SB0799sam001 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Michael W. Halpin

Filed: 4/16/2026

10400SB0799sam001 LRB104 07215 HLH 36921 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 799

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 799 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Public Radio and Television Grant Act is amended by changing Sections 1, 3, and 6 and by adding Section 8.1 as follows:

(30 ILCS 745/1) (from Ch. 127, par. 1551)

Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Actual operating cost" means the total sum expended for the operations and maintenance of an Illinois public radio or television station.

"Eligible station" means an Illinois public radio station or an Illinois public television station that:

(1) has been in operation for a minimum of 2 years as of January 1, 2026 or is the product of merger between entities at least one of which has been in operation for a minimum of 2 years as of January 1, 2026;

(2) originates a local program service that is designed to serve its community's needs and interests and that provides access free of charge to high-quality content that supports an informed citizenry, provides cultural enrichment, and engages curiosity;

(3) is recognized as a non-profit organization by the State of Illinois;

(4) employs a professional staff with a minimum of 2 full-time employees; and

(5) funds both (i) local programming, including, but not limited to, news, public affairs, or educational content, and (ii) regional content, national content, or both regional and national content.

"Illinois public radio station" or "radio station" means a non-commercial public radio broadcasting station that is licensed as such by the Federal Communications Commission as of January 1, 2026, that operates from a community in the State, and that received a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting during any year between 2023 and 2025. , or authorized under a program test authority by the Federal Communications Commission, which operates from a community located in this State, and meets the minimum criteria for receipt of Community Service Grants set by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and

"Illinois public television station" or "television station" means a non-commercial public television broadcasting station that is licensed as such by the Federal Communications Commission as of January 1, 2026, that operates from a community in the State, and that received a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting during any year between 2023 and 2025. , or authorized under a program test authority by the Federal Communications Commission, which operates from a community located in this State, and meets the minimum criteria for receipt of Community Service Grants set by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"Eligible station" means a public radio or television station as defined hereinabove which had been in full-time operation and has met the minimum grant criteria of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting before applying for a grant under this Act.

In the event the Corporation for Public Broadcasting should cease to exist, or its Community Service Grant program should terminate, or the eligibility criteria for grants under the Community Service Grant program shall be lowered, then the criteria for eligibility for such grants which were extant on the effective date of this Act shall prevail for purposes of this Act.

"Station" unless otherwise qualified, means any eligible radio or television station.

"Actual operating cost" means the total sum expended for the operations and maintenance of an Illinois public radio or television station.

(Source: P.A. 88-494.)

(30 ILCS 745/3) (from Ch. 127, par. 1553)

Sec. 3. Allocation of Funds.

(a) For fiscal years before Fiscal Year 2027, funds Funds appropriated for the purpose of making grants to stations under this Act shall be divided into 2 grant pools, with 75% of such appropriated funds constituting a grant pool for public television stations and 25% of such appropriated funds constituting a grant pool for public radio stations.

(b) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, except as provided in Section 6, funds appropriated for the purpose of making grants to stations under this Act shall be allocated to eligible stations as follows:

(1) Each eligible station's basic grant amount shall be based on the station's share of the total amount appropriated for the purpose of making grants under this Act for Fiscal Year 2025. Those basic grant amounts are as follows:

(A) WTTW Communications.................$568,825;

(B) WBEZ................................$180,361;

(C) WDCB.................................$23,361;

(D) WNIJ and WNIU........................$38,728;

(E) WVIK.................................$22,161;

(F) WCBU.................................$18,361;

(G) WTVP................................$120,625;

(H) WIUM.................................$21,361;

(I) WQPT.................................$87,625;

(J) WILL AM & FM.........................$45,072;

(K) WILL TV.............................$125,625;

(L) WGLT.................................$23,421;

(M) WEIU.................................$88,275;

(N) WSIU FM..............................$19,361;

(O) WSIU and WMEC...................$252,375; and

(P) WUIS.................................$22,261.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of item (1), if, in any fiscal year, the total amount appropriated for grants under this Act is less than $1,657,800, then the basic grant amount for each station for that fiscal year shall be prorated based on the particular station's percentage of the total amount of Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations under this Act.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of item (1), if, in any fiscal year, the total amount appropriated for grants under this Act is more than $1,657,800, then the increase for that fiscal year shall be divided equally among all participating stations.

(4) If any of the stations listed in item (1) cease operations or otherwise fail to apply for funding in any fiscal year, that station's allocation shall be divided equally among the remaining stations.

(5) If any 2 or more of the stations listed in item (1) merge to form one entity, the new entity's basic grant amount shall be the sum of the basic amounts of each of the entities involved in the merger.

(Source: P.A. 84-1040.)

(30 ILCS 745/6) (from Ch. 127, par. 1556)

Sec. 6. Grant Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no station shall in any year be allocated funds under this Act in excess of one-half of its actual operating cost for the prior fiscal year. Those funds not obligated by virtue of this limitation shall be distributed to the remaining stations in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 5 of this Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no station shall be allocated more than 60% of all funds in its grant pool. Those funds not obligated by virtue of this limitation shall be distributed to the remaining eligible stations in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 84-1040.)

(30 ILCS 745/8.1 new)

Sec. 8.1. Illinois Public Broadcasters. Any station that receives grant funds is required to be a member of the Illinois Public Broadcasters, a 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to support public media in the State of Illinois and whose board is made up of one representative from each grant receiving station. If an eligible station has both eligible television operations and eligible radio operations, the station may, at its discretion, be represented by each broadcast station type.

(30 ILCS 745/4 rep.)

(30 ILCS 745/5 rep.)

(30 ILCS 745/8 rep.)

(30 ILCS 745/9 rep.)

Section 10. The Public Radio and Television Grant Act is amended by repealing Sections 4, 5, 8, and 9.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.".