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91_SB0752enr SB752 Enrolled LRB9101810PTpk 1 AN ACT concerning business assistance. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is 5 amended by adding Sections 46.70 and 46.71 as follows: 6 (20 ILCS 605/46.70 new) 7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2004) 8 Sec. 46.70. Small business incubator grants. 9 (a) Subject to availability of funds in the Small 10 Business Incubator Fund, the Director of Commerce and 11 Community Affairs may make grants to eligible small business 12 incubators in an amount not to exceed 50% of State income 13 taxes paid in the previous calendar year by qualified tenant 14 businesses subject to the restrictions of this Section. 15 (b) There is created a special fund in the State 16 Treasury known as the Small Business Incubator Fund. The 17 money in the Fund may be used only for making grants under 18 subsection (a) of this Section. The Department of Revenue 19 shall certify by March 1 of each year to the General 20 Assembly the amount of State income taxes paid by qualified 21 tenant businesses in the previous year. The Department of 22 Revenue may, by rule, prescribe forms necessary to identify 23 qualified tenant businesses under this Section. An amount 24 equal to 50% of the amount certified by the Department of 25 Revenue shall be appropriated into the Fund annually. 26 (c) Eligible small business incubators that receive a 27 grant under this Section may use the grant only for capital 28 improvements on the building housing the eligible small 29 business incubator. Each small business incubator shall be 30 eligible for a grant equal to no more than 50% of the amount 31 of State income taxes paid in the previous year by qualified SB752 Enrolled -2- LRB9101810PTpk 1 tenant businesses of the small business incubator, minus 2 administrative costs. The eligible small business incubator 3 must keep written records of the use of the grant money for a 4 period of 5 years from disbursement. 5 (d) By April 1 of each year, an eligible small business 6 incubator may apply for a grant under this Section on forms 7 developed by the Department. The Department may require 8 applicants to provide proof of eligibility. Upon review of 9 the applications, the Director of Commerce and Community 10 Affairs shall approve or disapprove the application. At the 11 start of each fiscal year or upon approval of the budget for 12 that fiscal year, whichever is later, the Director shall 13 determine the amount of funds available for grants under this 14 Section and shall then approve the grants. 15 (e) For purposes of this Section: 16 (1) "eligible small business incubator" means an 17 entity that is dedicated to the successful development of 18 entrepreneurial companies, has a specific written policy 19 identifying requirements for a business "to graduate" 20 from the incubator, either owns or leases real estate in 21 which qualified tenant businesses operate, and provides 22 all of the following services: management guidance, 23 rental spaces, shared basic business equipment, 24 technology support services, and assistance in obtaining 25 financing. 26 (2) "qualified tenant business" means a business 27 that currently leases space from an eligible small 28 business incubator, is less than 5 years old, and either 29 has not fulfilled the eligible small business incubator's 30 graduation requirements or has fulfilled these 31 requirements within the last 5 years. 32 (f) Five percent of the amount that is appropriated 33 annually into the Small Business Incubator Fund shall be 34 allotted to the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs SB752 Enrolled -3- LRB9101810PTpk 1 for the purpose of administering, overseeing, and evaluating 2 the grant process and outcome. 3 (g) This Section is repealed on December 31, 2004. The 4 evaluation of the effectiveness of the grant process and 5 subsequent outcome of job and business creation shall 6 recommend the continuation or the repeal of this Section and 7 shall be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly 8 before December 31, 2003. 9 (20 ILCS 605/46.71 new) 10 Sec. 46.71. Model domestic violence and sexual assault 11 employee awareness and assistance policy. 12 (a) The Department shall convene a task force including 13 members of the business community, employees, employee 14 organizations, representatives from the Department of Labor, 15 and directors of domestic violence and sexual assault 16 programs, including representatives of statewide advocacy 17 organizations for the prevention of domestic violence and 18 sexual assault, to develop a model domestic violence and 19 sexual assault employee awareness and assistance policy for 20 businesses. 21 The Department shall give due consideration to the 22 recommendations of the Governor, the President of the Senate, 23 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for 24 participation by any person on the task force, and shall make 25 reasonable efforts to assure regional balance in membership. 26 (b) The purpose of the model employee awareness and 27 assistance policy shall be to provide businesses with the 28 best practices, policies, protocols, and procedures in order 29 that they ascertain domestic violence and sexual assault 30 awareness in the workplace, assist affected employees, and 31 provide a safe and helpful working environment for employees 32 currently or potentially experiencing the effects of domestic 33 violence or sexual assault. The model plan shall include but SB752 Enrolled -4- LRB9101810PTpk 1 not be limited to: 2 (1) the establishment of a definite corporate policy 3 statement recognizing domestic violence and sexual 4 assault as workplace issues as well as promoting the need 5 to maintain job security for those employees currently 6 involved in domestic violence or sexual assault disputes; 7 (2) policy and service publication requirements, 8 including posting these policies and service availability 9 pamphlets in break rooms, on bulletin boards, and in 10 restrooms, and transmitting them through other 11 communication methods; 12 (3) a listing of current domestic violence and 13 sexual assault community resources such as shelters, 14 crisis intervention programs, counseling and case 15 management programs, and legal assistance and advocacy 16 opportunities for affected employees; 17 (4) measures to ensure workplace safety including, 18 where appropriate, designated parking areas, escort 19 services, and other affirmative safeguards; 20 (5) training programs and protocols designed to 21 educate employees and managers in how to recognize, 22 approach, and assist employees experiencing domestic 23 violence or sexual assault, including both victims and 24 batterers; and 25 (6) other issues as shall be appropriate and 26 relevant for the task force in developing the model 27 policy. 28 (c) The model policy shall be reviewed by the task force 29 to assure consistency with existing law and shall be made the 30 subject of public hearings convened by the Department 31 throughout the State at places and at times which are 32 convenient for attendance by the public, after which the 33 policy shall be reviewed by the task force and amended as 34 necessary to reflect concerns raised at the hearings. If SB752 Enrolled -5- LRB9101810PTpk 1 approved by the task force, the model policy shall be 2 provided as approved with explanation of its provisions to 3 the Governor and the General Assembly not later than one year 4 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st 5 General Assembly. The Department shall make every effort to 6 notify businesses of the availability of the model domestic 7 violence and sexual assault employee awareness and assistance 8 policy. 9 (d) The Department, in consultation with the task force, 10 providers of services, the advisory council, the Department 11 of Labor, and representatives of statewide advocacy 12 organizations for the prevention of domestic violence and 13 sexual assault, shall provide technical support, information, 14 and encouragement to businesses to implement the provisions 15 of the model. 16 (e) Nothing contained in this Section shall be deemed to 17 prevent businesses from adopting their own domestic violence 18 and sexual assault employee awareness and assistance policy. 19 (f) The Department shall survey businesses within 4 years 20 of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st 21 General Assembly to determine the level of model policy 22 adoption amongst businesses and shall take steps necessary to 23 promote the further adoption of such policy. 24 Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 25 Section 5.490 as follows: 26 (30 ILCS 105/5.490 new) 27 Sec. 5.490. The Small Business Incubator Fund. 28 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 29 becoming law.