SB1964eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1964 Engrossed LRB094 11336 DRH 42182 b

AN ACT in relation to transportation.

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

Section 5. The Toll Highway Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 11, 17, 23, and 27.1 and by adding Sections 8.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 27.2 as follows:

(605 ILCS 10/8.1 new)

Sec. 8.1. Inspector General.

(a) The Governor must, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint an Inspector General for the purpose of providing increased accountability and oversight, detection, deterrence, and prevention of fraud, corruption, waste, inefficiencies, and mismanagement in the Authority. The Inspector General shall serve a 2-year term. If no successor is appointed and qualified upon the expiration of the Inspector General's term, the Office of Inspector General is deemed vacant and the powers and duties under this Section may be exercised only by an appointed and qualified interim Inspector General until a successor Inspector General is appointed and qualified. If the General Assembly is not in session when a vacancy in the Office of Inspector General occurs, the Governor may appoint an interim Inspector General whose term shall expire 2 weeks after the next regularly scheduled session day of the Senate.

(b) The Inspector General shall have the following qualifications:

(1) has not been convicted of any felony under the laws of this State, another state, or the United States;

(2) has earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education; and

(3) has either (A) 5 or more years of service with a federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, at least 2 years of which have been in a progressive investigatory capacity; (B) 5 or more years of service as a federal, State, or local prosecutor; or (C) 5 or more years of service as a senior manager or executive of a federal, State, or local agency.

(c) The Inspector General may review, coordinate, and recommend methods and procedures to increase the integrity of the Authority. The Inspector General must report directly to the Governor through the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Governor.

(d) In addition to the authority otherwise provided by this Section, but only when investigating the Authority, its employees, or their actions for fraud, corruption, or mismanagement, the Inspector General is authorized:

(1) To have access to all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, or other materials available that relate to programs and operations with respect to which the Inspector General has responsibilities under this Section.

(2) To make any investigations and reports relating to the administration of the programs and operations of the Authority that are, in the judgment of the Inspector General, necessary or desirable.

(3) To request any information or assistance that may be necessary for carrying out the duties and responsibilities provided by this Section from any local, State, or federal governmental agency or unit thereof.

(4) To issue subpoenas and to compel the attendance of witnesses for purposes of testimony and the production of documents and other items for inspection and copying. If a person has petitioned a court of competent jurisdiction in Cook County, Sangamon County, or any county where the subpoena is sought to be enforced for a protective order or to quash or modify the subpoena, then this Section does not apply during the pendency of the court proceedings concerning the petition. A person duly subpoenaed for testimony, documents, or other items who neglects or refuses to testify or produce documents or other items under the requirements of the subpoena shall be subject to punishment as may be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, unless the testimony, documents, or other items are covered by the attorney-client privilege or any other privilege recognized by State or federal law. Nothing in this Section limits a person's right to protection against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution or Article I, Section 10, of the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

(5) To have direct and prompt access to the Board of Directors of the Authority for any purpose pertaining to the performance of functions and responsibilities under this Section.

(f) The Inspector General may receive and investigate complaints or information from an employee of the Authority concerning the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations; mismanagement; abuse of authority; or substantial and specific danger to the public health and safety. The Inspector General shall have the discretion to determine the appropriate means of investigation as permitted by law. Any employee who knowingly files a false complaint or files a complaint with reckless disregard for the truth or the falsity of the facts underlying the complaint may be subject to discipline.

The Inspector General may not, after receipt of a complaint or information from an employee, disclose the identity of the employee without the consent of the employee, unless the Inspector General determines that disclosure of the identity is reasonable and necessary for the furtherance of the investigation.

Any employee who has the authority to recommend or approve any personnel action or to direct others to recommend or approve any personnel action may not, with respect to that authority, take or threaten to take any action against any employee as a reprisal for making a complaint or disclosing information to the Inspector General, unless the complaint was made or the information disclosed with the knowledge that it was false or with willful disregard for its truth or falsity.

