Bill Text: IL SR0806 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Illinois and Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission. Requires that the Commission prepare and issue a report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the public by December 31, 2010, recommending the best governmental structure for a public-private partnership to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance a high-speed rail system for Illinois and the Midwest.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-05-06 - Resolution Adopted; 059-000-000 [SR0806 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SR0806-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, High-speed rail is an efficient and
environmentally friendly means of transportation; and
WHEREAS, The State must be prepared to design, build,
finance, and maintain a high-speed rail system for the benefit
of the State's citizens; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois and
Midwest High-Speed Rail Commission is created for the purpose
of recommending the best governmental structure for a
public-private partnership to design, build, operate,
maintain, and finance a high-speed rail system for Illinois and
the Midwest; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall be composed of 19
members as follows:
(1) 10 public members appointed by the Governor;
(2) 3 members of the Illinois House of Representatives,
2 appointed by the Speaker of the House and one appointed
by the House Minority Leader;
(3) 3 members of the Illinois Senate, 2 appointed by
the Senate President and one appointed by the Senate
Minority Leader; and

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(4) 3 ex-officio members as follows:
(A) the Illinois Secretary of Transportation;
(B) the Executive Director of the Illinois
Commerce Commission; and
(C) the Executive Director of the Illinois State
Toll Highway Authority; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a person appointed as a public member of the
Commission must be a resident of this State; public members of
the Commission must include the following: (i) local elected
officials who have expressed interest in high-speed rail, (ii)
former elected officials with transportation policy expertise,
(iii) individuals with professional expertise in long-term
financing of infrastructure, and (iv) individuals with
expertise in transportation or railroad infrastructure
projects; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the appointed members shall reflect the
geographic diversity of the State and shall include
representation from all regions of the State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Governor shall designate one public
member of the Commission to serve as the chair of the
Commission and one public member to serve as the vice-chair of
the Commission; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That a member of the Commission is not entitled
to compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the travel
expenses incurred by the member while transacting Commission
business; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall meet at least monthly
at the times and places in this State that the chair
designates; members may participate in Commission meetings by
teleconference or video conference; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a majority of the members of the Commission
constitute a quorum for transacting Commission business; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall prepare and issue a
report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the public by
December 31, 2010, recommending the best governmental
structure for a public-private partnership to design, build,
operate, maintain, and finance a high-speed rail system for
Illinois and the Midwest; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report must include the following: (i)
recommendations for legislation, if statutory change is
required, or specific administrative regulations, if
regulatory change is required, to implement the recommended
high-speed rail system; (ii) sources for the funding of a

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high-speed rail system including private sources of capital and
revenue bonds; (iii) recommendations for integrating the
high-speed rail system into existing and planned Amtrak
expansions, airports, and public transportation systems; and
(iv) recommendations for federal, State, and local actions for
the development and implementation of a high-speed rail system;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall develop a process to
receive public and stakeholder input on opinions and proposals
for building, designing, maintaining, operating, and financing
a high-speed rail system for Illinois and the Midwest; the
process must include the solicitation and receipt of formal
expressions of interest and other testimony from global
high-speed rail operators including without limitation Amtrak;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall solicit and receive
formal testimony, both written and oral, from representatives
of the other states in the Midwest including without limitation
representatives from units of local government; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Commission shall work collaboratively
with the Illinois Department of Transportation on any planning
projects for high-speed rail administered by the Department to

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comply with federal high-speed rail requirements including
without limitation the solicitation of public input and
comments; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
shall provide administrative and other support to the
Commission; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the members of the Commission shall be
reimbursed for their travel expenses from appropriations to the
Illinois Department of Transportation available for that
purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate travel
control board.