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91_SB0752enr
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1 AN ACT concerning business assistance.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
5 amended by adding Sections 46.70 and 46.71 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 605/46.70 new)
7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2004)
8 Sec. 46.70. Small business incubator grants.
9 (a) Subject to availability of funds in the Small
10 Business Incubator Fund, the Director of Commerce and
11 Community Affairs may make grants to eligible small business
12 incubators in an amount not to exceed 50% of State income
13 taxes paid in the previous calendar year by qualified tenant
14 businesses subject to the restrictions of this Section.
15 (b) There is created a special fund in the State
16 Treasury known as the Small Business Incubator Fund. The
17 money in the Fund may be used only for making grants under
18 subsection (a) of this Section. The Department of Revenue
19 shall certify by March 1 of each year to the General
20 Assembly the amount of State income taxes paid by qualified
21 tenant businesses in the previous year. The Department of
22 Revenue may, by rule, prescribe forms necessary to identify
23 qualified tenant businesses under this Section. An amount
24 equal to 50% of the amount certified by the Department of
25 Revenue shall be appropriated into the Fund annually.
26 (c) Eligible small business incubators that receive a
27 grant under this Section may use the grant only for capital
28 improvements on the building housing the eligible small
29 business incubator. Each small business incubator shall be
30 eligible for a grant equal to no more than 50% of the amount
31 of State income taxes paid in the previous year by qualified
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1 tenant businesses of the small business incubator, minus
2 administrative costs. The eligible small business incubator
3 must keep written records of the use of the grant money for a
4 period of 5 years from disbursement.
5 (d) By April 1 of each year, an eligible small business
6 incubator may apply for a grant under this Section on forms
7 developed by the Department. The Department may require
8 applicants to provide proof of eligibility. Upon review of
9 the applications, the Director of Commerce and Community
10 Affairs shall approve or disapprove the application. At the
11 start of each fiscal year or upon approval of the budget for
12 that fiscal year, whichever is later, the Director shall
13 determine the amount of funds available for grants under this
14 Section and shall then approve the grants.
15 (e) For purposes of this Section:
16 (1) "eligible small business incubator" means an
17 entity that is dedicated to the successful development of
18 entrepreneurial companies, has a specific written policy
19 identifying requirements for a business "to graduate"
20 from the incubator, either owns or leases real estate in
21 which qualified tenant businesses operate, and provides
22 all of the following services: management guidance,
23 rental spaces, shared basic business equipment,
24 technology support services, and assistance in obtaining
25 financing.
26 (2) "qualified tenant business" means a business
27 that currently leases space from an eligible small
28 business incubator, is less than 5 years old, and either
29 has not fulfilled the eligible small business incubator's
30 graduation requirements or has fulfilled these
31 requirements within the last 5 years.
32 (f) Five percent of the amount that is appropriated
33 annually into the Small Business Incubator Fund shall be
34 allotted to the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
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1 for the purpose of administering, overseeing, and evaluating
2 the grant process and outcome.
3 (g) This Section is repealed on December 31, 2004. The
4 evaluation of the effectiveness of the grant process and
5 subsequent outcome of job and business creation shall
6 recommend the continuation or the repeal of this Section and
7 shall be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly
8 before December 31, 2003.
9 (20 ILCS 605/46.71 new)
10 Sec. 46.71. Model domestic violence and sexual assault
11 employee awareness and assistance policy.
12 (a) The Department shall convene a task force including
13 members of the business community, employees, employee
14 organizations, representatives from the Department of Labor,
15 and directors of domestic violence and sexual assault
16 programs, including representatives of statewide advocacy
17 organizations for the prevention of domestic violence and
18 sexual assault, to develop a model domestic violence and
19 sexual assault employee awareness and assistance policy for
20 businesses.
21 The Department shall give due consideration to the
22 recommendations of the Governor, the President of the Senate,
23 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for
24 participation by any person on the task force, and shall make
25 reasonable efforts to assure regional balance in membership.
26 (b) The purpose of the model employee awareness and
27 assistance policy shall be to provide businesses with the
28 best practices, policies, protocols, and procedures in order
29 that they ascertain domestic violence and sexual assault
30 awareness in the workplace, assist affected employees, and
31 provide a safe and helpful working environment for employees
32 currently or potentially experiencing the effects of domestic
33 violence or sexual assault. The model plan shall include but
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1 not be limited to:
2 (1) the establishment of a definite corporate policy
3 statement recognizing domestic violence and sexual
4 assault as workplace issues as well as promoting the need
5 to maintain job security for those employees currently
6 involved in domestic violence or sexual assault disputes;
7 (2) policy and service publication requirements,
8 including posting these policies and service availability
9 pamphlets in break rooms, on bulletin boards, and in
10 restrooms, and transmitting them through other
11 communication methods;
12 (3) a listing of current domestic violence and
13 sexual assault community resources such as shelters,
14 crisis intervention programs, counseling and case
15 management programs, and legal assistance and advocacy
16 opportunities for affected employees;
17 (4) measures to ensure workplace safety including,
18 where appropriate, designated parking areas, escort
19 services, and other affirmative safeguards;
20 (5) training programs and protocols designed to
21 educate employees and managers in how to recognize,
22 approach, and assist employees experiencing domestic
23 violence or sexual assault, including both victims and
24 batterers; and
25 (6) other issues as shall be appropriate and
26 relevant for the task force in developing the model
27 policy.
28 (c) The model policy shall be reviewed by the task force
29 to assure consistency with existing law and shall be made the
30 subject of public hearings convened by the Department
31 throughout the State at places and at times which are
32 convenient for attendance by the public, after which the
33 policy shall be reviewed by the task force and amended as
34 necessary to reflect concerns raised at the hearings. If
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1 approved by the task force, the model policy shall be
2 provided as approved with explanation of its provisions to
3 the Governor and the General Assembly not later than one year
4 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st
5 General Assembly. The Department shall make every effort to
6 notify businesses of the availability of the model domestic
7 violence and sexual assault employee awareness and assistance
8 policy.
9 (d) The Department, in consultation with the task force,
10 providers of services, the advisory council, the Department
11 of Labor, and representatives of statewide advocacy
12 organizations for the prevention of domestic violence and
13 sexual assault, shall provide technical support, information,
14 and encouragement to businesses to implement the provisions
15 of the model.
16 (e) Nothing contained in this Section shall be deemed to
17 prevent businesses from adopting their own domestic violence
18 and sexual assault employee awareness and assistance policy.
19 (f) The Department shall survey businesses within 4 years
20 of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st
21 General Assembly to determine the level of model policy
22 adoption amongst businesses and shall take steps necessary to
23 promote the further adoption of such policy.
24 Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
25 Section 5.490 as follows:
26 (30 ILCS 105/5.490 new)
27 Sec. 5.490. The Small Business Incubator Fund.
28 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
29 becoming law.
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