102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB2855

 

Introduced 2/19/2021, by Rep. Amy Grant

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Act. Creates the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Pilot Program. Provides for the appointment, term of service, and compensation of entrepreneurs-in-residence. Requires the Director or Secretary of specified State agencies to appoint entrepreneurs-in-residence, and issue a report on the Program to the General Assembly and the Governor by January 1, 2026. Provides for the duties of appointed entrepreneurs-in-residence. Provides that an entrepreneur-in-residence shall report directly to his or her appointing authority. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2028. Defines terms. Effective immediately.


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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Entrepreneur-in-Residence Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Program created
7under this Act is to strengthen coordination between State
8government and the private sector on issues relevant to
9entrepreneurs and small business concerns, and to make State
10government programs and operations simpler, easier to access,
11more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of and issues
12related to small business concerns and entrepreneurs.
 
13    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
14    "Appointing authority" means the Governor, the Speaker of
15the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the
16Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Minority
17Leader of the Senate, or the Director or Secretary of the
18Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the
19Department of Transportation, the Department of Human
20Services, the Department of Public Health, or the Department
21of Central Management Services.
22    "Entrepreneur-in-residence" or

 

 

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1"entrepreneurs-in-residence" means an individual or
2individuals appointed to a position under this Act.
3    "Program" means the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Pilot
4Program.
 
5    Section 15. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence Pilot Program.
6    (a) Except as provided under subsection (b), as many as 10
7individuals may be appointed to serve as
8entrepreneurs-in-residence with State agencies, appointed 2
9each by the Governor, the Speaker of the House of
10Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Minority
11Leader of the House of Representatives, and the Minority
12Leader of the Senate. These appointees shall have demonstrated
13success in working with small business concerns and
14entrepreneurs, or have successfully developed, invented, or
15created a product and brought that product to the marketplace.
16Entrepreneurs-in-residence appointed under this subsection (a)
17shall serve for a period of 2 years. A State agency shall
18cooperate with any entrepreneur-in-residence appointed to
19serve it as necessary to facilitate this Program. A person
20appointed as an entrepreneur-in-residence under this
21subsection (a) shall not be appointed to one of the State
22agencies listed in subsection (b).
23    (b) Additionally, the Director or Secretary of the
24following State agencies shall each appoint one
25entrepreneur-in-residence for their respective State agency:

 

 

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1        (1) the Department of Commerce and Economic
2    Opportunity;
3        (2) the Department of Transportation;
4        (3) the Department of Human Services;
5        (4) the Department of Public Health; and
6        (5) the Department of Central Management Services.
7    Entrepreneurs-in-residence appointed under this
8subsection (b) shall serve for a period of 5 years, beginning
9January 1, 2022 and ending January 1, 2027, and have the same
10qualifications as appointees under subsection (a).
11    (c) The Director or Secretary of a State agency under
12subsection (b) shall, by January 1, 2026, issue a report to the
13General Assembly and the Governor outlining findings and
14recommendations, including, but not limited to, the successes
15of the Program, recommendations to improve the Program, and
16any other information that the Director or Secretary may deem
17necessary and relevant. For the purposes of this Section,
18success of the Program shall be measured by the number of
19interactions, new businesses created, the size of the new
20businesses, and how the new businesses have grown since their
21inception.
22    (d) Entrepreneurs-in-residence appointed under this Act
23shall serve without compensation, but may, at the discretion
24of the appointing authority, receive reasonable and necessary
25expenses incurred in the discharge of his or her duties.
26    (e) An entrepreneur-in-residence appointed under this Act

 

 

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1shall perform the following duties:
2        (1) assist the State agency in improving outreach to
3    small business concerns and entrepreneurs;
4        (2) provide recommendations on inefficient or
5    duplicative programs;
6        (3) provide recommendations to the appointing
7    authority on methods to improve Program efficiency at the
8    State agency;
9        (4) provide recommendations to the appointing
10    authority on new initiatives that may be instituted at the
11    State agency;
12        (5) facilitate meetings and forums to educate small
13    business concerns and entrepreneurs on programs or
14    initiatives of the State agency;
15        (6) facilitate in-service sessions with employees of
16    the State agency on needs and issues of interest to
17    entrepreneurs and small business concerns; and
18        (7) provide technical assistance or mentorship to
19    small business concerns and entrepreneurs in accessing
20    programs at the State agency.
21    (f) An entrepreneur-in-residence shall report directly to
22his or her appointing authority.
 
23    Section 20. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
242028.
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.