(g) The Inspector General must adopt rules, in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, establishing minimum requirements for initiating, conducting, and completing investigations. The rules must establish criteria for determining, based upon the nature of the allegation, the appropriate method of investigation, which may include, but is not limited to, site visits, telephone contacts, personal interviews, or requests for written responses. The rules must also clarify how the Office of the Inspector General shall interact with other local, State, and federal law enforcement investigations.

Any employee of the Authority subject to investigation or inquiry by the Inspector General, or any agent or representative of the Inspector General, concerning misconduct that is criminal shall have the right to be notified of the right to remain silent during the investigation or inquiry and the right to be represented in the investigation or inquiry by a representative of a labor organization that is the exclusive collective bargaining representative of employees of the Authority. Any such investigation or inquiry must be conducted in a manner consistent with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement that applies to the employees of the Authority. Any recommendation for discipline or any action taken against any employee by the Inspector General, or any representative or agent of the Inspector General, must be undertaken in a manner consistent with the rights of the employees as set forth in State and federal law and applicable judicial decisions.

(h) The Inspector General shall provide to the Authority and the General Assembly a summary of reports and investigations made under this Section for the previous fiscal year no later than January 1 of each year. The summaries shall detail the final disposition of the Inspector General's recommendations. The summaries shall not contain any confidential or identifying information concerning the subjects of the reports and investigations. The summaries shall also include detailed, recommended administrative actions and matters for consideration by the General Assembly.

(i) The Office of the Inspector General shall be represented in all legal matters by the Attorney General.

(605 ILCS 10/10) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-10)

Sec. 10. The Authority shall have power:

(a) To pass resolutions, make by-laws, rules and regulations for the management, regulation and control of its affairs, and to fix tolls, and to make, enact and enforce all needful rules and regulations in connection with the construction, operation, management, care, regulation or protection of its property or any toll highways, constructed or reconstructed hereunder.

(a-5) To fix, assess, and collect civil fines for a vehicle's operation on a toll highway without the required toll having been paid. The Authority may establish by rule a system of civil administrative adjudication to adjudicate only alleged instances of a vehicle's operation on a toll highway without the required toll having been paid, as detected by the Authority's video or photo surveillance system. In cases in which the operator of the vehicle is not the registered vehicle owner, the establishment of ownership of the vehicle creates a rebuttable presumption that the vehicle was being operated by an agent of the registered vehicle owner. If the registered vehicle owner liable for a violation under this Section was not the operator of the vehicle at the time of the violation, the owner may maintain an action for indemnification against the operator in the circuit court. Rules establishing a system of civil administrative adjudication must provide for written notice, by first class mail or other means provided by law, to the address of the registered owner of the cited vehicle as recorded with the Secretary of State or to the lessee of the cited vehicle at the last address known to the lessor of the cited vehicle at the time of the lease, of the alleged violation and an opportunity to be heard on the question of the violation and must provide for the establishment of a toll-free telephone number to receive inquiries concerning alleged violations. The notice shall also inform the registered vehicle owner that failure to contest in the manner and time provided shall be deemed an admission of liability and that a final order of liability may be entered on that admission. A duly authorized agent of the Authority may perform or execute the preparation, certification, affirmation, or mailing of the notice. A notice of violation, sworn or affirmed to or certified by a duly authorized agent of the Authority, or a facsimile of the notice, based upon an inspection of photographs, microphotographs, videotape, or other recorded images produced by a video or photo surveillance system, shall be admitted as prima facie evidence of the correctness of the facts contained in the notice or facsimile. Only civil fines, along with the corresponding outstanding toll, and costs may be imposed by administrative adjudication. A fine may be imposed under this paragraph only if a violation is established by a preponderance of the evidence. Judicial review of all final orders of the Authority under this paragraph shall be conducted in the circuit court of the county in which the administrative decision was rendered in accordance with the Administrative Review Law.

