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90_SB0299enr 415 ILCS 5/39 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1039 Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a subsequent owner of a new pollution control facility is not required to submit proof that the location of the facility has been approved pursuant to the local siting review process if the location has already been approved by a local siting body, the Pollution Control Board, or a court of competent jurisdiction prior to the transfer of ownership to the subsequent owner. LRB9000204DPcc SB299 Enrolled LRB9000204DPcc 1 AN ACT concerning utilities. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 3. The Illinois State Auditing Act is amended by 5 changing Section 3-1 as follows: 6 (30 ILCS 5/3-1) (from Ch. 15, par. 303-1) 7 Sec. 3-1. Jurisdiction of Auditor General. The Auditor 8 General has jurisdiction over all State agencies to make post 9 audits and investigations authorized by or under this Act or 10 the Constitution. 11 The Auditor General has jurisdiction over local 12 government agencies and private agencies only: 13 (a) to make such post audits authorized by or under 14 this Act as are necessary and incidental to a post audit 15 of a State agency or of a program administered by a State 16 agency involving public funds of the State, but this 17 jurisdiction does not include any authority to review 18 local governmental agencies in the obligation, receipt, 19 expenditure or use of public funds of the State that are 20 granted without limitation or condition imposed by law, 21 other than the general limitation that such funds be used 22 for public purposes; 23 (b) to make investigations authorized by or under 24 this Act or the Constitution; and 25 (c) to make audits of the records of local 26 government agencies to verify actual costs of 27 state-mandated programs when directed to do so by the 28 Legislative Audit Commission at the request of the State 29 Board of Appeals under the State Mandates Act. 30 In addition to the foregoing, the Auditor General may 31 conduct an audit of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition SB299 Enrolled -2- LRB9000204DPcc 1 Authority, the Regional Transportation Authority, the 2 Suburban Bus Division, the Commuter Rail Division and the 3 Chicago Transit Authority and any other subsidized carrier 4 when authorized by the Legislative Audit Commission. Such 5 audit may be a financial, management or program audit, or any 6 combination thereof. 7 The audit shall determine whether they are operating in 8 accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. Subject 9 to the limitations of this Act, the Legislative Audit 10 Commission may by resolution specify additional 11 determinations to be included in the scope of the audit. 12 The Auditor General may also conduct an audit, when 13 authorized by the Legislative Audit Commission, of any 14 hospital which receives 10% or more of its gross revenues 15 from payments from the State of Illinois, Department of 16 Public Aid, Medical Assistance Program. 17 The Auditor General is authorized to conduct financial 18 and compliance audits of the Illinois Distance Learning 19 Foundation and the Illinois Conservation Foundation. 20 As soon as practical after the effective date of this 21 amendatory Act of 1995, the Auditor General shall conduct a 22 compliance and management audit of the City of Chicago and 23 any other entity with regard to the operation of Chicago 24 O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway Airport and 25 Merrill C. Meigs Field. The audit shall include, but not be 26 limited to, an examination of revenues, expenses, and 27 transfers of funds; purchasing and contracting policies and 28 practices; staffing levels; and hiring practices and 29 procedures. When completed, the audit required by this 30 paragraph shall be distributed in accordance with Section 31 3-14. 32 The Auditor General shall conduct a financial and 33 compliance and program audit of distributions from the 34 Municipal Economic Development Fund during the immediately SB299 Enrolled -3- LRB9000204DPcc 1 preceding calendar year pursuant to Section 8-403.1 of the 2 Public Utilities Act at no cost to the city, village, or 3 incorporated town that received the distributions. 4 (Source: P.A. 88-146; 88-591, eff. 8-20-94; 89-386, eff. 5 8-18-95.) 6 Section 5. The Electricity Excise Tax Law is amended by 7 changing Sections 2-7 and 2-9 as follows: 8 (35 ILCS 640/2-7) 9 Sec. 2-7. Collection of electricity excise tax. 10 (a) Beginning with bills for electricity or electric 11 service issued on and after August 1, 1998, the tax imposed 12 by this Law shall be collected from the purchaser, other than 13 a self-assessing purchaser where the delivering supplier or 14 suppliers are notified by the Department that the purchaser 15 has been registered as a self-assessing purchaser for the 16 accounts listed by the self-assessing purchaser as described 17 in Section 2-10 of this Law, by any delivering supplier 18 maintaining a place of business in this State at the rates 19 stated in Section 2-4 with respect to the electricity 20 delivered by such delivering supplier to or for the 21 purchaser, and shall be remitted to the Department as 22 provided in Section 2-9 of this Law. All sales to a purchaser 23 are presumed subject to tax collection unless