102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0317

 

Introduced 2/19/2021, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 665/3  from Ch. 127, par. 200-23
20 ILCS 665/4  from Ch. 127, par. 200-24
20 ILCS 665/5  from Ch. 127, par. 200-25
20 ILCS 665/8  from Ch. 127, par. 200-28
20 ILCS 665/8a  from Ch. 127, par. 200-28a
20 ILCS 665/13  from Ch. 127, par. 200-33

    Amends Illinois Promotion Act. Adds park districts, forest preserve districts, and conservation districts to the list of units of local government, not-for-profit organizations, local promotion groups, and for-profit businesses that are eligible to receive certain tourism grants from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Defines terms. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB0317LRB102 09943 RJF 15261 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 Illinois Promotion Act is amended by
5changing Sections 3, 4, 5, 8, 8a, and 13 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 665/3)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-23)
7    Sec. 3. Definitions. The following words and terms,
8whenever used or referred to in this Act, shall have the
9following meanings, except where the context may otherwise
10require:
11    (a) "Department" means the Department of Commerce and
12Economic Opportunity of the State of Illinois.
13    (b) "Local promotion group" means any non-profit
14corporation, organization, association, agency or committee
15thereof formed for the primary purpose of publicizing,
16promoting, advertising or otherwise encouraging the
17development of tourism in any municipality, county, or region
18of Illinois.
19    (c) "Promotional activities" means preparing, planning and
20conducting campaigns of information, advertising and publicity
21through such media as newspapers, radio, television,
22magazines, trade journals, moving and still photography,
23posters, outdoor signboards and personal contact within and

 

 

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1without the State of Illinois; dissemination of information,
2advertising, publicity, photographs and other literature and
3material designed to carry out the purpose of this Act; and
4participation in and attendance at meetings and conventions
5concerned primarily with tourism, including travel to and from
6such meetings.
7    (d) "Municipality" means "municipality" as defined in
8Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code, as heretofore
9and hereafter amended.
10    (e) "Tourism" means travel 50 miles or more one-way or an
11overnight trip outside of a person's normal routine.
12    (f) "Municipal amateur sports facility" means a sports
13facility that: (1) is owned by a unit of local government; (2)
14has contiguous indoor sports competition space; (3) is
15designed to principally accommodate and host amateur
16competitions for youths, adults, or both; and (4) is not used
17for professional sporting events where participants are
18compensated for their participation.
19    (g) "Municipal convention center" means a convention
20center or civic center owned by a unit of local government or
21operated by a convention center authority, or a municipal
22convention hall as defined in paragraph (1) of Section 11-65-1
23of the Illinois Municipal Code, with contiguous exhibition
24space ranging between 30,000 and 125,000 square feet.
25    (h) "Convention center authority" means an Authority, as
26defined by the Civic Center Code, that operates a municipal

 

 

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1convention center with contiguous exhibition space ranging
2between 30,000 and 125,000 square feet.
3    (i) "Incentive" means: (1) a financial incentive provided
4by a unit of local government or convention center authority
5to attract a convention, meeting, or trade show held at a
6municipal convention center that, but for the incentive, would
7not have occurred in the State or been retained in the State;
8or (2) a financial incentive provided by a unit of local
9government for attracting a sporting event held at its
10municipal amateur sports facility that, but for the incentive,
11would not have occurred in the State or been retained in the
12State; but (3) only a financial incentive offered or provided
13to a person or entity in the form of financial benefits or
14costs which are allowable costs pursuant to the Grant
15Accountability and Transparency Act.
16    (j) "Unit of local government" has the meaning provided in
17Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, and
18includes park districts, forest preserve districts, and
19conservation districts.
20    (k) "Local parks" means any park, recreation area, or
21other similar facility owned or operated by a unit of local
22government.
23(Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19.)
 
24    (20 ILCS 665/4)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-24)
25    Sec. 4. Powers. The Department shall have the following

 

 

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1powers:
2    (a) To formulate a program for the promotion of tourism
3and the film industry in the State of Illinois, including, but
4not limited to, the promotion of our State Parks and local
5parks, fishing and hunting areas, historical shrines, vacation
6regions and areas of historic or scenic interest.
7    (b) To cooperate with civic groups and local, State and
8federal departments and agencies, and agencies and departments
9of other states in encouraging educational tourism and
10developing programs therefor.
11    (c) To publish tourist promotional material such as
12brochures and booklets.
13    (d) To promote tourism in Illinois through all media,
14including but not limited to, the Internet, television,
15articles and advertisements in magazines, newspapers and
16travel publications and by establishing promotional
17exhibitions at fairs, travel shows, and similar exhibitions.
18    (e) To establish and maintain travel offices at major
19points of entry to the State.
20    (f) To recommend legislation relating to the encouragement
21of tourism in Illinois.
22    (g) To assist municipalities, other units of local
23government, or local promotion groups in developing new
24tourist attractions including but not limited to feasibility
25studies and analyses, research and development, and management
26and marketing planning for such new tourist attractions.

