Public Act 102-0648
 
SB2290 EnrolledLRB102 17355 RJF 22846 b


  
    AN ACT concerning State government.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  





 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    "Broadband Internet" means lines or wireless channels that 
terminate at an end-user location and enable the end-user to 
receive a minimum service level of 25 megabits per second 
download speed and 3 megabits per second upload speed.
    "Covered agencies" means those social service agencies 
receiving State or federal funds to assist persons eligible 
under the Illinois Broadband Adoption Program.
    "Department" means the Department of Human Services.
    "Fund" refers to the Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund.
    "Provider" means a provider of broadband Internet in this 
State.
 
    Section 10. Illinois Broadband Adoption Program.  The 
Illinois Broadband Adoption Program is established for the 
purpose of expanding availability of broadband Internet 
connectivity throughout the State by:
        (1) providing financial assistance to State residents 
    to whom broadband Internet service is available, but who 
    may require assistance to adopt or maintain service due to 
    economic hardship;
        (2) promoting the adoption of home broadband Internet 
    service by State residents; and
        (3) supporting digital skills training for State 
    residents.
 
    Section 15. Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund. 
    (a) The Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund is established as 
a special fund within the State treasury for the purpose of 
providing financial assistance under this Act. The Department 
shall administer the fund.
    (b) The fund consists of:
        (1) money received through the federal American Rescue 
    Plan and other vehicles designed to address and relieve 
    economic hardship for State households;
        (2) money appropriated by the General Assembly;
        (3) money transferred to the fund under the Treasurer 
    as Custodian of Funds Act; and
        (4) donations, gifts, and money received from any 
    other source, including transfers from other funds or 
    accounts.
    (c) The Treasurer shall invest the money in the fund not 
currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the 
same manner as other public funds may be invested.
 
    Section 20. Application for financial assistance. 
    (a) The Department may determine qualifications for 
broadband Internet provider participation and enter into an 
agreement with each provider under which the provider agrees 
to accept vouchers distributed by the Department under this 
Act as a form of payment for the provider's broadband Internet 
service.
    (b) In coordination with the covered agencies, the 
Department shall send information regarding the availability 
of financial assistance under this Act to each eligible family 
or person receiving the public assistance in Section (d).  The 
information must include:
        (1) the name and contact information of each provider 
    who has entered into an agreement with the Department as 
    described in subsection (a) whose broadband Internet 
    service is available in their area; and
        (2) instructions for applying to the Department for 
    financial assistance under this Section.
    (c) An individual who receives information under 
subsection (b) may apply for financial assistance under this 
Section in the manner specified by the Department. Upon 
receipt of an application, the Department shall determine:
        (1) the applicant's eligibility for financial 
    assistance;
        (2) the amount of financial assistance for which the 
    applicant is eligible; and
        (3) whether the applicant is eligible for a single 
    payment or a recurring payment of financial assistance, 
    based on the Department's assessment of the applicant's 
    need.
    (d) An applicant for financial assistance under this Act 
is automatically eligible for financial assistance under this 
Act if:
        (1) the applicant is receiving, or the applicant's 
    household includes, an individual who is receiving 
    benefits under:
            (A) the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
        (TANF) program;
            (B) the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
        Program (SNAP); or
            (C) the Medicaid program; or
        (2) the applicant's household includes a child who is 
    eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
    (e) If the Department determines under subsection (c) that 
an individual is eligible for financial assistance, or that 
the individual is eligible for financial assistance under 
subsection (d), the Department may provide financial 
assistance to the individual or to the broadband Internet 
provider designated by the individual in the form of one or 
more vouchers, each in an amount of up to $50, that can be used 
by the individual to pay one or more of the following expenses:
        (1) fees charged by a broadband Internet provider for 
    installation, activation, equipment purchase, Wi-Fi 
    extenders, or other one-time expenses of providing 
    broadband Internet service to the individual;
        (2) monthly subscription fees charged by a broadband 
    Internet provider for the provision of broadband Internet 
    service to the individual household, including modem, 
    router, or other service or equipment charges; and
        (3) overdue amounts owed to provider, including 
    administrative fees and penalties.
    A voucher or similar designation of eligibility may be 
provided by the Department in printed or electronic form.
    (f) A provider that receives a voucher under this Section 
from an individual household who subscribes to the provider's 
broadband Internet service shall deduct the amount of the 
voucher from the amount owed by the subscriber for the 
provider's provision of broadband Internet service to the 
individual household on a monthly basis.
    (g) If the fund does not receive an ongoing appropriation 
from the General Assembly, the Department shall provide a 
90-day notice to participating households and broadband 
Internet providers that financial support will be 
discontinued.
 
    Section 100. The Department of Commerce and Economic 
Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois 
is amended  by adding Section 605-1055 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 605/605-1055 new)
    Sec. 605-1055. Illinois Innovation Voucher Program.
    (a) The Department is authorized to establish the Illinois 
Innovation Voucher Program to be administered in accordance 
with this Section for the purpose of fostering research and 
development in key industry clusters leading to the creation 
of new products and services that can be marketed by Illinois 
businesses. Subject to appropriation, the Department may award 
innovation vouchers to eligible businesses to offset a portion 
of expenses incurred through a collaborative research 
engagement with an Illinois institution of higher education.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department may award 
matching funds in the form of innovation vouchers up to 75% of 
the cost of the research engagement not to exceed $75,000. A 
business may receive only one innovation voucher under this 
Section per year.
    (c) The Department, when administering the Program under 
this Section:
        (1) must encourage participation among small and 
    mid-sized businesses;
        (2) must encourage participation in the Program in 
    diverse geographic and economic areas, including urban, 
    suburban, and rural areas of the State; and
        (3) must encourage participation in the Program from 
    businesses that operate in key industries, as defined by 
    the Department. These industries include, but are not 
    limited to, the following: (i) agribusiness and agtech; 
    (ii) energy; (iii) information technology; (iv) life 
    sciences and healthcare; (v) manufacturing; and (vi) 
    transportation and logistics.
    (d) In order to be eligible for an innovation voucher 
under this Section, a business must satisfy all of the 
following conditions:
        (1) the business must be an Illinois-based business. 
    For the purposes of this Section, "Illinois-based 
    business" means a business that has its principal place of 
    business in this State or that employs at least 100 
    full-time employees, as defined under Section 5-5 of the 
    Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act, 
    in this State;
        (2) the business must remain in this State for the 
    duration of research engagement; and
        (3) the partnering institution of higher education 
    must be an Illinois-based institution of higher education 
    and non-profit. For the purposes of this Section, 
    "Illinois-based institution of higher education" means an 
    institution of higher education that has its main physical 
    campus in this State.
    (e) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to

administer the provisions of this Section.
 
    Section 105. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 
Section 5.935 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.935 new)
    Sec. 5.935. The Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund.
 

    Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.