Duties of Commission

(20 ILCS 864/15)     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2037)     Sec. 15. Duties of Commission. The Commission shall have the following duties:         (1) to provide resources for individuals and local     entities seeking to learn more about the Underground Railroad in Illinois, including:             (A) an online resource website, including, but         not limited to maps of journeys, historical sites, and conductor cemetery markers;             (B) a calendar of related events in this State;             (C) research sources and bibliographies;             (D) videos and links to videos; and             (E) pictures, brief histories, and other         materials developed locally and at the State level;         (2) collaborate with organizations focusing on the     Underground Railroad, including:             (A) local and regional Underground Railroad         groups;             (B) county and regional historical societies;             (C) museums, especially museums that focus on         slavery and the African American experience;             (D) academic programs, especially African         American Studies at the college level and history departments; and             (E) organizations in African American         communities;         (3) to create a grant funding program;         (4) to work with the National Park Service's Network     to Freedom program and serve as a liaison between the National Park Service and local entities;        (5) to explore heritage tourism opportunities     connecting the locations of freedom seeker journeys and Underground Railroad sites, working with the Illinois Office of Tourism and regional tourism agencies; and         (6) to connect freedom seekers and Underground     Railroad stories to the range of freedom stories across and throughout the history of Illinois.(Source: P.A. 104-113, eff. 8-1-25.)