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91_SB1456 SRS91S0066AKcb 1 AN ACT in relation to the Toll Highway Authority. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Toll Highway Act is amended by changing 5 Sections 8, 10, 17, and 20.1 as follows: 6 (605 ILCS 10/8) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-8) 7 Sec. 8. The Authority shall have the power: 8 (a) To acquire, own, use, hire, lease, operate and 9 dispose of personal property, real property, any interest 10 therein, including rights-of-way, franchises and easements. 11 (b) To enter into all contracts and agreements necessary 12 or incidental to the performance of its powers under this 13 Act. All employment contracts let under this Act shall be in 14 conformity with the applicable provisions of the Prevailing 15 Wage Act"An Act regulating wages of laborers, mechanics and16other workers employed under contracts for public works,"17approved June 26, 1941, as amended. 18 (c) To employ and discharge, without regard to the 19 requirements of any civil service or personnel act, such 20 administrative, engineering, traffic, architectural, 21 construction, and financial experts, and inspectors, and such 22 other employees, as are necessary in the Authority's judgment 23 to carry out the purposes of this Act; and to establish and 24 administer standards of classification of all of such persons 25 with respect to their compensation, duties, performance, and 26 tenure; and to enter into contracts of employment with such 27 persons for such periods and on such terms as the Authority 28 deems desirable. 29 (d) To appoint by and with the consent of the Attorney 30 General, assistant attorneys for such Authority, which said 31 assistant attorneys shall be under the control, direction and -2- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 supervision of the Attorney General and shall serve at his 2 pleasure. 3 (e) To retain special counsel, subject to the approval 4 of the Attorney General, as needed from time to time, and fix 5 their compensation, provided however, such special counsel 6 shall be subject to the control, direction and supervision of 7 the Attorney General and shall serve at his pleasure. 8 (f) To acquire, construct, relocate, operate, regulate 9 and maintain a system of toll highways through and within the 10 State of Illinois. However, the Authority does not have the 11 power to acquire, operate, regulate or maintain any system of 12 toll highways or toll bridges or portions of them (including 13 but not limited to any system organized pursuant to Division 14 108 of Article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code) in the 15 event either of the following conditions exists at the time 16 the proposed acquisition, operation, regulation or 17 maintenance of such system is to become effective: 18 (1) the principal or interest on bonds or other 19 instruments evidencing indebtedness of the system are in 20 default; or 21 (2) the principal or interest on bonds or other 22 instruments evidencing indebtedness of the system have been 23 in default at any time during the 5 year period prior to the 24 proposed acquisition. 25 To facilitate such construction, operation and 26 maintenance and subject to the approval of the Division of 27 Highways of the Department of Transportation, the Authority 28 shall have the full use and advantage of the engineering 29 staff and facilities of the Department. 30 (Source: P.A. 83-1258.) 31 (605 ILCS 10/10) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-10) 32 Sec. 10. The Authority shall have power: 33 (a) To pass resolutions, make by-laws, rules and -3- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 regulations for the management, regulation and control of its 2 affairs, and to fix tolls, and to make, enact and enforce all 3 necessaryneedfulrules and regulations in connection with 4 the construction, operation, management, care, regulation or 5 protection of its property or any toll highways, constructed 6 or reconstructed hereunder. 7 (a-5) To fix, assess, and collect civil fines for a 8 vehicle's operation on a toll highway without the required 9 toll having been paid. The Authority may establish by rule a 10 system of civil administrative adjudication to adjudicate 11 only alleged instances of a vehicle's operation on a toll 12 highway without the required toll having been paid, as 13 detected by the Authority's video surveillance system. Rules 14 establishing a system of civil administrative adjudication 15 must provide for written notice of the alleged violation and 16 an opportunity to be heard on the question of the violation 17 and must provide for the establishment of a toll-free 18 telephone number to receive inquiries concerning alleged 19 violations. Only civil fines may be imposed