State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_HB1755

      20 ILCS 605/46.19a        from Ch. 127, par. 46.19a
          Amends  the  Civil  Administrative   Code   of   Illinois
      concerning   grants  from  the  Department  of  Commerce  and
      Community Affairs.  Adds a caption.
                                                     LRB9004466PTcw
                                               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        AN ACT to amend the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
 2    by changing Section 46.19a.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
 6    amended by changing Section 46.19a as follows:
 7        (20 ILCS 605/46.19a) (from Ch. 127, par. 46.19a)
 8        (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 89-507)
 9        Sec. 46.19a.  (1) Grants to provide  training  in  fields
10    affected  by  critical demands for certain skills may be made
11    as provided in this subsection.
12             (a)  The Director of the Department may make  grants
13        to  eligible  employers  or to other eligible entities on
14        behalf of employers as authorized  in  paragraph  (b)  to
15        provide  training for employees in fields for which there
16        are critical demands for certain skills.
17             (b)  The  Director  may  accept   applications   for
18        training  grant  funds  and  grant  requests  from:   (i)
19        entities   sponsoring   multi-company  eligible  employee
20        training projects as defined in paragraph (c),  including
21        business  associations,  strategic business partnerships,
22        institutions of  secondary  or  higher  education,  large
23        manufacturers for supplier network companies, federal Job
24        Training Partnership Act administrative entities or grant
25        recipients,  and  labor organizations when those projects
26        will  address  common  training   needs   identified   by
27        participating  companies;  and  (ii) individual employers
28        that are undertaking eligible employee training  projects
29        as defined in paragraph (c), including intermediaries and
30        training agents.
31             (c)  The   Director  may  make  grants  to  eligible
                            -2-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        applicants as  defined  in  paragraph  (b)  for  employee
 2        training  projects  that include, but need not be limited
 3        to, one or more of the following:
 4                  (i)  training programs in response  to  new  or
 5             changing   technology   being   introduced   in  the
 6             workplace;
 7                  (ii)  job-linked training that  offers  special
 8             skills for career advancement or that is preparatory
 9             for,  and  leads  directly  to,  jobs  with definite
10             career potential and long-term job security;
11                  (iii)  training necessary  to  implement  total
12             quality management or improvement or both management
13             and improvement systems within the workplace;
14                  (iv)  training  related  to  new  machinery  or
15             equipment;
16                  (v)  training  of  employees  of companies that
17             are expanding into new markets or expanding  exports
18             from Illinois;
19                  (vi)  basic,   remedial,   or  both  basic  and
20             remedial training of employees as a prerequisite for
21             other vocational or technical skills training or  as
22             a condition for sustained employment;
23                  (vii)  self-employment    training    of    the
24             unemployed  and  underemployed  with  comprehensive,
25             competency-based    instructional    programs    and
26             services; and
27                  (viii)  other training activities, projects, or
28             both training activities and projects related to the
29             support,  development, or evaluation of job training
30             programs,   activities,   and   delivery    systems,
31             including training needs assessment and design.
32             (d)  Grants   shall   be   made  on  the  terms  and
33        conditions that the Department shall determine, provided,
34        however, that no  grant  made  under  the  provisions  of
                            -3-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        paragraph  (c) of this subsection shall exceed 50% of the
 2        direct costs of all approved training  programs  provided
 3        by the employer or the employer's training agent or other
 4        entity  as defined in paragraph (b).  Under this Section,
 5        allowable costs include, but are not limited to:
 6                  (i)  administrative    costs    of    tracking,
 7             documenting,  reporting,  and  processing   training
 8             funds or project costs;
 9                  (ii)  curriculum development;
10                  (iii)  wages and fringe benefits of employees;
11                  (iv)  training   materials,   including   scrap
12             product costs;
13                  (v)  trainee travel expenses;
14                  (vi)  instructor costs, including wages, fringe
15             benefits, tuition, and travel expenses;
16                  (vii)  rent,  purchase,  or  lease  of training
17             equipment; and
18                  (viii)  other  usual  and  customary   training
19             costs.
20             (e)  The Director shall ensure that periodic on-site
21        grant  monitoring  visits are conducted by the Department
22        during the course of the grant period.    The  Department
23        shall  verify  that  the  grantee's  financial management
24        system is structured to provide  for  accurate,  current,
25        and  complete  disclosure of the financial results of the
26        grant program in accordance with all  provisions,  terms,
27        and conditions contained in the grant contract.
