94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0149


 
Introduced 1/11/2005, by Rep. Rich Brauer
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













20 ILCS 605/605-705
  was 20 ILCS 605/46.6a








    Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.  Makes a technical change in a Section
concerning local tourism grants.
















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A BILL FOR









 











HB0149

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1
    AN ACT concerning State government.

 
2
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3
represented in the General Assembly: 


 
4
    Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic 
5
Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 
6
amended by changing Section 605-705 as follows:
 



7
    (20 ILCS 605/605-705)  (was 20 ILCS 605/46.6a)



8
    Sec. 605-705. Grants to local tourism and convention 
9
bureaus. 

10
    (a) To establish a grant program for local tourism and
and

11
convention bureaus.  The Department will develop and implement a 
12
program
for the use of funds, as authorized under this Act, by 
13
local tourism and
convention bureaus.  For the purposes of this 
14
Act,
bureaus eligible to receive funds are those local tourism 
15
and
convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local 
16
government or
incorporated as not-for-profit organizations; 
17
(ii) in legal existence
for a minimum of 2 years before July 1, 
18
2001; (iii) operating with a
paid, full-time staff whose sole 
19
purpose is to promote tourism in the
designated service area; 
20
and (iv) affiliated with one or more
municipalities or counties 
21
that support the bureau with local hotel-motel
taxes.  After 
22
July 1, 2001, bureaus requesting certification in
order to 
23
receive funds for the first time must be local tourism and

24
convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local 
25
government or
incorporated as not-for-profit organizations; 
26
(ii) in legal existence
for a minimum of 2 years before the 
27
request for certification; (iii)
operating with a paid, 
28
full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote
tourism in the 
29
designated service area; and (iv) affiliated with
multiple 
30
municipalities or counties that support the bureau with local

31
hotel-motel taxes. Each bureau receiving funds under this Act 
32
will be
certified by the Department as the designated recipient 
 


 






HB0149
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1
to serve an area of
the State.
Notwithstanding the criteria set 
2
forth in this subsection (a), or any rule
adopted under this 
3
subsection (a), the Director of the Department may
provide for 
4
the award of grant funds to one or more entities if in the

5
Department's judgment that action is necessary in order to 
6
prevent a loss of
funding critical to promoting tourism in a 
7
designated geographic area of the
State.
8
    (b) To distribute grants to local tourism and convention 
9
bureaus from
appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund 
10
for that purpose.  Of the
amounts appropriated annually to the 
11
Department for expenditure under this
Section, one-third of 
12
those monies shall be used for grants to convention and
tourism 
13
bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000.  The

14
remaining two-thirds of the annual appropriation shall be used 
15
for grants to
convention and tourism bureaus in the
remainder 
16
of the State, in accordance with a formula based upon the

17
population served.  The Department may reserve up to 10% of 
18
total
local tourism funds available for costs of administering 
19
the program to conduct audits of grants, to provide incentive 
20
funds to
those
bureaus that will conduct promotional activities 
21
designed to further the
Department's statewide advertising 
22
campaign, to fund special statewide
promotional activities, 
23
and to fund promotional activities that support an
increased 
24
use of the State's parks or historic sites.

25
(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01;
92-38, eff. 6-28-01; 92-524, 
26
eff. 2-8-02; 93-25, eff. 6-20-03.)