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1 | | AN ACT concerning State government.
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2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
5 | | Illinois America 250 Commission Act. |
6 | | Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
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7 | | (a) Illinois became the 21st state on December 3, 1818, 42 |
8 | | years after the formation of the United States of America and |
9 | | after thousands of years of Indigenous communities and peoples |
10 | | inhabiting the land.
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11 | | (b) Illinois figured prominently in the expansion of the |
12 | | United States of America as the scene of extensive French and |
13 | | British exploration and early economic generation with the fur |
14 | | trade, serving as a frontier boundary for Westward expansion, |
15 | | and as a place of forced removal of Indigenous nations.
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16 | | (c) The historic and contemporary systems of inequality |
17 | | produced through the enslavement of African American people in |
18 | | Illinois must be acknowledged. Though the 1848 State |
19 | | Constitution declared slavery to be illegal, the practice of |
20 | | enslaving African Americans continued in Illinois, as did |
21 | | participation in kidnapping and enslaving African Americans to |
22 | | benefit Illinois' economy. Even following the abolition of |
23 | | slavery, the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield led to the |
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1 | | slaughter of free African Americans and destroyed their |
2 | | communities within the Illinois State capital city.
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3 | | (d) Illinois was a key state in the American Civil War, |
4 | | deploying over 250,000 soldiers to fight in the war. Illinois |
5 | | served as the home of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of |
6 | | the United States of America. Illinois was the first State to |
7 | | ratify the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery.
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8 | | (e) Millions of people have emigrated from and immigrated |
9 | | to Illinois, or sought refuge in our State, bringing with them |
10 | | their culture, lifeways, knowledge, and labor, which has |
11 | | shaped Illinois into one of the nation's most diverse states. |
12 | | With its largest city in Illinois, and the 3rd largest in the |
13 | | nation, founded by a Black man, John Bapiste Point du Sable, |
14 | | more than 110,000 African Americans came to Illinois as a part |
15 | | of the Great Migration from the South through the advocacy of |
16 | | Robert Abbott's Chicago Defender distributed by the Pullman |
17 | | Porters. Illinois has proudly been made home by immigrants and |
18 | | their descendants from Ireland, Italy, China, Poland, Eastern |
19 | | Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, Central and South America, |
20 | | Russia, Somalia, Eritrea, and across the continents of Africa |
21 | | and Asia, the Caribbean, Vietnam, Thailand, India, and many |
22 | | other parts of the world.
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23 | | (f) Illinois is responsible for numerous social and |
24 | | economic improvements that shaped the infrastructure and |
25 | | social fabric of our nation, including, but not limited to, |
26 | | the creation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal opening |
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1 | | navigation and trade between the Mississippi River and the |
2 | | Great Lakes; Jane Addams' innovative social work at the Hull |
3 | | House; Ida B. Wells' courageous journalism and commitment to |
4 | | abolition; inventions like the John Deere steel plow and |
5 | | modern barbed wire by Joseph Glidden that reshaped |
6 | | agriculture; the opening of Route 66, the Mother Road, |
7 | | originating in Chicago; the first McDonald's, a restaurant |
8 | | that would change how Americans eat; and the first cellular |
9 | | telephone, which changed communication forever.
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10 | | (g) In 2008, the nation elected its first African American |
11 | | president, President Barack Obama, who built his career as a |
12 | | community organizer, law professor, and elected official in |
13 | | Illinois.
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14 | | (h) The 250th anniversary of our nation's founding |
15 | | presents an opportunity for Illinoisans and Americans to |
16 | | consider this legacy and reflect on a diversity of |
17 | | perspectives and experiences that are often left untold.
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18 | | (i) The nation's Semiquincentennial offers a commemoration |
19 | | that focuses on all people who call Illinois home, in every |
20 | | part of the State and of all ages and backgrounds, and centers |
21 | | our shared humanity in this process, as well as our common |
22 | | purpose. It offers every person in Illinois the opportunity to |
23 | | see themselves within this complex history and create a more |
24 | | just future.
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25 | | Section 10. Creation of Illinois America 250 Commission; |
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1 | | definition; purpose. The Illinois America 250 Commission Act |
2 | | is created. For purposes of this Section, "Commission" means |
3 | | the Illinois America 250 Commission. The principal purpose of |
4 | | the Commission shall be to plan, promote, and implement |
5 | | appropriate commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the |
6 | | founding of the United States of America |
7 | | ("Semiquincentennial"). |
8 | | Section 15. Duties. |
9 | | (a) The Commission shall develop, encourage, and execute |
10 | | an inclusive commemoration and observance of the founding of |
11 | | the United States of America, and Illinois' imperative role in |
12 | | the nation's history. |
13 | | (b) The Commission shall promote the inclusive and |
14 | | respectful identification, interpretation, documentation, |
15 | | preservation, and recognition of cultural and historical |
16 | | narratives and resources, including traditional cultural |
17 | | knowledge, oral histories, archival materials, objects, |
18 | | buildings, structures, sites, and landscapes related to |
19 | | Illinois history and prehistory. |
20 | | (c) The Commission shall consider organizing its |
21 | | activities under the 5 historic themes established by the |
22 | | American Association for State and Local History in "The Field |
23 | | Guide for the Semiquincentennial: Making History at 250". |
24 | | (d) The Commission shall serve as the official |
25 | | representative of the State of Illinois for the |
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1 | | Semiquincentennial and all related activities, communications, |
2 | | and events. |
3 | | (e) The Commission shall encourage various State agencies |
4 | | and organizations to work cooperatively to promote the |
5 | | Semiquincentennial. |
6 | | Section 20. Authority; administrative support. |
7 | | (a) The Commission is authorized to cooperate with the |
8 | | United States Semiquincentennial Commission created by Public |
9 | | Law 114-196, other states, tribal nations, and national, |
10 | | State, and local organizations engaged in activities around |
11 | | the United States Semiquincentennial, and other tribal, |
12 | | national, regional, State, and local public and private |
13 | | organizations having compatible purposes. |
14 | | (b) The Illinois State Museum shall provide administrative |
15 | | support to the Commission and may make expenditures according |
16 | | to the Commission's policies and procedures and State law. |
17 | | Section 25. Membership; meetings. |
18 | | (a) Membership of the Commission shall consist of the |
19 | | following membership: |
20 | | (1) Two members appointed by the Governor of Illinois. |
21 | | (2) One member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. |
22 | | (3) One member appointed by the President of the |
23 | | Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the |
24 | | House of Representatives. |
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1 | | (4) One member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader |
2 | | and one member appointed by the House Minority Leader. |
3 | | (5) The Illinois representatives serving on the United |
4 | | States Semiquincentennial Commission as certified by the |
5 | | executive officer of the United States Semiquincentennial |
6 | | Commission. |
7 | | (6) The Museum Director of the Illinois State Museum, |
8 | | who shall serve as the Commission Chair. |
9 | | (7) The Harold Washington Library Archivist. |
10 | | (8) A Black historian reflecting the experiences and |
11 | | contributions of American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS). |
12 | | (9) A historian reflecting the experiences and |
13 | | contributions of Asian and Latina/o/x communities.