by 20 administrative adjudication. A fine may be imposed under 21 this paragraph only if a violation is established by a 22 preponderance of the evidence. Judicial review of all final 23 orders of the Authority under this paragraph shall be 24 conducted in accordance with the Administrative Review Law. 25 (b) To prescribe rules and regulations applicable to 26 traffic on highways under the jurisdiction of the Authority, 27 concerning: 28 (1) Types of vehicles permitted to use such 29 highways or parts thereof, and classification of such 30 vehicles; 31 (2) Designation of the lanes of traffic to be used 32 by the different types of vehicles permitted upon said 33 highways; 34 (3) Stopping, standing, and parking of vehicles; -4- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 (4) Control of traffic by means of police officers 2 or traffic control signals; 3 (5) Control or prohibition of processions, convoys, 4 and assemblages of vehicles and persons; 5 (6) Movement of traffic in one direction only on 6 designated portions of said highways; 7 (7) Control of the access, entrance, and exit of 8 vehicles and persons to and from said highways; and 9 (8) Preparation, location and installation of all 10 traffic signs; and to prescribe further rules and 11 regulations applicable to such traffic, concerning 12 matters not provided for either in the foregoing 13 enumeration or in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Notice of 14 such rules and regulations shall be posted conspicuously 15 and displayed at appropriate points and at reasonable 16 intervals along said highways, by clearly legible markers 17 or signs, to provide notice of the existence of such 18 rules and regulations to persons traveling on said 19 highways. At each toll station, the Authority shall make 20 available, free of charge, pamphlets containing all of 21 such rules and regulations. 22 (c) The Authority, in fixing the rate for tolls for the 23 privilege of using the said toll highways, is authorized and 24 directed, in fixing such rates, to base the same upon annual 25 estimates to be made, recorded and filed with the Authority. 26 Said estimates shall include the following: The estimated 27 total amount of the use of the toll highways; the estimated 28 amount of the revenue to be derived therefrom, which said 29 revenue, when added to all other receipts and income, will be 30 sufficient to pay the expense of maintaining and operating 31 said toll highways, including the administrative expenses of 32 the Authority, and to discharge all obligations of the 33 Authority as they become due and payable. 34 (d) To accept from any municipality or political -5- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 subdivision any lands, easements or rights in land needed for 2 the operation, construction, relocation or maintenance of any 3 toll highways, with or without payment therefor, and in its 4 discretion to reimburse any such municipality or political 5 subdivision out of its funds for any cost or expense incurred 6 in the acquisition of land, easements or rights in land, in 7 connection with the construction and relocation of the said 8 toll highways, widening, extending roads, streets or avenues 9 in connection therewith, or for the construction of any roads 10 or streets forming extension to and connections with or 11 between any toll highways, or for the cost or expense of 12 widening, grading, surfacing or improving any existing 13 streets or roads or the construction of any streets and roads 14 forming extensions of or connections with any toll highways 15 constructed, relocated, operated, maintained or regulated 16 hereunder by the Authority. Where property owned by a 17 municipality or political subdivision is necessary to the 18 construction of an approved toll highway, if the Authority 19 cannot reach an agreement with such municipality or political 20 subdivision and if the use to which the property is being put 21 in the hands of the municipality or political subdivision is 22 not essential to the existence or the administration of such 23 municipality or political subdivision, the Authority may 24 acquire the property by condemnation. 25 (Source: P.A. 89-120, eff. 7-7-95.) 26 (605 ILCS 10/17) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-17) 27 Sec. 17. Bonds. 28 (a) The Authority may from time to time issue bonds for 29 any lawful purpose including, without limitation, the costs 30 of issuance thereof and allsuchbonds or other obligations 31 of the Authority issued pursuant to this Act shall be and are 32 hereby declared to be negotiable for all purposes 33 notwithstanding their payment from a limited source and -6- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 without regard to any other law or laws. 2 (b) The bonds of every issue shall be payable solely out 3 of revenues of the Authority, accumulated reserves or sinking 4 funds, bond proceeds, proceeds of refunding bonds, or 5 investment earnings as the Authority shall specify in a bond 6 resolution. 