093_SB0726enr SB726 Enrolled LRB093 03022 RCE 03039 b 1 AN ACT in relation to executive agencies. 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); 2 members of 26 Congress representing Illinois from different political 27 parties, as designated by the Governor; and 4 members 28 designated by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. 29 If a vacancy occurs in the task force membership, the 30 vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the initial 31 appointment. SB726 Enrolled -2- LRB093 03022 RCE 03039 b 1 (c) The task force may begin to conduct business upon 2 the appointment of a majority of the voting members, 3 including the chair. 4 (d) The task force may adopt bylaws; it must meet at 5 least once each calendar quarter; and it may establish 6 committees and officers as it deems necessary. For purposes 7 of task force meetings, a quorum is 6 voting members. 8 Meetings of the task force are subject to the Open Meetings 9 Act. The task force must afford an opportunity for public 10 comment at each of its meetings. 11 (e) Task force members shall serve without compensation, 12 but may be reimbursed for their reasonable travel expenses 13 from funds available for that purpose. The Department shall 14 provide staff and administrative support services to the task 15 force. The Department and the task force may accept donated 16 services and other resources from registered not-for-profit 17 organizations as may be necessary to complete the work of the 18 task force with minimal expense to the State of Illinois. 19 (f) The task force shall gather information and make 20 recommendations to the Governor and to the General Assembly 21 regarding metro area transportation programs in northeastern 22 Illinois, which includes, without limitation, the counties of 23 Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. These 24 recommendations must include, without limitation: 25 (1) examining the feasibility of merging CATS, 26 NIPC, RTA, and ISTHA into a single agency; 27 (2) identifying areas where functions of these and 28 other agencies are redundant or unnecessary; 29 (3) identifying methods to promote cost 30 effectiveness, efficiency, and equality in meeting area 31 transportation needs; and 32 (4) examining regional and economic impact as it 33 relates to potential policy implementation. 34 (g) The task force shall submit a report to the Governor SB726 Enrolled -3- LRB093 03022 RCE 03039 b 1 and the General Assembly by March 1, 2004 concerning its 2 findings and recommendations. 3 (h) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2005. 4 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 5 becoming law.