Public Act 102-1008
 
SB3178 EnrolledLRB102 23106 RJF 32264 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Rivers
of Illinois Coordinating Council Act.
 
    Section 5. Purpose. The Rivers of Illinois Coordinating
Council was created by Executive Order 2013-5. This Act is the
implementation of Part III of that Executive Order, together
with additional provisions to ensure that the Council is able
to function as intended under that Executive Order. The intent
of this Act is to ensure that the Council is able to fulfill
its duties and purpose under that Executive Order. If there is
a conflict between the provisions of the Executive Order and
this Act, this Act shall be controlling.
 
    Section 10. Transfer and consolidation of powers.
    (a) The Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council created by
Executive Order 2013-5 and implemented by this Act is the
successor to: (i) the Illinois River Coordinating Council;
(ii) the Mississippi River Coordinating Council; and (iii) the
Wabash and Ohio River Coordinating Council.
    (b) All rights, powers, duties, and functions vested by
law in the entities specified under subsection (a), or any
office, division, council, committee, bureau, board,
commission, officer, employee, or associated individual,
person, or entity thereof, and all rights, powers, and duties
incidental to those entities, including funding mechanisms,
are consolidated in and transferred to the Rivers of Illinois
Coordinating Council.
 
    Section 15. Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council.
    (a) There is established the Rivers of Illinois
Coordinating Council consisting of 20 voting members to be
appointed by the Governor as provided in this Section. The
Governor may, at his or her discretion, also appoint
individuals to serve as additional non-voting members of the
Council.
    (b) The Council shall include the following members:
        (1) One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor, who
    shall serve as a voting member and as Chairperson of the
    Council.
        (2) The State agency members of the Council shall
    include the head, or his or her designee, of each of the
    following State agencies or divisions thereof: (A) the
    Department of Agriculture; (B) the Department of Commerce
    and Economic Opportunity; (C) the Illinois Environmental
    Protection Agency; (D) the Department of Natural
    Resources; (E) the Department of Transportation; and (F)
    the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of
    Natural Resources.
        (3) The head, or his or her designee, of the: (A) Army
    Corp of Engineers; (B) the National Great Rivers Research
    and Education Center (NGRREC); (C) the Illinois State
    Water Survey; and (D) the Association of Illinois Soil and
    Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD).
        (4) Nine members representing local communities and
    not-for-profit organizations working to protect the
    rivers, business, agriculture, recreation, conservation,
    and the environment.
    (c) Members of the Council appointed under paragraph (4)
of subsection (b) shall serve 2-year terms, except that of the
initial appointments, 5 members shall be appointed to serve
2-year terms and 4 members to serve one-year terms.
    (d) Members of the Council shall meet at least quarterly,
and meetings may be held in-person, by videoconference, or by
telephone conference at the discretion of the Chairperson.
    (e) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be
responsible for the operations of the Council, including,
without limitation, funding and oversight of the Council's
activities. Members of the Council shall serve without
compensation, but the Office of the Lieutenant Governor may
reimburse members of the Council for travel expenses from
funds appropriated for that purpose.
 
    Section 20. Duties of the Council.
    (a) The Council shall do the following:
        (1) periodically review activities and programs
    administered by State and federal agencies that directly
    impact the Illinois River Watershed, the Mississippi
    River, and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers;
        (2) work with local communities and organizations to
    encourage partnerships that enhance awareness and
    capabilities to address watershed and water resource
    concerns and to encourage strategies that protect,
    restore, and expand critical habitats and soil
    conservation and water quality practices;
        (3) work with State and federal agencies to optimize
    the expenditure of funds affecting the Illinois River
    Watershed and rivers;
        (4) advise and make recommendations to the Governor
    and State agencies on ways to better coordinate the
    expenditure of appropriated funds affecting the Illinois
    River Watershed and rivers;
        (5) advise and make recommendations to the Governor on
    funds and the priority of projects;
        (6) encourage local communities to develop watershed
    management plans to address storm water, erosion,
    flooding, sedimentation, and pollution problems, and
    encourage projects for the natural conveyance and storage
    of floodwaters, the enhancement of wildlife habitat and
    outdoor recreation opportunities, the recovery,
    management, and conservation of the rivers, the
    preservation of farmland, prairies, and forests, and the
    use of measurable economic development efforts that are
    compatible with the ecological health of the State; and
        (7) help identify possible sources of additional
    funding for rivers and watershed management projects.
    (b) To the extent practical, the Council shall perform its
duties in accordance with the Office of the Lieutenant
Governor's Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River
Watershed Technical Report.
 
    Section 25. State agency duties. State agencies
represented on the Council shall provide to the Council, upon
request, information concerning agency programs and activities
that impact the Illinois River Watershed and the rivers.
 
    (20 ILCS 3967/Act rep.)
    Section 100. The Illinois River Watershed Restoration Act
is repealed.
 
    (20 ILCS 4003/Act rep.)
    Section 105. The Mississippi River Coordinating Council
Act is repealed.
 
    (20 ILCS 4060/Act rep.)
    Section 110. The Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating
Council Act is repealed.

Effective Date: 1/1/2023