28             (f)  The   Director  may  establish  and  collect  a
29        schedule of charges from subgrantee  entities  and  other
30        system  users  under  federal  job-training  programs for
31        participating in and utilizing the department's automated
32        job-training  program  information  systems  where   such
33        systems  and  the necessary participation and utilization
34        is a requirement of the  federal  job-training  programs.
                            -4-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        All  monies collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be
 2        deposited  into  the  Federal  Job-Training   Information
 3        Systems Revolving Fund created in subsection (5).
 4        (2)  The  Department is authorized to establish a program
 5    of  grants  to  universities,  community  colleges,  research
 6    institutions,  research  consortiums,  other   not-for-profit
 7    entities,   and   Illinois  businesses  for  the  purpose  of
 8    fostering research and development in the high technology and
 9    the service sector leading to the development of new products
10    and services that can be marketed by Illinois businesses. All
11    grant awards shall include a contract which may  provide  for
12    payment  of  negotiated  royalties  to  the Department if the
13    product  or  service  to  be  developed  by  the  grantee  is
14    subsequently licensed for production.
15             (a)  Grants  may  be  awarded  to  universities  and
16        research institutions to  assist  them  in  making  their
17        faculties    and   facilities   available   to   Illinois
18        businesses. Such grants may be used by  a  university  or
19        research  institution  for,  including but not limited to
20        the following  purposes:  (i)  to  establish  or  enhance
21        computerized   cataloging   of   all  research  labs  and
22        university staff and make such  catalogues  available  to
23        Illinois businesses; (ii) to market products developed by
24        the  university  to  Illinois businesses; (iii) to review
25        publications in order to identify,  catalog,  and  inform
26        Illinois  businesses  of  new  practices in areas such as
27        robotics,  biotechnology;  (iv)  to  build  an   on-line,
28        information  and  technology  system that relies on other
29        computerized networks in the United States; (v) to assist
30        in securing temporary replacement  for  faculty  who  are
31        granted a leave of absence from their teaching duties for
32        the purpose of working full-time for an Illinois business
33        to assist that business with technology transfer.
34             (b)  Grants  may  be  awarded  to  universities  and
                            -5-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        research  institutions,  research  consortiums  and other
 2        not-for-profit entities for the  purpose  of  identifying
 3        and   supporting  Illinois  businesses  engaged  in  high
 4        technology and service sector enterprises. Such  Illinois
 5        businesses identified and funded shall include recipients
 6        of Small Business Innovation Research Program funds under
 7        subsections  (e)  through  (k)  of Section 9 of the Small
 8        Business Act. (Title 15 United States Codes,  subsections
 9        638(e)-638(k)).  Entities  receiving  grants  under  this
10        paragraph (b) shall be known as commercialization centers
11        and  shall  engage  in  one  or  more  of  the  following
12        activities:
13                  (i)  directing   research  assistance  for  new
14             venture creations;
15                  (ii)  general  feasibility   studies   of   new
16             venture ideas;
17                  (iii)  furthering     the     technical     and
18             intellectual  skills  of  the managers and owners of
19             Illinois small businesses;
20                  (iv)  commercialization   of   technology   and
21             research;
22                  (v)  development of prototypes and testing  new
23             products;
24                  (vi)  identify    and    assist   in   securing
25             financing;
26                  (vii)  marketing assistance; and
27                  (viii)  assisting Illinois inventors in finding
28             Illinois manufacturers to produce and  market  their
29             inventions.
30             A  commercialization center may charge a nominal fee
31        or accept royalty agreements for  conducting  feasibility
32        studies and other services.
33             (c)  Grants  may  be  awarded  by  the Department to
34        Illinois businesses to  fund  research  and  consultation
                            -6-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        arrangements   between   businesses   and   universities,
 2        community   colleges,   research  institutions,  research
 3        consortiums and other not-for-profit entities within this
 4        State.
 5             The Department shall give priority to Illinois small
 6        businesses in awarding grants. Each grant  awarded  under
 7        this paragraph (c) shall provide funding for up to 50% of
 8        the  cost  of  the research or consultation arrangements,
 9        not to exceed $100,000; provided that the grant recipient
10        utilizes Illinois not for profit  research  and  academic
11        institutions  to  perform  the  research  and development
12        function for which grant funds were requested.
