093_HB0463eng HB0463 Engrossed LRB093 06331 BDD 06450 b 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); one member designated by the 25 Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA); and 4 members 26 designated by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. 27 If a vacancy occurs in the task force membership, the 28 vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the initial 29 appointment. 30 (c) The task force may begin to conduct business upon 31 the appointment of a majority of the voting members, HB0463 Engrossed -2- LRB093 06331 BDD 06450 b 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, which includes, without limitation, the counties of 18 Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. These 19 recommendations must include, without limitation: 20 (1) examining the feasibility of merging CATS, 21 NIPC, RTA, and ISTHA into a single agency; 22 (2) identifying areas where functions of these and 23 other agencies are redundant or unnecessary; 24 (3) identifying methods to promote cost 25 effectiveness, efficiency, and equality in meeting area 26 transportation needs; and 27 (4) examining regional and economic impact as it 28 relates to potential policy implementation. 29 (g) The task force shall submit a report to the Governor 30 and the General Assembly by November 1, 2004 concerning its 31 findings and recommendations. 32 (h) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2005. 33 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon HB0463 Engrossed -3- LRB093 06331 BDD 06450 b 1 becoming law.