Public Act 0485 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3523 Enrolled LRB102 09897 CPF 15215 b

Public Act 102-0485

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 Emergency Management Agency Act is amended by changing Sections 4 and 7 as follows:

(20 ILCS 3305/4) (from Ch. 127, par. 1054)

Sec. 4. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following words and terms have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section:

"Coordinator" means the staff assistant to the principal executive officer of a political subdivision with the duty of coordinating the emergency management programs of that political subdivision.

"Cyber incident" means an event occurring on or conducted through a computer network that actually or imminently jeopardizes the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of computers, information or communications systems or networks, physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by computers or information systems, or information resident thereon that affect or control infrastructure or communications networks utilized by the public. "Cyber incident" includes a vulnerability in information systems, system security procedures, internal controls, or implementations that could be exploited by a threat source that affect or control infrastructure or communications networks utilized by the public.

"Disaster" means an occurrence or threat of widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from any natural, or technological, or human cause, including but not limited to fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, hazardous materials spill or other water contamination requiring emergency action to avert danger or damage, epidemic, air contamination, blight, extended periods of severe and inclement weather, drought, infestation, critical shortages of essential fuels and energy, explosion, riot, hostile military or paramilitary action, public health emergencies, cyber incidents, or acts of domestic terrorism.

"Emergency Management" means the efforts of the State and the political subdivisions to develop, plan, analyze, conduct, provide, implement and maintain programs for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

"Emergency Services and Disaster Agency" means the agency by this name, by the name Emergency Management Agency, or by any other name that is established by ordinance within a political subdivision to coordinate the emergency management program within that political subdivision and with private organizations, other political subdivisions, the State and federal governments.

"Emergency Operations Plan" means the written plan of the State and political subdivisions describing the organization, mission, and functions of the government and supporting services for responding to and recovering from disasters and shall include plans that take into account the needs of those individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency.

"Emergency Services" means the coordination of functions by the State and its political subdivision, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, as may be necessary or proper to prevent, minimize, repair, and alleviate injury and damage resulting from any natural or technological causes. These functions include, without limitation, fire fighting services, police services, emergency aviation services, medical and health services, HazMat and technical rescue teams, rescue, engineering, warning services, communications, radiological, chemical and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from stricken or threatened areas, emergency assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services and other functions related to civilian protection, together with all other activities necessary or incidental to protecting life or property.

"Exercise" means a planned event realistically simulating a disaster, conducted for the purpose of evaluating the political subdivision's coordinated emergency management capabilities, including, but not limited to, testing the emergency operations plan.

"HazMat team" means a career or volunteer mobile support team that has been authorized by a unit of local government to respond to hazardous materials emergencies and that is primarily designed for emergency response to chemical or biological terrorism, radiological emergencies, hazardous material spills, releases, or fires, or other contamination events.

"Illinois Emergency Management Agency" means the agency established by this Act within the executive branch of State Government responsible for coordination of the overall emergency management program of the State and with private organizations, political subdivisions, and the federal government. Illinois Emergency Management Agency also means the State Emergency Response Commission responsible for the implementation of Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986.

"Mobile Support Team" means a group of individuals designated as a team by the Governor or Director to train prior to and to be dispatched, if the Governor or the Director so determines, to aid and reinforce the State and political subdivision emergency management efforts in response to a disaster.

"Municipality" means any city, village, and incorporated town.

"Political Subdivision" means any county, city, village, or incorporated town or township if the township is in a county having a population of more than 2,000,000.

"Principal Executive Officer" means chair of the county board, supervisor of a township if the township is in a county having a population of more than 2,000,000, mayor of a city or incorporated town, president of a village, or in their absence or disability, the interim successor as established under Section 7 of the Emergency Interim Executive Succession Act.

"Public health emergency" means an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition that:

(a) is believed to be caused by any of the following:

(i) bioterrorism;

(ii) the appearance of a novel or previously controlled or eradicated infectious agent or biological toxin;

(iii) a natural disaster;

(iv) a chemical attack or accidental release; or

(v) a nuclear attack or accident; and

(b) poses a high probability of any of the following harms:

(i) a large number of deaths in the affected population;

(ii) a large number of serious or long-term disabilities in the affected population; or

(iii) widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant risk of substantial future harm to a large number of people in the affected population.

"Statewide mutual aid organization" means an entity with local government members throughout the State that facilitates temporary assistance through its members in a particular public safety discipline, such as police, fire or emergency management, when an occurrence exceeds a member jurisdiction's capabilities.

"Technical rescue team" means a career or volunteer mobile support team that has been authorized by a unit of local government to respond to building collapse, high angle rescue, and other specialized rescue emergencies and that is primarily designated for emergency response to technical rescue events.

(Source: P.A. 100-587, eff. 6-4-18.)

(20 ILCS 3305/7) (from Ch. 127, par. 1057)

Sec. 7. Emergency Powers of the Governor. In the event of a disaster, as defined in Section 4, the Governor may, by proclamation declare that a disaster exists. Upon such proclamation, the Governor shall have and may exercise for a period not to exceed 30 days the following emergency powers; provided, however, that the lapse of the emergency powers shall not, as regards any act or acts occurring or committed within the 30-day period, deprive any person, firm, corporation, political subdivision, or body politic of any right or rights to compensation or reimbursement which he, she, it, or they may have under the provisions of this Act:

(1) To suspend the provisions of any regulatory statute prescribing procedures for conduct of State business, or the orders, rules and regulations of any State agency, if strict compliance with the provisions of any statute, order, rule, or regulation would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action, including emergency purchases, by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, in coping with the disaster.