the Department 24 notifies the delivering supplier that the purchaser has been 25 registered as a self-assessing purchaser for the accounts 26 listed by the self-assessing purchaser as described in 27 Section 2-10 of this Law. Upon receipt of notification by 28 the Department, the delivering supplier is relieved of all 29 liability for the collection and remittance of tax from the 30 self-assessing purchaser for which notification was provided 31 by the Department. The delivering supplier is relieved of 32 the liability for the collection of the tax from a SB299 Enrolled -4- LRB9000204DPcc 1 self-assessing purchaser until such time as the delivering 2 supplier is notified in writing by the Department that the 3 purchaser's certification as a self-assessing purchaser is no 4 longer in effect. Delivering suppliers shall collect the tax 5 from purchasers by adding the tax to the amount of the 6 purchase price received from the purchaser for delivering 7 electricity for or to the purchaser. Where a delivering 8 supplier does not collect the tax from a purchaser, other 9 than a self-assessing purchaser, as provided herein, such 10 purchaser shall pay the tax directly to the Department. 11 (b) The credit allowed to a public utility under Section 12 8-403.1 of the Public Utilities Act shall be allowed as a 13 credit against the public utility's obligation to remit 14 electricity excise tax described in Section 2-9. 15 (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 8-1-98; 90-624, eff. 7-10-98.) 16 (35 ILCS 640/2-9) 17 Sec. 2-9. Return and payment of tax by delivering 18 supplier. Each delivering supplier who is required or 19 authorized to collect the tax imposed by this Law shall make 20 a return to the Department on or before the 15th day of each 21 month for the preceding calendar month stating the following: 22 (1) The delivering supplier's name. 23 (2) The address of the delivering supplier's 24 principal place of business and the address of the 25 principal place of business (if that is a different 26 address) from which the delivering supplier engaged in 27 the business of delivering electricity in this State. 28 (3) The total number of kilowatt-hours which the 29 supplier delivered to or for purchasers during the 30 preceding calendar month and upon the basis of which the 31 tax is imposed. 32 (4) Amount of tax, computed upon Item (3) at the 33 rates stated in Section 2-4. SB299 Enrolled -5- LRB9000204DPcc 1 (5) An adjustment for uncollectible amounts of tax 2 in respect of prior period kilowatt-hour deliveries, 3 determined in accordance with rules and regulations 4 promulgated by the Department. 5 (5.5) The amount of credits to which the taxpayer 6 is entitled on account of purchases made under Section 7 8-403.1 of the Public Utilities Act. 8 (6) Such other information as the Department 9 reasonably may require. 10 In making such return the delivering supplier may use any 11 reasonable method to derive reportable "kilowatt-hours" from 12 the delivering supplier's records. 13 If the average monthly tax liability to the Department of 14 the delivering supplier does not exceed $2,500, the 15 Department may authorize the delivering supplier's returns to 16 be filed on a quarter-annual basis, with the return for 17 January, February and March of a given year being due by 18 April 30 of such year; with the return for April, May and 19 June of a given year being due by July 31 of such year; with 20 the return for July, August and September of a given year 21 being due by October 31 of such year; and with the return for 22 October, November and December of a given year being due by 23 January 31 of the following year. 24 If the average monthly tax liability to the Department of 25 the delivering supplier does not exceed $1,000, the 26 Department may authorize the delivering supplier's returns to 27 be filed on an annual basis, with the return for a given year 28 being due by January 31 of the following year. 29 Such quarter-annual and annual returns, as to form and 30 substance, shall be subject to the same requirements as 31 monthly returns. 32 Notwithstanding any other provision in this Law 33 concerning the time within which a delivering supplier may 34 file a return, any such delivering supplier who ceases to SB299 Enrolled -6- LRB9000204DPcc 1 engage in a kind of business which makes the person 2 responsible for filing returns under this Law shall file a 3 final return under this Law with the Department not more than 4 one month after discontinuing such business. 5 Each delivering supplier whose average monthly liability 6 to the Department under this Law was $10,000 or more during 7 the preceding calendar year, excluding the month of highest 8 liability and the month of lowest liability in such calendar 9 year, and who is not operated by a unit of local government, 10 shall make estimated payments to the Department on or before 11 the 7th, 15th, 22nd and last day of the month during which 12 tax liability to the Department is incurred in an amount not 13 less than the lower of either 22.5% of such delivering 14 supplier's actual tax liability for the month or 25% of such 15 delivering supplier's actual tax liability for the same 16 calendar month of the preceding year. The amount of such 17 quarter-monthly payments shall be credited against the final 18 tax liability of such delivering supplier's return