Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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20 ILCS 655/5.5

(20 ILCS 655/5.5)

(from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 609.1)

(Text of Section from P.A. 103-9)

Sec. 5.5. High Impact Business.

(a) In order to respond to unique opportunities to assist in the
encouragement, development, growth, and expansion of the private sector through
large scale investment and development projects, the Department is authorized
to receive and approve applications for the designation of "High Impact
Businesses" in Illinois, for an initial term of 20 years with an option for renewal for a term not to exceed 20 years, subject to the following conditions:

(1) such applications may be submitted at any time

during the year;

(2) such business is not located, at the time of

designation, in an enterprise zone designated pursuant to this Act;

(3) the business intends to do one or more of the

following:

(A) the business intends to make a minimum

investment of $12,000,000 which will be placed in service in qualified property and intends to create 500 full-time equivalent jobs at a designated location in Illinois or intends to make a minimum investment of $30,000,000 which will be placed in service in qualified property and intends to retain 1,500 full-time retained jobs at a designated location in Illinois.  The terms "placed in service" and "qualified property" have the same meanings as described in subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act; or

(B) the business intends to establish a new

electric generating facility at a designated location in Illinois.  "New electric generating facility", for purposes of this Section, means a newly constructed electric generation plant or a newly constructed generation capacity expansion at an existing electric generation plant, including the transmission lines and associated equipment that transfers electricity from points of supply to points of delivery, and for which such new foundation construction commenced not sooner than July 1, 2001.  Such facility shall be designed to provide baseload electric generation and shall operate on a continuous basis throughout the year; and (i) shall have an aggregate rated generating capacity of at least 1,000 megawatts for all new units at one site if it uses natural gas as its primary fuel and foundation construction of the facility is commenced on or before December 31, 2004, or shall have an aggregate rated generating capacity of at least 400 megawatts for all new units at one site if it uses coal or gases derived from coal as its primary fuel and shall support the creation of at least 150 new Illinois coal mining jobs, or (ii) shall be funded through a federal Department of Energy grant before December 31, 2010 and shall support the creation of Illinois coal-mining jobs, or (iii) shall use coal gasification or integrated gasification-combined cycle units that generate electricity or chemicals, or both, and shall support the creation of Illinois coal-mining jobs.   The term "placed in service" has the same meaning as described in subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act; or

(B-5) the business intends to establish a new

gasification facility at a designated location in Illinois.  As used in this Section, "new gasification facility" means a newly constructed coal gasification facility that generates chemical feedstocks or transportation fuels derived from coal (which may include, but are not limited to, methane, methanol, and nitrogen fertilizer), that supports the creation or retention of Illinois coal-mining jobs, and that qualifies for financial assistance from the Department before December 31, 2010. A new gasification facility does not include a pilot project located within Jefferson County or within a county adjacent to Jefferson County for synthetic natural gas from coal; or

(C) the business intends to establish production

operations at a new coal mine, re-establish production operations at a closed coal mine, or expand production at an existing coal mine at a designated location in Illinois not sooner than July 1, 2001; provided that the production operations result in the creation of 150 new Illinois coal mining jobs as described in subdivision (a)(3)(B) of this Section, and further provided that the coal extracted from such mine is utilized as the predominant source for a new electric generating facility.   The term "placed in service" has the same meaning as described in subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act; or

(D) the business intends to construct new

transmission facilities or upgrade existing transmission facilities at designated locations in Illinois, for which construction commenced not sooner than July 1, 2001.  For the purposes of this Section, "transmission facilities" means transmission lines with a voltage rating of 115 kilovolts or above, including associated equipment, that transfer electricity from points of supply to points of delivery and that transmit a majority of the electricity generated by a new electric generating facility designated as a High Impact Business in accordance with this Section.  The term "placed in service" has the same meaning as described in subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act; or

(E) the business intends to establish a new wind

power facility at a designated location in Illinois.  For purposes of this Section, "new wind power facility" means a newly constructed electric generation facility, a newly constructed expansion of an existing electric generation facility, or the replacement of an existing electric generation facility, including the demolition and removal of an electric generation facility irrespective of whether it will be replaced, placed in service or replaced on or after July 1, 2009, that generates electricity using wind energy devices, and such facility shall be deemed to include any permanent structures associated with the electric generation facility and all associated transmission lines, substations, and other equipment related to the generation of electricity from wind energy devices.  For purposes of this Section, "wind energy device" means any device, with a nameplate capacity of at least 0.5 megawatts, that is used in the process of converting kinetic energy from the wind to generate electricity; or