13             (d)  Grants may be awarded  to  research  consortium
14        and  other  qualified  applicants,  in  conjunction  with
15        private  sector  or  federal  funding, for other creative
16        systems that bridge university  resources  and  business,
17        technological, production and development concerns.
18             (e)  For   the   purposes  of  subsection  (2),  (i)
19        "Illinois business" means a "small business  concern"  as
20        defined  in  Title  15  United  States Code, Section 632,
21        which primarily conducts its business in  Illinois;  (ii)
22        "high   technology"   means   any  area  of  research  or
23        development  designed  to  foster  greater  knowledge  or
24        understanding  in  fields  such  as   computer   science,
25        electronics,   physics,  chemistry  or  biology  for  the
26        purpose of producing designing, developing  or  improving
27        prototypes  and  new  processes;  (iii)  "private sector"
28        shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Title 29  United
29        States Code, Section 1503; (iv) "University" means either
30        a  degree  granting  institution  located  in Illinois as
31        defined in Section 2 of the Academic  Degree  Act,  or  a
32        State-supported    institution    of    higher   learning
33        administered by the Board of Trustees of  the  University
34        of  Illinois,  the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois
                            -7-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Chicago  State
 2        University, the Board of  Trustees  of  Eastern  Illinois
 3        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of Governors State
 4        University, the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Illinois  State
 5        University,   the   Board  of  Trustees  of  Northeastern
 6        Illinois University, the Board of  Trustees  of  Northern
 7        Illinois  University,  the  Board  of Trustees of Western
 8        Illinois University, or the  Illinois  Community  College
 9        Board;  (v) "venture" means any Illinois business engaged
10        in research and development to  create  new  products  or
11        services   with  high  growth  potential;  (vi)  Illinois
12        research institutions refers to not-for-profit  entities,
13        which  include  federally-funded  research  laboratories,
14        that  conduct research and development activities for the
15        purpose of producing, designing, developing, or improving
16        prototypes   and   new   processes;   and   (vii)   other
17        not-for-profit entities  means  non-profit  organizations
18        based  in  Illinois  that  are  primarily  devoted to new
19        enterprise or product development.
20             (f)  The Department may establish a program of grant
21        assistance on a matching basis to universities, community
22        colleges, small business development  centers,  community
23        action   agencies   and   other  not-for-profit  economic
24        development  agencies   to   encourage   new   enterprise
25        development  and  new business formation and to encourage
26        enterprises in this State.  The  Department  may  provide
27        grants,  which  shall  be  exempt  from the provisions of
28        subsection  (3)  of  this   Section,   to   universities,
29        community  colleges,  small business development centers,
30        community  action  agencies  and   other   not-for-profit
31        economic  development  entities for the purpose of making
32        loans to small businesses.  All grant applications  shall
33        contain   information  as  required  by  the  Department,
34        including the following:  a  program  operation  plan;  a
                            -8-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1        certification  and  assurance  that  the  small  business
 2        applicants have received business development training or
 3        education,  have  a  business  and  finance plan and have
 4        experience  in  the  proposed  business   area;   and   a
 5        description  of  the  support  services  which  the grant
 6        recipient will provide to the small  business.   No  more
 7        than  10% of the grant may be used by the grant recipient
 8        for  administrative  costs  associated  with  the  grant.
 9        Grant recipients may use grant funds under  this  program
10        to  make  loans  on terms and conditions favorable to the
11        small  business  and  shall  give   priority   to   those
12        businesses  located  in  high  poverty  areas, enterprise
13        zones, or both.
