HB3641eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3641 Engrossed LRB094 06952 BDD 37067 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 605-410 as follows:

(20 ILCS 605/605-410) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.19d)

Sec. 605-410. Rural community development. The Department shall provide for staff for and administer a program in which the Department shall plan and coordinate State efforts designed to aid and stimulate the development of rural communities as well as other communities with special needs in order to improve their competitiveness for business retention, expansion, and attraction. Among other duties, the Department, through the program, may do all of the following:

(1) Provide information, technical support, and assistance to local officials, including, but not limited to, assistance in grant applications, developing economic development strategies, and complying with State and federal laws and rules and regulations affecting local governments. All State agencies shall cooperate with the program to provide the necessary information, materials, and assistance to enable the Department to carry out its function in the program in an effective manner. Each agency shall designate an individual to serve as liaison to the program to provide information and materials and to respond to requests for assistance from communities selecting to work through this program.

(2) Work with agencies in developing flexible regulations through a regulatory review program.

(3) Evaluate and review the impact of existing economic development programs on the rural and special need communities selecting to work through this program.

(4) Assist the communities in conducting self-assessments to identify specific industries and businesses in need of targeted assistance as well as actions that the community might take to become more competitive for business retention, expansion, and attraction.

(5) Assist in formulating specific and measurable economic development objectives for rural and special need communities selecting to work through the program.

(6) Administer the Rural Diversification Act.

(7) Provide grants for the purposes described in this Section with funds as appropriated by the General Assembly.

In making grants under this Section, the Department shall, subject to appropriation, develop a program to make grants to municipalities and counties for the purpose of funding local development organizations. Under this program, a county or municipality may apply to the Department for a grant to be awarded to the municipality or county to be used by a local development organization in that county or municipality for the purpose of fostering local or regional economic development.

For purposes of this Section, "local development organization" means a private or public entity organized for the purpose of the economic development within a municipality, county, or region of the State.

All grant awards under this program are subject to appropriation and may be used for any of the following:

(1) expenses related to the start-up or expansion of a local development organization;

(2) local or regional economic development planning and related studies; and

(3) any other specific use authorized by Department rule relating to the start-up or expansion of and economic planning by a local economic development organization.

The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement and operate this program.

(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)