for that 19 month. An outstanding credit approved by the Department or a 20 credit memorandum issued by the Department arising from such 21 delivering supplier's overpayment of his or her final tax 22 liability for any month may be applied to reduce the amount 23 of any subsequent quarter-monthly payment or credited against 24 the final tax liability of such delivering supplier's return 25 for any subsequent month. If any quarter-monthly payment is 26 not paid at the time or in the amount required by this 27 Section, such delivering supplier shall be liable for penalty 28 and interest on the difference between the minimum amount due 29 as a payment and the amount of such payment actually and 30 timely paid, except insofar as such delivering supplier has 31 previously made payments for that month to the Department in 32 excess of the minimum payments previously due. 33 If the Director finds that the information required for 34 the making of an accurate return cannot reasonably be SB299 Enrolled -7- LRB9000204DPcc 1 compiled by such delivering supplier within 15 days after the 2 close of the calendar month for which a return is to be made, 3 the Director may grant an extension of time for the filing of 4 such return for a period not to exceed 31 calendar days. The 5 granting of such an extension may be conditioned upon the 6 deposit by such delivering supplier with the Department of an 7 amount of money not exceeding the amount estimated by the 8 Director to be due with the return so extended. All such 9 deposits shall be credited against such delivering supplier's 10 liabilities under this Law. If the deposit exceeds such 11 delivering supplier's present and probable future liabilities 12 under this Law, the Department shall issue to such delivering 13 supplier a credit memorandum, which may be assigned by such 14 delivering supplier to a similar person under this Law, in 15 accordance with reasonable rules and regulations to be 16 prescribed by the Department. 17 The delivering supplier making the return provided for in 18 this Section shall, at the time of making such return, pay to 19 the Department the amount of tax imposed by this Law. 20 A delivering supplier who has an average monthly tax 21 liability of $10,000 or more shall make all payments 22 required by rules of the Department by electronic funds 23 transfer. The term "average monthly tax liability" shall be 24 the sum of the delivering supplier's liabilities under this 25 Law for the immediately preceding calendar year divided by 26 12. Any delivering supplier not required to make payments 27 by electronic funds transfer may make payments by electronic 28 funds transfer with the permission of the Department. All 29 delivering suppliers required to make payments by electronic 30 funds transfer and any delivering suppliers authorized to 31 voluntarily make payments by electronic funds transfer shall 32 make those payments in the manner authorized by the 33 Department. 34 Each month the Department shall pay into the Public SB299 Enrolled -8- LRB9000204DPcc 1 Utility Fund in the State treasury an amount determined by 2 the Director to be equal to 3.0% of the funds received by the 3 Department pursuant to this Section. The remainder of all 4 moneys received by the Department under this Section shall be 5 paid into the General Revenue Fund in the State treasury. 6 (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 8-1-98.) 7 Section 10. The Public Utilities Act is amended by 8 changing Section 8-403.1 as follows: 9 (220 ILCS 5/8-403.1) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-403.1) 10 Sec. 8-403.1. Electricity purchased from qualified solid 11 waste energy facility; tax credit; distributions for economic 12 development. 13 (a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State 14 to encourage the development of alternate energy production 15 facilities in order to conserve our energy resources and to 16 provide for their most efficient use. 17 (b) For the purpose of this Section and Section 9-215.1, 18 "qualified solid waste energy facility" means a facility 19 determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission to qualify as 20 such under the Local Solid Waste Disposal Act, to use methane 21 gas generated from landfills as its primary fuel, and to 22 possess characteristics that would enable it to qualify as a 23 cogeneration or small power production facility under federal 24 law. 25 (c) In furtherance of the policy declared in this 26 Section, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require 27 electric utilities to enter into long-term contracts to 28 purchase electricity from qualified solid waste energy 29 facilities located in the electric utility's service area, 30 for a period beginning on the date that the facility begins 31 generating electricity and having a duration of not less than 32 10 years in the case of facilities fueled by SB299 Enrolled -9- LRB9000204DPcc 1 landfill-generated methane, or 20 years in the case of 2 facilities fueled by methane generated from a landfill owned 3 by a forest preserve district. The purchase rate contained 4 in such contracts shall be equal to the average amount per 5 kilowatt-hour paid from time to time by the unit or units of 6 local government in which the electricity generating 7 facilities are located, excluding amounts paid for street 8 lighting and pumping service. 