Illinois § 15

§ 15.

Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council. (a) There is established the Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council consisting of 20 voting members to be appointed by the Governor as provided in this Section. The Governor may, at his or her discretion, also appoint individuals to serve as additional non-voting members of the Council. (b) The Council shall include the following members: (1) One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor, who shall serve as a voting member and as Chairperson of the Council. (2) The State agency members of the Council shall include the head, or his or her designee, of each of the following State agencies or divisions thereof: (A) the Department of Agriculture; (B) the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; (C) the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; (D) the Department of Natural Resources; (E) the Department of Transportation; and (F) the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources. (3) The head, or his or her designee, of the: (A) Army Corp of Engineers; (B) the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC); (C) the Illinois State Water Survey; and (D) the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD). (4) Nine members representing local communities and not-for-profit organizations working to protect the rivers, business, agriculture, recreation, conservation, and the environment. (c) Members of the Council appointed under paragraph (4) of subsection (b) shall serve 2-year terms, except that of the initial appointments, 5 members shall be appointed to serve 2-year terms and 4 members to serve one-year terms. (d) Members of the Council shall meet at least quarterly, and meetings may be held in-person, by videoconference, or by telephone conference at the discretion of the Chairperson. (e) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be responsible for the operations of the Council, including, without limitation, funding and oversight of the Council's activities. Members of the Council shall serve without compensation, but the Office of the Lieutenant Governor may reimburse members of the Council for travel expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. (Source: P.A. 102-1008, eff. 1-1-23.)