Any outstanding toll, fine, additional late payment fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, or part of any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, remaining unpaid after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review procedures under the Administrative Review Law are a debt due and owing the Authority and may be collected in accordance with applicable law. After expiration of the period in which judicial review under the Administrative Review Law may be sought, unless stayed by a court of competent jurisdiction, a final order of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Authority may, with the approval of the Attorney General, retain a law firm or law firms with expertise in the collection of government fines and debts for the purpose of collecting fines, costs, and other moneys due under this subsection (a-5).

A system of civil administrative adjudication may also provide for a program of vehicle immobilization, tow, or impoundment for the purpose of facilitating enforcement of any final order or orders of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) that result in a finding or liability for 5 or more violations after expiration of the period in which judicial review under the Administrative Review Law may be sought. The registered vehicle owner of a vehicle immobilized, towed, or impounded for nonpayment of a final order of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) shall have the right to request a hearing before the Authority's civil administrative adjudicatory system to challenge the validity of the immobilization, tow, or impoundment. This hearing, however, shall not constitute a readjudication of the merits of previously adjudicated notices. Judicial review of all final orders of the Authority under this subsection (a-5) shall be conducted in the circuit court of the county in which the administrative decision was rendered in accordance with the Administrative Review Law.

No commercial entity that is the lessor of a vehicle under a written lease agreement shall be liable for an administrative notice of violation for toll evasion issued under this subsection (a-5) involving that vehicle during the period of the lease if the lessor provides a copy of the leasing agreement to the Authority within 21 days of the issue date on the notice of violation. The leasing agreement also must contain a provision or addendum informing the lessee that the lessee is liable for payment of all tolls and any fines for toll evasion. Each entity must also post a sign at the leasing counter notifying the lessee of that liability. The copy of the leasing agreement provided to the Authority must contain the name, address, and driver's license number of the lessee, as well as the check-out and return dates and times of the vehicle and the vehicle license plate number and vehicle make and model.

As used in this subsection (a-5), "lessor" includes commercial leasing and rental entities but does not include public passenger vehicle entities.

The Authority shall establish an amnesty program for violations adjudicated under this subsection (a-5). Under the program, any person who has an outstanding notice of violation for toll evasion or a final order of a hearing officer for toll evasion dated prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly and who pays to the Authority the full percentage amounts listed in this paragraph remaining due on the notice of violation or final order of the hearing officer and the full fees and costs paid by the Authority to the Secretary of State relating to suspension proceedings, if applicable, on or before 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, of the 60th day after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall not be required to pay more than the listed percentage of the original fine amount and outstanding toll as listed on the notice of violation or final order of the hearing officer and the full fees and costs paid by the Authority to the Secretary of State relating to suspension proceedings, if applicable. The payment percentage scale shall be as follows: a person with 25 or fewer violations shall be eligible for amnesty upon payment of 50% of the original fine amount and the outstanding tolls; a person with more than 25 but fewer than 51 violations shall be eligible for amnesty upon payment of 60% of the original fine amount and the outstanding tolls; and a person with 51 or more violations shall be eligible for amnesty upon payment of 75% of the original fine amount and the outstanding tolls. In such a situation, the Executive Director of the Authority or his or her designee is authorized and directed to waive any late fine amount above the applicable percentage of the original fine amount. Partial payment of the amount due shall not be a basis to extend the amnesty payment deadline nor shall it act to relieve the person of liability for payment of the late fine amount. In order to receive amnesty, the full amount of the applicable percentage of the original fine amount and outstanding toll remaining due on the notice of violation or final order of the hearing officer and the full fees and costs paid by the Authority to the Secretary of State relating to suspension proceedings, if applicable, must be paid in full by 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, of the 60th day after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly. This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly has no retroactive effect with regard to payments already tendered to the Authority that were full payments or payments in an amount greater than the applicable percentage, and this Act shall not be the basis for either a refund or a credit. This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not apply to toll evasion citations issued by the Illinois State Police or other authorized law enforcement agencies and for which payment may be due to or through the clerk of the circuit court. The Authority shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly. The Authority, by a resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have the discretion to implement similar amnesty programs in the future. The Authority, at its discretion and in consultation with the Attorney General, is further authorized to settle an administrative fine or penalty if it determines that settling for less than the full amount is in the best interests of the Authority after taking into account the following factors: (1) the merits of the Authority's claim against the respondent; (2) the amount that can be collected relative to the administrative fine or penalty owed by the respondent; (3) the cost of pursuing further enforcement or collection action against the respondent; (4) the likelihood of collecting the full amount owed; and (5) the burden on the judiciary. The provisions in this Section may be extended to other toll facilities in the State of Illinois through a duly executed agreement between the Authority and the operator of the toll facility.

