The Department has the power to do the following:
         (1) Advise and assist the Governor and the General
    
Assembly in formulating (i) a mass transportation policy for the State, (ii) proposals designed to help meet and resolve special problems of mass transportation within the State, and (iii) programs of assistance for the comprehensive planning, development, and administration of mass transportation facilities and services.
        (2) Appear and participate in proceedings before any
    
federal, State, or local regulatory agency involving or affecting mass transportation in the State.
        (3) Study mass transportation problems and provide
    
technical assistance to units of local government.
        (4) Encourage experimentation in developing new mass
    
transportation facilities and services.
        (5) Recommend policies, programs, and actions
    
designed to improve utilization of mass transportation services.
        (6) Cooperate with mass transit districts and
    
systems, local governments, and other State agencies in meeting those problems of air, noise, and water pollution associated with transportation.
        (7) Participate fully in a statewide effort to
    
improve transport safety, including, as the designated State agency responsible for overseeing the safety and security of rail fixed guideway public transportation systems in compliance with 49 U.S.C. § 5329 and 49 U.S.C. § 5330:
            (A) developing, adopting, and implementing a
        
system safety program standard and procedures meeting the compliance requirements of 49 U.S.C. § 5329 and 49 U.S.C. § 5330, as now or hereafter amended, for the safety and security of rail fixed guideway public transportation systems within the State; and
            (B) establishing procedures in accordance with 49
        
U.S.C. 5329 and 49 U.S.C. § 5330 to review, approve, oversee, investigate, audit, and enforce all other necessary and incidental functions related to the effectuation of 49 U.S.C. § 5329 and 49 U.S.C. § 5330, or other federal law, pertaining to public transportation oversight. The Department may contract for the services of a qualified consultant to comply with this subsection.
        The security portion of the system safety program,
    
investigation reports, surveys, schedules, lists, or data compiled, collected, or prepared by or for the Department under this subsection shall not be subject to discovery or admitted into evidence in federal or State court or considered for other purposes in any civil action for damages arising from any matter mentioned or addressed in such reports, surveys, schedules, lists, data, or information. Except for willful or wanton conduct, neither the Department nor its employees, nor the Regional Transportation Authority, nor the St. Clair County Transit District, nor any mass transit district nor service board subject to this Section, nor their respective directors, officers, or employees, shall be held liable in any civil action for any injury to or death of any person or loss of or damage to property for any act, omission, or failure to act under this Section or 49 U.S.C. § 5329 or 49 U.S.C. § 5330 as now or hereafter amended.
        (8) Conduct by contract or otherwise technical
    
studies, and demonstration and development projects which shall be designed to test and develop methods for increasing public use of mass transportation and for providing mass transportation in an efficient, coordinated, and convenient manner.
        (9) Make applications for, receive, and make use of
    
grants for mass transportation.
        (10) Make grants for mass transportation from the
    
Transportation Fund pursuant to the standards and procedures of Sections 2705-305 and 2705-310.
    Nothing in this Section alleviates an individual‘s duty to comply with the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
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Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 20 ILCS 2705/2705-300

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.36
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Units of local government: has the meaning established in Section 1 of Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Illinois of 1970. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.28
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