14        (3)  There is created within the Department, a Technology
15    Innovation and Commercialization Grants-in-Aid Council  which
16    shall  consist  of  2  representatives  of  the Department of
17    Commerce and Community Affairs appointed by  the  Department;
18    one representative of the Illinois Board of Higher Education,
19    appointed  by  the  Board;  one  representative of science or
20    engineering appointed by the Governor; two representatives of
21    business, appointed by the Governor;  one  representative  of
22    small business, appointed by the Governor; one representative
23    of  the  Department of Agriculture, appointed by the Director
24    of  Agriculture;  and  one  representative  of  agribusiness,
25    appointed by the Director of  Agriculture.  The  Director  of
26    Commerce  and  Community  Affairs  shall  appoint  one of the
27    Department's representatives to  serve  as  chairman  of  the
28    Council.  The  Council  members shall receive no compensation
29    for their services but shall be reimbursed for their expenses
30    actually incurred by them in the performance of their  duties
31    under  this  subsection.  The  Department shall provide staff
32    services to the Council. The Council shall provide for review
33    and evaluation of all applications received by the Department
34    under subsection (2) of this Section and make recommendations
                            -9-                LRB9004466PTcw
 1    on those projects to be funded. The Council shall also assist
 2    the Department in monitoring the projects and  in  evaluating
 3    the  impact  of  the  program on technological innovation and
 4    business development within the State.
 5        (4)  There is hereby created a special fund in the  State
 6    Treasury  to  be  known  as  the  Technology  Innovation  and
 7    Commercialization  Fund. The moneys in such Fund may be used,
 8    subject to appropriation, only for making grants pursuant  to
 9    subsection  (2)  of  this Section and for the purposes of the
10    Technology Advancement and  Development  Act.  All  royalties
11    received by the Department shall be deposited in such Fund.
12        (5)  There  is hereby created a special fund in the State
13    treasury to be known as the Federal Job-Training  Information
14    Systems Revolving Fund.  The deposit of monies into this fund
15    shall  be  limited  to  the collection of charges pursuant to
16    paragraph (f) of subsection (1) of this Section.  The  monies
17    in the fund may only be used, subject to appropriation by the
18    General Assembly for the purpose of financing the maintenance
19    and   operation   of   the   automated  Federal  Job-Training
20    Information Systems pursuant to paragraph (f)  of  subsection
21    (1) of this Section.
22        (6)  When  the  Department  is  involved  in developing a
23    federal or State funded training or  retraining  program  for
24    any  employer,  the Department will assist and encourage that
25    employer in  making  every  effort  to  reemploy  individuals
26    previously employed at the facility.  Further, the Department
27    will  provide  a  list of said employees to said employer for
28    consideration for reemployment and will report the results of
29    this  effort  to  the  Illinois  Job  Training   Coordinating
30    Council.   This  requirement  shall  be  in  effect  when the
31    following conditions are met:
32             (a)  the employer is reopening, or is  proposing  to
33        reopen,  a  facility  which  was  last  closed during the
34        preceding 2 years,
                            -10-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1             (b)  a substantial number of the  persons  who  were
 2        employed  at  the facility before its most recent closure
 3        remain unemployed, and
 4             (c)  the product or service produced by, or proposed
 5        to be produced  by,  the  employer  at  the  facility  is
 6        substantially  similar to the product or service produced
 7        at the facility before its most recent closure.
 8        (7)  The Department, in cooperation with the  Departments
 9    of  Public  Aid  and  Employment  Security,  may  establish a
10    program to encourage community action agencies  to  establish
11    programs  that  will help unemployed and underemployed single
12    parents to identify, access, and develop, through such  means
13    as  counseling  or mentoring, internal and external resources
14    that will enable those single parents to  become  emotionally
15    and   financially   self-sufficient.   The  intended  primary
16    beneficiaries of the local programs shall be female heads  of
17    households  who are at least 22 but less than 46 years of age
18    and who are physically able to work  but  are  unemployed  or
19    underemployed.   The  Department  may make grants, subject to
20    the  availability  of  funding,  to  communities  and   local
21    agencies  for  the  purpose of establishing local programs as
22    described  in  this  subsection  (7).   A  grant  under  this
23    subsection (7) shall be made for a period of one year and may
24    be renewed if the Department determines that the  program  is
25    successful  in  meeting  its  objectives.   If the Department
26    determines that implementation of a program has resulted in a
27    savings of State moneys that otherwise would have  been  paid
28    to  beneficiaries of the program, the Department, on renewing
29    a grant, may adjust the grant amount for  those  demonstrated
30    savings.  For  purposes  of  this  subsection,  a  person  is
31    underemployed  if  his  or her income from employment is less
32    than 185% of the federal official poverty income guideline.