(b) To prescribe rules and regulations applicable to traffic on highways under the jurisdiction of the Authority, concerning:

(1) Types of vehicles permitted to use such highways or parts thereof, and classification of such vehicles;

(2) Designation of the lanes of traffic to be used by the different types of vehicles permitted upon said highways;

(3) Stopping, standing, and parking of vehicles;

(4) Control of traffic by means of police officers or traffic control signals;

(5) Control or prohibition of processions, convoys, and assemblages of vehicles and persons;

(6) Movement of traffic in one direction only on designated portions of said highways;

(7) Control of the access, entrance, and exit of vehicles and persons to and from said highways; and

(8) Preparation, location and installation of all traffic signs; and to prescribe further rules and regulations applicable to such traffic, concerning matters not provided for either in the foregoing enumeration or in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Notice of such rules and regulations shall be posted conspicuously and displayed at appropriate points and at reasonable intervals along said highways, by clearly legible markers or signs, to provide notice of the existence of such rules and regulations to persons traveling on said highways. At each toll station, the Authority shall make available, free of charge, pamphlets containing all of such rules and regulations.

(c) The Authority, in fixing the rate for tolls for the privilege of using the said toll highways, is authorized and directed, in fixing such rates, to base the same upon annual estimates to be made, recorded and filed with the Authority. Said estimates shall include the following: The estimated total amount of the use of the toll highways; the estimated amount of the revenue to be derived therefrom, which said revenue, when added to all other receipts and income, will be sufficient to pay the expense of maintaining and operating said toll highways, including the administrative expenses of the Authority, and to discharge all obligations of the Authority as they become due and payable.

(d) To accept from any municipality or political subdivision any lands, easements or rights in land needed for the operation, construction, relocation or maintenance of any toll highways, with or without payment therefor, and in its discretion to reimburse any such municipality or political subdivision out of its funds for any cost or expense incurred in the acquisition of land, easements or rights in land, in connection with the construction and relocation of the said toll highways, widening, extending roads, streets or avenues in connection therewith, or for the construction of any roads or streets forming extension to and connections with or between any toll highways, or for the cost or expense of widening, grading, surfacing or improving any existing streets or roads or the construction of any streets and roads forming extensions of or connections with any toll highways constructed, relocated, operated, maintained or regulated hereunder by the Authority. Where property owned by a municipality or political subdivision is necessary to the construction of an approved toll highway, if the Authority cannot reach an agreement with such municipality or political subdivision and if the use to which the property is being put in the hands of the municipality or political subdivision is not essential to the existence or the administration of such municipality or political subdivision, the Authority may acquire the property by condemnation.

(Source: P.A. 89-120, eff. 7-7-95.)

(605 ILCS 10/11) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-11)

Sec. 11. The Authority shall have power:

(a) To enter upon lands, waters and premises in the State for the purpose of making surveys, soundings, drillings and examinations as may be necessary, expedient or convenient for the purposes of this Act, and such entry shall not be deemed to be a trespass, nor shall an entry for such purpose be deemed an entry under any condemnation proceedings which may be then pending; provided, however, that the Authority shall make reimbursement for any actual damage resulting to such lands, waters and premises as the result of such activities.

(b) To construct, maintain and operate stations for the collection of tolls or charges upon and along any toll highways.

