103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5088

 

Introduced 2/8/2024, by Rep. Fred Crespo

 

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. Provides that, on and after July 1, 2024, a local tourism and convention bureau may not be certified to receive local tourism funds if all or part of the geographic area served by the local tourism and convention bureau is represented by another tourism and convention bureau that is certified by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5088LRB103 34772 HLH 64622 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
5Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
6is 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
9bureaus.
10    (a) To establish a grant program for local tourism and
11convention bureaus. The Department will develop and implement
12a program for the use of funds, as authorized under this Act,
13by local tourism and convention bureaus. Each bureau receiving
14funds under this Act will be certified by the Department as the
15designated recipient to serve an area of the State. For the
16purposes of this Act, bureaus eligible to receive funds are
17those local tourism and convention bureaus that are (i) either
18units of local government or incorporated as not-for-profit
19organizations; (ii) in legal existence for a minimum of 2
20years before July 1, 2001; (iii) operating with a paid,
21full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote tourism in
22the designated service area; and (iv) affiliated with one or
23more municipalities or counties that support the bureau with

 

 

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1local hotel-motel taxes. After July 1, 2001, bureaus
2requesting certification in order to receive funds for the
3first time must be local tourism and convention bureaus that
4are (i) either units of local government or incorporated as
5not-for-profit organizations; (ii) in legal existence for a
6minimum of 2 years before the request for certification; (iii)
7operating with a paid, full-time staff whose sole purpose is
8to promote tourism in the designated service area; and (iv)
9affiliated with multiple municipalities or counties that
10support the bureau with local hotel-motel taxes. In addition,
11on and after July 1, 2024, a local tourism and convention
12bureau may not be certified to receive funds under this Act if
13all or part of the geographic area served by the local tourism
14and convention bureau is represented by another tourism and
15convention bureau that is certified by the Department under
16this Section. Each bureau receiving funds under this Act will
17be certified by the Department as the designated recipient to
18serve an area of the State. Notwithstanding the criteria set
19forth in this subsection (a), or any rule adopted under this
20subsection (a), the Director of the Department may provide for
21the award of grant funds to one or more entities if in the
22Department's judgment that action is necessary in order to
23prevent a loss of funding critical to promoting tourism in a
24designated geographic area of the State.
25    (b) To distribute grants to local tourism and convention
26bureaus from appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund

 

 

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1for that purpose. Of the amounts appropriated annually to the
2Department for expenditure under this Section prior to July 1,
32011, one-third of those monies shall be used for grants to
4convention and tourism bureaus in cities with a population
5greater than 500,000. The remaining two-thirds of the annual
6appropriation prior to July 1, 2011 shall be used for grants to
7convention and tourism bureaus in the remainder of the State,
8in accordance with a formula based upon the population served.
9Of the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for
10expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 18% of
11such moneys shall be used for grants to convention and tourism
12bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000. Of
13the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for
14expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 82% of
15such moneys shall be used for grants to convention bureaus in
16the remainder of the State, in accordance with a formula based
17upon the population served. The Department may reserve up to
183% of total local tourism funds available for costs of
19administering the program to conduct audits of grants, to
20provide incentive funds to those bureaus that will conduct
21promotional activities designed to further the Department's
22statewide advertising campaign, to fund special statewide
23promotional activities, and to fund promotional activities
24that support an increased use of the State's parks or historic
25sites. The Department shall require that any convention and
26tourism bureau receiving a grant under this Section that

 

 

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1requires matching funds shall provide matching funds equal to
2no less than 50% of the grant amount except that in Fiscal
3Years 2021 through 2024 only, the Department shall require
4that any convention and tourism bureau receiving a grant under
5this Section that requires matching funds shall provide
6matching funds equal to no less than 25% of the grant amount.
7During fiscal year 2013, the Department shall reserve
8$2,000,000 of the available local tourism funds for
9appropriation to the Historic Preservation Agency for the
10operation of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
11Museum and State historic sites.
12    To provide for the expeditious and timely implementation
13of the changes made by Public Act 101-636, emergency rules to
14implement the changes made by Public Act 101-636 may be
15adopted by the Department subject to the provisions of Section
165-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
17(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22;
18103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20becoming law.