7 (c) The bonds may be issued as serial bonds or as term 8 bonds, or the Authority, in its discretion, may issue bonds 9 of both types. The bonds shall be authorized by a bond 10 resolution of the Authority, may be issued in one or more 11 series and shall bear such date or dates, mature at such time 12 or times not exceeding 25 years from their respective date or 13 dates of issue, bear interest at such rate or rates, fixed or 14 variable, without regard to any limit contained in any other 15 statute or law of the State of Illinois, be payable as to 16 principal and interest at such time or times, be in such 17 denominations, be in such form, either coupon or fully 18 registered, carry such registration and conversion 19 privileges, be payable in lawful money of the United States 20 of America at such places, be subject to such terms of 21 redemption and may contain such other terms and provisions, 22 as such bond resolution or resolutions may provide. The 23 bonds shall be executed by the manual or facsimile signatures 24 of the Chairman and the Secretary. In case any of the 25 officers whose signature appears on the bonds or coupons, if 26 any, shall cease to be an officer before the delivery of such 27 bonds, such signature shall nevertheless be valid and 28 sufficient for all purposes, as if he had remained in office 29 until such delivery. The bonds shall be sold in such manner 30 as the Authority shall determine. The proceeds from the sale 31 of such bonds shall be paid to the Treasurer of the State of 32 Illinois as ex officio custodian. Pending preparation of the 33 definitive bonds, the Authority may issue interim receipts or 34 certificates which shall be exchanged for such definitive -7- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 bonds. 2 (d) Any bond resolution, or trust indenture entered into 3 pursuant to a bond resolution, may contain provisions, which 4 shall be a part of the contract with the holders of the bonds 5 to be authorized, as to: (i) pledging or creating a lien upon 6 all or part of the revenues of the Authority or any reserves, 7 sinking funds, bond proceeds or investment earnings; (ii) the 8 setting aside of reserves or sinking funds, and the 9 regulation, investment and disposition thereof; (iii) the use 10 and maintenance requirements for the toll highways; (iv) the 11 purposes to which or the investments in which the proceeds of 12 sale of any series or issue of bonds then or thereafter to be 13 issued may be applied; (v) the issuance of additional bonds, 14 the terms upon which additional bonds may be issued and 15 secured, the purposes for such additional bonds, and the 16 terms upon which additional bonds may rank on a parity with, 17 or be subordinate or superior to other bonds; (vi) the 18 refunding of outstanding bonds; (vii) the procedure, if any, 19 by which the terms of any contract with bondholders may be 20 amended or abrogated, the amount of bonds the holders of 21 which must consent thereto, and the manner in which such 22 consent may be given; (viii) defining the acts or omissions 23 to act which shall constitute a default in the duties of the 24 Authority to holders of its obligations and providing the 25 rights and remedies of such holders in the event of a 26 default; (ix) any other matters relating to the bonds which 27 the Authority deems desirable. 28 (e) Neither the directors of the Authority nor any 29 person executing the bonds shall be liable personally on the 30 bonds or be subject to any personal liability or 31 accountability by reason of the issuance thereof. 32 (f) The Authority shall have power out of any funds 33 available therefor to purchase its bonds. The Authority may 34 hold, pledge, cancel or resell such bonds subject to and in -8- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 accordance with agreements with bondholders. 2 (g) In the discretion of the Authority any bonds issued 3 under the provisions of this Act may be secured by a trust 4 indenture by and between the Authority and a trustee or 5 trustees, which may be any trust company or bank in the State 6 of Illinois having the powers of a trust company and 7 possessing capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000. 