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| [ Introduced ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB0479eng HB0479 Engrossed LRB9205049JMmb 1 AN ACT concerning the Department of Commerce and 2 Community Affairs. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Community 6 Affairs Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 7 amended by changing Section 605-450 as follows: 8 (20 ILCS 605/605-450) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.19g) 9 Sec. 605-450. Community economic emergencies. 10 (a) Upon the recommendation of the Director, the 11 Governor may find that an economic emergency exists in a 12 designated Illinois community. The finding shall be based on 13 one or more of the following conditions: 14 (1) There has been a relocation or closing of 15 operations of a major private employer in the community. 16 (2) There has been a closing or relocation of a 17 major public employer in the community. 18 (3) A natural disaster has resulted in substantial 19 damage to the local economy. 20 (4) The community or a portion of it has been 21 declared a disaster area by the federal government. 22 (5) A decision by the federal or State government 23 or by a foreign government has done substantial damage to 24 the local economy. 25 (6) A high level of poverty or unemployment is 26 chronic in the community. For the purposes of this item 27 (6), a community is deemed to have a high level of 28 poverty if the percentage of its residents who have 29 incomes below the federal poverty level is equal to or 30 greater than the percentage of residents of the City of 31 East St. Louis who have incomes below the federal poverty HB0479 Engrossed -2- LRB9205049JMmb 1 level. For the purposes of this item (6), a community is 2 deemed to have chronic unemployment if its average 3 unemployment rate for the 3 previous calendar years is 4 equal to or greater than the average unemployment rate 5 for the 3 previous calendar years in the City of East St. 6 Louis. 7 (b) Upon a finding by the Governor that an economic 8 emergency exists in a designated Illinois community, the 9 Governor shall convene an Economic Emergency Council. The 10 Council shall consist of 11 members as follows: the Director 11 of Commerce and Community Affairs, ex officio, the Director 12 of the Illinois Development Finance Authority, ex officio, 13 the Director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, 14 ex officio, and 8 members representing the designated 15 community appointed by the Governor with the advice and 16 consent of the Senate. Of the 8 members appointed by the 17 Governor, 4 shall be representatives of business and finance, 18 2 shall be representatives of labor, and 2 shall be 19 representatives of education. Each member of the General 20 Assembly whose legislative district or representative 21 district lies in whole or in part within the designated 22 community shall also be a member of the Council, ex officio. 23 Members of a Council shall serve without compensation but may 24 be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses 25 incurred in the performance of their duties. 26 (c) An Economic Emergency Council shall develop a plan 27 to address the designated community's economic needs and 28 shall recommend that plan to the Governor and to the General 29 Assembly for further resolution and appropriation. The plan 30 may include extending enterprise zone tax incentives, making 31 economic development business loans and grants, making 32 infrastructure rehabilitation loans and grants, extending job 33 training and retraining assistance, extending tax increment 34 financing, and other appropriate economic programs or HB0479 Engrossed -3- LRB9205049JMmb 1 incentives. 2 (d) The Illinois Economic Emergency Assistance Fund is 3 created as a special fund in the State treasury for the 4 purpose of channeling moneys to designated communities upon 5 further resolution and appropriation by the General 6 Assembly. In addition to amounts that may be appropriated to 7 the fund, gifts or grants from any legal source may be 8 deposited into the fund. Any fees or other charges collected 9 by the Department in connection with programs under this 10 Section shall also be deposited into the fund. 11 (Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)