Section 260.305  A 4-H Claim Report

a)         The State 4-H Office shall notify the Bureau of the number of 4-H premium eligible members in each county or unit before December 31 of each year.

b)         Extension leaders of each county or unit designated by the State 4-H Office shall certify to the State 4-H officer under oath, on a blank form furnished by the Department, the amount paid out in premiums, judges' fees and ribbons at the 4-H shows or exhibitions for the current year, and the name of the officer or organization making the payments and the number of eligible members enrolled for the current year [30 ILCS 120/14].  Records verifying award recipients must be available and maintained for three years for official review.

c)         Extension leaders shall file this report with the Bureau on or before December 31 of each year (postmarked December 31 is acceptable).  If the deadline is not met, a 5% penalty fee of total premiums claimed will be assessed each day the report is late and then subtracted from the total claim of the unit.

d)         The extension leader of each county or unit shall provide itemized signed receipts as evidence of the eligible certified amounts to the State 4-H Office.  Before December 31 of each year the State 4-H Office shall file with the Department certification of the eligible amount claimed for premiums awarded, judges' fees and ribbons, along with the claim report for each county or unit.

e)         The Department will reimburse each county or unit at a rate calculated under this subsection (e).  The appropriation will be divided by the total number of certified eligible 4-H members in all counties or units as certified by the State 4-H Office before December 31 of each year, then multiplied by the State 4-H Office certified number of individual eligible members for the county or unit.  The amount for reimbursement shall be justified by receipted expenditures received in the Bureau with the current report by December 31 in the following order:

1)         cash premiums awarded; and

2)         judges' fees (not to exceed $800).

f)         If there remains an amount of the appropriation after claims has been paid as specified in subsection (e), the Department shall provide reimbursement to each county or unit in the following order:

            1)         excess cash premiums awarded;

            2)         excess judges' fees; and

            3)         ribbons.

            The above reimbursements shall be justified by receipted expenditures already submitted to the Bureau on or before December 31 with the current year's 4-H report.

(Source:  Amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 2253, effective February 6, 2006)