State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0279

      New Act
          Creates the Propane Education and Research Act.  Provides
      that propane industry organizations may conduct a  referendum
      for  the  creation  of  an  Illinois  Propane  Education  and
      Research  Council.   The  Council shall consist of 12 members
      and shall develop programs to enhance consumer  and  employee
      safety and training, to provide for research and development,
      and  to  inform and educate the public about safety and other
      issues associated with the use  of  propane.    Provides  for
      assessments  on odorized propane which are to be collected by
      the entity which is the owner of odorized propane at the time
      of odorization or at the time of import of  odorized  propane
      and  paid  to the Council on a monthly basis.  Those assessed
      may apply for and receive a refund from the  Council  in  the
      amount  of  the  assessment.  No assessment funds may be used
      for lobbying.  The price of propane shall  be  determined  by
      market  forces  and  assessment  fees may not be passed on to
      consumers.
                                                     LRB9001301SMcc
                                               LRB9001301SMcc
 1        AN ACT regarding assessments on the propane industry.
 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:
 4        Section  1.   Short  title.  This Act may be cited as the
 5    Illinois Propane Education and Research Act of 1997.
 6        Section 5. Definitions.  In this Act, unless the  context
 7    otherwise requires:
 8        "Council"  means a Propane Education and Research Council
 9    created pursuant to Section 10 of this Act.
10        "Director" means Director of Agriculture.
11        "Education"  means  any  action  to  provide  information
12    regarding  propane,   propane   equipment,   mechanical   and
13    technical  practices,  and  propane  uses  to  consumers  and
14    members of the propane industry;
15        "Industry"   means   those   persons   involved   in  the
16    production, transportation, and  sale  of  propane,  and  the
17    manufacture   and   distribution   of   propane   utilization
18    equipment;
19        "Industry trade association" means an organization exempt
20    from  tax,  under  Section  501(c)(3), or (6) of the Internal
21    Revenue Code of 1986, representing the propane industry;
22        "Odorized propane" means propane  which  has  an  odorant
23    added to it;
24        "Producer"  means  the owner of propane at the time it is
25    recovered at a gas processing plant or refinery; irrespective
26    of the state where production occurs;
27        "Propane" means a hydrocarbon whose chemical  composition
28    is  predominately C3H8, whether recovered from natural gas or
29    crude  oil,  and  includes  liquified  petroleum  gases   and
30    mixtures thereof;
31        "Public  member" means a member of the Council other than
                            -2-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    a   representative   of   producers   or   retail   marketers
 2    representing significant  users  of  propane,  public  safety
 3    officials,   state  regulatory  officials,  or  other  groups
 4    knowledgeable about propane;
 5        "Qualified  industry  organization"  means  the  Illinois
 6    Propane   Gas   Association,   the   National   Propane   Gas
 7    Association, the  Gas  Processors  Association,  a  successor
 8    association  of  these  associations,  or  any  other propane
 9    industry organization;
10        "Research" means any  type  of  study,  investigation  or
11    other activities designed to advance the image, desirability,
12    usage,  marketability,  efficiency, and safety of propane and
13    to further the development of such information;
14        "Retail marketer" means a person engaged primarily in the
15    sale of odorized propane  to  the  ultimate  consumer  or  to
16    retail propane dispensers; and
17        "Retail  propane  dispenser"  means  a  person  who sells
18    odorized propane to the ultimate consumer but is not  engaged
19    primarily in the business of such sales.
20        Section  10.   Referendum;  creation and termination of a
21    program.
22        (a)  Qualified  industry  organizations  may  conduct  at
23    their own expense, a referendum among  producers  and  retail
24    marketers  for  the creation of an Illinois Propane Education
25    and Research Council.  The  Council,  if  established,  shall
26    reimburse  the  qualified industry organizations for the cost
27    of  the  referendum  accounting   and   documentation.    The
28    referendum shall be conducted by an independent auditing firm
29    agreed  to  by  the qualified industry organizations.  Voting
30    rights in the referendum shall be  based  on  the  volume  of
31    propane  produced  or  odorized  propane sold in the previous
32    calendar year.  Upon approval of those  persons  representing
33    two-thirds of the total volume of propane voted in the retail
                            -3-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    marketer  class  and  two-thirds  of all propane voted in the
 2    producer class, the Council shall be established,  and  shall
 3    be  authorized  to  levy an assessment on odorized propane in
 4    accordance with  Section  20.   All  persons  voting  in  the
 5    referendum shall certify to the independent auditing firm the
 6    volume of propane represented by their vote.
