SB3631eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3631 Engrossed LRB097 19278 HLH 64522 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

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:

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

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

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

(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 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 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 promotional activities, and to fund promotional activities that support an increased use of the State's parks or historic sites.

(Source: P.A. 97-617, eff. 10-26-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.