Public Act 90-0591 of the 90th General Assembly
Public Act 90-0591
SB626 Enrolled LRB9002805KDccA
AN ACT concerning funds for the county cooperative
extension services, amending named Acts.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
amended by changing Section 40.42 as follows:
(20 ILCS 205/40.42)
Sec. 40.42. State Cooperative Extension Service Trust
Fund. The Department of Agriculture shall deposit into the
State Cooperative Extension Service Trust Fund, a trust fund
created outside the State treasury and held by the State
Treasurer as custodian, all funds appropriated to the
Department as matching funds and for the purpose of general
support for to support cooperative extension programs as
provided in the County Cooperative Extension Law. At the
direction of the Treasurer of the University of Illinois, the
Director of Agriculture shall direct the State Treasurer and
the State Comptroller to transfer the trust funds to the
University of Illinois as provided under Section 8(d) of the
County Cooperative Extension Law. The Department shall not
have responsibility for or control over the cooperative
extension service or its programs because of this trust fund.
(Source: P.A. 89-691, eff. 12-31-96.)
Section 10. The County Cooperative Extension Law is
amended by changing Section 8 as follows:
(505 ILCS 45/8) (from Ch. 5, par. 248)
Sec. 8. County extension education funds.
(a) The county governing board shall annually consider
the total budget certified by the county or multi-county
extension board in order to consider the total funds needed
for Cooperative Extension Service programs in the county. The
county governing board may appropriate and pay 75%, then
beginning on July 1, 1979, 70%, then beginning on July 1,
1980, 65%, then beginning on July 1, 1981, 60%, then
beginning on July 1, 1982, 55% and then beginning on July 1,
1983 and continuing thereafter, 50%, of the total so
determined from the general corporate fund or other available
funds or from an existing extension education tax of the
county for the extension educational program in the county or
multi-county group of which it is a part, provided that the
amount so appropriated shall not exceed $54,400 $25,200 in
counties of less than 10,000 inhabitants, $61,200 $28,350 in
counties of 10,000 or more but less than 20,000 inhabitants,
$68,000 $31,500 in counties of 20,000 or more but less than
30,000 inhabitants, $91,000 $42,000 in counties of 30,000 or
more but less than 50,000 inhabitants, $117,000 $54,000 in
counties of 50,000 or more but less than 100,000 inhabitants,
$156,000 $72,000 in counties of 100,000 or more but less than
250,000 inhabitants, $233,000 $108,000 in counties of 250,000
or more but less than 500,000 inhabitants, $311,000 $144,000
in counties of 500,000 or more but less than 1,000,000
inhabitants and $583,000 $270,000 in counties of 1,000,000 or
more inhabitants. The amount to be so appropriated by the
county governing board may be reduced by the total of any
private gifts or grants specifically made to support the
county extension programs included in such determination, and
may also be reduced by the fair market value of office space
furnished the Cooperative Extension Service by the county
governing board, provided it is suitable for extension needs
and meets the housing standards adopted by the Cooperative
Extension Service.
In order to provide matching funds, which shall not
exceed an amount equal to 50% of the funds needed as provided
herein, and funds for the purpose of general support to
counties for Cooperative Extension programs the State will
recognize those needs and may make an annual appropriation
from the Agricultural Premium Fund or any other source of
funding available, in an amount equal to 50% of the total
funds needed as provided herein.
On or before October 15 of each year, the director of
extension of the University of Illinois shall forward to the
Director of Agriculture, the Governor, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the
Minority Leader of the Senate, a report of the determinations
made by the various county governing boards of the total
funds needed for Cooperative Extension Service programs in
the respective counties. The State matching funds and funds
for the purpose of general support shall be included in an
appropriation request by the Department of Agriculture for
the next State fiscal year. That request shall be separate
and apart from the operating appropriation request for the
Department of Agriculture. The funds so appropriated by the
State to the Department of Agriculture shall be deposited
into the State Cooperative Extension Service Trust Fund and
transferred as provided in Section 8 (d) of this Act. The
Department of Agriculture shall have no responsibility for or
control over the cooperative extension service or its
programs.
All funds provided pursuant to this Act may be used for
operations or facilities.
(b) If sufficient funds are not available from the
general corporate fund or if sums greater than the maximum
listed above are needed for the county's share of the
extension education program, the county governing board shall
have the power to increase by not more than .05 per cent,
with approval by referendum, the maximum rate at which it
levies, or can levy, taxes for general county purposes. Such
additional rate shall not be included within any statutory
limitation or rate or amount for other county purposes and
shall be in addition thereto.
Any county that under this Cooperative Extension Law has
approved a rate by referendum prior to the effective date of
this amendment, shall have authority to continue such tax as
approved, but may use the provisions of this subsection as
amended provided that another referendum must be held if the
rate desired is greater than the rate previously approved.
(c) Upon approval by resolution the county board shall
certify the resolution and the question of the adoption of a
levy sufficient to produce the sums determined by the county
board to the proper election officials, who shall submit the
question to the electors of the county at an election in
accordance with the general election law. No such levy shall
be made until the adoption by majority vote of the electors
voting on the proposition.
(d) Funds received from local sources and funds
appropriated by the county governing board or the State for
the county extension education program in any county shall be
paid over to the University of Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 89-691, eff. 12-31-96.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
July 1, 1998.