Public Act 101-0383
 
HB2264 EnrolledLRB101 08640 SLF 53724 b

    AN ACT concerning agriculture.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The County Cooperative Extension Law is amended
by changing Section 8 as follows:
 
    (505 ILCS 45/8)  (from Ch. 5, par. 248)
    Sec. 8. County extension education funds.
    (a) The county governing board shall annually consider the
total budget certified by the county or multi-county extension
board in order to consider the total funds needed for
Cooperative Extension Service programs in the county. The
county governing board may appropriate and pay 50% of the total
so determined from the general corporate fund or other
available funds or from an existing extension education tax of
the county for the extension educational program in the county
or multi-county group of which it is a part, provided that the
amount so appropriated shall not exceed $54,400 in counties of
less than 10,000 inhabitants, $61,200 in counties of 10,000 or
more but less than 20,000 inhabitants, $68,000 in counties of
20,000 or more but less than 30,000 inhabitants, $91,000 in
counties of 30,000 or more but less than 50,000 inhabitants,
$117,000 in counties of 50,000 or more but less than 100,000
inhabitants, $156,000 in counties of 100,000 or more but less
than 250,000 inhabitants, $233,000 in counties of 250,000 or
more but less than 500,000 inhabitants, $311,000 in counties of
500,000 or more but less than 1,000,000 inhabitants and
$583,000 in counties of 1,000,000 or more inhabitants. The
amount to be so appropriated by the county governing board may
be reduced by the total of any private gifts or grants
specifically made to support the county extension programs
included in such determination, and may also be reduced by the
fair market value of office space furnished the Cooperative
Extension Service by the county governing board, provided it is
suitable for extension needs and meets the housing standards
adopted by the Cooperative Extension Service.
    In order to provide matching funds, which shall not exceed
an amount equal to 50% of the funds needed as provided herein,
and funds for the purpose of general support to counties for
Cooperative Extension programs the State will recognize those
needs and shall may make an annual appropriation from the
Agricultural Premium Fund or any other source of funding
available.
    On or before October 15 of each year, the director of
extension of the University of Illinois shall forward to the
Director of Agriculture, the Governor, the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Minority
Leader of the Senate, a report of the determinations made by
the various county governing boards of the total funds needed
for Cooperative Extension Service programs in the respective
counties. The State matching funds and funds for the purpose of
general support shall be included in an appropriation request
by the Department of Agriculture for the next State fiscal
year. That request shall be separate and apart from the
operating appropriation request for the Department of
Agriculture. The funds so appropriated by the State to the
Department of Agriculture shall be deposited into the State
Cooperative Extension Service Trust Fund and transferred as
provided in Section 8 (d) of this Act. The Department of
Agriculture shall have no responsibility for or control over
the cooperative extension service or its programs.
    All funds provided pursuant to this Act may be used for
operations or facilities.
    (b) If sufficient funds are not available from the general
corporate fund or if sums greater than the maximum listed above
are needed for the county's share of the extension education
program, the county governing board shall have the power to
increase by not more than .05 per cent, with approval by
referendum, the maximum rate at which it levies, or can levy,
taxes for general county purposes. Such additional rate shall
not be included within any statutory limitation or rate or
amount for other county purposes and shall be in addition
thereto.
    Any county that under this Cooperative Extension Law has
approved a rate by referendum prior to the effective date of
this amendment, shall have authority to continue such tax as
approved, but may use the provisions of this subsection as
amended provided that another referendum must be held if the
rate desired is greater than the rate previously approved.
    (c) Upon approval by resolution the county board shall
certify the resolution and the question of the adoption of a
levy sufficient to produce the sums determined by the county
board to the proper election officials, who shall submit the
question to the electors of the county at an election in
accordance with the general election law. No such levy shall be
made until the adoption by majority vote of the electors voting
on the proposition.
    (d) Funds received from local sources and funds
appropriated by the county governing board or the State for the
county extension education program in any county shall be paid
over to the University of Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 89-691, eff. 12-31-96; 90-591, eff. 7-1-98.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.