State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_HB0279ham001

                                           LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1                     AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 279
 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill  279  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 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 or  his  or  her
11    designee.
12        "Education"  means  any  action  to  provide  information
13    regarding   propane,   propane   equipment,   mechanical  and
14    technical  practices,  and  propane  uses  to  consumers  and
15    members of the propane industry;
16        "Industry"  means   those   persons   involved   in   the
17    production,  transportation,  and  sale  of  propane, and the
18    manufacture   and   distribution   of   propane   utilization
19    equipment;
20        "Industry trade association" means an organization exempt
21    from tax, under Section 501(c)(3), or  (6)  of  the  Internal
22    Revenue Code of 1986, representing the propane industry;
                            -2-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1        "Odorized  propane"  means  propane  which has an odorant
 2    added to it;
 3        "Producer" means the owner of propane at the time  it  is
 4    recovered at a gas processing plant or refinery; irrespective
 5    of the state where production occurs;
 6        "Propane"  means a hydrocarbon whose chemical composition
 7    is predominately C3H8, whether recovered from natural gas  or
 8    crude   oil,  and  includes  liquified  petroleum  gases  and
 9    mixtures thereof;
10        "Public member" means a member of the Council other  than
11    a   representative   of   producers   or   retail   marketers
12    representing  significant  users  of  propane,  public safety
13    officials,  state  regulatory  officials,  or  other   groups
14    knowledgeable about propane;
15        "Qualified  industry  organization"  means  the  Illinois
16    Propane   Gas   Association,   the   National   Propane   Gas
17    Association,  the  Gas  Processors  Association,  a successor
18    association of  these  associations,  or  any  other  propane
19    industry organization;
20        "Research"  means  any  type  of  study, investigation or
21    other activities designed to advance the image, desirability,
22    usage, marketability, efficiency, and safety of  propane  and
23    to further the development of such information;
24        "Retail marketer" means a person engaged primarily in the
25    sale  of  odorized  propane  to  the  ultimate consumer or to
26    retail propane dispensers; and
27        "Retail propane  dispenser"  means  a  person  who  sells
28    odorized  propane to the ultimate consumer but is not engaged
29    primarily in the business of such sales.
30        Section 10.  Referendum; creation and  termination  of  a
31    program.
32        (a)  Qualified  industry  organizations  shall conduct at
33    their own expense, a referendum among  producers  and  retail
                            -3-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    marketers  for  the creation of an Illinois Propane Education
 2    and Research Council.  The  Council,  if  established,  shall
 3    reimburse  the  qualified industry organizations for the cost
 4    of  the  referendum  accounting   and   documentation.    The
 5    referendum shall be conducted by an independent auditing firm
 6    agreed  to  by  the  qualified  industry  organizations.  The
 7    results, as certified by an independent auditing firm,  shall
 8    be submitted to the Director within 30 days of certification.
 9    Voting  rights in the referendum shall be based on the volume
10    of propane produced or odorized propane sold in the  previous
11    calendar  year.   Upon approval of those persons representing
12    two-thirds of the total volume of propane voted in the retail
13    marketer class and two-thirds of all  propane  voted  in  the
14    producer  class,  the Council shall be established, and shall
15    be authorized to levy an assessment on  odorized  propane  in
16    accordance  with  Section  20.   All  persons  voting  in the
17    referendum shall certify to the independent auditing firm the
18    volume of propane represented by their vote.
19        (b)  On the Council's own initiative, or on  petition  to
20    the  Council  by  producers and retail marketers representing
21    35% of the volume of  propane  in  each  class,  the  Council
22    shall,  at its own expense, hold a referendum to be conducted
23    by an independent auditing firm selected by the  Council,  to
24    determine   whether   the   industry  favors  termination  or
25    suspension of the Council.  Termination or  suspension  shall
26    not take effect unless it is approved by persons representing
27    more than one-half of the total volume of odorized propane in
28    the  retail  marketer  class and more than one-half the total
29    volume of propane in the producer class.
30        Section 15.   Illinois  Propane  Education  and  Research
31    Council.
32        (a)  The  qualified  industry  organizations shall select
33    all retail marketers, public, and  producer  members  of  the
                            -4-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    Council.    The   producer  organizations  shall  select  the
 2    producer  members  of  the  Council,  the   retail   marketer
 3    organizations  shall  select retail marketer members, and all
 4    qualified industry organizations  shall  jointly  select  the
 5    public members.  Vacancies in the unfinished terms of Council
 6    members  shall  be  filled  in  the  same  manner as were the
 7    original appointments.
