SB0508eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0508 Engrossed LRB099 03068 HLH 23076 b

AN ACT concerning revenue.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Promotion Act is amended by changing Section 4a as follows:

(20 ILCS 665/4a) (from Ch. 127, par. 200-24a)

Sec. 4a. Funds.

(1) All moneys deposited in the Tourism Promotion Fund pursuant to this subsection are allocated to the Department for utilization, as appropriated, in the performance of its powers under Section 4; except that during fiscal year 2013, the Department shall reserve $9,800,000 of the total funds available for appropriation in the Tourism Promotion Fund for appropriation to the Historic Preservation Agency for the operation of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and State historic sites.

As soon as possible after the first day of each month, beginning July 1, 1997, upon certification of the Department of Revenue, the Comptroller shall order transferred and the Treasurer shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Tourism Promotion Fund an amount equal to 13% of the net revenue realized from the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act plus an amount equal to 13% of the net revenue realized from any tax imposed under Section 4.05 of the Chicago World's Fair-1992 Authority Act during the preceding month. "Net revenue realized for a month" means the revenue collected by the State under that Act during the previous month less the amount paid out during that same month as refunds to taxpayers for overpayment of liability under that Act.

(1.1) (Blank).

(2) As soon as possible after the first day of each month, beginning July 1, 1997, upon certification of the Department of Revenue, the Comptroller shall order transferred and the Treasurer shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Tourism Promotion Fund an amount equal to 8% of the net revenue realized from the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax plus an amount equal to 8% of the net revenue realized from any tax imposed under Section 4.05 of the Chicago World's Fair-1992 Authority Act during the preceding month. "Net revenue realized for a month" means the revenue collected by the State under that Act during the previous month less the amount paid out during that same month as refunds to taxpayers for overpayment of liability under that Act.

All monies deposited in the Tourism Promotion Fund under this subsection (2) shall be used solely as provided in this subsection to advertise and promote tourism throughout Illinois. Appropriations of monies deposited in the Tourism Promotion Fund pursuant to this subsection (2) shall be used solely for advertising to promote tourism, including but not limited to advertising production and direct advertisement costs, but shall not be used to employ any additional staff, finance any individual event, or lease, rent or purchase any physical facilities. The Department shall coordinate its advertising under this subsection (2) with other public and private entities in the State engaged in similar promotion activities. Print or electronic media production made pursuant to this subsection (2) for advertising promotion shall not contain or include the physical appearance of or reference to the name or position of any public officer. "Public officer" means a person who is elected to office pursuant to statute, or who is appointed to an office which is established, and the qualifications and duties of which are prescribed, by statute, to discharge a public duty for the State or any of its political subdivisions.

(2.5) The Department shall make grants from the Tourism Promotion Fund, or its successor fund, to a municipality in which a municipal convention center is located, or to a convention center authority, for the purpose of reimbursing the municipality or convention center authority for qualified incentives provided by a municipal convention center or convention center authority. For the purposes of this subsection, "municipal convention center" means a convention or civic center owned by a unit of local government, or a municipal convention hall as defined in paragraph (1) of Section 11-65-1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, with contiguous exhibition space ranging between 40,000 and 125,000 square feet. For purposes of this subsection, "convention center authority" means an Authority as defined by the Civic Center Code with contiguous exhibition space ranging between 40,000 and 125,000 square feet. For the purposes of this subsection, "qualified incentive" means an incentive provided for a convention, meeting, or trade show that, but for the incentive, would not have occurred in the State or been retained in the State.

No later than May 15 of each year, the municipality where a municipal convention center is located, or convention center authority, shall certify to the Department the amount of funds expended in the previous fiscal year to provide qualified incentives. Grants awarded under this subsection (2.5) may not exceed 80% of the certified incentive amount. Further, in no event may the aggregate amount of grants certified and awarded to a single municipal convention center or convention center authority under this subsection exceed $200,000 in any calendar year. The municipality or convention center authority shall also certify (A) the net proceeds received under the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act for the renting, leasing, or letting of hotel rooms in the municipality for the month in which the convention, meeting, or trade show occurs and (B) the average of the net proceeds received under the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act for the renting, leasing, or letting of hotel rooms in the municipality for the same month in the 5 immediately preceding years. The Department may request that the Auditor General conduct an audit of the accuracy of the certification.

If the Department determines by its process of certification that qualified incentive funds, in whole or in part, were disbursed by the Department by means other than in accordance with the standards of this Section, then the amount transferred to the Tourism Promotion Fund shall be reduced during the next subsequent transfer in direct proportion to that amount determined to be in violation of the terms set forth in this Section.

(3) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, amounts transferred from the General Revenue Fund to the Tourism Promotion Fund pursuant to this Section shall not exceed $26,300,000 in State fiscal year 2012.

(Source: P.A. 97-641, eff. 12-19-11; 97-732, eff. 6-30-12.)

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