9 (d) Whenever a public utility is required to purchase 10 electricity pursuant to subsection (c) above, it shall be 11 entitled to credits in respect of its obligations to remit to 12 the Statepaytaxes it has collected under the Electricity 13 Excise Tax LawPublic Utilities Revenue Actequal to the 14 amounts, if any, by which payments for such electricity 15 exceed (i) the then current rate at which the utility must 16 purchase the output of qualified facilities pursuant to the 17 federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, less 18 (ii) any costs, expenses, losses, damages or other amounts 19 incurred by the utility, or for which it becomes liable, 20 arising out of its failure to obtain such electricity from 21 such other sources. The amount of any such credit shall, in 22 the first instance, be determined by the utility, which shall 23 make a monthly report of such credits to the Illinois 24 Commerce Commission and, on its monthly tax return, to the 25 Illinois Department of Revenue. Under no circumstances shall 26 a utility be required to purchase electricity from a 27 qualified solid waste energy facility at the rate prescribed 28 in subsection (c) of this Section if such purchase would 29 result in estimated tax credits that exceed, on a monthly 30 basis, the utility's estimated obligation to remit to the 31 Statepaytaxes it has collected under the Electricity Excise 32 Tax LawPublic Utilities Revenue Act. The owner or operator 33 shall negotiate facility operating conditions with the 34 purchasing utility in accordance with that utility's posted SB299 Enrolled -10- LRB9000204DPcc 1 standard terms and conditions for small power producers. If 2 the Department of Revenue disputes the amount of any such 3 credit, such dispute shall be decided by the Illinois 4 Commerce Commission. Whenever a qualified solid waste energy 5 facility has paid or otherwise satisfied in full the capital 6 costs or indebtedness incurred in developing and implementing 7 the qualified facility, the qualified facility shall 8 reimburse the Public UtilityUtilitiesFund and the General 9 Revenue Fund in the State treasury for the actual reduction 10 in payments to those Fundsthat Fundcaused by this 11 subsection (d) in a manner to be determined by the Illinois 12 Commerce Commission and based on the manner in which revenues 13 for those Fundsthat Fundwere reduced. 14 (e) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall not require 15 an electric utility to purchase electricity from any 16 qualified solid waste energy facility which is owned or 17 operated by an entity that is primarily engaged in the 18 business of producing or selling electricity, gas, or useful 19 thermal energy from a source other than one or more qualified 20 solid waste energy facilities. 21 (f) This Section does not require an electric utility to 22 construct additional facilities unless those facilities are 23 paid for by the owner or operator of the affected qualified 24 solid waste energy facility. 25 (g) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall require that: 26 (1) electric utilities use the electricity purchased from a 27 qualified solid waste energy facility to displace electricity 28 generated from nuclear power or coal mined and purchased 29 outside the boundaries of the State of Illinois before 30 displacing electricity generated from coal mined and 31 purchased within the State of Illinois, to the extent 32 possible, and (2) electric utilities report annually to the 33 Commission on the extent of such displacements. 34 (h) Nothing in this Section is intended to cause an SB299 Enrolled -11- LRB9000204DPcc 1 electric utility that is required to purchase power hereunder 2 to incur any economic loss as a result of its purchase. All 3 amounts paid for power which a utility is required to 4 purchase pursuant to subparagraph (c) shall be deemed to be 5 costs prudently incurred for purposes of computing charges 6 under rates authorized by Section 9-220 of this Act. Tax 7 credits provided for herein shall be reflected in charges 8 made pursuant to rates so authorized to the extent such 9 credits are based upon a cost which is also reflected in such 10 charges. 11 (i) Beginning in February 1999 and through January 2009, 12 each qualified solid waste energy facility that sells 13 electricity to an electric utility at the purchase rate 14 described in subsection (c) shall file with the State 15 Treasurer on or before the 15th of each month a form, 16 prescribed by the State Treasurer, that states the number of 17 kilowatt hours of electricity for which payment was received 18 at that purchase rate from electric utilities in Illinois 19 during the immediately preceding month. This form shall be 20 accompanied by a payment from the qualified solid waste 21 energy facility in an amount equal to six-tenths of a mill 22 ($0.0006) per kilowatt hour of electricity stated on the 23 form. Payments received by the State Treasurer shall be 24 deposited into the Municipal Economic Development Fund, a 25 trust fund created outside the State treasury. The State 26 Treasurer may invest the moneys in the Fund in any investment 27 authorized by the Public Funds Investment Act, and investment 28 income shall be deposited into and become part of the Fund. 29 Moneys in the Fund shall be used by the State Treasurer as 30 provided in subsection (j). The obligation of a qualified 31 solid waste energy facility to make payments into the 32 Municipal Economic Development Fund shall terminate upon 33 either: (1) expiration or termination of a facility's 34 contract to sell electricity to an electric utility at the SB299 Enrolled -12- LRB9000204DPcc 1 purchase rate described in subsection (c); or (2) entry of an 2 enforceable, final, and non-appealable order by a court of 3 competent jurisdiction that Public Act 89-448 is invalid. 