093_SB0179eng

 
SB179 Engrossed                      LRB093 07362 SJM 07524 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to economic development.

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

 4        Section  5.   The Illinois Enterprise Zone Act is amended
 5    by changing Section 4 as follows:

 6        (20 ILCS 655/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 604)
 7        Sec. 4.  Qualifications for Enterprise Zones. (1) An area
 8    is qualified to become an enterprise zone which:
 9        (a)  is a contiguous area, provided that a zone area  may
10    exclude wholly surrounded territory within its boundaries;
11        (b)  comprises  a minimum of one-half square mile and not
12    more than 12 square miles, or 15 square miles if the zone  is
13    located  within  the  jurisdiction  of  4 or more counties or
14    municipalities,   in  total  area,  exclusive  of  lakes  and
15    waterways; however, in such cases where the  enterprise  zone
16    is  a  joint  effort of three or more units of government, or
17    two or more units of government if  situated  in  a  township
18    which  is  divided  by  a  municipality  of 1,000,000 or more
19    inhabitants, and where the certification has been  in  effect
20    at least one year, the total area shall comprise a minimum of
21    one-half  square mile and not more than thirteen square miles
22    in total area exclusive of lakes and waterways;
23        (c)  is a depressed area;
24        (d)  satisfies any  additional  criteria  established  by
25    regulation  of the Department consistent with the purposes of
26    this Act; and
27        (e)  is  (1)  entirely  within  a  municipality  or   (2)
28    entirely  within the unincorporated areas of a county, except
29    where reasonable need is established for such zone  to  cover
30    portions  of more than one municipality or county or (3) both
31    comprises (i) all or part  of  a  municipality  and  (ii)  an
 
SB179 Engrossed             -2-      LRB093 07362 SJM 07524 b
 1    unincorporated area of a county.
 2        (2)  Any criteria established by the Department or by law
 3    which  utilize the rate of unemployment for a particular area
 4    shall provide that all persons who are not presently employed
 5    and  have  exhausted  all  unemployment  benefits  shall   be
 6    considered  unemployed,  whether  or  not  such  persons  are
 7    actively  seeking employment. In addition, in a county with a
 8    population of 150,000 or  less  based  on  the  2000  federal
 9    decennial  census, any criteria established by the Department
10    or by law that use the rate of unemployment for a  particular
11    area  must count as unemployed any reduction in the number of
12    persons in the labor force in that area over the previous  12
13    months.
14    (Source: P.A. 86-803.)

15        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
16    becoming law.