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92_SB1708 LRB9215587BDdv 1 AN ACT concerning the steel industry. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Community 5 Affairs Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 6 amended by adding Section 605-425 as follows: 7 (20 ILCS 605/605-425 new) 8 Sec. 605-425. Illinois Steel Development Board. 9 (a) The Illinois Steel Development Board is established 10 as an advisory board to the Department of Commerce and 11 Community Affairs. The Board shall be composed of the 12 following voting members: the Director of Commerce and 13 Community Affairs, who shall be Chairman of the Board, the 14 Deputy Director of the Bureau of Business Development within 15 the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 4 members 16 of the General Assembly (one each appointed by the President 17 of the Senate, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the 18 House, and the House Minority Leader), and 8 persons 19 appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the 20 Senate. Members appointed by the Governor must include 21 representatives of Illinois industries that are involved in 22 the production, use, or transportation of American and 23 Canadian steel, representatives of financial or banking 24 interests in the State, and persons experienced in 25 international business and economic development. Members 26 appointed by the Governor shall be chosen from persons of 27 recognized ability and experience in their designated field. 28 The members appointed by the Governor shall serve for 29 terms of 4 years. The initial terms of the original 30 appointees shall expire on July 1, 2006. A member appointed 31 by a legislative leader shall serve for the duration of the -2- LRB9215587BDdv 1 General Assembly for which he or she is appointed, so long as 2 the member remains a member of that General Assembly. 3 The Board shall meet at least annually or at the call of 4 the Chairman. At any time the majority of the Board may 5 petition the Chairman for a meeting of the Board. Nine 6 members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. 7 Members of the Board shall be reimbursed for actual and 8 necessary expenses incurred while performing their duties as 9 members of the Board from funds appropriated to the 10 Department for that purpose. 11 (b) The Board shall provide advice and make 12 recommendations to the Department of Commerce and Community 13 Affairs on the following: 14 (1) The development of an annual agenda that may 15 include, but is not limited to, research, marketing, and 16 promotional methodologies conducted for the purpose of 17 increasing the use of American and Canadian steel 18 produced, used, or transported by Illinois companies with 19 emphasis on the following areas: maintaining and 20 increasing employment of Illinois workers in the steel 21 industry; steel preparation and characterization; 22 marketing; public awareness and education; 23 transportation; and environmental impacts. 24 (2) The support and coordination of American and 25 Canadian steel research, marketing, and promotion; the 26 approval of projects consistent with the annual agenda 27 and budget for steel research, marketing, and promotion; 28 and the approval of the annual budget and operating plan 29 for administration of the Board. 30 (3) The promotion and coordination of available 31 research, marketing, and promotional information on the 32 production, preparation, distribution, and uses of 33 American and Canadian steel. The Board shall advise the 34 existing research institutions within the State on areas -3- LRB9215587BDdv 1 where research may be necessary. 2 (4) The cooperation to the fullest extent possible 3 with State and federal agencies and departments, 4 independent organizations, and other interested groups, 5 public and private, for the purposes of promoting 6 American and Canadian steel resources. 7 (5) The submission of an annual report to the 8 Governor and the General Assembly outlining the progress 9 and accomplishments made during the calendar year and 10 furnishing other relevant information. 11 (6) Focusing on existing steel research, marketing, 12 and promotion efforts in carrying out its mission, ways 13 to make use of existing facilities in Illinois or other 14 institutions carrying out research, marketing, and 15 promotion on American and Canadian steel and, as far as 16 practical, to make maximum use of the facilities 17 available in Illinois, including universities and 18 colleges located within the State of Illinois, and the 19 creation of a consortium or center that conducts, 20 coordinates, and supports steel research, promotion, and 21 marketing activities in the State of Illinois. 22 Programmatic activities of the consortium or center shall 23 be subject to approval by the Department and shall be 24 consistent with the purposes of this Section. The 25 Department may authorize the expenditure of funds in 26 support of the administrative and programmatic operations 27 of the center or consortium that is consistent with its 28 authority. Administrative actions undertaken by or for 29 the center or consortium shall be subject to the approval 30 of the Department. 31 (7) Reasonable ways, before initiating any 32 research, to avoid duplication of effort and expense 33 through the coordination of the research efforts of 34 various agencies, departments, universities or -4- LRB9215587BDdv 1 organizations. 2 (8) The adoption, amendment, and repeal of rules, 3 regulations, and bylaws governing the Board's 4 organization and conduct of business. 5 (9) The search for, the acceptance, and the 6 expenditure of gifts or grants in any form, from any 7 public agency or from any other source. The gifts and 8 grants may be held in trust by the Department and 9 expended at the direction of the Department and in the 10 exercise of the Department's powers and performance of 11 the Department's duties. 12 (10) The publication, from time to time, of the 13 results of American and Canadian steel research, 14 marketing, and promotion projects funded through the 15 Department. 16 (c) The Board shall also provide advice and make 17 recommendations to the Department on the following: 18 (1) the creation and maintenance of current and 19 accurate records on all markets for and actual uses of 20 steel processed, utilized, or transported in Illinois and 21 ways of making those records available to the public upon 22 request; 23 (2) the identification of all current and 24 anticipated future technical, economic, institutional, 25 market, environmental, regulatory, and other impediments 26 to the use of American and Canadian steel and the 27 Illinois steel industry; 28 (3) the identification of alternative plans or 29 actions that would maintain or increase the use of 30 American and Canadian steel and the Illinois steel 31 industry; and 32 (4) the development of strategies and proposing 33 policies to promote responsible uses of American and 34 Canadian steel processed, used, or transported by the -5- LRB9215587BDdv 1 Illinois steel industry.