 8        (b)  In selecting members of the Council,  the  qualified
 9    industry  organizations  shall give due regard to selecting a
10    Council that is representative  of  the  industry,  including
11    representation of:
12             (1)  gas   processors   and   oil   refiners   among
13        producers;
14             (2)  interstate   and   intrastate  operators  among
15        retail marketers;
16             (3)  large and small companies among  producers  and
17        retail  marketers,  including  agricultural cooperatives;
18        and
19             (4)  diverse geographic regions of the State.
20        (c)  The Council shall consist  of  12  members,  with  5
21    members representing retail marketers, 5 members representing
22    producers,  and  2  public  members.    Other than the public
23    members, Council members  shall  be  full-time  employees  or
24    owners  of  businesses  in the industry or representatives of
25    agricultural  cooperatives.   No  employee  of  a   qualified
26    industry organization shall serve as a member of the Council,
27    and  no  member  of  the Council may serve concurrently as an
28    officer of the board of directors  of  a  qualified  industry
29    organization  or other trade association.  Only one person at
30    a time from any company or its affiliate  may  serve  on  the
31    Council.  The  Director may serve as an ex-officio non-voting
32    member of the Council.
33        (d)  Council members shall receive  no  compensation  for
34    their  services,  nor shall Council members be reimbursed for
                            -5-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    expenses  relating  to  their  service,  except  that  public
 2    members, upon  request,  may  be  reimbursed  for  reasonable
 3    expenses  directly  related to their participation in Council
 4    meetings.
 5        (e)  Council members shall serve terms of 3 years and may
 6    not serve  more  than  2  full  consecutive  terms.   Members
 7    filling  unexpired terms may serve not more than a total of 7
 8    consecutive years.  Former members  of  the  Council  may  be
 9    returned  to  the Council if they have not been members for a
10    period of 2 years.  Initial appointments to the council shall
11    be for terms of 1, 2, and 3 years staggered  to  provide  for
12    the  selection  of  4  members  each  year. The Council shall
13    notify the Director of the name, address, and propane-related
14    affiliation, if any, of a Council member within 30 days after
15    the appointment of the member to the Council.
16        (f)  The Council shall develop programs and projects  and
17    enter into contracts or agreements for implementing this Act,
18    including  programs  to  enhance consumer and employee safety
19    and training, to provide  for  research  and  development  of
20    clean  and efficient propane utilization equipment, to inform
21    and  educate  the  public  about  safety  and  other   issues
22    associated  with  the  use of propane, and to provide for the
23    payment of the costs thereof with funds collected pursuant to
24    this Act.  The Council shall coordinate its  activities  with
25    industry  trade  associations  and  others  as appropriate to
26    provide  efficient  delivery  of  services   and   to   avoid
27    unnecessary duplication of activities.
28        (g)  Issues  related to research and development, safety,
29    education, and  training  shall  be  given  priority  by  the
30    Council in the development of its programs and projects.
31        (h)  The  Council  shall  select from among its members a
32    Chairperson and other officers as  necessary,  may  establish
33    committees  and subcommittees of the Council, and shall adopt
34    rules  and  bylaws  for  the  conduct  of  business  and  the
                            -6-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    implementation of this  Act.   The  Council  shall  establish
 2    procedures  for  the  solicitation  of  industry  comment and
 3    recommendations  on  any  significant  plans,  programs,  and
 4    projects to be  funded  by  the  Council.   The  Council  may
 5    establish  advisory  committees of persons other than Council
 6    members.
 7        (i)  At the beginning of each fiscal period, the  Council
 8    shall  prepare  a  budget  plan  for  the next fiscal period,
 9    including the probable cost of all  programs,  projects,  and
10    contracts  and a recommended rate of assessment sufficient to
11    cover such costs.  The  Council  shall  submit  the  proposed
12    budget  to the Director for review and comment.  The Director
13    may recommend programs and activities considered appropriate.
14        (j)  The Council shall keep minutes, books,  and  records
15    that  clearly reflect all of the acts and transactions of the
16    Council and make public such information.  The books  of  the
17    Council  shall be audited by a certified public accountant at
18    least once each fiscal year and at such other  times  as  the
19    Council  may designate. The expense of the audit shall be the
20    responsibility of the Council. Copies of such audit shall  be
21    provided  to  all  members  of  the  Council,  all  qualified
22    industry  organizations, and to other members of the industry
23    upon request.
