January 11,
2008
To the
Honorable Members of the
Illinois House of Representatives
95th
General Assembly
Pursuant to Article IV, Section
9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 656,
entitled AN ACT concerning transportation., with the following specific
recommendations for change:
on page 14, line 16,
after 2-15, by inserting and by adding 2-15.2; and
on page 30, below line
16, by inserting the following:
(30 ILCS
740/2-15.2 new)
Sec. 2-15.2. Notwithstanding
any law to the contrary, no later than 60 days following the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, any fixed route public
transportation services provided by, or under grant or purchase of service
contracts of, every participant, as defined in Section 2-2.02 (1)(a), shall be
provided without charge to all senior citizen residents of the participant aged
65 and older, under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the participant.; and
on page 60, line 3, by replacing 12c and 50
with 12c, 50, and 51; and
on page 80, below line 3, by inserting
the following:
(70 ILCS 3605/51 new)
Sec. 51. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no later than 60
days following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th
General Assembly, any fixed route
public transportation services provided by, or under grant or purchase of
service contracts of, the Board shall be provided without charge to all senior
citizens of the Metropolitan Region (as such term is defined in 70 ILCS 3615/1.03)
aged 65 and older, under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the Board.
Section 16. The Local Mass Transit
District Act is amended by adding Section 8.6 as follows:
(70 ILCS 3610/8.6 new)
Sec. 8.6. Notwithstanding any law
to the contrary, no later than 60 days following the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, any fixed route public
transportation services provided by, or under grant or purchase of service
contracts of, every District shall
be provided without charge to all senior citizens of the District aged 65 and
older, under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the District.; and
on page 80, line 10, after 2.31,
by inserting 3A.15, 3B.14,; and
on page 128, below line 11, by inserting
the following:
(70 ILCS 3615/3A.15 new)
Sec. 3A.15. Notwithstanding any law
to the contrary, no later than 60 days following the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, any fixed route public
transportation services provided by, or under grant or purchase of service
contracts of, the Suburban Bus Board shall be provided without charge to all
senior citizens of the Metropolitan Region aged 65 and older, under such
conditions as shall be prescribed by the Suburban Bus Board.; and
on page 148, below line 12, by
inserting the following:
(70 ILCS 3615/3B.14 new)
Sec. 3B.14.
Notwithstanding any law to the
contrary, no later than 60 days
following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th
General Assembly, any fixed route public transportation services provided by,
or under grant or purchase of service contracts of, the Commuter Rail Board shall
be provided without charge to all senior citizens of the Metropolitan Region
aged 65 and older, under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the Commuter
Rail Board.
.
With these changes, House Bill 656 will have my approval. I
respectfully request your concurrence.
Sincerely,
ROD R.
BLAGOJEVICH
Governor