(30 ILCS 709/40-15)

Sec. 40-15. Powers of the Department. The Department has the power to:

(1) provide grants, subsidies and expense reimbursements to qualified businesses or, on behalf of qualified businesses, to qualified partners from appropriations to cover qualified businesses eligible costs, debt, or losses incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, including losses caused by business interruption, closure, or other adverse effects of COVID-19;

(2) enter into agreements, accept funds, issue grants, and engage in cooperation with agencies of the federal government, units of local government, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations to carry out the purposes of the program, and to use funds appropriated for the program;

(3) prepare forms for application, notification, contract, and other matters, and establish procedures, rules, or regulations deemed necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Act;

(4) provide staff, administration, and related support required to manage the program and pay for the staffing, administration, and related support; and

(5) using consistent, data-informed criteria, determine which qualifying businesses are suffering the greatest negative economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which qualifying businesses are facing the greatest risk of imminent closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and which qualifying businesses have the least access to business interruption grant programs and similar relief programs.

(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)