70 ILCS 3615/7.02

(70 ILCS 3615/7.02)

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

Sec. 7.02. Transition.

(a) The Authority shall provide for an orderly transition of functions and responsibilities under this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly through the development of a transition plan. As soon as is reasonably feasible after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly and before September 1, 2026, the Department of Transportation shall enter into a contract with a third party to assist with the transition plan, including the transition of certain functions between the Service Boards and the Authority. This contract shall also include a study of the functions outlined in subsection (e) to inform the optimum allocation of those functions to allow for the efficient exercise by the Authority of the powers under this Act and the Chicago Transit Authority Act, the Suburban Bus Division under Article 3A, the Commuter Rail Division under Article 3B, and the Chicago Transit Authority under the Chicago Transit Authority Act.

(b) To assist the contracted third party and the Authority, a Transition Working Group shall be established and supported by the Authority that shall be consulted throughout the transition process.

(1) The Transition Working Group shall be made up of 15 members, comprised of representatives from the Authority, each of the Service Boards, and at least one member from a statewide labor organization recognized under the National Labor Relations Act or the Railway Labor Act and resides within the 6-county metropolitan region of the Authority.

(2) The Transition Working Group shall meet regularly with the Authority and the hired third party throughout the duration of the contract to provide insight into the workings of the Authority and Service Boards.

(3) As needed, the Transition Working Group shall convene and assemble other necessary staff of the Service Boards and the Authority to aid in the transition.

(4) The Authority shall appoint the members of the Transition Working Group by October 1, 2026.

(c) The Service Boards shall work closely with the Authority and provide all relevant data and information necessary to complete the transition plan. The Authority shall have access to and the right to examine and copy all books, documents, papers, records, or other source data of a Service Board relevant to any information submitted under this Section.

(d) The Authority shall evaluate and propose a transition plan for each of the following:

(1) Establishing a new process and coordination between the Authority and the Service Boards to create the 5-Year Capital Program. This process shall be established by January 1, 2027.

(2) The creation of a universal fare instrument and necessary coordination between the Authority and the Service Boards. This process shall be established by July 1, 2027.

(3) The transition from the NITA Law Enforcement Task Force to a sworn law enforcement officer crime prevention program on public transportation and a crime prevention plan to protect public transportation employees and riders in the metropolitan region, as required by Section 2.11.10.

(e) As part of the development of the transition plan, the Authority and the hired third party shall evaluate the existing policy processes performed by the Authority and each of the Service Boards and develop a process for efficient and effective operations by both the Authority and the Service Boards.

(f) As part of the development of the transit plan, the hired third party shall evaluate procurement, with special consideration given to the consolidation of bulk fuel purchases, information technology services, consulting contracts, and subscriptions of:

(1) service planning;

(2) grant administration;

(3) marketing;

(4) lobbying;

(5) communications, media, and graphics design;

(6) governmental and legislative affairs; and

(7) information technology.

(g) The hired third party shall evaluate existing paratransit programs and produce recommendations for improved coordination and service. The recommendations may include, but are not limited to, improved coordination of paratransit and accessible mainline transportation services, and other measures to improve the customer and worker experience. These recommendations shall be brought to the Board by January 1, 2027 for review and approval. The Authority shall take action on these recommendations no later than April 1, 2027 and report back to the Board with progress January 1, 2028.

(h) The Authority shall regularly report to the Board on the status of the transition effort and make recommendations for Board policies and actions. The Authority and the hired third party shall prepare and convey a summary of its activities and produce a final report of the transition activities already performed, future recommendations, and relevant data for the General Assembly by July 1, 2027.

(i) The Authority shall implement the provisions of the transition plan by ordinance no later than July 1, 2027, notwithstanding any deadlines provided in this Section, and the Service Boards shall take any corresponding actions required.

(Source: P.A. 104-457, eff. 6-1-26.)