State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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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  and
16    other  workers  employed  under  contracts for public works,"
17    approved 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    necessary needful rules 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 all such bonds 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.)

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