Bill Text: IL HB4344 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Creates the Heroes Way Designation Program Act. Allows a person who is related to a member of the United States Armed Forces who was killed in action while performing active military duty to apply for a designation allowing the placement of an honorary sign along designated Illinois roads. Provides that honorary signs may be placed upon interstate or state-numbered highway interchanges or upon bridges or segments of highway on the State highway system. Provides requirements for petition and approval of applications by the General Assembly to designate a specified road. Provides that no interchange, bridge, or highway may be named or designated after more than one member of the United States Armed Forces killed in action, nor may a designated member of the United States Armed Forces be eligible for more than one interchange, bridge, or highway designation. Provides that any highway signs erected for any designation shall be erected and maintained for a 20-year period, after which the signs shall be subject to removal, and the interchange, bridge, or highway may be subject to a new designation, absent an application to retain designation. Defines "Department", "Secretary", and "United States Armed Forces".

Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2016-08-15 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0802 [HB4344 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB4344-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 099-0802
HB4344 Enrolled LRB099 15337 RJF 39579 b
AN ACT concerning transportation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Heroes
Way Designation Program Act.
Section 5. Purpose. This Act establishes a designation
program, to be known as the "Heroes Way Designation Program",
to honor the fallen Illinois heroes who have been killed in
action while performing active military duty with the United
States Armed Forces.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Department" means the Illinois Department of
Transportation.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Illinois Department
of Transportation.
"United States Armed Forces" means any branch of the United
States Military, including National Guard and military reserve
components.
Section 15. Heroes Way Designation Program.
(a) Any person who is related by marriage, adoption, or
consanguinity within the second degree to a member of the

United States Armed Forces who was killed in action while
performing active military duty with the Armed Forces, and who
was a resident of this State at the time he or she was killed in
action, may apply for a designation allowing the placement of
an honorary sign alongside roads designated under the
provisions of this Act.
(b) The honorary signs may be placed upon interstate or
state-numbered highway interchanges or upon bridges or
segments of highway under the jurisdiction of the Department
according to the provisions of this Section, and any applicable
federal and State limitations or conditions on highway signage,
including location and spacing.
(c) Any person described under subsection (a) of this
Section who desires to have an interstate or state-numbered
highway interchange or bridge or segment of highway under the
jurisdiction of the Department designated after his or her
family member shall petition the Department by submitting an
application in a form prescribed by the Secretary. The form
shall include the amount of the fee under subsection (d) of
this Section. The application must meet the following
requirements:
(1) describe the interstate or state-numbered highway
interchange or bridge or segment of highway under the
jurisdiction of the Department for which the designation is
sought and the proposed name of the interchange, bridge, or
relevant segment of highway. The application shall include

the name of at least one current member of the General
Assembly who will sponsor the designation. The application
may contain written testimony for support of the
designation;
(2) a signed form, prescribed by the Secretary,
certifying that the applicant is related by marriage,
adoption, or consanguinity within the second degree to the
member of the United States Armed Forces who was killed in
action; and
(3) the name of the member of the United States Armed
Forces for whom the designation is sought must be listed on
the National Gold Star Family Registry.
(d) After determining that the petitioner meets all of the
application requirements of subsection (c), the Department
shall submit a recommendation containing the proposed
designations to the sponsor in the General Assembly named in
the application. The Department shall be notified upon the
approval or denial of a proposed designation. Upon the approval
of a proposed designation, the petitioner shall submit a fee to
be determined by the Secretary to cover the costs of
constructing and maintaining the proposed signs on the
interchange, bridge, or segment of highway. The fee shall not
exceed the cost of constructing and maintaining each sign.
(e) The Department shall give notice of any proposed
designation under this Section on the Department's official
public website.

(f) Two signs shall be erected for each interchange,
bridge, or segment of highway designation processed under this
Section.
(g) No interchange, bridge, or segment of highway may be
named or designated under this Section if it carries an
existing designation. A designated member of the United States
Armed Forces shall not be eligible for more than one
interchange, bridge, or segment of highway designation under
this Section.
(h) All moneys received by the Department for the
construction and maintenance of interchange, bridge, or
segment of highway signs shall be deposited in the "Road Fund"
of the State treasury.
(i) The documents and fees required under this Section
shall be submitted to the Department.