§ 16

The Department shall have the following additional powers: (a) To hire agents and employees necessary to carry out the duties and purposes of this Act. (b) To take all measures necessary to erect, maintain, preserve, restore, and conserve all State Historic Sites, except when supervision and maintenance is otherwise provided by law. This authorization includes the power to enter into contracts, acquire and dispose of real and personal property, and enter into leases of real and personal property. The Department has the power to acquire, for purposes authorized by law, any real property in fee simple subject to a life estate in the seller in not more than 3 acres of the real property acquired, subject to the restrictions that the life estate shall be used for residential purposes only and that it shall be non-transferable. (c) To provide recreational facilities, including campsites, lodges and cabins, trails, picnic areas, and related recreational facilities, at all sites under the jurisdiction of the Department. (d) To lay out, construct, and maintain all needful roads, parking areas, paths or trails, bridges, camp or lodge sites, picnic areas, lodges and cabins, and any other structures and improvements necessary and appropriate in any State historic site or easement thereto; and to provide water supplies, heat and light, and sanitary facilities for the public and living quarters for the custodians and keepers of State historic sites. (e) To grant licenses and rights-of-way within the areas controlled by the Department for the construction, operation, and maintenance upon, under or across the property, of facilities for water, sewage, telephone, telegraph, electric, gas, or other public service, subject to the terms and conditions as may be determined by the Department. (f) To authorize the officers, employees, and agents of the Department, for the purposes of investigation and to exercise the rights, powers, and duties vested and that may be vested in it, to enter and cross all lands and waters in this State, doing no damage to private property. (g) To transfer jurisdiction of or exchange any realty under the control of the Department to any other Department of the State Government, or to any agency of the Federal Government, or to acquire or accept Federal lands, when any transfer, exchange, acquisition, or acceptance is advantageous to the State and is approved in writing by the Governor. (h) To erect, supervise, and maintain all public monuments and memorials erected by the State, except when the supervision and maintenance of public monuments and memorials is otherwise provided by law. (i) To accept, hold, maintain, and administer, as trustee, property given in trust for educational or historic purposes for the benefit of the People of the State of Illinois and to dispose of any property under the terms of the instrument creating the trust. (j) To lease concessions on any property under the jurisdiction of the Department for a period not exceeding 25 years and to lease a concession complex at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site for which a cash incentive has been authorized under Section 5.1 of this Act for a period not to exceed 40 years. All leases, for whatever period, shall be made subject to the written approval of the Governor. All concession leases extending for a period in excess of 10 years, will contain provisions for the Department to participate, on a percentage basis, in the revenues generated by any concession operation. The Department is authorized to allow for provisions for a reserve account and a leasehold account within Department concession lease agreements for the purpose of setting aside revenues for the maintenance, rehabilitation, repair, improvement, and replacement of the concession facility, structure, and equipment of the Department that are part of the leased premises. The lessee shall be required to pay into the reserve account a percentage of gross receipts, as set forth in the lease, to be set aside and expended in a manner acceptable to the Department by the concession lessee for the purpose of ensuring that an appropriate amount of the lessee's moneys are provided by the lessee to satisfy the lessee's incurred responsibilities for the operation of the concession facility under the terms and conditions of the concession lease. The lessee account shall allow for the amortization of certain authorized expenses that are incurred by the concession lessee but that are not an obligation of the lessee under the terms and conditions of the lease agreement. The Department may allow a reduction of up to 50% of the monthly rent due for the purpose of enabling the recoupment of the lessee's authorized expenditures during the term of the lease. (k) To sell surplus agricultural products grown on land owned by or under the jurisdiction of the Department, when the products cannot be used by the Department. (l) To enforce the laws of the State and the rules and regulations of the Department in or on any lands owned, leased, or managed by the Department. (m) To cooperate with private organizations and agencies of the State of Illinois by providing areas and the use of staff personnel where feasible for the sale of publications on the historic and cultural heritage of the State and craft items made by Illinois craftsmen. These sales shall not conflict with existing concession agreements. The Department is authorized to negotiate with the organizations and agencies for a portion of the monies received from sales to be returned to the Illinois Historic Sites Fund for the furtherance of interpretive and restoration programs. (n) To establish local bank or savings and loan association accounts, upon the written authorization of the Director, to temporarily hold income received at any of its properties. The local accounts established under this Section shall be in the name of the Department and shall be subject to regular audits. The balance in a local bank or savings and loan association account shall be forwarded to the Department for deposit with the State Treasurer on Monday of each week if the amount to be deposited in a fund exceeds $500. No bank or savings and loan association shall receive public funds as permitted by this Section, unless it has complied with the requirements established under Section 6 of the Public Funds Investment Act. (o) To accept offers of gifts, gratuities, or grants from the federal government, its agencies, or offices, or from any person, firm, or corporation. (p) To make reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary to discharge the duties of the Department. (q) With appropriate cultural organizations, to further and advance the goals of the Department. (r) To make grants for the purposes of planning, survey, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction, landscaping, and acquisition of Illinois properties (i) designated individually in the National Register of Historic Places, (ii) designated as a landmark under a county or municipal landmark ordinance, or (iii) located within a National Register of Historic Places historic district or a locally designated historic district when the Director determines that the property is of historic significance whenever an appropriation is made therefor by the General Assembly or whenever gifts or grants are received for that purpose and to promulgate regulations as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of the grants. Grantees may, as prescribed by rule, be required to provide matching funds for each grant. Grants made under this subsection shall be known as Illinois Heritage Grants. Every owner of a historic property, or the owner's agent, is eligible to apply for a grant under this subsection. (s) To establish and implement a pilot program for charging admission to State historic sites. Fees may be charged for special events, admissions, and parking or any combination; fees may be charged at all sites or selected sites. All fees shall be deposited into the Illinois Historic Sites Fund. The Department shall have the discretion to set and adjust reasonable fees at the various sites, taking into consideration various factors, including, but not limited to: cost of services furnished to each visitor, impact of fees on attendance and tourism, and the costs expended collecting the fees. The Department shall keep careful records of the income and expenses resulting from the imposition of fees, shall keep records as to the attendance at each historic site, and shall report to the Governor and General Assembly by January 31 after the close of each year. The report shall include information on costs, expenses, attendance, comments by visitors, and any other information the Department may believe pertinent, including: (1) Recommendations as to whether fees should be continued at each State historic site. (2) How the fees should be structured and imposed. (3) Estimates of revenues and expenses associated with each site. (t) To provide for overnight tent and trailer campsites and to provide suitable housing facilities for student and juvenile overnight camping groups. The Department shall charge rates similar to those charged by the Department for the same or similar facilities and services. (u) To engage in marketing activities designed to promote the sites and programs administered by the Department. In undertaking these activities, the Department may take all necessary steps with respect to products and services, including, but not limited to, retail sales, wholesale sales, direct marketing, mail order sales, telephone sales, advertising and promotion, purchase of product and materials inventory, design, printing and manufacturing of new products, reproductions, and adaptations, copyright and trademark licensing and royalty agreements, and payment of applicable taxes. In addition, the Department shall have the authority to sell advertising in its publications and printed materials. All income from marketing activities shall be deposited into the Illinois Historic Sites Fund. (v) To review and approve in writing rules adopted by the Board.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-616, eff. 7-1-24; 103-768, eff. 8-2-24; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)