Public Act 93-0487

SB1363 Enrolled                      LRB093 10762 MKM 11161 b

    AN ACT concerning historic preservation.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Act
is amended by adding Section 20 as follows:

    (20 ILCS 3405/20 new)
    Sec. 20.  Freedom Trail Commission.
    (a)  Creation.  The  Freedom  Trail Commission is created
within the Agency. The budgeting,  procurement,  and  related
functions    of    the    commission    and    administrative
responsibilities  for  the  staff  of the commission shall be
performed under the direction and supervision of the Agency.
    (b)  Membership.  The  commission  shall  consist  of  16
members, appointed as soon as possible  after  the  effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The
members shall be appointed as follows:
         (1)  one  member  appointed  by the President of the
    Senate;
         (2)  one member appointed  by  the  Senate  Minority
    Leader;
         (3)  one  member  appointed  by  the  Speaker of the
    House;
         (4)  one member  appointed  by  the  House  Minority
    Leader;
         (5)  9 members appointed by the Governor as follows:
              (i)  3  members from the academic community who
         are   knowledgeable   concerning    African-American
         history;  (ii)  one  public  member  who is actively
         involved in civil rights issues;  (iii)  one  public
         member who is knowledgeable in the field of historic
         preservation;  (iv) one public member who represents
         local communities in which the underground  railroad
         had  a  significant  presence;  and (v) 3 members at
         large, one of whom shall be a representative of  the
         DuSable   Museum   and   one  of  whom  shall  be  a
         representative of the Chicago Historical Society;
         (6)  the Director of Commerce and Community Affairs,
    ex officio, or a designee of the Director;
         (7)  the State Librarian, ex officio, or a  designee
    of the State Library; and
         (8)  the   Director  of  the  Historic  Preservation
    Agency, ex officio, or a designee of that Agency.
    Appointed members shall serve  at  the  pleasure  of  the
appointing authority.
    (c)  Election  of  chairperson;  meetings.  At  its first
meeting, the commission shall elect from among its members  a
chairperson  and  other  officers  it  considers necessary or
appropriate. After its first meeting,  the  commission  shall
meet  at  least  quarterly, or more frequently at the call of
the chairperson or if requested by 7 or more members.
    (d)  Quorum. A majority of the members of the  commission
constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction of business at a
meeting of the commission. A majority of the members  present
and   serving   is   required  for  official  action  of  the
commission.
    (e)  Public meeting. The business that the commission may
perform shall  be  conducted  at  a  public  meeting  of  the
commission held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.
    (f)  Freedom  of  information. A writing prepared, owned,
used, in the possession of, or retained by the commission  in
the  performance  of  an  official function is subject to the
Freedom of Information Act.
    (g)  Compensation. Members of the commission shall  serve
without  compensation. However, members of the commission may
be  reimbursed  for  their  actual  and  necessary   expenses
incurred  in  the  performance  of  their  official duties as
members of the commission.
    (h)  Duties. The commission shall do the following:
         (1)  Prepare a master plan to promote  and  preserve
    the history of the freedom trail and underground railroad
    in the State.
         (2)  Work  in  conjunction  with  State  and federal
    authorities   to   sponsor   commemorations,    linkages,
    seminars,  and  public  forums  on  the freedom trail and
    underground railroad in  the  State  and  in  neighboring
    states.
         (3)  Assist   in   and   promote   the   making   of
    applications  for  inclusion  in  the  national and State
    registers of historic  places  for  significant  historic
    places  related  to the freedom trail and the underground
    railroad in the State.
         (4)  Assist in developing and  develop  partnerships
    to  seek public and private funds to carry out activities
    to protect, preserve,  and  promote  the  legacy  of  the
    freedom trail and the underground railroad in the State.
         (5)  Work with the Illinois State Board of Education
    to  evaluate,  conduct research concerning, and develop a
    curriculum for use in Illinois public  schools  regarding
    the underground railroad, with emphasis on the activities
    of the underground railroad within the State.
    (i)  Report.  The  commission shall report its activities
and findings to the General Assembly by February 1, 2004.

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act  takes  effect  upon
becoming law.