093_HB1599

 
                                     LRB093 04499 JAM 04552 b

 1        AN ACT concerning tourism.

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

 4        Section  5.   The  Department  of  Commerce and Community
 5    Affairs Law of the Civil Administrative Code of  Illinois  is
 6    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
 9    bureaus.
10        (a)  To establish a grant program for local  tourism  and
11    convention bureaus.  The Department of Commerce and Community
12    Affairs  will  develop and implement a program for the use of
13    funds, as authorized under this Act,  by  local  tourism  and
14    convention  bureaus.   For  the purposes of this Act, bureaus
15    eligible  to  receive  funds  are  those  local  tourism  and
16    convention  bureaus  that  are  (i)  either  units  of  local
17    government or incorporated as  not-for-profit  organizations;
18    (ii)  in legal existence for a minimum of 2 years before July
19    1, 2001; (iii) operating with a paid, full-time  staff  whose
20    sole  purpose is to promote tourism in the designated service
21    area; and (iv) affiliated with one or more municipalities  or
22    counties  that  support  the  bureau  with  local hotel-motel
23    taxes.  After July 1, 2001, bureaus requesting  certification
24    in  order  to  receive funds for the first time must be local
25    tourism and convention bureaus that are (i) either  units  of
26    local    government   or   incorporated   as   not-for-profit
27    organizations; (ii) in legal existence for  a  minimum  of  2
28    years  before  the request for certification; (iii) operating
29    with a paid, full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote
30    tourism in the designated service area; and  (iv)  affiliated
31    with  multiple  municipalities  or  counties that support the
 
                            -2-      LRB093 04499 JAM 04552 b
 1    bureau with local hotel-motel taxes.  Each  bureau  receiving
 2    funds  under  this Act will be certified by the Department as
 3    the designated recipient to  serve  an  area  of  the  State.
 4    Notwithstanding  the  criteria  set  forth in this subsection
 5    (a), or any rule  adopted  under  this  subsection  (a),  the
 6    Director of the Department may provide for the award of grant
 7    funds to one or more entities if in the Department's judgment
 8    that  action  is  necessary  in  order  to  prevent a loss of
 9    funding  critical  to  promoting  tourism  in  a   designated
10    geographic area of the State.
11        (b)  To distribute grants to local tourism and convention
12    bureaus  from appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund
13    for that purpose.  Of the amounts  appropriated  annually  to
14    the  Department for expenditure under this Section, one-third
15    of those monies shall be used for grants  to  convention  and
16    tourism  bureaus  in  cities  with  a population greater than
17    500,000.    The   remaining   two-thirds   of   the    annual
18    appropriation  shall  be  used  for  grants to convention and
19    tourism bureaus in the remainder of the State, in  accordance
20    with  a  formula  based  upon  the  population  served.   The
21    Department may reserve up to 10% of the total appropriated to
22    conduct audits of grants, to provide incentive funds to those
23    bureaus  that will conduct promotional activities designed to
24    further the Department's statewide advertising  campaign,  to
25    fund  special  statewide  promotional activities, and to fund
26    promotional activities that support an increased use  of  the
27    State's parks or historic sites.
28    (Source:  P.A.  91-239,  eff.  1-1-00;  91-357, eff. 7-29-99;
29    92-16,  eff.  6-28-01;  92-38,  eff.  6-28-01;  92-524,  eff.
30    2-8-02.)