State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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Public Act 91-0683

HB2148 Enrolled                                LRB9105005DHmg

    AN ACT concerning tourism.

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

    Section  5.  The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
amended by changing and renumbering Section 46.6d as follows:

    (20 ILCS 605/605-707) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.6d)
    Sec. 605-707. 46.6d.  International Tourism Program.
    (a)  The Department of  Commerce  and  Community  Affairs
must  establish  a  grant  program for international tourism.
The Department shall develop and  implement  the  program  on
January  1,  2000  by  rule.   As  part  of  the program, the
Department may work in cooperation with local convention  and
tourism   bureaus   in   Illinois   in  the  coordination  of
international tourism efforts at the State  and  local  level
shall  assist  the  City  of  Chicago's Office of Tourism and
other convention  and  tourism  bureaus  in  Chicago  in  the
formation  of  the  Illinois  Partnership  for  International
Meetings  and  Tourism  under  the  General  Not  For  Profit
Corporation   Act   of  1986.   The  Partnership's  Board  of
Directors shall consist  of  the  Director  of  Commerce  and
Community Affairs or his or her designee, the chief executive
of  the  City  of  Chicago's Office of Tourism, and 3 members
appointed by the Director of Commerce and Community  Affairs.
One  of  the  Director's  appointees  shall  be a person with
leadership experience at a convention and tourism  bureau  in
Chicago  certified by the Department, and 2 of the Director's
appointees shall be persons  with  leadership  experience  at
convention  and tourism bureaus in the State outside the City
of  Chicago  certified  by   the   Department   with   active
international tourism marketing programs.  The Department may
powers  and duties of the Partnership shall be to (i) work in
cooperation work with local convention  and  tourism  bureaus
the  Department  for  efficient  use  of  their international
tourism  marketing  resources,  (ii)  promote   Illinois   in
international  meetings and tourism markets, (iii)  work with
convention  and  tourism  bureaus  throughout  the  State  to
increase the number of international  tourists  to  Illinois,
and  (iv)  provide training, research, technical support, and
grants to certified convention and tourism bureaus,  and  (v)
provide  staff,  administration, and related support required
to manage the programs under this  Section  in  cities  other
than Chicago.
    (b)  The Department shall make the grants and pay for the
staffing,  administration,  and related support from money in
the International Tourism Fund, a special fund created in the
State Treasury.  Of the amounts deposited into  the  Fund  in
fiscal year 2000 after January 1, 2000, 55% shall be used for
grants  to  convention  and tourism bureaus in Chicago (other
than the City of Chicago's Office of Tourism) and  45%  shall
be  used  for  development  of international tourism in areas
outside of Chicago grants to  the  Illinois  Partnership  for
International Meetings and Tourism.  Of the amounts deposited
into the Fund in fiscal year 2001 and thereafter, 27.5% shall
be  used  for  grants  to  the  City  of  Chicago's Office of
Tourism, 27.5% shall be used for grants to  other  convention
and  tourism  bureaus  in  Chicago, and 45% shall be used for
administrative expenses authorized  under  this  Section  and
development  of  international  tourism  in  areas outside of
Chicago, of which grants  to  the  Illinois  Partnership  for
International  Meetings  and Tourism.  Of the amounts granted
to the Partnership, not less than $1,000,000  shall  be  used
annually  to make grants to convention and tourism bureaus in
cities   other   than   Chicago   that   demonstrate    their
international tourism appeal and request to develop or expand
their international tourism marketing program.
    (c)  A  convention  and  tourism  bureau  is  eligible to
receive grant moneys under this  Section  if  the  bureau  is
certified  to  receive  funds  under Title 14 of the Illinois
Administrative Code, Section 550.35 (i) is a  unit  of  local
government  or is an entity established under the General Not
For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, (ii) is  affiliated  with
at  least  one municipality or county, (iii) employs at least
one full-time staff person, and  (iv)  is  certified  by  the
Department  as  the  designated recipient to serve an area of
the State.  The City of Chicago's Office of Tourism  and  all
convention  and  tourism  bureaus must provide matching funds
equal to the grant to  be  eligible  to  receive  the  grant.
Grants  received  by  the City of Chicago's Office of Tourism
and by convention and  tourism  bureaus  in  Chicago  may  be
expended  for  the  general purposes of promoting conventions
and tourism.
(Source: P.A. 91-604, eff. 8-16-99; revised 10-21-99.)

    Section 10.  The Illinois Promotion  Act  is  amended  by
changing Section 8a as follows:

    (20 ILCS 665/8a) (from Ch. 127, par. 200-28a)
    Sec. 8a. Tourism grants and loans; fund.
    (1)  The  Department  is  authorized  to  make grants and
loans, subject to appropriations by the General Assembly  for
this  purpose  from the Tourism Promotion Fund or the Tourism
Attraction Development  Matching  Grant  Fund,  to  counties,
municipalities,  or  local  promotion groups, or and loans to
for-profit businesses for the development or  improvement  of
tourism attractions in Illinois.  These Such grants and loans
shall not exceed $1,000,000 $100,000 and shall not exceed 50%
of  the  entire  amount  of  the  actual expenditures for the
development  or  improvement   of   a   tourist   attraction.
Agreements  for loans made by the Department pursuant to this
subsection may contain provisions  regarding  term,  interest
rate,  security  as may be required by the Department and any
other provisions the Department may require  to  protect  the
State's interest.
    (2)  There  is hereby created a special fund in the State
Treasury to be known as the  Tourism  Attraction  Development
Matching  Grant  Fund.   The deposit of monies into this fund
shall be limited to the repayments of principal and  interest
from loans made pursuant to subsection (1).
(Source: P.A. 89-262, eff. 8-10-95.)

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

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