093_HB0463

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning transportation.

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


 4        Section 5.  The Department of Transportation Law  of  the
 5    Civil  Administrative  Code  of Illinois is amended by adding
 6    Section 2705-207 as follows:

 7        (20 ILCS 2705/2705-207 new)
 8        Sec. 2705-207.  Regional Transportation Task Force.
 9        (a)  The Regional Transportation Task  Force  is  created
10    within the Department.
11        (b)  The  Task  Force shall consist of 11 voting members,
12    as follows: 3 members appointed by the Governor, one of  whom
13    shall be designated as chair of the task force at the time of
14    appointment;  2  members  appointed  by  the President of the
15    Senate; 2 members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;  2
16    members   appointed   by   the   Speaker   of  the  House  of
17    Representatives;  and  2  members  appointed  by  the   House
18    Minority Leader.
19        The  following  shall  serve,  ex  officio, as non-voting
20    members:  the  Secretary  of   Transportation;   one   member
21    designated  by  the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS);
22    one member designated by the Northeastern  Illinois  Planning
23    Commission  (NIPC);  one  member  designated  by the Regional
24    Transportation Authority (RTA); and one member designated  by
25    the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA).
26        If  a  vacancy  occurs  in the task force membership, the
27    vacancy shall be filled in the same  manner  as  the  initial
28    appointment.
29        (c)  The  task  force  may begin to conduct business upon
30    the  appointment  of  a  majority  of  the  voting   members,
 
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 1    including the chair.
 2        (d)  The  task  force  may  adopt bylaws; it must meet at
 3    least once  each  calendar  quarter;  and  it  may  establish
 4    committees  and  officers as it deems necessary. For purposes
 5    of task  force  meetings,  a  quorum  is  6  voting  members.
 6    Meetings  of  the task force are subject to the Open Meetings
 7    Act. The task force must afford  an  opportunity  for  public
 8    comment at each of its meetings.
 9        (e)  Task force members shall serve without compensation,
10    but  may  be  reimbursed for their reasonable travel expenses
11    from funds available for that purpose. The  Department  shall
12    provide staff and administrative support services to the task
13    force.
14        (f)  The  task  force  shall  gather information and make
15    recommendations to the Governor and to the  General  Assembly
16    regarding  metro area transportation programs in northeastern
17    Illinois, including but not limited to:
18             (1)  examining  the  feasibility  of  merging  CATS,
19        NIPC, RTA, and ISTHA into a single agency;
20             (2)  identifying areas where functions of these  and
21        other agencies are redundant or unnecessary; and
22             (3)  identifying       methods       to      promote
23        cost-effectiveness  and  efficiency   in   meeting   area
24        transportation needs.
25        (g)  The task force shall submit a report to the Governor
26    and  the  General Assembly by November 1, 2004 concerning its
27    findings and recommendations.
28        (h)  This Section is repealed on January 1, 2005.

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