(E-5) the business intends to establish a new

utility-scale solar facility at a designated location in Illinois. For purposes of this Section, "new utility-scale solar power facility" means a newly constructed electric generation facility, or a newly constructed expansion of an existing electric generation facility, placed in service on or after July 1, 2021, that (i) generates electricity using photovoltaic cells and (ii) has a nameplate capacity that is greater than 5,000 kilowatts, and such facility shall be deemed to include all associated transmission lines, substations, energy storage facilities, and other equipment related to the generation and storage of electricity from photovoltaic cells; or

(F) the business commits to (i) make a minimum

investment of $500,000,000, which will be placed in service in a qualified property, (ii) create 125  full-time equivalent jobs at a designated location in Illinois, (iii) establish a fertilizer plant at a designated location in Illinois that complies with the set-back standards as described in Table 1: Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances  in the 2012 Emergency Response Guidebook published by the United States Department of Transportation, (iv) pay a prevailing wage for employees at that location who are engaged in construction activities, and (v) secure an appropriate level of general liability insurance to protect against catastrophic failure of the fertilizer plant or any of its constituent systems; in addition, the business must agree to enter into a construction project labor agreement including provisions establishing wages, benefits, and other compensation for employees performing work under the project labor agreement at that location;  for the purposes of this Section, "fertilizer plant" means a newly constructed or upgraded plant utilizing gas used in the production of anhydrous ammonia and downstream nitrogen fertilizer products for resale; for the purposes of this Section, "prevailing wage" means the hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits for training and apprenticeship programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, health and welfare, insurance, vacations and pensions paid generally, in the locality in which the work is being performed, to employees engaged in work of a similar character on public works; this paragraph (F) applies only to businesses that submit an application to the Department within 60 days after July 25, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-109);  or

(G) the business intends to establish a new

cultured cell material food production facility at a designated location in Illinois. As used in this paragraph (G):

"Cultured cell material food production facility"

means a facility (i) at which cultured animal cell food is developed using animal cell culture technology, (ii) at which production processes occur that include the establishment of cell lines and cell banks, manufacturing controls, and all components and inputs, and (iii) that complies with all existing registrations, inspections, licensing, and approvals from all applicable and participating State and federal food agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Health, and the United States Food and Drug Administration, to ensure that all food production is safe and lawful under provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the development, production, and storage of cultured animal cell food.

"New cultured cell material food production

facility" means a newly constructed cultured cell material food production facility that is placed in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly or a newly constructed expansion of an existing cultured cell material food production facility, in a controlled environment, when the improvements are placed in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly; and

(4) no later than 90 days after an application is

submitted, the Department shall notify the applicant of the Department's determination of the qualification of the proposed High Impact Business under this Section.

(b) Businesses designated as High Impact Businesses pursuant to
subdivision (a)(3)(A) of this Section shall qualify for the credits and
exemptions described in the
following Acts: Section 9-222 and Section 9-222.1A of the Public Utilities
Act,
subsection (h)
of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act,
and Section 1d of
the
Retailers' Occupation Tax Act; provided that these credits and
exemptions
described in these Acts shall not be authorized until the minimum
investments set forth in subdivision (a)(3)(A) of this
Section have been placed in
service in qualified properties and, in the case of the exemptions
described in the Public Utilities Act and Section 1d of the Retailers'
Occupation Tax Act, the minimum full-time equivalent jobs or full-time retained jobs set
forth in subdivision (a)(3)(A) of this Section have been
created or retained.
Businesses designated as High Impact Businesses under
this Section shall also
qualify for the exemption described in Section 5l of the Retailers' Occupation
Tax Act. The credit provided in subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois
Income Tax Act shall be applicable to investments in qualified property as set
forth in subdivision (a)(3)(A) of this Section.