(c) To provide for the collection of tolls and charges for the privilege of using the said toll highways. Before it adopts an increase in the rates for toll, the Authority shall hold a public hearing at which any person may appear, express opinions, suggestions, or objections, or direct inquiries relating to the proposed increase. Any person may submit a written statement to the Authority at the hearing, whether appearing in person or not. The hearing shall be held in the county in which the proposed increase of the rates is to take place. The Authority shall give notice of the hearing by advertisement on 3 successive days at least 15 days prior to the date of the hearing in a daily newspaper of general circulation within the county within which the hearing is held. The notice shall state the date, time, and place of the hearing, shall contain a description of the proposed increase, and shall specify how interested persons may obtain copies of any reports, resolutions, or certificates describing the basis on which the proposed change, alteration, or modification was calculated. After consideration of any statements filed or oral opinions, suggestions, objections, or inquiries made at the hearing, the Authority may proceed to adopt the proposed increase of the rates for toll. No change or alteration in or modification of the rates for toll shall be effective unless at least 30 days prior to the effective date of such rates notice thereof shall be given to the public by publication in a newspaper of general circulation, and such notice, or notices, thereof shall be posted and publicly displayed at each and every toll station upon or along said toll highways.

(d) To construct, at the Authority's discretion, grade separations at intersections with any railroads, waterways, street railways, streets, thoroughfares, public roads or highways intersected by the said toll highways, and to change and adjust the lines and grades thereof so as to accommodate the same to the design of such grade separation and to construct interchange improvements. The Authority is authorized to provide such grade separations or interchange improvements at its own cost or to enter into contracts or agreements with reference to division of cost therefor with any municipality or political subdivision of the State of Illinois, or with the Federal Government, or any agency thereof, or with any corporation, individual, firm, person or association. Where such structures have been built by the Authority and a local highway agency did not enter into an agreement to the contrary, the Authority shall maintain the entire structure, including the road surface, at the Authority's expense.

(e) To contract with and grant concessions to or lease or license to any person, partnership, firm, association or corporation so desiring the use of any part of any toll highways, excluding the paved portion thereof, but including the right of way adjoining, under, or over said paved portion for the placing of telephone, telegraph, electric, power lines and other utilities, and for the placing of pipe lines, and to enter into operating agreements with or to contract with and grant concessions to or to lease to any person, partnership, firm, association or corporation so desiring the use of any part of the toll highways, excluding the paved portion thereof, but including the right of way adjoining, or over said paved portion for motor fuel service stations and facilities, garages, stores and restaurants, or for any other lawful purpose, and to fix the terms, conditions, rents, rates and charges for such use.

The Authority shall also have power to establish reasonable regulations for the installation, construction, maintenance, repair, renewal, relocation and removal of pipes, mains, conduits, cables, wires, towers, poles and other equipment and appliances (herein called public utilities) of any public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Act along, over or under any toll road project. Whenever the Authority shall determine that it is necessary that any such public utility facilities which now are located in, on, along, over or under any project or projects be relocated or removed entirely from any such project or projects, the public utility owning or operating such facilities shall relocate or remove the same in accordance with the order of the Authority. All costs and expenses of such relocation or removal, including the cost of installing such facilities in a new location or locations, and the cost of any land or lands, or interest in land, or any other rights required to accomplish such relocation or removal shall be ascertained and paid by the Authority as a part of the cost of any such project or projects, and further, there shall be no rent, fee or other charge of any kind imposed upon the public utility owning or operating any facilities ordered relocated on the properties of the said Authority and the said Authority shall grant to the said public utility owning or operating said facilities and its successors and assigns the right to operate the same in the new location or locations for as long a period and upon the same terms and conditions as it had the right to maintain and operate such facilities in their former location or locations.

(f) To enter into an intergovernmental agreement or contract with a unit of local government or other public or private entity for the collection, enforcement, and administration of tolls, fees, revenue, and violations.

(Source: P.A. 90-681, eff. 7-31-98.)

(605 ILCS 10/16.2 new)

Sec. 16.2. Financial benefit prohibited.