8 The bond resolution or trust indenture providing for the 9 issuance of bonds so secured shall pledge such revenues of 10 the Authority, sinking funds, bond proceeds, or investment 11 earnings as may be specified therein, may contain such 12 provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and 13 remedies of the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper 14 and not in violation of law, including particularly such 15 provisions as have hereinabove been specifically authorized 16 to be included in any bond resolution or trust indenture of 17 the Authority, and may restrict the individual right of 18 action by bondholders. In addition to the foregoing, any 19 bond resolution or trust indenture may contain such other 20 provisions as the Authority may deem reasonable and proper 21 for the security of the bondholders, including, but not 22 limited to, the purchase of bond insurance and the 23 arrangement of letters of credit, lines of credit or other 24 credit or liquidity enhancement facilities; provided there 25 shall be no pledge of the toll highway or any part thereof. 26 All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of any 27 bond resolution or trust indenture may be treated as a part 28 of the cost of the operation of the toll highways. 29 (h) Bonds issued under the authority of this Act do not, 30 and shall state upon the face of each bond that they do not, 31 represent or constitute a debt of the Authority or of the 32 State of Illinois within the meaning of any constitutional or 33 statutory limitation or a pledge of the faith and credit of 34 the Authority or the State of Illinois, or grant to the -9- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 owners or holders thereof any right to have the Authority or 2 the General Assembly levy any taxes or appropriate any funds 3 for the payment of the principal thereof or interest thereon. 4 Such bonds shall be payable and shall state that they are 5 payable solely from the revenues and the sources authorized 6 under this Act and pledged for their payment in accordance 7 with the bond resolution or trust indenture. 8 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the 9 Authority or any department, board, commission or other 10 agency to create an obligation of the State of Illinois 11 within the meaning of the Constitution or Statutes of 12 Illinois. 13 (i) Any resolution or trust indenture authorizing the 14 issuance of the bonds may include provision for the issuance 15 of additional bonds. All resolutions of the Authority to 16 carry such adopted bond resolutions into effect, to provide 17 for the sale and delivery of the bonds, for letting of 18 contracts for the construction of toll highways and the 19 acquisition of real and personal property deemed by the 20 Authority necessary or convenient for the construction 21 thereof, shall not require the approval of the Governor or of 22 any other department, division, commission, bureau, board or 23 other agency of the State. 24 (Source: P.A. 83-1258.) 25 (605 ILCS 10/20.1) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-20.1) 26 Sec. 20.1. Refunding bonds. 27 (a) The Authority is hereby authorized, by resolution, 28 to provide for the issuance, from time to time, of refunding 29 or advance refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding any 30 bonds then outstanding at maturity or on any redemption date, 31 whether an entire issue or series, or one or more issues or 32 series, or any portions or parts of any issue or series, 33 which shall have been issued by the Authority or its -10- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 predecessor, the Illinois State Toll Highway Commission. 2 (b) The proceeds of any such refunding bonds may be used 3 for any one or more of the following purposes: 4 (1) To pay the principal amount of any outstanding bonds 5 to be retired at maturity or redeemed prior to maturity; 6 (2) To pay the total amount of any redemption premium 7 incident to redemption of such outstanding bonds to be 8 refunded; 9 (3) To pay the total amount of any interest accrued or 10 to accrue to the date or dates of redemption or maturity of 11 such outstanding bonds to be refunded; 12 (4) To pay any and all costs or expenses incident to 13 such refunding; 14 (5) To make deposits into an irrevocable trust in 15 accordance with subsection (f) of this Section 20.1. 16 Refunding bonds may be issued in amounts sufficient to 17 accomplish any one or more of the foregoing purposes, taking 18 into consideration the income earned on bond proceeds prior 19 to the application thereof or without taking such income into 20 consideration. 21 (c) The issuance of refunding bonds, the maturities and 22 other details thereof, the rights of the holders thereof and 23 the rights, duties and obligations of the Authority in 24 respect of the same shall be governed by the provisions of 25 this Act, insofar as the same may be applicable, and may in 26 harmony therewith be adjusted and modified to conform to the 27 facts and circumstances prevailing in each instance of 28 issuance of such refunding bonds. The Authority need not 29 comply with the requirements of any other law applicable to 30 the issuance of bonds other than as set forth in this Act. 31 (d) With reference to the investment of the proceeds of 32 any such refunding bonds, the Authority shall not authorize 33 or anticipate investment earnings exceeding such as are 34 authorized or permitted under prevailing federal laws, -11- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 regulations and administrative rulings and interpretations 2 relating to arbitrage bonds. 