 7        (b)  On  the  Council's own initiative, or on petition to
 8    the Council by producers and  retail  marketers  representing
 9    35%  of  the  volume  of  propane  in each class, the Council
10    shall, at its own expense, hold a referendum to be  conducted
11    by  an  independent auditing firm selected by the Council, to
12    determine  whether  the  industry   favors   termination   or
13    suspension  of  the Council.  Termination or suspension shall
14    not take effect unless it is approved by persons representing
15    more than one-half of the total volume of odorized propane in
16    the retail marketer class and more than  one-half  the  total
17    volume in the producer class.
18        Section  15.   Illinois  Propane  Education  and Research
19    Council.
20        (a)  The qualified industry  organizations  shall  select
21    all  retail  marketers,  public,  and producer members of the
22    Council.   The  producer  organizations  shall   select   the
23    producer   members   of  the  Council,  the  retail  marketer
24    organizations shall select retail marketer members,  and  all
25    qualified  industry  organizations  shall  jointly select the
26    public members.  Vacancies in the unfinished terms of Council
27    members shall be filled  in  the  same  manner  as  were  the
28    original appointments.
29        (b)  In  selecting  members of the Council, the qualified
30    industry organizations shall give due regard to  selecting  a
31    Council  that  is  representative  of the industry, including
32    representation of:
33             (1)  gas   processors   and   oil   refiners   among
                            -4-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1        producers;
 2             (2)  interstate  and  intrastate   operators   among
 3        retail marketers;
 4             (3)  large  and  small companies among producers and
 5        retail marketers,  including  agricultural  cooperatives;
 6        and
 7             (4)  diverse geographic regions of the State.
 8        (c)  The  Council  shall  consist  of  12 members, with 5
 9    members representing retail marketers, 5 members representing
10    producers, and 2 public  members.    Other  than  the  public
11    members,  Council  members  shall  be  full-time employees or
12    owners of businesses in the industry  or  representatives  of
13    agricultural   cooperatives.   No  employee  of  a  qualified
14    industry organization shall serve as a member of the Council,
15    and no member of the Council may  serve  concurrently  as  an
16    officer  of  the  board  of directors of a qualified industry
17    organization or other trade association.  Only one person  at
18    a  time  from  any  company or its affiliate may serve on the
19    Council.
20        (d)  Council members shall receive  no  compensation  for
21    their  services,  nor shall Council members be reimbursed for
22    expenses  relating  to  their  service,  except  that  public
23    members, upon  request,  may  be  reimbursed  for  reasonable
24    expenses  directly  related to their participation in Council
25    meetings.
26        (e)  Council members shall serve terms of 3 years and may
27    not serve  more  than  2  full  consecutive  terms.   Members
28    filling  unexpired terms may serve not more than a total of 7
29    consecutive years.  Former members  of  the  Council  may  be
30    returned  to  the Council if they have not been members for a
31    period of 2 years.  Initial appointments to the council shall
32    be for terms of 1, 2, and 3 years staggered  to  provide  for
33    the selection of 4 members each year.
34        (f)  The  Council shall develop programs and projects and
                            -5-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    enter into contracts or agreements for implementing this Act,
 2    including programs to enhance consumer  and  employee  safety
 3    and  training,  to  provide  for  research and development of
 4    clean and efficient propane utilization equipment, to  inform
 5    and   educate  the  public  about  safety  and  other  issues
 6    associated with the use of propane, and to  provide  for  the
 7    payment of the costs thereof with funds collected pursuant to
 8    this  Act.   The Council shall coordinate its activities with
 9    industry trade associations  and  others  as  appropriate  to
10    provide   efficient   delivery   of  services  and  to  avoid
11    unnecessary duplication of activities.
12        (g)  Issues related to research and development,  safety,
13    education,  and  training  shall  be  given  priority  by the
14    Council in the development of its programs and projects.
15        (h)  The Council shall select from among  its  members  a
16    Chairperson  and  other  officers as necessary, may establish
17    committees and subcommittees of the Council, and shall  adopt
18    rules  and  bylaws  for  the  conduct  of  business  and  the
19    implementation  of  this  Act.   The  Council shall establish
20    procedures for  the  solicitation  of  industry  comment  and
21    recommendations  on  any  significant  plans,  programs,  and
22    projects  to  be  funded  by  the  Council.   The Council may
23    establish advisory committees of persons other  than  Council
24    members.
25        (i)  At  the beginning of each fiscal period, the Council
26    shall prepare a budget  plan  for  the  next  fiscal  period,
27    including  the  probable  cost of all programs, projects, and
28    contracts and a recommended rate of assessment sufficient  to
29    cover  such costs.  Following review and comment, the Council
30    shall submit  the  proposed  budget  to  the  Director.   The
31    Director  may  recommend  programs  and activities considered
32    appropriate, after public comment.