33    (Source: P.A. 88-373; 88-456;  88-670,  eff.  12-2-94;  89-4,
34    eff. 1-1-96.)
                            -11-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 89-507)
 2        Sec. 46.19a.  Employment and technology grants.
 3        (1)  Grants  to  provide  training  in fields affected by
 4    critical demands for certain skills may be made  as  provided
 5    in this subsection.
 6             (a)  The  Director of the Department may make grants
 7        to eligible employers or to other  eligible  entities  on
 8        behalf  of  employers  as  authorized in paragraph (b) to
 9        provide training for employees in fields for which  there
10        are critical demands for certain skills.
11             (b)  The   Director   may  accept  applications  for
12        training  grant  funds  and  grant  requests  from:   (i)
13        entities  sponsoring  multi-company   eligible   employee
14        training  projects as defined in paragraph (c), including
15        business associations, strategic  business  partnerships,
16        institutions  of  secondary  or  higher  education, large
17        manufacturers for supplier network companies, federal Job
18        Training Partnership Act administrative entities or grant
19        recipients, and labor organizations when  those  projects
20        will   address   common   training  needs  identified  by
21        participating companies; and  (ii)  individual  employers
22        that  are undertaking eligible employee training projects
23        as defined in paragraph (c), including intermediaries and
24        training agents.
25             (c)  The  Director  may  make  grants  to   eligible
26        applicants  as  defined  in  paragraph  (b)  for employee
27        training projects that include, but need not  be  limited
28        to, one or more of the following:
29                  (i)  training  programs  in  response to new or
30             changing  technology   being   introduced   in   the
31             workplace;
32                  (ii)  job-linked  training  that offers special
33             skills for career advancement or that is preparatory
34             for, and  leads  directly  to,  jobs  with  definite
                            -12-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1             career potential and long-term job security;
 2                  (iii)  training  necessary  to  implement total
 3             quality management or improvement or both management
 4             and improvement systems within the workplace;
 5                  (iv)  training  related  to  new  machinery  or
 6             equipment;
 7                  (v)  training of employees  of  companies  that
 8             are  expanding into new markets or expanding exports
 9             from Illinois;
10                  (vi)  basic,  remedial,  or  both   basic   and
11             remedial training of employees as a prerequisite for
12             other  vocational or technical skills training or as
13             a condition for sustained employment;
14                  (vii)  self-employment    training    of    the
15             unemployed  and  underemployed  with  comprehensive,
16             competency-based    instructional    programs    and
17             services; and
18                  (viii)  other training activities, projects, or
19             both training activities and projects related to the
20             support, development, or evaluation of job  training
21             programs,    activities,   and   delivery   systems,
22             including training needs assessment and design.
23             (d)  Grants  shall  be  made  on   the   terms   and
24        conditions that the Department shall determine, provided,
25        however,  that  no  grant  made  under  the provisions of
26        paragraph (c) of this subsection shall exceed 50% of  the
27        direct  costs  of all approved training programs provided
28        by the employer or the employer's training agent or other
29        entity as defined in paragraph (b).  Under this  Section,
30        allowable costs include, but are not limited to:
31                  (i)  administrative    costs    of    tracking,
32             documenting,   reporting,  and  processing  training
33             funds or project costs;
34                  (ii)  curriculum development;
                            -13-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1                  (iii)  wages and fringe benefits of employees;
 2                  (iv)  training   materials,   including   scrap
 3             product costs;
 4                  (v)  trainee travel expenses;
 5                  (vi)  instructor costs, including wages, fringe
 6             benefits, tuition, and travel expenses;
 7                  (vii)  rent, purchase,  or  lease  of  training
 8             equipment; and
 9                  (viii)  other   usual  and  customary  training
10             costs.
11             (e)  The Director shall ensure that periodic on-site
12        grant monitoring visits are conducted by  the  Department
13        during  the  course  of the grant period.  The Department
14        shall verify  that  the  grantee's  financial  management
15        system  is  structured  to provide for accurate, current,
16        and complete disclosure of the financial results  of  the
17        grant  program  in accordance with all provisions, terms,
18        and conditions contained in the grant contract.
19             (f)  The  Director  may  establish  and  collect   a
20        schedule  of  charges  from subgrantee entities and other
21        system users  under  federal  job-training  programs  for
22        participating in and utilizing the department's automated
23        job-training   program  information  systems  where  such
24        systems and the necessary participation  and  utilization
25        is  a  requirement  of the federal job-training programs.
