220 ILCS 5/8-505.1
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 220 - UTILITIES|220 ILCS 5/ - Public Utilities Act.|Article VIII - Service Obligations And Conditions

Sec. 8-505.1. Non-emergency vegetation management activities.(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), in conducting  its non-emergency vegetation management activities, an electric public utility  shall:(1) Follow the most current tree care and maintenance     standard practices set forth in ANSI A300 published by the American National Standards Institute and the most current applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations regarding worker safety.(2) Provide direct notice of vegetation management     activities no less than 21 days nor more than 90 days before the activities begin.(A) If the vegetation management activities will         occur in an incorporated municipality, the notice must be given to the mayor or his or her designee.(B) If the vegetation management activities will         occur in an unincorporated area, the notice must be given to the chairman of the county board or his or her designee.(C) Affected customers shall be notified directly.(D) Affected property owners shall be notified by         a published notice in a newspaper or newspapers in general circulation and widely distributed within the entire area in which the vegetation management activities notice will occur.(E) Circuit maps or a description by common         address of the area to be affected by vegetation management activities must accompany any notice to a mayor or his or her designee or to a chairman of a county board or his or her designee.The electric public utility giving the direct and     published notices required in this subsection (a)(2) shall provide notified customers and property owners with (i) a statement of the vegetation management activities planned, (ii) the address of a website and a toll-free telephone number at which a written disclosure of all dispute resolution opportunities and processes, rights, and remedies provided by the electric public utility may be obtained, (iii) a statement that the customer and the property owner may appeal the planned vegetation management activities through the electric public utility and the Illinois Commerce Commission, (iv) a toll-free telephone number through which communication may be had with a representative of the electric public utility regarding the vegetation management activities, and (v) the telephone number of the Consumer Affairs Officer of the Illinois Commerce Commission. The notice shall also include a statement that circuit maps and common addresses of the area to be affected by the vegetation management activities are on file with the office of the mayor of an affected municipality or his or her designee and the office of the county board chairman of an affected county or his or her designee.The Commission shall have sole authority to  investigate, issue,  and hear complaints against the utility under this subsection (a).(b) A public utility shall not be required to comply with the requirements  of subsection (d) or of paragraph (2) of  subsection (a) when it is taking  actions directly related to an emergency to restore reliable service after  interruptions of  service.(c) A public utility shall not be required to comply with the requirements  of subsection (a) or (d) if there  is a franchise, contract, or written agreement between the public utility and  the municipality or county mandating specific vegetation management  practices.  If the franchise, contract, or written agreement between the  public utility and the municipality or county establishes requirements for  notice to the municipality, county, customers, and property owners, those  notice requirements shall control over the notice requirements of paragraph  (2) of subsection (a).  If the franchise, contract, or written  agreement between the public utility and the municipality or county does not  establish notice  requirements, the notice requirements contained in paragraph (2) of  subsection (a) shall control.(d) If no franchise, contract, or written agreement  between a  utility  and a municipality mandates a specific vegetation management practice and the  municipality enacts  an ordinance establishing standards for non-emergency vegetation management  practices that are contrary to the  standards  established by this  Section and the vegetation management activities of the electric public  utility cost substantially more, as a direct consequence,  then the electric public utility may, before vegetation management activities  begin, apply to the municipality for an agreement to pay the additional cost.  When an application for an agreement is made to the  municipality, no vegetation management activities shall begin until the  municipality responds to the application by agreement or rejection or dispute  resolution proceedings are completed.  The application shall be supported by a  detailed specification of the difference between the standards established by  this Section and the contrary standards established by the municipal  ordinances and by a good faith bid or proposal obtained from a utility  contractor or  contractors quantifying the additional cost for performing the specification.  When the municipality receives the specification and the utility contractor's  bid or proposal, the municipality shall agree, reject, or initiate dispute  resolution proceedings regarding the application within 90  days after the application's receipt.  If the municipality does not act within  90  days or informs the utility that it will not agree, the electric public utility  may proceed and need not comply with the contrary ordinance standard.  When  there is a dispute regarding (i) the accuracy of the specification, (ii)  whether there is a conflict with the standards established by this  Section, or (iii) any aspect of the bid or proposal process, the Illinois  Commerce Commission shall hear and resolve the disputed matter or matters, with  the electric public utility having the burden of proof.  A municipality may  have a person trained in tree care and maintenance generally monitor and  discuss with the vegetation management supervisory personnel of the electric  public utility the  performance of the public utility's vegetation management activities without  any  claim for costs hereunder by the public utility arising therefrom.The provisions of this Section shall not in any way diminish  or replace other civil or administrative remedies available to a customer or  class of customers or a property owner or class of property owners under  this Act.  This Section does not alter the jurisdiction of the Illinois  Commerce Commission in any manner except to obligate the Commission to  investigate, issue, and hear complaints against an electric public utility  as  provided in subsection (a)(2) and to hear and resolve disputed matters brought  to it as provided in this subsection.  Vegetation management activities by an  electric public utility shall not alter, trespass upon, or limit the rights of  any property owner.  (Source: P.A. 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)