HB5604 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 20103 RTM 33554 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5604

Introduced 2/13/2026, by Rep. Lilian Jiménez

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Cultural Districts Act. Provides that, if an area successfully establishes itself as a cultural district under the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law, then the area may be incorporated as a cultural district. Creates 15 cultural districts. Sets forth the method to create additional cultural districts. Provides that, unless the boundaries of a cultural district are the same as the boundaries of a county or municipality, the affairs of a cultural district shall be managed by a board of commissioners consisting of not less than 5 but not more than 9 commissioners, who shall be appointed by the presiding officer of the county board of the county in which the majority of the cultural district is located, with the advice and consent of the county board. Provides that a cultural district may sue and be sued, enter into contracts, acquire and hold real and personal property necessary for its corporate purposes, and adopt a seal. Provides that the board of commissioners of a cultural district may, for any of its authorized purposes, borrow money upon the faith and credit of the cultural district and may issue bonds. Provides that a cultural district may acquire lands for its purposes (i) by lease, (ii) in fee simple by gift, grant, legacy, purchase, or condemnation, or (iii) by easement.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Cultural Districts Act.

Section 5. Cultural district. If an area successfully establishes itself as a cultural district under subsection (c) of Section 605-1057 of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law, then the area may be incorporated as a cultural district as provided in this Act.

Section 10. Initial districts. The following districts are created as cultural districts:

(1) the North First Street Cultural District in the City of Champaign;

(2) the Bronzeville District in the City of Chicago;

(3) the Chinatown District in the City of Chicago;

(4) the Clark Street/Camino Clark District in the City of Chicago;

(5) the Mahalia Jackson 79th Street Cultural District in the City of Chicago;

(6) the Little Village District in the City of Chicago;

(7) the Puerto Rico Town District in the City of Chicago;

(8) the South Chicago Cultural District in the City of Chicago;

(9) the Central East Cultural District in the City of Springfield;

(10) the Southtown Cultural District in the City of Springfield;

(11) the Soul City District in the City of Chicago;

(12) the City of Bloomington Downtown Cultural District;

(13) the Heritage District in the City of Rockford;

(14) the Historic District of the City of Vienna; and

(15) the Ukrainian Village District in the City of Chicago;

Section 15. Petition for referendum.

(a) Any 200 legal voters residing within the limits of a proposed district may petition the circuit court of the county in which the proposed district lies for an order to submit the question to the electors of the proposed district whether or not it shall be organized as a cultural district under this Act.

(b) The petition must contain a definite description of the territory to be included within the district, the proposed name of the district, the name of each municipality within the district, and a copy of certification as a State-designated cultural district under Section 605-1057 of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law.

(c) Upon filing the petition in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which the territory lies, the circuit court shall fix a day and hour for a hearing on the petition, which shall be at least 15 days after the filing of the petition. The clerk of the circuit court shall cause a notice of the time and place of hearing to be published 3 successive days in a newspaper having a general circulation in the territory of the proposed district. The date of the last publication of the notice must be at least 5 days before the time set for the hearing.

(d) At the hearing on the petition the court shall hear any person owning property or residing within the proposed district who desires to be heard. If the court finds that all of the provisions of this Act have been complied with, the court shall enter an order fixing and defining the boundaries and the name of the proposed district in accordance with the prayer of the petition.

(e) If any other petition for the organization of a cultural district in the same county is filed under this Act before the time fixed for the hearing of the first petition, the court shall postpone the hearing on the first petition, and the hearing on all petitions shall be set for the same day and hour. All petitions filed after the first petition shall be assigned to the judge to whom the first petition is assigned so that all petitions may be heard by the same judge. If 2 or more petitions are filed under this Act and come on for hearing at the same time and the court finds that any of the territory included within any one of the petitions is included within or contiguous to the territory included in any other petition, the court may include all of the territory described in the petitions in one district and shall fix the name proposed in the petition first filed as the name of the district.

(f) After the entry of the order fixing and defining the boundaries and the name of a proposed district, the circuit court shall order that the question of organization of the proposed district be submitted to the electors of the proposed district. The clerk of the circuit court shall certify the order and the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question to the electors of the proposed district in accordance with the general election law. Notice of the referendum shall contain a definite description of the territory of the district and the proposed name of the district.

