093_HB2175

 
                                     LRB093 10449 RCE 10703 b

 1        AN ACT relating to school facilities.

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

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

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

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

26        Section  15.  Administration  of  program.   The  program
27    shall  be  administered  by  the  Department  of Commerce and
28    Community Affairs  and  the  University  of  Illinois'  Urban
29    School  Improvement  Program  in  conjunction with schools in
 
                            -2-      LRB093 10449 RCE 10703 b
 1    communities  located  in  Chicago,  East   St.   Louis,   and
 2    Springfield.    The   program   shall   be   administered  to
 3    demonstrate effective methods to employ  federal  Empowerment
 4    Zone/Enterprise  Community  program  incentives  to  leverage
 5    private  investment  in support of improving school buildings
 6    and facilities in Illinois Empowerment Zones  and  Enterprise
 7    Communities.   The  methods  shall include (i) utilization of
 8    shared savings long-term  contracts,  (ii)  establishment  of
 9    EZ/EC  program investment cooperatives, and (iii) development
10    of an EZ/EC program School Facility Special Private  Activity
11    Bond Program.

12        Section  20.  Authority  to  accept and expend funds.  In
13    the exercise of their responsibilities under  this  Act,  the
14    Department   of   Commerce  and  Community  Affairs  and  the
15    University of Illinois' Urban School Improvement Program  may
16    accept  and  expend gifts, endowments, and federal funds made
17    available for purposes consistent with the administration and
18    implementation of this Act.

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