(b-5) Businesses designated as High Impact Businesses pursuant to
subdivisions (a)(3)(B), (a)(3)(B-5), (a)(3)(C), (a)(3)(D), and (a)(3)(G) of this Section shall qualify
for the credits and exemptions described in the following Acts:  Section 51 of
the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act, Section 9-222 and Section 9-222.1A of the
Public Utilities Act, and subsection (h) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income
Tax Act; however, the credits and exemptions authorized under Section 9-222 and
Section 9-222.1A of the Public Utilities Act, and subsection (h) of Section 201
of the Illinois Income Tax Act shall not be authorized until the new electric
generating facility, the new gasification facility, the new transmission facility, the new, expanded, or
reopened coal mine, or the new cultured cell material food production facility is operational,
except that a new electric generating facility whose primary fuel source is
natural gas is eligible only for the exemption under Section 5l of the
Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

(b-6) Businesses designated as High Impact Businesses pursuant to subdivision (a)(3)(E) or (a)(3)(E-5) of this Section shall qualify for the exemptions described in Section 5l of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act; any business so designated as a High Impact Business being, for purposes of this Section, a "Wind Energy Business".

(b-7) Beginning on January 1, 2021, businesses designated as High Impact Businesses by the Department shall qualify for the High Impact Business construction jobs credit under subsection (h-5) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act if the business meets the criteria set forth in subsection (i) of this Section. The total aggregate amount of credits awarded under the Blue Collar Jobs Act (Article 20 of Public Act 101-9) shall not exceed $20,000,000 in any State fiscal year.

(c) High Impact Businesses located in federally designated foreign trade
zones or sub-zones are also eligible for additional credits, exemptions and
deductions as described in the following Acts: Section 9-221 and Section
9-222.1 of the Public
Utilities Act; and subsection (g) of Section 201, and Section 203
of the Illinois Income Tax Act.

(d) Except for businesses contemplated under subdivision (a)(3)(E), (a)(3)(E-5), or (a)(3)(G) of this Section, existing Illinois businesses which apply for designation as a
High Impact Business must provide the Department with the prospective plan
for which 1,500 full-time retained jobs would be eliminated in the event that the
business is not designated.

(e) Except for new businesses contemplated under subdivision (a)(3)(E) or subdivision (a)(3)(G) of this Section, new proposed facilities which apply for designation as High Impact
Business must provide the Department with proof of alternative non-Illinois
sites which would receive the proposed investment and job creation in the
event that the business is not designated as a High Impact Business.

(f) Except for businesses contemplated under subdivision (a)(3)(E) or subdivision (a)(3)(G) of this Section, in the event that a business is designated a High Impact Business
and it is later determined after reasonable notice and an opportunity for a
hearing as provided under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, that
the business would have placed in service in qualified property the
investments and created or retained the requisite number of jobs without
the benefits of the High Impact Business designation, the Department shall
be required to immediately revoke the designation and notify the Director
of the Department of Revenue who shall begin proceedings to recover all
wrongfully exempted State taxes with interest.  The business shall also be
ineligible for all State funded Department programs for a period of 10 years.

(g) The Department shall revoke a High Impact Business designation if
the participating business fails to comply with the terms and conditions of
the designation.

(h) Prior to designating a business, the Department shall provide the
members of the General Assembly and Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability
with a report setting forth the terms and conditions of the designation and
guarantees that have been received by the Department in relation to the
proposed business being designated.

(i) High Impact Business construction jobs credit. Beginning on January 1, 2021, a High Impact Business may receive a tax credit against the tax imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in an amount equal to 50% of the amount of the incremental income tax attributable to High Impact Business construction jobs credit employees employed in the course of completing a High Impact Business construction jobs project. However, the High Impact Business construction jobs credit may equal 75% of the amount of the incremental income tax attributable to High Impact Business construction jobs credit employees if the High Impact Business construction jobs credit project is located in an underserved area.

The Department shall certify to the Department of Revenue: (1) the identity of taxpayers that are eligible for the High Impact Business construction jobs credit; and (2) the amount of High Impact Business construction jobs credits that are claimed pursuant to subsection (h-5) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act in each taxable year.  Any business entity that receives a High Impact Business construction jobs credit shall maintain a certified payroll pursuant to subsection (j) of this Section.

As used in this subsection (i):

"High Impact Business construction jobs credit" means an amount equal to 50% (or 75% if the High Impact Business construction project is located in an underserved area) of the incremental income tax attributable to High Impact Business construction job employees. The total aggregate amount of credits awarded under the Blue Collar Jobs Act (Article 20 of Public Act 101-9) shall not exceed $20,000,000 in any State fiscal year

"High Impact Business construction job employee" means a laborer or worker who is employed by an Illinois contractor or subcontractor in the actual construction work on the site of a High Impact Business construction job project.

