94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB1202

 

Introduced 2/9/2005, by Rep. Monique D. Davis

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 605/605-705   was 20 ILCS 605/46.6a

    Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning local tourism grants.


LRB094 10241 RCE 40508 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1202 LRB094 10241 RCE 40508 b

1     AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
5 Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
6 amended by changing Section 605-705 as follows:
 
7     (20 ILCS 605/605-705)  (was 20 ILCS 605/46.6a)
8     Sec. 605-705. Grants to local tourism and convention
9 bureaus.
10     (a) To establish a grant program for local tourism and and
11 convention bureaus. The Department will develop and implement a
12 program for the use of funds, as authorized under this Act, by
13 local tourism and convention bureaus. For the purposes of this
14 Act, bureaus eligible to receive funds are those local tourism
15 and convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local
16 government or incorporated as not-for-profit organizations;
17 (ii) in legal existence for a minimum of 2 years before July 1,
18 2001; (iii) operating with a paid, full-time staff whose sole
19 purpose is to promote tourism in the designated service area;
20 and (iv) affiliated with one or more municipalities or counties
21 that support the bureau with local hotel-motel taxes. After
22 July 1, 2001, bureaus requesting certification in order to
23 receive funds for the first time must be local tourism and
24 convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local
25 government or incorporated as not-for-profit organizations;
26 (ii) in legal existence for a minimum of 2 years before the
27 request for certification; (iii) operating with a paid,
28 full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote tourism in the
29 designated service area; and (iv) affiliated with multiple
30 municipalities or counties that support the bureau with local
31 hotel-motel taxes. Each bureau receiving funds under this Act
32 will be certified by the Department as the designated recipient

 

 

HB1202 - 2 - LRB094 10241 RCE 40508 b

1 to serve an area of the State. Notwithstanding the criteria set
2 forth in this subsection (a), or any rule adopted under this
3 subsection (a), the Director of the Department may provide for
4 the award of grant funds to one or more entities if in the
5 Department's judgment that action is necessary in order to
6 prevent a loss of funding critical to promoting tourism in a
7 designated geographic area of the State.
8     (b) To distribute grants to local tourism and convention
9 bureaus from appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund
10 for that purpose. Of the amounts appropriated annually to the
11 Department for expenditure under this Section, one-third of
12 those monies shall be used for grants to convention and tourism
13 bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000. The
14 remaining two-thirds of the annual appropriation shall be used
15 for grants to convention and tourism bureaus in the remainder
16 of the State, in accordance with a formula based upon the
17 population served. The Department may reserve up to 10% of
18 total local tourism funds available for costs of administering
19 the program to conduct audits of grants, to provide incentive
20 funds to those bureaus that will conduct promotional activities
21 designed to further the Department's statewide advertising
22 campaign, to fund special statewide promotional activities,
23 and to fund promotional activities that support an increased
24 use of the State's parks or historic sites.
25 (Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-38, eff. 6-28-01; 92-524,
26 eff. 2-8-02; 93-25, eff. 6-20-03.)