(g) The proposition shall be substantially in the following form:

"Shall the (name of cultural district) be organized in the territory described as follows: (insert description)?". If a majority of the votes cast on the question are in the affirmative, the district shall then be an organized cultural district under this Act.

Section 20. Governing body and officers.

(a) Unless the boundaries of a cultural district are the same as the boundaries of a county or municipality, the affairs of a cultural district shall be managed by a board of commissioners consisting of not less than 5 but not more than 9 commissioners, who shall be appointed by the presiding officer of the county board of the county in which the majority of the cultural district is located, with the advice and consent of the county board. The first appointments shall be made more than 60 days but not more than 90 days after the district is created. Each commissioner must be a legal voter in the district. The first commissioners shall be appointed for terms ending June 30, one, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after the district is organized, as determined by lot. Thereafter, successor commissioners shall be appointed for terms of 5 years. Commissioners shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.

(b) If a commissioner is no longer a legal voter of the district, then the office shall immediately become vacant. If a vacancy in the office of commissioner occurs for any reason, then a successor shall be appointed for the remainder of the term in the same manner as other commissioners are appointed.

(c) If the boundaries of a cultural district are the same as the boundaries of a county or municipality, then the corporate authorities of the county or municipality shall have the powers and perform the duties of the commissioners and no commissioners shall be appointed for the district. The corporate authorities shall receive no additional compensation for governing the cultural district.

(d) The board of commissioners of a cultural district shall appoint the treasurer of the cultural district by majority vote.

Section 25. Powers and duties. A cultural district may sue and be sued, enter into contracts, acquire and hold real and personal property necessary for its corporate purposes, and adopt a seal and alter the same at its pleasure.

Section 30. Real estate. A cultural district may acquire lands for its purposes (i) by lease, (ii) in fee simple by gift, grant, legacy, purchase, or condemnation, or (iii) by easement.

Section 35. Funds of the district.

(a) The board of commissioners, when requested by the treasurer of the district, shall designate one or more banks or savings and loan associations where the funds of the district received by the treasurer may be deposited. When a bank or savings and loan association has been designated as a depository, it shall continue as a depository until 10 days after a new depository is designated and is qualified by furnishing the statements of resources and liabilities required by this Section. When a new depository is designated, the board of commissioners shall notify the sureties of the treasurer of that fact in writing at least 5 days before the transfer of funds. The treasurer of the district shall be discharged from responsibility for all funds and moneys while they are deposited in a designated bank or depository.

(b) A bank or savings and loan association shall not receive public funds as provided in this Section unless it has complied with the requirements of Section 6 of the Public Funds Investment Act.

Section 40. Records and reports.

(a) The board of commissioners shall keep a record of all proceedings which shall be open to the inspection of any person residing in the district at all reasonable and proper times. The board of commissioners shall report annually to the county board in which a majority of the cultural district is located concerning its revenues, expenditures, construction work, property, and other matters acted upon by the board of commissioners during the previous year.

(b) An action of the board of commissioners of a cultural district requires the affirmative vote of the majority of commissioners.

Section 45. Debt and bonds. The board of commissioners of a cultural district may, for any of its authorized purposes, borrow money upon the faith and credit of the cultural district and may issue bonds. A district may not, however, become indebted in any manner or for any purpose to an amount including existing indebtedness in the aggregate exceeding 1.5% of the assessed value, as equalized by the Department of Revenue, of the taxable property in the district. A district may not incur indebtedness in excess of 0.3% of the assessed value, as equalized by the Department of Revenue, of taxable property in the district for the development of historical sites, together with related lands and facilities, held by the district. Before or at the time of issuing bonds, the board of commissioners shall provide by ordinance for the collection of an annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds as it falls due and to pay the principal of the bonds as they mature. The bonds shall mature not later than 20 years after the date thereof. The bonds shall bear interest at such rate or rates as do not exceed those set forth in the Bond Authorization Act and shall be issuable upon any terms and may have provisions as make use of any authority as may be provided in the Local Government Debt Reform Act.