24        Section 20.  Assessments.
25        (a)  The Council shall set the initial assessment  at  no
26    greater  than  1/10 of 1 cent per gallon of odorized propane.
27    Thereafter, annual assessments shall be sufficient  to  cover
28    the  costs  of  plans  and programs developed by the Council.
29    The assessment shall not be greater than 1/2 cent per  gallon
30    of odorized propane, unless approved by the majority of those
31    voting  in  a  referendum  in  both  the  producer and retail
32    marketer class.  In no case may the assessment be  raised  by
33    more  than  1/10  of  1  cent  per gallon of odorized propane
                            -7-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    annually.
 2        (b)  The  owner  of  odorized  propane  at  the  time  of
 3    odorization, or the time of import of odorized propane  shall
 4    make  the  assessment based on the volume of odorized propane
 5    sold and placed into commerce.  The  assessment,  when  made,
 6    shall  be  listed as a separate line item on the bill labeled
 7    "Illinois  Propane  Education   and   Research   Assessment".
 8    Assessments  collected from purchasers of propane are payable
 9    to the Council on a monthly basis by the 25th  of  the  month
10    following  the month of collection. If payment is not made to
11    the Council  by  the  due  date  under  this  subsection,  an
12    interest  penalty  of  1% of any amount unpaid shall be added
13    for each month or fraction of a month  after  the  due  date,
14    until final payment is made.
15        (c)  The  Council  may  establish an alternative means of
16    collecting the assessment if another means  is  found  to  be
17    more  efficient  and  effective.  The Council may establish a
18    late payment charge and rate of interest to be imposed on any
19    person who fails to remit or pay to the  Council  any  amount
20    due under this Act.
21        (d)  Pending disbursement pursuant to a program, plan, or
22    project,  the  Council  shall  invest funds collected through
23    assessments, and any other funds  received  by  the  Council,
24    only  in  obligations  of  the  United  States  or any agency
25    thereof, in general obligations of  any  State  or  political
26    subdivision  thereof,  in  any  interest-bearing  account  or
27    certificate  of  deposit  of  a  bank that is a member of the
28    Federal Reserve System, or in obligations fully guaranteed as
29    to principal and interest by the United States.
30        Section 25.  Refunds.  A purchaser of propane who has  an
31    assessment  added  as  a  line item to the sale price may, by
32    application in writing to the Council, secure a refund in the
33    amount  added.  The  refund  shall  be   payable   when   the
                            -8-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1    application has been made to the Council within 60 days after
 2    the  assessment.  Interest  shall  be allowed and paid at the
 3    rate of 6% per annum upon the total amount of such assessment
 4    imposed by this Act, except that if any  such  assessment  is
 5    refunded  within  90 days after an application for refund has
 6    been made within the required 60  days  after  assessment  or
 7    within  90  days  after  the seller of the propane remits the
 8    assessments collected to the Council, whichever is later,  no
 9    interest   shall   be   allowed   on  such  assessment.  Each
10    application for refund by a purchaser of propane  shall  have
11    attached thereto proof of assessment charged. A purchaser who
12    obtains  a  refund  is not eligible for any benefits provided
13    under the Council's programs.
14        Section 30.  Compliance.  The  circuit  court  is  vested
15    with  the  jurisdiction specifically to enforce this Act, and
16    prevent or restrain any person from violating any  provisions
17    of  this  Act.  A successful action for compliance under this
18    Section may also require payment  by  the  defendant  of  the
19    costs incurred by the Council in bringing the action.
20        Section  35.   Lobbying restrictions.  No funds collected
21    by the Council shall be used in any  manner  for  influencing
22    legislation   or  elections,  except  that  the  Council  may
23    recommend to the  Director  changes  in  this  Act  or  other
24    statutes that would further the purpose of this Act.
25        Section 40.  Pricing.  In all cases, the price of propane
26    shall  be  determined  by market forces.  Consistent with the
27    antitrust laws, the Council may take no action, nor  may  any
28    provision  of  this  Act  be  interpreted  as establishing an
29    agreement  to  pass  along  to  consumers  the  cost  of  the
30    assessment provided for in Section 20.
                            -9-            LRB9001301SMdvam02
 1        Section 45.  Relation to other programs.  Nothing in this
 2    Act may be  construed  to  preempt  or  supersede  any  other
 3    program  relating to propane education and research organized
 4    and operated under the laws of the State of Illinois.".

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