Illinois Code § 2

§ 2.

Spending money without obtaining title to land; approval of title by Attorney General. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 of the Superconducting Super Collider Act or for projects constructed under the Bikeway Act, any person or persons, commissioner or commissioners, or other officer or officers, entrusted with the construction or repair of any public work or improvement, as set forth in Section 1, who shall expend or cause to be expended upon such public work or improvement, the whole or any part of the moneys appropriated therefor, or who shall commence work, or in any way authorize work to be commenced, thereon, without first having obtained a title, by purchase, donation, condemnation or otherwise, to all lands needed for such public work or improvement, running to the People of the State of Illinois; such title to be approved by the Attorney General, and his approval certified by the Secretary of State and placed on record in his office, shall be deemed guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. (b) Approval of title by the Attorney General for all lands needed for a public work or improvement shall not be required as established under subsection (a) of this Section and the State Comptroller may draw warrant in payment of consideration for all such lands without requiring approval of title by the Attorney General if consideration to be paid does not exceed $25,000 and the title acquired for such lands is for: (1) a fee simple title or easement acquired by the State for highway right-of-way; or (2) an acquisition of rights or easements of access, crossing, light, air or view to, from or over a freeway vested in abutting property; or (3) a fee simple title or easement used to place utility lines and connect a permanent public work or improvement owned by the State to main utility lines; or (4) for the purpose of flood relief or other water resource projects. (c) This Section does not apply to any otherwise lawful expenditures for the construction, completion, remodeling, maintenance and equipment of buildings and other facilities made in connection with and upon premises owned by the Illinois Building Authority, nor shall this Section apply to improvements to real estate leased by any State agency as defined in the Illinois State Auditing Act, provided the leasehold improvements were contracted for by an agency with leasing authority and in compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated by such agency for that purpose. (Source: P.A. 103-865, eff. 1-1-25.)