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14 | | (10) The following members appointed by the Illinois |
15 | | America 250 Commission Chair: |
16 | | (A) Up to 12 representatives of tribal Nations and |
17 | | communities including the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, |
18 | | Shawnee, Osage, the Peoria Tribe of Indians of |
19 | | Oklahoma, inclusive of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, |
20 | | Piankashaw, and Wea peoples, the Miami Tribe of |
21 | | Oklahoma, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Ho-Chunk, |
22 | | Menominee, the Chickasaw Nations, and additional |
23 | | tribal members living in Illinois today. |
24 | | (B) A representative of the Abraham Lincoln |
25 | | Presidential Library and Museum. |
26 | | (C) Up to 5 representatives from other State of |
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1 | | Illinois departments, agencies, or offices to which |
2 | | the Semiquincentennial is relevant to its mission and |
3 | | operations. |
4 | | (D) A representative of Illinois Humanities. |
5 | | (E) A representative of a veterans' organization |
6 | | such as, but not limited to, the American Legion, the |
7 | | Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign |
8 | | Wars of the United States. |
9 | | (F) A representative of the Daughters of the |
10 | | American Revolution and the Sons of the American |
11 | | Revolution. |
12 | | (G) Up to 10 members of the general public with |
13 | | related or relevant background, expertise, or |
14 | | interest, appointed by the Governor. Knowledge in the |
15 | | following shall be prioritized in making an |
16 | | appointment under this item: the culture, traditions, |
17 | | and history of American Indians/Native Americans; |
18 | | Black Americans; Latinos/Latinas/Hispanic Americans; |
19 | | Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; the LGBTQAI+ |
20 | | community; immigrants and refugees; women's history; |
21 | | the history of Illinois' agriculture, architecture, |
22 | | armed forces, arts, civics, cultural geography, |
23 | | ecology, education, faith-based communities, folklore, |
24 | | government, industry, labor, law, medicine, and |
25 | | transportation; anthropology; archeology; cultural |
26 | | exhibits and museums; heritage tourism; historic |
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1 | | preservation; and social justice. |
2 | | (b) Of the appointed membership, 60% must be people that |
3 | | represent historically excluded and marginalized communities. |
4 | | (c) The appointing authorities shall coordinate their |
5 | | appointments to represent and celebrate the diverse makeup and |
6 | | complex cultural geography of this State. |
7 | | (d) The Commission shall adopt its rules for the |
8 | | establishment of a quorum and the conducting of business. |
9 | | (e) Members shall serve for the life of the Commission, |
10 | | provided any public official's expiration of a term of office |
11 | | shall create a vacancy. Any vacancy occurring in membership of |
12 | | the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the |
13 | | original appointment. |
14 | | (f) The Commission shall hold meetings at least twice a |
15 | | year: |
16 | | (1) at times and places to be determined by the Chair; |
17 | | and |
18 | | (2) that are conducted in accordance with the Open |
19 | | Meetings Act. |
20 | | (g) Members shall serve without compensation and shall not |
21 | | be reimbursed for expenses incurred in performing their |
22 | | duties. |
23 | | Section 30. Advisory committees and working groups. The |
24 | | Chair of the Commission, with concurrence of the Commission, |
25 | | shall create one or more advisory committees and working |
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1 | | groups to advise the Commission. |
2 | | Section 35. Fundraising. The Commission may solicit, |
3 | | accept, use, and dispose of donations, funds, and gifts, in |
4 | | conformance with public ethics laws, to support the purposes |
5 | | and goals of the Commission. No elected public official |
6 | | serving on the Commission shall be involved in soliciting any |
7 | | private funds or gifts for the Commission. |
8 | | Section 40. Reporting. The Commission shall make an annual |
9 | | written report and make any recommendations to the Governor |
10 | | and General Assembly at least 30 days prior to the convening of |
11 | | each regular session of the General Assembly, commencing with |
12 | | the start of the regular session in 2023 and continuing |
13 | | through its final report. |
14 | | Section 45. Dissolution; repeal. |
15 | | (a) The Commission and its advisory committees are |
16 | | dissolved on June 1, 2027. |
17 | | (b) This Act is repealed on January 1, 2028.
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18 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
19 | | becoming law.
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