"High Impact Business construction jobs project" means building a structure or building or making improvements of any kind to real property, undertaken and commissioned by a business that was designated as a High Impact Business by the Department. The term "High  Impact Business construction jobs project" does not include the routine operation, routine repair, or routine maintenance of existing structures, buildings, or real property.

"Incremental income tax" means the total amount withheld during the taxable year from the compensation of High Impact Business construction job employees.

"Underserved area" means a geographic area that meets one or more of the following conditions:
(1) the area has a poverty rate of at least 20%

according to the latest American Community Survey;

(2) 35% or more of the families with children in the

area are living below 130% of the poverty line, according to the latest American Community Survey;

(3) at least 20% of the households in the area

receive assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); or

(4) the area has an average unemployment rate, as

determined by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, that is more than 120% of the national unemployment average, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor, for a period of at least 2 consecutive calendar years preceding the date of the application.

(j) Each contractor and subcontractor who is engaged in and executing a High Impact Business Construction jobs project, as defined under subsection (i) of this Section, for a business that is entitled to a credit pursuant to subsection (i) of this Section shall:

(1) make and keep, for a period of 5 years from the

date of the last payment made on or after June 5, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-9) on a contract or subcontract for a High Impact Business Construction Jobs Project, records for all laborers and other workers employed by the contractor or subcontractor on the project; the records shall include:

            (A) the worker's name;
            (B) the worker's address;
            (C) the worker's telephone number, if available;
            (D) the worker's social security number;
            (E) the worker's classification or

classifications;

(F) the worker's gross and net wages paid in each

pay period;

(G) the worker's number of hours worked each day;
(H) the worker's starting and ending times of

work each day;

            (I) the worker's hourly wage rate;
            (J) the worker's hourly overtime wage rate;
            (K) the worker's race and ethnicity; and
            (L) the worker's gender;
        (2) no later than the 15th day of each calendar

month, provide a certified payroll for the immediately preceding month to the taxpayer in charge of the High Impact Business construction jobs project; within 5 business days after receiving the certified payroll, the taxpayer shall file the certified payroll with the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; a certified payroll must be filed for only those calendar months during which construction on a High Impact Business construction jobs project has occurred; the certified payroll shall consist of a complete copy of the records identified in paragraph (1) of this subsection (j), but may exclude the starting and ending times of work each day; the certified payroll shall be accompanied by a statement signed by the contractor or subcontractor or an officer, employee, or agent of the contractor or subcontractor which avers that:

(A) he or she has examined the certified payroll

records required to be submitted by the Act and such records are true and accurate; and

(B) the contractor or subcontractor is aware that

filing a certified payroll that he or she knows to be false is a Class A misdemeanor.

A general contractor is not prohibited from relying on a certified payroll of a lower-tier subcontractor, provided the general contractor does not knowingly rely upon a subcontractor's false certification.

Any contractor or subcontractor subject to this subsection, and any officer, employee, or agent of such contractor or subcontractor whose duty as an officer, employee, or agent it is to file a certified payroll under this subsection, who willfully fails to file such a certified payroll on or before the date such certified payroll is required by this paragraph to be filed and any person who willfully files a false certified payroll that is false as to any material fact is in violation of this Act and guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

The taxpayer in charge of the project shall keep the records submitted in accordance with this subsection on or after June 5, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-9) for a period of 5 years from the date of the last payment for work on a contract or subcontract for the High Impact Business construction jobs project.

The records submitted in accordance with this subsection shall be considered public records, except an employee's address, telephone number, and social security number, and made available in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. The Department of Labor shall share the information with the Department in order to comply with the awarding of a High Impact Business construction jobs credit. A contractor, subcontractor, or public body may retain records required under this Section in paper or electronic format.

(k) Upon 7 business days' notice, each contractor and subcontractor shall make available for inspection and copying at a location within this State during reasonable hours, the records identified in this subsection (j) to the taxpayer in charge of the High Impact Business construction jobs project, its officers and agents, the Director of the Department of Labor and his or her deputies and agents, and to federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.

(l) The  changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, other than the changes in subsection (a), apply to high impact businesses that submit applications on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 102-108, eff. 1-1-22; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-605, eff. 8-27-21; 102-662, eff. 9-15-21; 102-673, eff. 11-30-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1125, eff. 2-3-23; 103-9, eff. 6-7-23.)

(Text of Section from P.A. 103-561)