101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5198

 

Introduced , by Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 605/605-503 new

    Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and support, subject to appropriation, entrepreneurship assistance centers, including the issuance of grants, at career education agencies and not-for-profit corporations. Provides criteria for the selection and designation of centers Provides requirements for the establishment and operation of each center. Provides requirements for grant applicants. Provides reporting requirements. Defines terms.


LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5198LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

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 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
5Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
6amended by adding Section 605-503 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 605/605-503 new)
8    Sec. 605-503. Entrepreneurship assistance centers.
9    (a) The Department shall establish and support, subject to
10appropriation, entrepreneurship assistance centers, including
11the issuance of grants, at career education agencies and
12not-for-profit corporations including, but not limited to,
13local development corporations, chambers of commerce,
14community-based business outreach centers, and other
15community-based organizations. The purpose of the centers
16shall be to train minority group members, women, individuals
17with a disability, dislocated workers, and veterans in the
18principles and practice of entrepreneurship in order to prepare
19those persons to pursue self-employment opportunities and to
20pursue a minority business enterprise or a women-owned business
21enterprise. The centers shall provide for training in all
22aspects of business development and small business management
23as defined by the Department.

 

 

HB5198- 2 -LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

1    (b) The Department shall establish criteria for selection
2and designation of the centers which shall include, but not be
3limited to:
4        (1) the level of support for the center from local
5    post-secondary education institutions, businesses, and
6    government;
7        (2) the level of financial assistance provided at the
8    local and federal level to support the operations of the
9    center;
10        (3) the applicant's understanding of program goals and
11    objectives articulated by the Department;
12        (4) the plans of the center to supplement State and
13    local funding through fees for services which may be based
14    on a sliding scale based on ability to pay;
15        (5) the need for and anticipated impact of the center
16    on the community in which it will function;
17        (6) the quality of the proposed work plan and staff of
18    the center; and
19        (7) the extent of economic distress in the area to be
20    served.
21    (c) Each center shall:
22        (1) be operated by a board of directors representing
23    community leaders in business, education, finance and
24    government;
25        (2) be incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation;
26        (3) be located in an area accessible to eligible

 

 

HB5198- 3 -LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

1    clients;
2        (4) establish an advisory group of community business
3    experts, at least one-half of whom shall be representative
4    of the clientele to be served by the center, which shall
5    constitute a support network to provide counseling and
6    mentoring services to minority group members, women,
7    individuals with a disability, dislocated workers, and
8    veterans from the concept stage of development through the
9    first one to 2 years of existence on a regular basis and as
10    needed thereafter; and
11        (5) establish a referral system and linkages to
12    existing area small business assistance programs and
13    financing sources.
14    (d) Each entrepreneurship assistance center shall provide
15needed services to eligible clients, including, but not limited
16to: (i) orientation and screening of prospective
17entrepreneurs; (ii) analysis of business concepts and
18technical feasibility; (iii) market analysis; (iv) management
19analysis and counseling; (v) business planning and financial
20planning assistance; (vi) referrals to financial resources;
21(vii) referrals to existing educational programs for training
22in such areas as marketing, accounting, and other training
23programs as may be necessary and available; and (viii)
24referrals to business incubator facilities, when appropriate,
25for the purpose of entering into agreements to access shared
26support services.

 

 

HB5198- 4 -LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

1    (e) Applications for grants made under this Section shall
2be made in the manner and on forms prescribed by the
3Department. The application shall include, but shall not be
4limited to:
5        (1) a description of the training programs available
6    within the geographic area to be served by the center to
7    which eligible clients may be referred;
8        (2) designation of a program director;
9        (3) plans for providing ongoing technical assistance
10    to program graduates, including linkages with providers of
11    other entrepreneurial assistance programs and with
12    providers of small business technical assistance and
13    services;
14        (4) a program budget, including matching funds,
15    in-kind and otherwise, to be provided by the applicant; and
16        (5) any other requirements as deemed necessary by the
17    Department.
18    (f) Grants made under this Section shall be disbursed for
19payment of the cost of services and expenses of the program
20director, the instructors of the participating career
21education agency or not-for-profit corporation, the faculty
22and support personnel thereof, and any other person in the
23service of providing instruction and counseling in furtherance
24of the program.
25    (g) The Department shall monitor the performance of each
26entrepreneurial assistance center and require quarterly

 

 

HB5198- 5 -LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

1reports from each center at such time and in such a manner as
2prescribed by the Department.
3    The Department shall also evaluate the entrepreneurial
4assistance centers established under this Section and report
5annually beginning on January 1, 2022, and on or before January
61 of each year thereafter, the results of the evaluation to the
7Governor and the General Assembly. The report shall discuss the
8extent to which the centers serve minority group members,
9women, individuals with a disability, dislocated workers, and
10veterans; the extent to which the training program is
11coordinated with other assistance programs targeted to small
12and new businesses; the ability of the program to leverage
13other sources of funding and support; and the success of the
14program in aiding entrepreneurs to start up new businesses,
15including the number of new business start-ups resulting from
16the program. The report shall recommend changes and
17improvements in the training program and in the quality of
18supplemental technical assistance offered to graduates of the
19training programs. The report shall be made available to the
20public on the Department's website. Between evaluation due
21dates, the Department shall maintain the necessary records and
22data required to satisfy the evaluation requirements.
23    (h) For purposes of this Section:
24    "Entrepreneurship assistance center" or "center" means the
25business development centers or programs which provide
26assistance to primarily minority group members, women,

 

 

HB5198- 6 -LRB101 17241 RJF 66645 b

1individuals with a disability, dislocated workers and veterans
2under this Section.
3    "Disability" means, with respect to an individual: (i) a
4physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or
5more of the major life activities of an individual; (ii) a
6record of such an impairment; or (iii) being regarded as having
7an impairment.
8    "Minority business enterprise" has the same meaning as
9provided for "minority-owned business" under Section 2 of the
10Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with
11Disabilities Act.
12    "Minority group member" has the same meaning as provided
13for "minority person" under Section 2 of the Business
14Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with
15Disabilities Act.
16    "Women-owned business enterprise" has the same meaning as
17provided for "women-owned business" under Section 2 of the
18Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with
19Disabilities Act.
20    "Veteran" means a person who served in and who has received
21an honorable or general discharge from, the United States Army,
22Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or reserves thereof, or
23who served in the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, or
24Illinois National Guard.