State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



92_SJ0039

 
                                               LRB9209002WHcs

 1                       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Another summer vacation driving season  is  upon
 3    the  citizens  of  the  State of Illinois and once again they
 4    will be faced with gas prices at or above $2 per gallon; and

 5        WHEREAS, The economic gains made over the last ten  years
 6    are being threatened by the high price of gasoline; and

 7        WHEREAS,  Certain areas of the State require the usage of
 8    "reformulated gasolines" during the summer months  to  adhere
 9    to certain environmental standards; and

10        WHEREAS,  The  cost of producing reformulated gasoline is
11    much higher than nonreformulated  gasoline  and  reformulated
12    gasoline creates refining and distribution problems that lead
13    to tighter fuel supplies and higher prices at the pump; and

14        WHEREAS,  It  has  been  reported  by the media that 5.75
15    cents of the price of a gallon of reformulated gasoline  goes
16    to  Unocal  Oil  Company  as a royalty for holding the patent
17    that confers property rights on the regulatory  standard  for
18    reformulated  gasoline,  even  though Unocal did not invent a
19    new gasoline, create a new refining process,  or  create  the
20    formula on its own; and

21        WHEREAS,  Unocal  only  participated in a consortium that
22    was formed by all the major oil companies to make a  new  and
23    cleaner  reformulated  fuel that they all could agree upon to
24    satisfy government regulations and to streamline the refining
25    process to keep costs down; and

26        WHEREAS, Unocal scientists  have  stated  in  court  that
27    Unocal's  patent  claims  "were  narrowed"  to  "resemble the
28    regulations"; and

29        WHEREAS, Because of the royalties that companies have  to
30    pay  to  Unocal, shortages might be caused when some refiners
 
                            -2-                LRB9209002WHcs
 1    refuse to produce the reformulated gasoline so that  they  do
 2    not have to pay the royalty to Unocal; therefore, be it

 3        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
 4    ASSEMBLY  OF  THE   STATE   OF   ILLINOIS,   THE   HOUSE   OF
 5    REPRESENTATIVES  CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the
 6    Gasoline Price Advisory Task Force to look into ways to lower
 7    the high price of gasoline in this State; and be it further

 8        RESOLVED, That the Gasoline  Price  Advisory  Task  Force
 9    shall  be  comprised of 12 legislative members with 3 members
10    appointed by the President of the Senate, 3 members appointed
11    by the Minority Leader of the Senate, 3 members appointed  by
12    the  Speaker  of  the House of Representatives, and 3 members
13    appointed  by  the  Minority   Leader   of   the   House   of
14    Representatives,  and that the appointed members shall select
15    two co-chairpersons, one each from the House and the  Senate;
16    and be it further

17        RESOLVED, That the Task Force, with any needed assistance
18    from  the  Illinois  Commerce Commission, shall look into the
19    way the Unocal patent on reformulated  gasoline  was  granted
20    and  what  can  be  done  by the Illinois General Assembly to
21    remove  Unocal's  5.75  cent  royalty  on  each   gallon   of
22    reformulated gasoline sold in this State; and be it further

23        RESOLVED,  That  the Task Force shall report its findings
24    to the President and Minority Leader of the  Senate  and  the
25    Speaker  and  Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
26    by October 1, 2001 along with any recommendations that can be
27    made to the General Assembly  to  reduce  the  high  cost  of
28    gasoline in this State; and be it further

29        RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be sent
30    to   the  Chairman  and  members  of  the  Illinois  Commerce
31    Commission.

[ Top ]