3 (e) The proceeds of any such refunding bonds (together 4 with any other funds available for application to refunding 5 purposes, if so provided or permitted by resolution 6 authorizing the issuance of such refunding bonds, or in a 7 trust indenture securing the same) may be placed in trust to 8 be applied to the purchase, retirement at maturity or 9 redemption of the bonds to be refunded on such dates as may 10 be determined by the Authority. Pending application thereof, 11 the proceeds of such refunding bonds and such other available 12 funds, if any, may be invested in direct obligations of, or 13 obligations the principal of which and any interest on which 14 are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of 15 America which shall mature, or which shall be subject to 16 redemption by the holder thereof at its option, not later 17 than the respective date or dates when such proceeds and 18 other available funds, if any, will be required for the 19 refunding purpose intended or authorized. 20 (f) Upon (1) the deposit of the proceeds of the 21 refunding bonds (together with any other funds available for 22 application to refunding purposes, if so provided or 23 permitted by resolution authorizing the issuance of such 24 refunding bonds, or in a trust indenture securing the same) 25 in an irrevocable trust pursuant to a trust agreement with a 26 trustee requiring the trustee to satisfy the obligations of 27 the Authority to timely pay at maturity or upon prior 28 redemption the outstanding bonds for which the proceeds of 29 the refunding bonds and other funds, if any, are deposited, 30 in an amount sufficient to satisfy the obligations of the 31 Authority to timely pay at maturity or upon prior redemption 32 such outstanding bonds, or (2) the deposit in such 33 irrevocable trust of direct obligations of, or obligations 34 the principal and interest of which are unconditionally -12- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 guaranteed by, the United States of America in an amount 2 sufficient, without regard to investment earnings thereon, to 3 satisfy the obligations of the Authority to timely pay at 4 maturity or upon prior redemption such outstanding bonds, or 5 (3) the deposit in such irrevocable trust of obligations 6 referred to in (2) above in an amount sufficient so that, 7 taking into account investment earnings, upon maturity (or 8 upon optional redemption by the trustee) of such obligations 9 amounts will be produced on a timely basis sufficient to 10 satisfy the obligations of the Authority to timely pay at 11 maturity or upon prior redemption such outstanding bonds, 12 such outstanding bonds shall be deemed paid and no longer be 13 deemed to be outstanding for purposes of such resolution or 14 trust indenture and all rights and obligations under any such 15 prior resolution or trust indenture shall be deemed 16 discharged notwithstanding any provision of any such 17 outstanding bonds or any resolution or trust indenture 18 authorizing the issuance of such outstanding bonds; provided, 19 however, that the holders of such outstanding bonds shall 20 have an irrevocable and unconditional right to payment in 21 full of all principal of and premium, if any, and interest on 22 such outstanding bonds, at maturity or upon prior redemption, 23 from the amounts on deposit in such trust. The trustee shall 24 be any trust company or bank in the State of Illinois having 25 the power of a trust company possessing capital and surplus 26 of not less than $100,000,000. 27 (g) It is hereby found and determined that the 28 contractual rights of the bondholders under any such prior 29 resolution or trust indenture will not be impaired by a 30 refunding pursuant to the provisions of this Section 20.1 in 31 that, the payment of such outstanding bonds having been 32 provided for as set forth herein, the bondholders' rights and 33 security as to payment of the principal of, premium, if any, 34 and interest on such outstanding bonds will have been -13- SRS91S0066AKcb 1 enhanced, and the bondholders shall suffer no financial loss. 2 It is hereby further found and determined that a refunding of 3 any outstanding bonds of the Authority pursuant to this 4 Section 20.1 shall further the purposes set forth in Section 5 1..6 (Source: P.A. 83-1258; revised 1-11-00.)