4 Payments by a qualified solid waste energy facility into the 5 Municipal Economic Development Fund do not relieve the 6 qualified solid waste energy facility of its obligation to 7 reimburse the Public Utility Fund and the General Revenue 8 Fund for the actual reduction in payments to those Funds as a 9 result of credits received by electric utilities under 10 subsection (d). 11 (j) The State Treasurer, without appropriation, must 12 make distributions immediately after January 15, April 15, 13 July 15, and October 15 of each year, up to maximum aggregate 14 distributions of $500,000 for the distributions made in the 4 15 quarters beginning with the April distribution and ending 16 with the January distribution, from the Municipal Economic 17 Development Fund to each city, village, or incorporated town 18 that has within its boundaries an incinerator that: (1) uses 19 municipal waste as its primary fuel to generate electricity; 20 (2) was determined by the Illinois Commerce Commission to 21 qualify as a qualified solid waste energy facility prior to 22 the effective date of Public Act 89-448; and (3) commenced 23 operation prior to January 1, 1998. Total distributions in 24 the aggregate to all qualified cities, villages, and 25 incorporated towns in the 4 quarters beginning with the April 26 distribution and ending with the January distribution shall 27 not exceed $500,000. The amount of each distribution shall 28 be determined pro rata based on the population of the city, 29 village, or incorporated town compared to the total 30 population of all cities, villages, and incorporated towns 31 eligible to receive a distribution. Distributions received 32 by a city, village, or incorporated town must be held in a 33 separate account and may be used only to promote and enhance 34 industrial, commercial, residential, service, transportation, SB299 Enrolled -13- LRB9000204DPcc 1 and recreational activities and facilities within its 2 boundaries, thereby enhancing the employment opportunities, 3 public health and general welfare, and economic development 4 within the community, including administrative expenditures 5 exclusively to further these activities. These funds, 6 however, shall not be used by the city, village, or 7 incorporated town, directly or indirectly, to purchase, 8 lease, operate, or in any way subsidize the operation of any 9 incinerator, and these funds shall not be paid, directly or 10 indirectly, by the city, village, or incorporated town to the 11 owner, operator, lessee, shareholder, or bondholder of any 12 incinerator. Moreover, these funds shall not be used to pay 13 attorneys fees in any litigation relating to the validity of 14 Public Act 89-448. Nothing in this Section prevents a city, 15 village, or incorporated town from using other corporate 16 funds for any legitimate purpose. For purposes of this 17 subsection, the term "municipal waste" has the meaning 18 ascribed to it in Section 3.21 of the Environmental 19 Protection Act. 20 (k) If maximum aggregate distributions of $500,000 under 21 subsection (j) have been made after the January distribution 22 from the Municipal Economic Development Fund, then the 23 balance in the Fund shall be refunded to the qualified solid 24 waste energy facilities that made payments that were 25 deposited into the Fund during the previous 12-month period. 26 The refunds shall be prorated based upon the facility's 27 payments in relation to total payments for that 12-month 28 period. 29 (l) Beginning January 1, 2000, and each January 1 30 thereafter, each city, village, or incorporated town that 31 received distributions from the Municipal Economic 32 Development Fund, continued to hold any of those 33 distributions, or made expenditures from those distributions 34 during the immediately preceding year shall submit to a SB299 Enrolled -14- LRB9000204DPcc 1 financial and compliance and program audit of those 2 distributions performed by the Auditor General at no cost to 3 the city, village, or incorporated town that received the 4 distributions. The audit should be completed by June 30 or 5 as soon thereafter as possible. The audit shall be submitted 6 to the State Treasurer and those officers enumerated in 7 Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act. If the 8 Auditor General finds that distributions have been expended 9 in violation of this Section, the Auditor General shall refer 10 the matter to the Attorney General. The Attorney General may 11 recover, in a civil action, 3 times the amount of any 12 distributions illegally expended. For purposes of this 13 subsection, the terms "financial audit," "compliance audit", 14 and "program audit" have the meanings ascribed to them in 15 Sections 1-13 and 1-15 of the Illinois State Auditing Act. 16 (Source: P.A. 89-448, eff. 3-14-96.) 17 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 18 becoming law.