33        (j)  The Council shall keep minutes, books,  and  records
34    that  clearly reflect all of the acts and transactions of the
                            -6-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    Council and make public such information.  The books  of  the
 2    Council  shall be audited by a certified public accountant at
 3    least once each fiscal year and at such other  times  as  the
 4    Council  may  designate.   Copies  of  such  audit  shall  be
 5    provided  to  all  members  of  the  Council,  all  qualified
 6    industry  organizations, and to other members of the industry
 7    upon request.  The Director shall receive notice of  meetings
 8    and  may require reports on the activities of the Council, as
 9    well as reports on  compliance,  violations,  and  complaints
10    regarding the implementation of this Act.
11        Section 20.  Assessments.
12        (a)  The  Council  shall set the initial assessment at no
13    greater than 1/10 of 1 cent per gallon of  odorized  propane.
14    Thereafter,  annual  assessments shall be sufficient to cover
15    the costs of plans and programs  developed  by  the  Council.
16    The  assessment shall not be greater than 1/2 cent per gallon
17    of odorized propane, unless approved by the majority of those
18    voting in a  referendum  in  both  the  producer  and  retail
19    marketer  class.   In no case may the assessment be raised by
20    more than 1/10 of 1  cent  per  gallon  of  odorized  propane
21    annually.
22        (b)  The  owner  of  odorized  propane  at  the  time  of
23    odorization,  or the time of import of odorized propane shall
24    make the assessment based on the volume of  odorized  propane
25    sold  and  placed  into commerce.  Assessments collected from
26    purchasers of propane are payable to the Council on a monthly
27    basis by the  25th  of  the  month  following  the  month  of
28    collection.   The assessment, when made, shall be listed as a
29    separate line item on the  bill  labeled   "Illinois  Propane
30    Education and Research Assessment".
31        (c)  The  Council  may  establish an alternative means of
32    collecting the assessment if another means  is  found  to  be
33    more  efficient  and  effective.  The Council may establish a
                            -7-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    late payment charge and rate of interest to be imposed on any
 2    person who fails to remit or pay to the  Council  any  amount
 3    due under this Act.
 4        (d)  Pending disbursement pursuant to a program, plan, or
 5    project,  the  Council  may  invest  funds  collected through
 6    assessments, and any other funds  received  by  the  Council,
 7    only  in  obligations  of  the  United  States  or any agency
 8    thereof, in general obligations of  any  State  or  political
 9    subdivision  thereof,  in  any  interest-bearing  account  or
10    certificate  of  deposit  of  a  bank that is a member of the
11    Federal Reserve System, or in obligations fully guaranteed as
12    to principal and interest by the United States.
13        Section 25.  Refunds.  A purchaser of propane who has  an
14    assessment  added  as  a  line item to the sale price may, by
15    application in writing to the Council, secure a refund in the
16    amount  added.  The  refund  shall  be   payable   when   the
17    application has been made to the Council within 60 days after
18    the  assessment.  Interest  shall  be allowed and paid at the
19    rate of 6% per annum upon the total amount of such assessment
20    imposed by this Act, except that if any  such  assessment  is
21    refunded  within  90 days after an application for refund has
22    been made within the required 60  days  after  assessment  or
23    within  90  days  after  the seller of the propane remits the
24    assessments collected to the Council, whichever is later,  no
25    interest   shall   be   allowed   on  such  assessment.  Each
26    application for refund by a purchaser of propane  shall  have
27    attached thereto proof of assessment charged.
28        Section  30.   Compliance.   The  circuit court is vested
29    with the jurisdiction specifically to enforce this  Act,  and
30    prevent  or restrain any person from violating any provisions
31    of this Act.  A successful action for compliance  under  this
32    Section  may  also  require  payment  by the defendant of the
                            -8-                LRB9001301SMcc
 1    costs incurred by the Council in bringing the action.
 2        Section 35.  Lobbying restrictions.  No  funds  collected
 3    by  the  Council  shall be used in any manner for influencing
 4    legislation  or  elections,  except  that  the  Council   may
 5    recommend  to  the  Director  changes  in  this  Act or other
 6    statutes that would further the purpose of this Act.
 7        Section 40.  Pricing.  In all cases, the price of propane
 8    shall be determined by market forces.   Consistent  with  the
 9    antitrust  laws,  the Council may take no action, nor may any
10    provision of this  Act  be  interpreted  as  establishing  an
11    agreement  to  pass  along  to  consumers  the  cost  of  the
12    assessment provided for in Section 20.
13        Section 45.  Relation to other programs.  Nothing in this
14    Act  may  be  construed  to  preempt  or  supersede any other
15    program relating to propane education and research  organized
16    and operated under the laws of the State of Illinois.

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