Public Act 098-1010
 
SB3000 EnrolledLRB098 17577 MGM 52687 b


  
    AN ACT concerning State government.
  
 
    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 
Natural Resources Restoration Trust Fund Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
    "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
    "Fund" means the Natural Resources Restoration Trust Fund 
created in Section 10 of this Act.
 
    Section 10. The Natural Resources Restoration Trust Fund. 
    (a) There is hereby created in the State treasury the 
Natural Resources Restoration Trust Fund to receive deposits of 
moneys available from or intended for the investigation, 
assessment, restoration, or replacement of injured or damaged 
natural resources resulting from claims pursued under the laws 
of the United States, this State, or other statutory or common 
law.  The fund may receive deposits of moneys made available 
from any other source.  All moneys in the fund are to be 
invested and reinvested by the State Treasurer.  All interest 
accruing from these investments shall be deposited in the fund.  
Moneys received through settlement or litigation of claims for 
injured natural resources and directed at the restoration, 
rehabilitation, replacement, or the acquisition of the 
equivalent of injured natural resources and the benefits they 
provide, shall be available for those uses until the funds are 
expended.    
    (b) All moneys deposited into the fund shall be used by the 
Department of Natural Resources to:
        (1) Take necessary or appropriate action to 
    investigate and assess the nature and extent of injuries or 
    damage to Illinois natural resources and the benefits they 
    provide.
        (2) Take necessary or appropriate action to restore, 
    rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of 
    injured or damaged natural resources and the benefits they 
    provide.
        (3) Meet any requirements which must be met by the 
    State in order to obtain federal funds, or any other funds, 
    to address injury or damage to natural resources.
        (4) Pay for the cost of Department personnel, 
    contractual, professional, or technical services to review 
    or perform natural resource injury or damage assessments, 
    natural resource restoration or replacement actions, 
    environmental or ecological risk assessments, 
    environmental impact assessment actions, or other 
    activities related to environmental contamination of real 
    property. 
        (5) Administer the provisions of this Section.
    (c) The General Assembly shall annually appropriate to the 
fund such amounts as it deems necessary to fulfill the purposes 
of this Section.
    (d) The Department may accept, receive, and administer on 
behalf of the State any moneys made available to the State from 
any source for the purposes set forth in this Section.  These 
moneys may be in addition to any other funds otherwise 
appropriated to the Department for similar purposes.  Interest 
or income earned on moneys deposited into the fund shall be 
retained in the fund to be used by the Department pursuant to 
the provisions of this Section. 
 
    Section 900. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 
Section 5.855 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.855 new)
    Sec. 5.855. The Natural Resources Restoration Trust Fund.
 
 
    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.