(225 ILCS 728/15)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 15. Board powers and duties. The Board shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To administer and enforce the provisions of this Act. (2) To establish an office for the Board within the State of Illinois. (3) To elect a chairperson and any other officers that may be necessary to direct the operations of the Board. (4) To employ personnel as shall be deemed necessary to carry out the purpose and provisions of this Act and to prescribe their duties and fix their compensation. (5) To receive and administer all assessments, donations, grants, contributions, and gifts received by the Board pursuant to this Act and to deposit them into accounts maintained by the Board. (6) To annually establish priorities and approve a prepared budget consistent with estimated resources. (7) To adopt rules as it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. (8) To enter into contracts or agreements for studies, research projects, experimental work, supplies, or other services to carry out the purposes of this Act and to incur those expenses necessary to carry out those purposes. A contract or agreement entered into under this item shall provide that: (A) the person entering the contract or agreement on behalf of the Board shall develop and submit to the Board a plan or project together with a budget that shows estimated costs to be incurred for the plan or project; and (B) the person entering the contract or agreement shall keep accurate records of all of its transactions, account for funds received and expended, and make periodic reports to the Board of activities conducted and other reports that the Board may require. (9) To keep accurate records of all financial transactions performed pursuant to this Act. These records shall be audited annually by an independent auditor who is a certified public accountant and has been selected by the Board, and an annual report shall be compiled and made available to any interest owner and filed with the Department within 60 days after the close of the Board's fiscal year. (10) To cooperate with any private, local, state, or national commission, organization, agency, or group and to make contracts and agreements for joint programs beneficial to the oil and gas industry. (11) To accept donations, grants, contributions, and gifts from any public or private source and deposit them into accounts maintained by the Board. (12) To keep an accurate record of all assessments collected. (13) To enter into voluntary agreements with the Department to support oilfield environmental remediation and restoration activities. (Source: P.A. 100-220, eff. 8-18-17.)