(2) To utilize all available resources of the State government as reasonably necessary to cope with the disaster and of each political subdivision of the State.

(3) To transfer the direction, personnel or functions of State departments and agencies or units thereof for the purpose of performing or facilitating disaster response and recovery programs.

(4) On behalf of this State to take possession of, and to acquire full title or a lesser specified interest in, any personal property as may be necessary to accomplish the objectives set forth in Section 2 of this Act, including: airplanes, automobiles, trucks, trailers, buses, and other vehicles; coal, oils, gasoline, and other fuels and means of propulsion; explosives, materials, equipment, and supplies; animals and livestock; feed and seed; food and provisions for humans and animals; clothing and bedding; and medicines and medical and surgical supplies; and to take possession of and for a limited period occupy and use any real estate necessary to accomplish those objectives; but only upon the undertaking by the State to pay just compensation therefor as in this Act provided, and then only under the following provisions:

a. The Governor, or the person or persons as the Governor may authorize so to do, may forthwith take possession of property for and on behalf of the State; provided, however, that the Governor or persons shall simultaneously with the taking, deliver to the owner or his or her agent, if the identity of the owner or agency is known or readily ascertainable, a signed statement in writing, that shall include the name and address of the owner, the date and place of the taking, description of the property sufficient to identify it, a statement of interest in the property that is being so taken, and, if possible, a statement in writing, signed by the owner, setting forth the sum that he or she is willing to accept as just compensation for the property or use. Whether or not the owner or agent is known or readily ascertainable, a true copy of the statement shall promptly be filed by the Governor or the person with the Director, who shall keep the docket of the statements. In cases where the sum that the owner is willing to accept as just compensation is less than $1,000, copies of the statements shall also be filed by the Director with, and shall be passed upon by an Emergency Management Claims Commission, consisting of 3 disinterested citizens who shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, within 20 days after the Governor's declaration of a disaster, and if the sum fixed by them as just compensation be less than $1,000 and is accepted in writing by the owner, then the State Treasurer out of funds appropriated for these purposes, shall, upon certification thereof by the Emergency Management Claims Commission, cause the sum so certified forthwith to be paid to the owner. The Emergency Management Claims Commission is hereby given the power to issue appropriate subpoenas and to administer oaths to witnesses and shall keep appropriate minutes and other records of its actions upon and the disposition made of all claims.

b. When the compensation to be paid for the taking or use of property or interest therein is not or cannot be determined and paid under item a of this paragraph (4), a petition in the name of The People of the State of Illinois shall be promptly filed by the Director, which filing may be enforced by mandamus, in the circuit court of the county where the property or any part thereof was located when initially taken or used under the provisions of this Act praying that the amount of compensation to be paid to the person or persons interested therein be fixed and determined. The petition shall include a description of the property that has been taken, shall state the physical condition of the property when taken, shall name as defendants all interested parties, shall set forth the sum of money estimated to be just compensation for the property or interest therein taken or used, and shall be signed by the Director. The litigation shall be handled by the Attorney General for and on behalf of the State.

c. Just compensation for the taking or use of property or interest therein shall be promptly ascertained in proceedings and established by judgment against the State, that shall include, as part of the just compensation so awarded, interest at the rate of 6% per annum on the fair market value of the property or interest therein from the date of the taking or use to the date of the judgment; and the court may order the payment of delinquent taxes and special assessments out of the amount so awarded as just compensation and may make any other orders with respect to encumbrances, rents, insurance, and other charges, if any, as shall be just and equitable.

(5) When required by the exigencies of the disaster, to sell, lend, rent, give, or distribute all or any part of property so or otherwise acquired to the inhabitants of this State, or to political subdivisions of this State, or, under the interstate mutual aid agreements or compacts as are entered into under the provisions of subparagraph (5) of paragraph (c) of Section 6 to other states, and to account for and transmit to the State Treasurer all funds, if any, received therefor.

(6) To recommend the evacuation of all or part of the population from any stricken or threatened area within the State if the Governor deems this action necessary.

(7) To prescribe routes, modes of transportation, and destinations in connection with evacuation.

(8) To control ingress and egress to and from a disaster area, the movement of persons within the area, and the occupancy of premises therein.

(9) To suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of alcoholic beverages, firearms, explosives, and combustibles.

(10) To make provision for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing.

(11) A proclamation of a disaster shall activate the State Emergency Operations Plan, and political subdivision emergency operations plans applicable to the political subdivision or area in question and be authority for the deployment and use of any forces that the plan or plans apply and for use or distribution of any supplies, equipment, and materials and facilities assembled, stockpiled or arranged to be made available under this Act or any other provision of law relating to disasters.

(12) Control, restrict, and regulate by rationing, freezing, use of quotas, prohibitions on shipments, price fixing, allocation or other means, the use, sale or distribution of food, feed, fuel, clothing and other commodities, materials, goods, or services; and perform and exercise any other functions, powers, and duties as may be necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population.

(13) During the continuance of any disaster the Governor is commander-in-chief of the organized and unorganized militia and of all other forces available for emergency duty. To the greatest extent practicable, the Governor shall delegate or assign command authority to the Director to manage, coordinate, and direct all resources do so by orders issued at the time of the disaster.

(14) Prohibit increases in the prices of goods and services during a disaster.

(Source: P.A. 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)

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

Effective Date: 8/20/2021