HB4696 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 19151 RCE 44886 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4696

Introduced 02/04/04, by Wyvetter H. Younge

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community School Facility Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the University of Illinois' Urban School Improvement Program shall implement an EZ/EC program to develop and demonstrate mechanisms to attract federal resources and private sector investments to administer the program and support the repair, renovation, and improvement of school buildings and facilities in communities designated under federal law or regulations as Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. Specifies types of demonstration methods that employ federal EZ/EC incentives to leverage private investment in support of improving school buildings and facilities. Provides for implementation of the EZ/EC program in conjunction with schools in communities located in Chicago, East St. Louis, and Springfield. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT relating to school facilities.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community School Facility Improvement Act.

Section 5. Creation of program. The Illinois Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community School Facility Improvement Program (hereinafter called the EZ/EC program) is hereby created, to be administered and implemented by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the University of Illinois' Urban School Improvement Program.

Section 10. EZ/EC program objectives. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Urban School Improvement Program at the University of Illinois shall develop and demonstrate mechanisms under which significant federal and private sector resources and investment are (i) accessed to support administration of the EZ/EC program, and (ii) allocated and made available to support the repair, renovation, and improvement of school buildings and facilities located in Illinois communities that have been designated as Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities under aligned federal laws and regulations which recognize the role that training and education play in supporting community economic development.

Section 15. Administration of program. The program shall be administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the University of Illinois' Urban School Improvement Program in conjunction with schools in communities located in Chicago, East St. Louis, and Springfield. The program shall be administered to demonstrate effective methods to employ federal Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community program incentives to leverage private investment in support of improving school buildings and facilities in Illinois Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. The methods shall include (i) utilization of shared savings long-term contracts, (ii) establishment of EZ/EC program investment cooperatives, and (iii) development of an EZ/EC program School Facility Special Private Activity Bond Program.

Section 20. Authority to accept and expend funds. In the exercise of their responsibilities under this Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the University of Illinois' Urban School Improvement Program may accept and expend gifts, endowments, and federal funds made available for purposes consistent with the administration and implementation of this Act.

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