(a) A director, employee, or agent of the Authority may not receive a financial benefit from a contract let by the Authority during his or her term of service with the Authority and for a period of one year following the termination of his or her term of service as a director of the Authority or as an employee or agent of the Authority.

(b) A member of the immediate family or household of a director, employee, or agent of the Authority may not receive a financial benefit from a contract let by the Authority during the immediate family or household member's term of service with the Authority and for a period of one year following the termination of the immediate family or household member's term of service as a director of the Authority or as an employee or agent of the Authority.

(c) A director, employee, or agent of the Authority may not use material non-public information for personal financial gain nor may he or she disclose that information to any other person for that person's personal financial gain when that information was obtained as a result of his or her directorship, employment, or agency with the Authority.

(d) A member of the immediate family or household of a director, employee, or agent of the Authority may not use material non-public information for personal financial gain nor may he or she disclose that information to any other person for that person's personal financial gain when that information was obtained as a result of his or her immediate family or household member's directorship, employment, or agency with the Authority.

(e) For purposes of this Section, "immediate family or household member" means the spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, or grandchild, whether of the whole blood or half blood or by adoption, or a person who shares a common dwelling with a director of the Authority or with an employee or agent of the Authority.

(605 ILCS 10/16.3 new)

Sec. 16.3. Consistent with general law, the Authority shall:

(a) set goals for the award of contracts to disadvantaged businesses and attempt to meet the goals;

(b) attempt to identify disadvantaged businesses that provide or have the potential to provide supplies, materials, equipment, or services to the Authority;

(c) give disadvantaged businesses full access to the Authority's contact bidding process, inform the businesses about the process, offer the businesses assistance concerning the process, and identify and take all reasonable steps to remove barriers to the businesses' participation in the process.

(605 ILCS 10/23) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-23)

Sec. 23. Legislative declaration; Authority budget.

(a) It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative determination, that it is in the best interest of the State of Illinois, the public, and the holders of Authority bonds that Authority funds be expended only on goods and services that protect and enhance the efficiency, safety, and environmental quality of the toll highway system.

(b) The Authority shall spend moneys received from the issuance of bonds and as tolls or otherwise in the operation of the toll highway system only on the following:

(1) operations and maintenance expenditures that are reasonable and necessary to keep the toll highway system in a state of good repair in accordance with contemporary highway safety and maintenance standards;

(2) principal and interest payments and payment of other obligations the Authority has incurred in connection with bonds issued under this Act;

(3) renewal and replacement expenditures necessary and sufficient to protect and preserve the long-term structural integrity of the toll highway system; and

(4) system improvement expenditures necessary and sufficient to improve and expand the toll highway system, subject to the requirements of this Act.

(c) Any moneys remaining after the expenditures listed in subsection (b) may be spent only for reasonable and necessary Authority purposes that will enhance the safety, efficiency, and environmental quality of the toll highway system in a cost-effective manner. Authority funds may not be spent for purposes not reasonably related to toll highway operations and improvements or in a manner that is not cost-effective.

(d) The Authority must at all times maintain a reserve for maintenance and operating expenses that is no more than 130% of the operating expenses it has budgeted for its current fiscal year, unless the requirements of any bond resolution or trust indenture then securing obligations of the Authority mandate a greater amount.

(e) The Authority shall file with the Governor, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, on or prior to March 15th of each year, a written statement and report covering its activities for the preceding calendar year. The Authority shall present, to the committees of the House of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House and to the committees of the Senate designated by the President of the Senate, an annual report outlining its planned revenues and expenditures. The Authority shall prepare an annual capital plan which identifies capital projects by location and details the project costs in correct dollar amounts. The Authority shall also prepare and file a ten-year capital plan that includes a listing of all capital improvement projects contemplated during the ensuing ten-year period. The first ten-year capital plan shall be filed in 1991 and thereafter on the anniversary of each ten-year period.

(f) It shall also be the duty of the Auditor General of the State of Illinois, annually to audit or cause to be audited the books and records of the Authority and to file a certified copy of the report of such audit with the Governor and with the Legislative Audit Commission, which audit reports, when so filed, shall be open to the public for inspection.

