SB0135 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 05132 CMK 25203 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0135

Introduced 1/31/2007, by Sen. John J. Cullerton

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 655/4	from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 604
20 ILCS 3105/10.04	from Ch. 127, par. 780.04

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Provides that a private development is qualified to become and is an enterprise zone and eligible for all the benefits of an enterprise zone if it (i) achieves certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines, standards, or systems, and (ii) is selected through a request for proposals by the Capital Development Board. Amends the Capital Development Board Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board shall issue a request for proposals by December 31, 2008 to select 3 model private developments that are designated by specified organizations as achieving certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines on a neighborhood scale. Provides that the model projects shall be designated as such to receive the benefits attained through Illinois Enterprise Zones for a period of 5 years.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Enterprise Zone Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(20 ILCS 655/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 604)

Sec. 4. Qualifications for Enterprise Zones. (1) An area is qualified to become an enterprise zone which:

(a) is a contiguous area, provided that a zone area may exclude wholly surrounded territory within its boundaries;

(b) comprises a minimum of one-half square mile and not more than 12 square miles, or 15 square miles if the zone is located within the jurisdiction of 4 or more counties or municipalities, in total area, exclusive of lakes and waterways; however, in such cases where the enterprise zone is a joint effort of three or more units of government, or two or more units of government if situated in a township which is divided by a municipality of 1,000,000 or more inhabitants, and where the certification has been in effect at least one year, the total area shall comprise a minimum of one-half square mile and not more than thirteen square miles in total area exclusive of lakes and waterways;

(c) is a depressed area;

(d) satisfies any additional criteria established by regulation of the Department consistent with the purposes of this Act; and

(e) is (1) entirely within a municipality or (2) entirely within the unincorporated areas of a county, except where reasonable need is established for such zone to cover portions of more than one municipality or county or (3) both comprises (i) all or part of a municipality and (ii) an unincorporated area of a county.

(2) Any criteria established by the Department or by law which utilize the rate of unemployment for a particular area shall provide that all persons who are not presently employed and have exhausted all unemployment benefits shall be considered unemployed, whether or not such persons are actively seeking employment.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a private development is qualified to become and is an enterprise zone and eligible for all the benefits of an enterprise zone if it (i) achieves certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines, standards, or systems and (ii) is selected through a request for proposals by the Capital Development Board under Section 10.04 of the Capital Development Board Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-803.)

Section 10. The Capital Development Board Act is amended by changing Section 10.04 as follows:

(20 ILCS 3105/10.04) (from Ch. 127, par. 780.04)

Sec. 10.04. Construction and repair of buildings; green building.

(a) To construct and repair, or contract for and supervise the construction and repair of, buildings under the control of or for the use of any State agency, as authorized by the General Assembly. To the maximum extent feasible, any construction or repair work shall utilize the best available technologies for minimizing building energy costs as determined through consultation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

(b) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Board shall initiate a series of training workshops across the State to increase awareness and understanding of green building techniques and green building rating systems. The workshops shall be designed for relevant State agency staff, construction industry personnel, and other interested parties.

The Board shall identify no less than 3 construction projects to serve as case studies for achieving certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building guidelines, standards, or systems approved by the State. Consideration shall be given for a variety of representative building types in different geographic regions of the State to provide additional information and data related to the green building design and construction process. The Board shall report its findings to the General Assembly following the completion of the case study projects and in no case later than December 31, 2008.

The Board shall establish a Green Building Advisory Committee to assist the Board in determining guidelines for which State construction and major renovation projects should be developed to green building standards. The guidelines should take into account the size and type of buildings, financing considerations, and other appropriate criteria. The guidelines must take effect within 3 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly and are subject to Board approval or adoption. In addition to using a green building rating system in the building design process, the Committee shall consider the feasibility of requiring certain State construction projects to be certified using a green building rating system.

This subsection (b) of this Section is repealed on January 1, 2009.

The Board shall issue a request for proposals by December 31, 2008 to select 3 model private developments that are designated by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the National Resources Defense Council as achieving certification using nationally recognized and accepted green building and sensible growth guidelines, standards, or systems on a neighborhood scale. The model projects shall be designated as such to receive the benefits attained through Illinois Enterprise Zone Act for a period of 5 years.

(Source: P.A. 94-573, eff. 1-1-06.)