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| Public Act 100-0678 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||
Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is | ||||
amended by changing Section 605-705 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 605/605-705) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.6a)
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Sec. 605-705. Grants to local tourism and convention | ||||
bureaus.
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(a) To establish a grant program for local tourism and
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convention bureaus. The Department will develop and implement a | ||||
program
for the use of funds, as authorized under this Act, by | ||||
local tourism and
convention bureaus. For the purposes of this | ||||
Act,
bureaus eligible to receive funds are those local tourism | ||||
and
convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local | ||||
government or
incorporated as not-for-profit organizations; | ||||
(ii) in legal existence
for a minimum of 2 years before July 1, | ||||
2001; (iii) operating with a
paid, full-time staff whose sole | ||||
purpose is to promote tourism in the
designated service area; | ||||
and (iv) affiliated with one or more
municipalities or counties | ||||
that support the bureau with local hotel-motel
taxes. After | ||||
July 1, 2001, bureaus requesting certification in
order to | ||||
receive funds for the first time must be local tourism and
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convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local | ||
government or
incorporated as not-for-profit organizations; | ||
(ii) in legal existence
for a minimum of 2 years before the | ||
request for certification; (iii)
operating with a paid, | ||
full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote
tourism in the | ||
designated service area; and (iv) affiliated with
multiple | ||
municipalities or counties that support the bureau with local
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hotel-motel taxes. Each bureau receiving funds under this Act | ||
will be
certified by the Department as the designated recipient | ||
to serve an area of
the State.
Notwithstanding the criteria set | ||
forth in this subsection (a), or any rule
adopted under this | ||
subsection (a), the Director of the Department may
provide for | ||
the award of grant funds to one or more entities if in the
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Department's judgment that action is necessary in order to | ||
prevent a loss of
funding critical to promoting tourism in a | ||
designated geographic area of the
State.
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(b) To distribute grants to local tourism and convention | ||
bureaus from
appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund | ||
for that purpose. Of the
amounts appropriated annually to the | ||
Department for expenditure under this
Section prior to July 1, | ||
2011, one-third of those monies shall be used for grants to | ||
convention and
tourism bureaus in cities with a population | ||
greater than 500,000. The
remaining two-thirds of the annual | ||
appropriation prior to July 1, 2011 shall be used for grants to
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convention and tourism bureaus in the
remainder of the State, | ||
in accordance with a formula based upon the
population served. | ||
Of the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for | ||
expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 18% of | ||
such moneys shall be used for grants to convention and tourism | ||
bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000. Of | ||
the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for | ||
expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 82% of | ||
such moneys shall be used for grants to convention bureaus in | ||
the remainder of the State, in accordance with a formula based | ||
upon the population served. The Department may reserve up to 3% | ||
10% of total
local tourism funds available for costs of | ||
administering the program to conduct audits of grants, to | ||
provide incentive funds to
those
bureaus that will conduct | ||
promotional activities designed to further the
Department's | ||
statewide advertising campaign, to fund special statewide
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promotional activities, and to fund promotional activities | ||
that support an
increased use of the State's parks or historic | ||
sites. The Department shall require that any convention and | ||
tourism bureau receiving a grant under this Section that | ||
requires matching funds shall provide matching funds equal to | ||
no less than 50% of the grant amount. During fiscal year 2013, | ||
the Department shall reserve $2,000,000 of the available local | ||
tourism funds for appropriation to the Historic Preservation | ||
Agency for the operation of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential | ||
Library and Museum and State historic sites.
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(Source: P.A. 97-617, eff. 10-26-11; 97-732, eff. 6-30-12; | ||
98-252, eff. 8-9-13.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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