 

 

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1    (h) (Blank).
2    (i) To implement a program of matching grants and loans to
3counties, municipalities, park districts, forest preserve
4districts, conservation districts, local promotion groups and
5others, as provided in Sections 5 and 8a of this Act, for the
6development or improvement of tourism attractions and tourism
7events in Illinois under the terms and conditions provided in
8this Act.
9    (j) To expend funds from the International and Promotional
10Fund, subject to appropriation, on any activity authorized
11under this Act.
12    (k) To do any other acts that, in the judgment of the
13Department, are necessary and proper in fostering and
14promoting tourism in the State of Illinois.
15(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 92-38, eff. 6-28-01.)
 
16    (20 ILCS 665/5)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-25)
17    Sec. 5. Marketing and private sector programs.
18    (a) The Department is authorized to make grants, subject
19to appropriation, from the Tourism Promotion Fund to counties,
20municipalities, park districts, forest preserve districts,
21conservation districts, not-for-profit organizations, and
22local promotion groups and to assist such counties,
23municipalities, park districts, forest preserve districts,
24conservation districts, and local promotion groups in the
25promotion of tourism attractions and tourism events. The

 

 

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1Department, after review of the application and if satisfied
2that the program and proposed expenditures of the applicant
3appear to be in accord with the purposes of this Act, must
4grant to the applicant an amount not to exceed 60% of the
5proposed expenditures.
6    (b) The Department may make grants, subject to
7appropriation, from the Tourism Promotion Fund to counties,
8municipalities, park districts, forest preserve districts,
9conservation districts, not-for-profit organizations, local
10promotion groups, and for-profit businesses to assist in
11attracting and hosting tourism events matched with funds from
12sources in the private sector. The Department, after review of
13the application and if satisfied that the program and proposed
14expenditures of the applicant appear to be in accord with the
15purposes of this Act, must grant to the applicant an amount not
16to exceed 50% of the proposed expenditures.
17    Before any such grant may be made the county,
18municipality, park district, forest preserve district,
19conservation district, not-for-profit organization, local
20promotion group, or for-profit business must make application
21to the Department for such grant, setting forth the studies,
22surveys and investigations proposed to be made and other
23activities proposed to be undertaken. The application shall
24further state, under oath or affirmation, with evidence
25thereof satisfactory to the Department, the amount of funds
26held by, committed to or subscribed to, and proposed to be

 

 

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1expended by, the applicant for the purposes herein described
2and the amount of the grant for which application is made.
3(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17.)
 
4    (20 ILCS 665/8)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-28)
5    Sec. 8. Allocation of appropriations.
6    (1) Amounts that are appropriated from the Tourism
7Promotion Fund to the Department for the purpose of making
8grants under Sections 5 and 6 of this Act shall be allocated by
9the Department as follows:
10        (a) 62.5% to local promotion groups, municipalities,
11    park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation
12    districts, and counties not wholly or partially within any
13    county of more than 1 million population;
14        (b) 37.5% to local promotion groups, municipalities,
15    park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation
16    districts, and counties wholly or partially within any
17    county of more than 1 million population.
18    However, if sufficient local funds cannot be raised to
19match the allocation made under either paragraph (a) or (b) of
20this subsection, such appropriations may be reallocated, in
21whole or in part, to any applicant or applicants able to
22qualify for a grant or may be used by the Department to promote
23the tourist attractions of the State of Illinois as a whole.
24    (2) Amounts that are appropriated from the Tourism
25Promotion Fund to the Department for the purpose of making

 

 

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1grants under Sections 5 and 6 of this Act to match funds from
2the private sector may be used by the Department in any county
3of this State.
4(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17.)
 
5    (20 ILCS 665/8a)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-28a)
6    Sec. 8a. Tourism grants and loans.
7    (1) The Department is authorized to make grants and loans,
8subject to appropriations by the General Assembly for this
9purpose from the Tourism Promotion Fund, to counties,
10municipalities, park districts, forest preserve districts,
11conservation districts, local promotion groups, not-for-profit
12organizations, or for-profit businesses for the development or
13improvement of tourism attractions in Illinois. Individual
14grants and loans shall not exceed $1,000,000 and shall not
15exceed 50% of the entire amount of the actual expenditures for
16the development or improvement of a tourist attraction.
17Agreements for loans made by the Department pursuant to this
18subsection may contain provisions regarding term, interest
19rate, security as may be required by the Department and any
20other provisions the Department may require to protect the
21State's interest.
22    (2) (Blank).
23(Source: P.A. 94-91, eff. 7-1-05.)
 
24    (20 ILCS 665/13)  (from Ch. 127, par. 200-33)

 

 

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1    Sec. 13. Powers of municipalities and counties. For the
2purposes set out in this Act, the corporate authorities of
3each city, village or incorporated town and the county board
4of each county may (1) promote the advantages of the
5municipality or county, as the case may be, for tourism,
6industrial development and other activities and programs
7designed to stimulate employment, (2) appropriate funds for
8promotional activities and programs, (3) accept gifts and
9grants to be used for promotional purposes, and (4) join with
10other municipalities, counties, park districts, forest
11preserve districts, conservation districts, and local
12promotion groups in promotional activities and programs.
13(Source: P.A. 92-38, eff. 6-28-01.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.