97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5380

 

Introduced 2/15/2012, by Rep. Richard Morthland

 

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, beginning July 1, 2013, not less than 5/82 of the 82% of Local Tourism Fund moneys that are allocated to convention bureaus outside of Chicago shall be (i) allocated to the convention bureau with jurisdiction over the county within Illinois that contains the birthplace of the most recently-elected, Illinois-born president of the United States and (ii) used to promote certain sites connected with that President.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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 is
6amended 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 a
12program for the use of funds, as authorized under this Act, by
13local tourism and convention bureaus. For the purposes of this
14Act, bureaus eligible to receive funds are those local tourism
15and convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local
16government or incorporated as not-for-profit organizations;
17(ii) in legal existence for a minimum of 2 years before July 1,
182001; (iii) operating with a paid, full-time staff whose sole
19purpose is to promote tourism in the designated service area;
20and (iv) affiliated with one or more municipalities or counties
21that support the bureau with local hotel-motel taxes. After
22July 1, 2001, bureaus requesting certification in order to
23receive funds for the first time must be local tourism and

 

 

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1convention bureaus that are (i) either units of local
2government or incorporated as not-for-profit organizations;
3(ii) in legal existence for a minimum of 2 years before the
4request for certification; (iii) operating with a paid,
5full-time staff whose sole purpose is to promote tourism in the
6designated service area; and (iv) affiliated with multiple
7municipalities or counties that support the bureau with local
8hotel-motel taxes. Each bureau receiving funds under this Act
9will be certified by the Department as the designated recipient
10to serve an area of the State. Notwithstanding the criteria set
11forth in this subsection (a), or any rule adopted under this
12subsection (a), the Director of the Department may provide for
13the award of grant funds to one or more entities if in the
14Department's judgment that action is necessary in order to
15prevent a loss of funding critical to promoting tourism in a
16designated geographic area of the State.
17    (b) To distribute grants to local tourism and convention
18bureaus from appropriations made from the Local Tourism Fund
19for that purpose. Of the amounts appropriated annually to the
20Department for expenditure under this Section prior to July 1,
212011, one-third of those monies shall be used for grants to
22convention and tourism bureaus in cities with a population
23greater than 500,000. The remaining two-thirds of the annual
24appropriation prior to July 1, 2011 shall be used for grants to
25convention and tourism bureaus in the remainder of the State,
26in accordance with a formula based upon the population served.

 

 

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1Of the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for
2expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 18% of
3such moneys shall be used for grants to convention and tourism
4bureaus in cities with a population greater than 500,000. Of
5the amounts appropriated annually to the Department for
6expenditure under this Section beginning July 1, 2011, 82% of
7such moneys shall be used for grants to convention bureaus in
8the remainder of the State, in accordance with a formula based
9upon the population served. Beginning July 1, 2013, not less
10than 5/82 of that 82% shall be allocated to the convention
11bureau with jurisdiction over the county within Illinois that
12contains the birthplace of the most recently-elected,
13Illinois-born president of the United States, and that
14convention bureau shall use those funds to promote: (i) the
15birthplace of that President, (ii) any self-guided, historic
16driving trail that may be associated with the birthplace of
17that President, (iii) any State parks, State conservation
18areas, State trails, or State historic sites that are within
19the birthplace county and under the jurisdiction of either the
20Department of Natural Resources or the Illinois Historic
21Preservation Agency. The Department may reserve up to 10% of
22total local tourism funds available for costs of administering
23the program to conduct audits of grants, to provide incentive
24funds to those bureaus that will conduct promotional activities
25designed to further the Department's statewide advertising
26campaign, to fund special statewide promotional activities,

 

 

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1and to fund promotional activities that support an increased
2use of the State's parks or historic sites.
3(Source: P.A. 97-617, eff. 10-26-11.)