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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Due to the complexity of the Property Tax Code,
3 there is a wide disparity in the methods by which county and
4 township assessment officials have assessed wooded land in the
5 State; and
 
6     WHEREAS, This is a pressing problem requiring the urgent
7 attention of the General Assembly, the Governor, and other
8 State and local officials; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
11 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Wooded Land Assessment Task
12 Force is created concerning the assessment of wooded land and
13 property under forestry management programs; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the task force shall consist of 12 voting
15 members as follows:
16         (1) 4 members of the General Assembly appointed, one
17     each, by the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader
18     of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
19     and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;
20         (2) one member appointed by the Governor;
21         (3) the Director of Revenue or his or her designee, who
22     shall serve as chair of the task force;
23         (4) the Director of Natural Resources or his or her
24     designee;
25         (5) the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee;
26         (6) one member appointed by the University of Illinois;
27         (7) one member appointed by Southern Illinois
28     University;
29         (6) one member, appointed by the Governor, who serves
30     or has served as a county or township assessment official;
31     and
32         (7) one member, appointed by the Governor, who has

 

 

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1     knowledge of farming and agricultural practices; and be it
2     further
 
3     RESOLVED, That the Department of Revenue shall provide
4 staff and administrative support services to the task force;
5 and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That task force members shall serve without
7 compensation, but may be reimbursed for their reasonable travel
8 expenses from funds available for that purpose; and be it
9 further
 
10     RESOLVED, That the task force shall gather information and
11 make recommendations to the Governor and to the General
12 Assembly regarding procedures and policies for: (1) the
13 assessment of wooded land; and (ii) the assessment of property
14 under a certified forestry management program under Section
15 10-50 of the Property Tax Code; and be it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That the task force must submit a report to the
17 Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2006
18 concerning its findings and recommendations; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That if, during the 2005 taxable year, any parcel
20 of wooded land was valued based upon its productivity index
21 equalized assessed value as cropland, then we urge the
22 Department of Revenue to accept any similar valuation of that
23 wooded land for the 2006 and 2007 taxable years; and be it
24 further
 
25     RESOLVED, That, for the purpose of this Resolution, "wooded
26 land" means any parcel of unimproved real property that: (i)
27 does not qualify as cropland, permanent pasture, other
28 farmland, or wasteland under Section 10-125 of the Property Tax
29 Code; and (ii) is not managed under a forestry management plan
30 and considered to be other farmland under Section 10-150 of the

 

 

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1 Property Tax Code; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be delivered to
3 the Governor, the Director of Revenue, the Director of Natural
4 Resources, the Director of Agriculture, the President of the
5 University of Illinois, and the President of Southern Illinois
6 University.