(g) The Authority shall hold a public hearing on its proposed annual budget, not less than 15 days before its directors meet to consider adoption of the annual budget, at which any person may appear, express opinions, suggestions, or objections, or direct inquiries relating to the proposed budget. The Authority must give notice of the hearing at least 15 days prior to the hearing stating the time, place, and purpose of the hearing in a daily newspaper of general circulation throughout the Authority's service area and by posting the meeting notice and a copy of the proposed budget on the Authority's website. The proceedings at the hearing shall be transcribed. The transcript shall be made available at reasonable hours for public inspection, and a copy of the transcript, together with a copy of all written statements submitted at the hearing, shall be submitted to the directors before the vote on adoption of the proposed annual budget.

(h) The Authority shall post on its website copies of its annual report and its budget for the current year, along with any other financial information necessary to adequately inform the public of the Authority's financial condition and capital plan.

(i) The requirements set forth in subsections (b) through (g) may not be construed or applied in a manner that impairs the rights of bondholders under any bond resolution or trust indenture entered into in accordance with a bond resolution authorized by the Authority's directors, nor may those requirements be construed as a limitation on the Authority's powers as set forth elsewhere in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-1067, eff. 1-15-05.)

(605 ILCS 10/27.1) (from Ch. 121, par. 100-27.1)

Sec. 27.1. Any person who shall use any spurious or counterfeit tickets, coupons or tokens in payment of any toll required to be paid by the Authority under the provisions of this Act, or who shall attempt to use the highway without payment of the tolls prescribed by the Authority, shall be deemed guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined not less than $5 nor more than $100 for each such offense. The fine range set forth in this Section for prosecution of toll evasion as a petty offense shall not apply to toll evasion offenses that are adjudicated in the Authority's administration system.

The provisions in this Section may be extended to other public toll facilities in this State through a duly executed intergovernmental agreement between the Authority and another public body Each day any toll highway is used by any person in violation of this Act shall constitute a separate offense.

(Source: P.A. 77-2239.)

(605 ILCS 10/27.2 new)

Sec. 27.2. Obstruction of registration plate visibility to electronic image recording.

(a) A person may not operate on a toll highway any motor vehicle that is equipped with tinted plastic or tinted glass registration plate covers or any covers, coating, wrappings, materials, streaking, distorting, holographic, reflective, or other devices that obstruct the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate. This subsection (a) shall not apply to automatic vehicle identification transponder devices, cards or chips issued by a governmental body or authorized by a governmental body for the purpose of electronic payment of tolls or other authorized payments, the exemption of which shall preempt any local legislation to the contrary.

(b) If a State or local law enforcement officer having jurisdiction observes that a cover or other device or material or substance is obstructing the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate, the officer shall issue a Uniform Traffic Citation and shall confiscate the cover or other device that obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate. If the State or local law enforcement officer having jurisdiction observes that the plate itself has been physically treated with a substance or material that is obstructing the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate, the officer shall issue a Uniform Traffic Citation and shall confiscate the plate. The Secretary of State shall revoke the registration of any plate that has been found by a court or administrative tribunal to have been physically altered with any chemical or reflective substance or coating that obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate. A fine of $750 shall be imposed in any instance where a plate cover obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate. A fine of $1,000 shall be imposed where a plate has been physically altered with any chemical or reflective substance or coating that obstructs the visibility or electronic image recording of the plate.

(c) The Illinois Attorney General may file suit against any individual or entity offering or marketing the sale, including via the Internet, of any product advertised as having the capacity to obstruct the visibility or electronic image recording of a license plate. In addition to injunctive and monetary relief, punitive damages, and attorneys fees, the suit shall also seek a full accounting of the records of all sales to residents of or entities within the State of Illinois.

(d) The provisions in this Section may be extended to other public toll facilities in the State of Illinois through a duly executed intergovernmental agreement between the Authority and another public body.

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