26        All monies collected pursuant to this paragraph shall  be
27        deposited   into  the  Federal  Job-Training  Information
28        Systems Revolving Fund created in subsection (5).
29        (2)  The Department is authorized to establish a  program
30    of  grants  to  universities,  community  colleges,  research
31    institutions,   research  consortiums,  other  not-for-profit
32    entities,  and  Illinois  businesses  for  the   purpose   of
33    fostering research and development in the high technology and
34    the service sector leading to the development of new products
                            -14-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1    and services that can be marketed by Illinois businesses. All
 2    grant  awards  shall include a contract which may provide for
 3    payment of negotiated royalties  to  the  Department  if  the
 4    product  or  service  to  be  developed  by  the  grantee  is
 5    subsequently licensed for production.
 6             (a)  Grants  may  be  awarded  to  universities  and
 7        research  institutions  to  assist  them  in making their
 8        faculties   and   facilities   available   to    Illinois
 9        businesses.  Such  grants  may be used by a university or
10        research institution for, including but  not  limited  to
11        the  following  purposes:  (i)  to  establish  or enhance
12        computerized  cataloging  of  all   research   labs   and
13        university  staff  and  make such catalogues available to
14        Illinois businesses; (ii) to market products developed by
15        the university to Illinois businesses;  (iii)  to  review
16        publications  in  order  to identify, catalog, and inform
17        Illinois businesses of new practices  in  areas  such  as
18        robotics,   biotechnology;  (iv)  to  build  an  on-line,
19        information and technology system that  relies  on  other
20        computerized networks in the United States; (v) to assist
21        in  securing  temporary  replacement  for faculty who are
22        granted a leave of absence from their teaching duties for
23        the purpose of working full-time for an Illinois business
24        to assist that business with technology transfer.
25             (b)  Grants  may  be  awarded  to  universities  and
26        research institutions,  research  consortiums  and  other
27        not-for-profit  entities  for  the purpose of identifying
28        and  supporting  Illinois  businesses  engaged  in   high
29        technology  and service sector enterprises. Such Illinois
30        businesses identified and funded shall include recipients
31        of Small Business Innovation Research Program funds under
32        subsections (e) through (k) of Section  9  of  the  Small
33        Business  Act. (Title 15 United States Codes, subsections
34        638(e)-638(k)).  Entities  receiving  grants  under  this
                            -15-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        paragraph (b) shall be known as commercialization centers
 2        and  shall  engage  in  one  or  more  of  the  following
 3        activities:
 4                  (i)  directing  research  assistance  for   new
 5             venture creations;
 6                  (ii)  general   feasibility   studies   of  new
 7             venture ideas;
 8                  (iii)  furthering     the     technical     and
 9             intellectual skills of the managers  and  owners  of
10             Illinois small businesses;
11                  (iv)  commercialization   of   technology   and
12             research;
13                  (v)  development  of prototypes and testing new
14             products;
15                  (vi)  identify   and   assist    in    securing
16             financing;
17                  (vii)  marketing assistance; and
18                  (viii)  assisting Illinois inventors in finding
19             Illinois  manufacturers  to produce and market their
20             inventions.
21             A commercialization center may charge a nominal  fee
22        or  accept  royalty agreements for conducting feasibility
23        studies and other services.
24             (c)  Grants may be  awarded  by  the  Department  to
25        Illinois  businesses  to  fund  research and consultation
26        arrangements   between   businesses   and   universities,
27        community  colleges,  research   institutions,   research
28        consortiums and other not-for-profit entities within this
29        State.
30             The Department shall give priority to Illinois small
31        businesses  in  awarding grants. Each grant awarded under
32        this paragraph (c) shall provide funding for up to 50% of
33        the cost of the research  or  consultation  arrangements,
34        not to exceed $100,000; provided that the grant recipient
                            -16-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        utilizes  Illinois  not  for profit research and academic
 2        institutions to  perform  the  research  and  development
 3        function for which grant funds were requested.
 4             (d)  Grants  may  be  awarded to research consortium
 5        and  other  qualified  applicants,  in  conjunction  with
 6        private sector or federal  funding,  for  other  creative
 7        systems  that  bridge  university resources and business,
 8        technological, production and development concerns.
