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to whom broadband Internet service is available, but who |
may require assistance to adopt or maintain service due to |
economic hardship; |
(2) promoting the adoption of home broadband Internet |
service by State residents; and |
(3) supporting digital skills training for State |
residents.
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Section 15. Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund. |
(a) The Illinois Broadband Adoption Fund is established as |
a special fund within the State treasury for the purpose of |
providing financial assistance under this Act. The Department |
shall administer the fund. |
(b) The fund consists of: |
(1) money received through the federal American Rescue |
Plan and other vehicles designed to address and relieve |
economic hardship for State households; |
(2) money appropriated by the General Assembly; |
(3) money transferred to the fund under the Treasurer |
as Custodian of Funds Act; and |
(4) donations, gifts, and money received from any |
other source, including transfers from other funds or |
accounts. |
(c) The Treasurer shall invest the money in the fund not |
currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the |
same manner as other public funds may be invested.
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Section 20. Application for financial assistance. |
(a) The Department may determine qualifications for |
broadband Internet provider participation and enter into an |
agreement with each provider under which the provider agrees |
to accept vouchers distributed by the Department under this |
Act as a form of payment for the provider's broadband Internet |
service. |
(b) In coordination with the covered agencies, the |
Department shall send information regarding the availability |
of financial assistance under this Act to each eligible family |
or person receiving the public assistance in Section (d). The |
information must include: |
(1) the name and contact information of each provider |
who has entered into an agreement with the Department as |
described in subsection (a) whose broadband Internet |
service is available in their area; and |
(2) instructions for applying to the Department for |
financial assistance under this Section. |
(c) An individual who receives information under |
subsection (b) may apply for financial assistance under this |
Section in the manner specified by the Department. Upon |
receipt of an application, the Department shall determine: |
(1) the applicant's eligibility for financial |
assistance; |
(2) the amount of financial assistance for which the |
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applicant is eligible; and |
(3) whether the applicant is eligible for a single |
payment or a recurring payment of financial assistance, |
based on the Department's assessment of the applicant's |
need. |
(d) An applicant for financial assistance under this Act |
is automatically eligible for financial assistance under this |
Act if: |
(1) the applicant is receiving, or the applicant's |
household includes, an individual who is receiving |
benefits under: |
(A) the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families |
(TANF) program; |
(B) the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance |
Program (SNAP); or |
(C) the Medicaid program; or |
(2) the applicant's household includes a child who is |
eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. |
(e) If the Department determines under subsection (c) that |
an individual is eligible for financial assistance, or that |
the individual is eligible for financial assistance under |
subsection (d), the Department may provide financial |
assistance to the individual or to the broadband Internet |
provider designated by the individual in the form of one or |
more vouchers, each in an amount of up to $50, that can be used |
by the individual to pay one or more of the following expenses: |
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(1) fees charged by a broadband Internet provider for |
installation, activation, equipment purchase, Wi-Fi |
extenders, or other one-time expenses of providing |
broadband Internet service to the individual; |
(2) monthly subscription fees charged by a broadband |
Internet provider for the provision of broadband Internet |
service to the individual household, including modem, |
router, or other service or equipment charges; and |
(3) overdue amounts owed to provider, including |
administrative fees and penalties. |
A voucher or similar designation of eligibility may be |
provided by the Department in printed or electronic form. |
(f) A provider that receives a voucher under this Section |
from an individual household who subscribes to the provider's |
broadband Internet service shall deduct the amount of the |
voucher from the amount owed by the subscriber for the |
provider's provision of broadband Internet service to the |
individual household on a monthly basis. |
(g) If the fund does not receive an ongoing appropriation |
from the General Assembly, the Department shall provide a |
90-day notice to participating households and broadband |
Internet providers that financial support will be |
discontinued.
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Section 100. The Department of Commerce and Economic |
Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois |
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is amended by adding Section 605-1055 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 605/605-1055 new) |
Sec. 605-1055. Illinois Innovation Voucher Program. |
(a) The Department is authorized to establish the Illinois |
Innovation Voucher Program to be administered in accordance |
with this Section for the purpose of fostering research and |
development in key industry clusters leading to the creation |
of new products and services that can be marketed by Illinois |
businesses. Subject to appropriation, the Department may award |
innovation vouchers to eligible businesses to offset a portion |
of expenses incurred through a collaborative research |
engagement with an Illinois institution of higher education. |
(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department may award |
matching funds in the form of innovation vouchers up to 75% of |
the cost of the research engagement not to exceed $75,000. A |
business may receive only one innovation voucher under this |
Section per year. |
(c) The Department, when administering the Program under |
this Section: |
(1) must encourage participation among small and |
mid-sized businesses; |
(2) must encourage participation in the Program in |
diverse geographic and economic areas, including urban, |
suburban, and rural areas of the State; and |
(3) must encourage participation in the Program from |
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businesses that operate in key industries, as defined by |
the Department. These industries include, but are not |
limited to, the following: (i) agribusiness and agtech; |
(ii) energy; (iii) information technology; (iv) life |
sciences and healthcare; (v) manufacturing; and (vi) |
transportation and logistics. |
(d) In order to be eligible for an innovation voucher |
under this Section, a business must satisfy all of the |
following conditions: |
(1) the business must be an Illinois-based business. |
For the purposes of this Section, "Illinois-based |
business" means a business that has its principal place of |
business in this State or that employs at least 100 |
full-time employees, as defined under Section 5-5 of the |
Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act, |
in this State; |
(2) the business must remain in this State for the |
duration of research engagement; and |
(3) the partnering institution of higher education |
must be an Illinois-based institution of higher education |
and non-profit. For the purposes of this Section, |
"Illinois-based institution of higher education" means an |
institution of higher education that has its main physical |
campus in this State. |
(e) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
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administer the provisions of this Section.
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