HB0237eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0237 Engrossed LRB097 05944 RLJ 46013 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The American Civil War was a defining experience in the development of the United States. There is a resurgence of interest in the Civil War as shown by the publication of many printed resources and the creation of many exhibits, reenactments, research organizations, Internet and multimedia resources, historic parks, and preservation associations focused on the Civil War.

The years 2011 through 2015 mark the sesquicentennial of active hostilities during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The sesquicentennial of the Civil War presents a significant opportunity for Americans to recall and reflect upon the Civil War and its legacy, in a spirit of rededication and reflection, and to appreciate the sacrifice that American military members have made and are currently making to insure our nation's freedom and liberty.

The State of Illinois, as the home of President Abraham Lincoln, played a unique role in the events surrounding the Civil War. Before the war, Lincoln had been a long-time advocate of abolition and helped to raise awareness regarding the hypocrisy that allowed slavery to exist in a nation founded on the principals that all men are created equal.

Lincoln's public remarks and speeches helped to define the issues of the Civil War. Lincoln's earliest public remarks following Stephen A. Douglas' speech on the Kansas-Nebraska Act, legislation repealing the Missouri Compromise that concerned the westward expansion of slavery, on October 16, 1854 in Peoria set the parameters of debate. In accepting his nomination as U.S. Senate nominee, Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided Speech from the Old State Capitol in Springfield on June 16, 1858. The 7 debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858 were also important in previewing the issues of the 1860 presidential race and the Civil War. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates took place across Illinois occurring on August 21 in Ottawa, August 27 in Freeport, September 15 in Jonesboro, September 18 in Charleston, October 7 in Galesburg, October 13 in Quincy, and October 15 in Alton.

As the home of President Abraham Lincoln, and the source of 256,297 Union officers and servicemen organized in 169 separate regiments, Illinois had a unique role in the Civil War. The contribution of almost 2,000 African-Americans, enrolled in Illinois Civil War regiments, demands special recognition. Although not offered the same opportunities for promotion as other soldiers of similar rank, African-American soldiers proved to be, by Lincoln's own testimony, a decisive element in the Union's victory.

After President Lincoln's assassination, his body was brought to the House Chambers of the Old State Capitol to lie in state. This event marked the nation's grief for President Lincoln and the over 660,000 American's who lost their lives fighting for both sides during the Civil War. Lincoln was later interred in the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, and his memory is preserved and celebrated in the State-operated Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Section 10. Composition of the Commission. The Commission is composed of 17 members as follows:

(1) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, and one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(2) One member of the public appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member of the public appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one member of the public appointed by the President of the Senate, and one member of the public appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(3) 3 members of the public appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall serve as the chairperson; and

(4) 6 ex officio members as follows:

(A) the Governor or his or her designee;

(B) the Director of Historic Preservation or his or her designee;

(C) the Director of Natural Resources or his or her designee;

(D) the Illinois State Historian or his or her designee;

(E) the Director of the Lincoln Presidential Library or his or her designee; and

(F) the Director of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site or his or her designee.

Section 15. Ex officio members. An ex officio member of the Commission vacates the person's position on the Commission if the person ceases to hold the position that qualifies the person for service on the Commission.

Section 20. Compensation; expenses.

(a) A public member of the Commission is not entitled to compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the travel expenses incurred by the member while transacting Commission business.

(b) An ex officio member's service on the Commission is an additional duty of the underlying position that qualifies the member for service on the Commission. The entitlement of an ex officio member to compensation or to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while transacting Commission business is governed by the law that applies to the member's service in that underlying position, and any payment to the member for either purpose must be made from an appropriation that may be used for the purpose and is available to the State agency that the member serves in that underlying position.

Section 25. Meetings; quorum; voting.

(a) The Commission shall meet at least quarterly at the times and places in this State that the Commission designates.

(b) A majority of the members of the Commission constitute a quorum for transacting Commission business.

Section 30. General powers and duties of the Commission. The Commission shall:

(1) Work with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to plan and sponsor official Illinois Civil War Sesquicentennial events, programs, and activities appropriate to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.

(2) Encourage the development of programs designed to involve all citizens in activities that commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.

(3) Work with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to develop an official Illinois Civil War Sesquicentennial logo. Official Illinois Sesquicentennial events will be authorized to display this official logo as part of their public branding and identity.

(4) Work with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to develop a website for the Commission with a link to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's existing website commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

(5) Prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than October 31, 2011 and each October 31 thereafter through October 31, 2014 concerning the events for the next year.

Section 35. Administrative support. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission.

Section 40. Funding. The Commission may accept monetary gifts and grants from any public or private source, to be held in a non-appropriated trust fund by the State Treasurer and expended solely for the use of the Commission in performing the Commission's powers and duties under this Act. The Commission may also accept in-kind gifts.

Section 45. Dissolution of the Commission. The Commission shall be dissolved on December 31, 2015, and any assets remaining in the Commission's trust fund shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund.

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