HB4240 Summary

• Restores provisions to the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act governing how terms are determined for commissioners in forest preserve districts coextensive with counties having populations between 800,000 and 3,000,000.

• Requires elected commissioners to divide into two groups by lottery at their first meeting after election in 2022 and after subsequent decennial reapportionments, with one group serving terms of 2, 4, and 4 years, and the other serving 4, 4, and 2 years.

• Makes the president of the forest preserve district board an elected countywide office (rather than selected by commissioners), elected for a 4-year term by county voters without prior election as commissioner.

• Establishes that all changes made by this act are deemed to have been continuously in effect since November 15, 2021, and validates all actions taken since 2021 that were consistent with or in reliance on these provisions.

• Takes effect immediately upon passage.