 |
| sedimentation, and pollution problems and encourage projects | 21 |
| for the natural conveyance and storage of floodwaters, the | 22 |
| enhancement of wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation | 23 |
| opportunities, the recovery, management, and conservation of | 24 |
| the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries, the | 25 |
| preservation of farmland, prairies, and forests, and the use of | 26 |
| measurable economic development efforts that are compatible |
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| with the ecological health of the State; and | 2 |
| (6) help identify possible sources of additional
funding | 3 |
| for Wabash and Ohio Rivers water management projects. | 4 |
| Section 20. Agency duties. State agencies represented on | 5 |
| the Council shall provide to the Council, on request, | 6 |
| information concerning agency programs, data, and activities | 7 |
| that impact the restoration and preservation of the Wabash and | 8 |
| Ohio Rivers and their tributaries.
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