Public Act 097-0187
 
SB1670 EnrolledLRB097 09878 RLJ 50038 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Park District Aquarium and Museum Act is
amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
    (70 ILCS 1290/1)  (from Ch. 105, par. 326)
    Sec. 1. Erect, operate, and maintain aquariums and museums.
The corporate authorities of cities and park districts having
the control or supervision of any public park or parks, are
hereby authorized to purchase, erect and maintain within any
public park or parks under the control or supervision of such
corporate authorities, edifices to be used as aquariums or as
museums of art, industry, science or natural or other history,
or to permit the directors or trustees of any corporation or
society organized for the construction or maintenance and
operation of an aquarium or museum as hereinabove described to
erect, enlarge, ornament, build, rebuild, rehabilitate,
improve, maintain and operate its aquarium or museum or museums
within any public park now or hereafter under the control or
supervision of any city or park district, and to contract with
any such directors or trustees of any such aquarium, museum or
museums relative to the erection, enlargement, ornamentation,
building, rebuilding, rehabilitation, improvement, maintenance
and operation thereof. Any city or park district may charge, or
permit such an aquarium or museum to charge, an admission fee.
Any such aquarium or museum, however, shall be open without
charge, when accompanied by a teacher, to the children in
actual attendance upon grades kindergarten through twelve in
any of the schools in this State at all times. Any such
aquarium or museum, however, must be open to persons who reside
in this State the public without charge for a period equivalent
to 52 days, at least 6 of which must be during the period from
June through August, each year. Notwithstanding said
provisions, charges may be made at any time for special
services and for admission to special facilities within any
aquarium or museum for the education, entertainment or
convenience of visitors. The proceeds of such admission fees
and charges for special services and special facilities shall
be devoted exclusively to the purposes for which the tax
authorized by Section 2 hereof may be used. If any owner or
owners of any lands or lots abutting or fronting on any such
public park, or adjacent thereto, have any private right,
easement, interest or property in such public park appurtenant
to their lands or lots or otherwise, which would be interfered
with by the erection and maintenance of any aquarium or museum
as hereinbefore provided, or any right to have such public park
remain open or vacant and free from buildings, the corporate
authorities of the city or park district having control of such
park, may condemn the same in the manner prescribed for the
exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent
Domain Act.
(Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.