Section 528.86  Illinois Production Workforce Development Fund

a)         The Illinois Production Workforce Development Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury. Beginning July 1, 2023, amounts paid to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity pursuant to Section 213 of the Illinois Income Tax Act shall be deposited into the Fund. The Fund shall be used exclusively to provide grants to community-based organizations, labor organizations, private and public universities, community colleges, and other organizations and institutions that may be deemed appropriate by the Department to administer workforce training programs that support efforts to recruit, hire, promote, retain, develop, and train a diverse and inclusive workforce in the film industry.

b)         Beginning July 1, 2024, taxpayers who have been awarded a tax credit under the Act shall pay to the Department, after determination of the tax credit amount but prior to the issuance of a tax credit certificate, a fee equal to 2.5% of the credit amount awarded to the taxpayer under the Act that is attributable to wages  paid to nonresidents, as described in Section 10 of the Act, and an additional fee equal to 0.25% of the amount generated by subtracting the credit amount awarded to the taxpayer under the Act is attributable to wages paid to nonresidents from the total credit amount awarded to the taxpayer under the Act.  All fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited into the Illinois Production Workforce Development Fund.  No tax credit certificate shall be issued by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity  until the total fees owed according to this subsection have been received by the Department.  [35 ILCS 16/46]

c)         The Department may request that the State Comptroller and the State Treasurer advance amounts to the Fund on an annual basis not to exceed $1,000,000 in any fiscal year. The Department shall reimburse the fund from which the moneys are advanced in the same fiscal year for any such advance payments via statutory transfer.  [35 ILCS 16/46]

d)         Of the appropriated funds in a given fiscal year, 50% of the appropriated funds shall be reserved for organizations that meet one of the following criteria. The organization is:

1)         a minority-owned business, as defined by the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act;

2)         located in an underserved area, as defined by the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act; or

3)         on an annual basis, training a cohort of program participants where at least 50% of the program participants are either a minority person, as defined by the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, or reside in an underserved area, as defined by the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act.  [35 ILCS 16/46]

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 6523, effective April 27, 2026)