 9             (e)  For  the  purposes  of  subsection   (2),   (i)
10        "Illinois  business"  means a "small business concern" as
11        defined in Title 15  United  States  Code,  Section  632,
12        which  primarily  conducts its business in Illinois; (ii)
13        "high  technology"  means  any  area   of   research   or
14        development  designed  to  foster  greater  knowledge  or
15        understanding   in   fields  such  as  computer  science,
16        electronics,  physics,  chemistry  or  biology  for   the
17        purpose  of  producing designing, developing or improving
18        prototypes and  new  processes;  (iii)  "private  sector"
19        shall  have the meaning ascribed to it in Title 29 United
20        States Code, Section 1503; (iv) "University" means either
21        a degree granting  institution  located  in  Illinois  as
22        defined  in  Section  2  of the Academic Degree Act, or a
23        State-supported   institution    of    higher    learning
24        administered  by  the Board of Trustees of the University
25        of Illinois, the Board of Trustees of  Southern  Illinois
26        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Chicago  State
27        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees of Eastern Illinois
28        University, the Board  of  Trustees  of  Governors  State
29        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Illinois State
30        University,  the  Board  of  Trustees   of   Northeastern
31        Illinois  University,  the  Board of Trustees of Northern
32        Illinois University, the Board  of  Trustees  of  Western
33        Illinois  University,  or  the Illinois Community College
34        Board; (v) "venture" means any Illinois business  engaged
                            -17-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        in  research  and  development  to create new products or
 2        services  with  high  growth  potential;  (vi)   Illinois
 3        research  institutions refers to not-for-profit entities,
 4        which  include  federally-funded  research  laboratories,
 5        that conduct research and development activities for  the
 6        purpose of producing, designing, developing, or improving
 7        prototypes   and   new   processes;   and   (vii)   other
 8        not-for-profit  entities  means  non-profit organizations
 9        based in Illinois  that  are  primarily  devoted  to  new
10        enterprise or product development.
11             (f)  The Department may establish a program of grant
12        assistance on a matching basis to universities, community
13        colleges,  small  business development centers, community
14        action  agencies  and   other   not-for-profit   economic
15        development   agencies   to   encourage   new  enterprise
16        development and new business formation and  to  encourage
17        enterprises  in  this  State.  The Department may provide
18        grants, which shall be  exempt  from  the  provisions  of
19        subsection   (3)   of   this  Section,  to  universities,
20        community colleges, small business  development  centers,
21        community   action   agencies  and  other  not-for-profit
22        economic development entities for the purpose  of  making
23        loans  to small businesses.  All grant applications shall
24        contain  information  as  required  by  the   Department,
25        including  the  following:   a  program operation plan; a
26        certification  and  assurance  that  the  small  business
27        applicants have received business development training or
28        education, have a business  and  finance  plan  and  have
29        experience   in   the   proposed  business  area;  and  a
30        description of  the  support  services  which  the  grant
31        recipient  will  provide  to the small business.  No more
32        than 10% of the grant may be used by the grant  recipient
33        for  administrative  costs  associated  with  the  grant.
34        Grant  recipients  may use grant funds under this program
                            -18-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1        to make loans on terms and conditions  favorable  to  the
 2        small   business   and   shall  give  priority  to  those
 3        businesses located  in  high  poverty  areas,  enterprise
 4        zones, or both.
 5        (3)  There is created within the Department, a Technology
 6    Innovation  and Commercialization Grants-in-Aid Council which
 7    shall consist of  2  representatives  of  the  Department  of
 8    Commerce  and  Community Affairs appointed by the Department;
 9    one representative of the Illinois Board of Higher Education,
10    appointed by the Board;  one  representative  of  science  or
11    engineering appointed by the Governor; two representatives of
12    business,  appointed  by  the Governor; one representative of
13    small business, appointed by the Governor; one representative
14    of the Department of Agriculture, appointed by  the  Director
15    of  Agriculture;  and  one  representative  of  agribusiness,
16    appointed  by  the  Director  of Agriculture. The Director of
17    Commerce and Community  Affairs  shall  appoint  one  of  the
18    Department's  representatives  to  serve  as  chairman of the
19    Council. The Council members shall  receive  no  compensation
20    for their services but shall be reimbursed for their expenses
21    actually  incurred by them in the performance of their duties
22    under this subsection. The  Department  shall  provide  staff
23    services to the Council. The Council shall provide for review
24    and evaluation of all applications received by the Department
25    under subsection (2) of this Section and make recommendations
26    on those projects to be funded. The Council shall also assist
27    the  Department  in monitoring the projects and in evaluating
28    the impact of the program  on  technological  innovation  and
29    business development within the State.
