Public Act 0476 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0508 Enrolled LRB099 03068 HLH 23076 b

Public Act 099-0476

AN ACT concerning revenue.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Promotion Act is amended by changing Sections 2 and 3 and by adding Section 8b as follows:

(20 ILCS 665/2) (from Ch. 127, par. 200-22)

Sec. 2. Legislative findings; policy. The General Assembly hereby finds, determines and declares:

(a) That the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people of the State are directly dependent upon the continual encouragement, development, growth and expansion of tourism within the State;

(b) That unemployment, the spread of indigency, and the heavy burden of public assistance and unemployment compensation can be alleviated by the promotion, attraction, stimulation, development and expansion of tourism in the State;

(c) That the policy of the State of Illinois, in the interest of promoting the health, safety, morals and welfare of all the people of the State, is to increase the economic impact of tourism throughout the State through promotional activities and by making available grants and loans to be made to local promotion groups and others, as provided in Sections 5, and 8a, and 8b of this Act, for purposes of promoting, developing, and expanding tourism destinations, tourism attractions, and tourism events.

(Source: P.A. 92-38, eff. 6-28-01.)

(20 ILCS 665/3) (from Ch. 127, par. 200-23)

Sec. 3. Definitions. The following words and terms, whenever used or referred to in this Act, shall have the following meanings, except where the context may otherwise require:

(a) "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity of the State of Illinois.

(b) "Local promotion group" means any non-profit corporation, organization, association, agency or committee thereof formed for the primary purpose of publicizing, promoting, advertising or otherwise encouraging the development of tourism in any municipality, county, or region of Illinois.

(c) "Promotional activities" means preparing, planning and conducting campaigns of information, advertising and publicity through such media as newspapers, radio, television, magazines, trade journals, moving and still photography, posters, outdoor signboards and personal contact within and without the State of Illinois; dissemination of information, advertising, publicity, photographs and other literature and material designed to carry out the purpose of this Act; and participation in and attendance at meetings and conventions concerned primarily with tourism, including travel to and from such meetings.

(d) "Municipality" means "municipality" as defined in Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code, as heretofore and hereafter amended.

(e) "Tourism" means travel 50 miles or more one-way or an overnight trip outside of a person's normal routine.

(f) "Municipal amateur sports facility" means a sports facility that: (1) is owned by a unit of local government; (2) has contiguous indoor sports competition space; (3) is designed to principally accommodate and host amateur competitions for youths, adults, or both; and (4) is not used for professional sporting events where participants are compensated for their participation.

(g) "Municipal convention center" means a convention center or civic center owned by a unit of local government or operated by a convention center authority, or a municipal convention hall as defined in paragraph (1) of Section 11-65-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, with contiguous exhibition space ranging between 30,000 and 125,000 square feet.

(h) "Convention center authority" means an Authority, as defined by the Civic Center Code, that operates a municipal convention center with contiguous exhibition space ranging between 30,000 and 125,000 square feet.

(i) "Incentive" means: (1) an incentive provided by a municipal convention center or convention center authority for a convention, meeting, or trade show held at a municipal convention center that, but for the incentive, would not have occurred in the State or been retained in the State; or (2) an incentive provided by a unit of local government for a sporting event held at a municipal amateur sports facility that, but for the incentive, would not have occurred in the State or been retained in the State.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)

(20 ILCS 665/8b new)

Sec. 8b. Municipal convention center and sports facility attraction grants.

(a) Until July 1, 2020, the Department is authorized to make grants, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, from the Tourism Promotion Fund to a unit of local government, municipal convention center, or convention center authority that provides incentives, as defined in subsection (i) of Section 3 of this Act, for the purpose of attracting conventions, meetings, and trade shows to municipal convention centers and attracting sporting events to municipal amateur sports facilities. Grants awarded under this Section shall be based on the net proceeds received under the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act for the renting, leasing, or letting of hotel rooms in the municipality for the month in which the convention, meeting, trade show, or sporting event occurs. Grants shall not exceed 80% of the incentive amount provided by the unit of local government, municipal convention center, or convention center authority. Further, in no event may the aggregate amount of grants awarded to a single municipal convention center, convention center authority, or municipal amateur sports facility exceed $200,000 in any calendar year. The Department may, by rule, require any other provisions it deems necessary in order to protect the State's interest in administering this program.

(b) No later than May 15 of each year, through May 15, 2020, the unit of local government, municipal convention center, or convention center authority shall certify to the Department the amounts of funds expended in the previous fiscal year to provide qualified incentives; however, in no event may the certified amount pursuant to this paragraph exceed $200,000 for any municipal convention center, convention center authority, or municipal amateur sports facility in any calendar year. The unit of local government, convention center, or convention center authority shall certify (A) the net proceeds received under the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act for the renting, leasing, or letting of hotel rooms in the municipality for the month in which the convention, meeting, or trade show occurs and (B) the average of the net proceeds received under the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act for the renting, leasing, or letting of hotel rooms in the municipality for the same month in the 3 immediately preceding years. The unit of local government, municipal convention center, or convention center authority shall include the incentive amounts as part of its regular audit.

(c) The Department shall submit a report on the effectiveness of the program established under this Section to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2020.

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

Effective Date: 8/27/2015