30        (4)  There  is hereby created a special fund in the State
31    Treasury  to  be  known  as  the  Technology  Innovation  and
32    Commercialization Fund. The moneys in such Fund may be  used,
33    subject  to appropriation, only for making grants pursuant to
34    subsection (2) of this Section and for the  purposes  of  the
                            -19-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1    Technology  Advancement  and  Development  Act. All royalties
 2    received by the Department shall be deposited in such Fund.
 3        (5)  There is hereby created a special fund in the  State
 4    treasury  to be known as the Federal Job-Training Information
 5    Systems Revolving Fund.  The deposit of monies into this fund
 6    shall be limited to the collection  of  charges  pursuant  to
 7    paragraph  (f) of subsection (1) of this Section.  The monies
 8    in the fund may only be used, subject to appropriation by the
 9    General Assembly for the purpose of financing the maintenance
10    and  operation  of   the   automated   Federal   Job-Training
11    Information  Systems  pursuant to paragraph (f) of subsection
12    (1) of this Section.
13        (6)  When the Department  is  involved  in  developing  a
14    federal  or  State  funded training or retraining program for
15    any employer, the Department will assist and  encourage  that
16    employer  in  making  every  effort  to  reemploy individuals
17    previously employed at the facility.  Further, the Department
18    will provide a list of said employees to  said  employer  for
19    consideration for reemployment and will report the results of
20    this   effort  to  the  Illinois  Job  Training  Coordinating
21    Council.  This  requirement  shall  be  in  effect  when  the
22    following conditions are met:
23             (a)  the  employer  is reopening, or is proposing to
24        reopen, a facility  which  was  last  closed  during  the
25        preceding 2 years,
26             (b)  a  substantial  number  of the persons who were
27        employed at the facility before its most  recent  closure
28        remain unemployed, and
29             (c)  the product or service produced by, or proposed
30        to  be  produced  by,  the  employer  at  the facility is
31        substantially similar to the product or service  produced
32        at the facility before its most recent closure.
33        (7)  The  Department, in cooperation with the Departments
34    of Human Services and Employment Security,  may  establish  a
                            -20-               LRB9004466PTcw
 1    program  to  encourage community action agencies to establish
 2    programs that will help unemployed and  underemployed  single
 3    parents  to identify, access, and develop, through such means
 4    as counseling or mentoring, internal and  external  resources
 5    that  will  enable those single parents to become emotionally
 6    and  financially  self-sufficient.   The   intended   primary
 7    beneficiaries  of the local programs shall be female heads of
 8    households who are at least 22 but less than 46 years of  age
 9    and  who  are  physically  able to work but are unemployed or
10    underemployed.  The Department may make  grants,  subject  to
11    the   availability  of  funding,  to  communities  and  local
12    agencies for the purpose of establishing  local  programs  as
13    described  in  this  subsection  (7).   A  grant  under  this
14    subsection (7) shall be made for a period of one year and may
15    be  renewed  if the Department determines that the program is
16    successful in meeting  its  objectives.   If  the  Department
17    determines that implementation of a program has resulted in a
18    savings  of  State moneys that otherwise would have been paid
19    to beneficiaries of the program, the Department, on  renewing
20    a  grant,  may adjust the grant amount for those demonstrated
21    savings.  For  purposes  of  this  subsection,  a  person  is
22    underemployed if his or her income from  employment  is  less
23    than 185% of the federal official poverty income guideline.
24    (Source:  P.A.  88-373;  88-456;  88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 89-4,
25    eff. 1-1-96; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)
26        Section 95.  No acceleration or delay.   Where  this  Act
27    makes changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by
28    text  that  is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a
29    Section represented by multiple versions), the  use  of  that
30    text  does  not  accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i)
31    the changes made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived  from
32    any other Public Act.

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