SB2747eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2747 Engrossed LRB096 17253 RCE 32603 b

AN ACT concerning government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Enterprise Zone Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(20 ILCS 655/4) (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 604)

Sec. 4. Qualifications for Enterprise Zones. (1) An area is qualified to become an enterprise zone which:

(a) is a contiguous area, provided that a zone area may exclude wholly surrounded territory within its boundaries;

(b) comprises a minimum of one-half square mile and not more than 12 square miles, or 15 square miles if the zone is located within the jurisdiction of 4 or more counties or municipalities, in total area, exclusive of lakes and waterways; however, in such cases where the enterprise zone is a joint effort of three or more units of government, or two or more units of government if situated in a township which is divided by a municipality of 1,000,000 or more inhabitants, and where the certification has been in effect at least one year, the total area shall comprise a minimum of one-half square mile and not more than thirteen square miles in total area exclusive of lakes and waterways;

(c) is a depressed area;

(d) satisfies any additional criteria established by regulation of the Department consistent with the purposes of this Act; and

(e) is (1) entirely within a municipality or (2) entirely within the unincorporated areas of a county, except where reasonable need is established for such zone to cover portions of more than one municipality or county or (3) both comprises (i) all or part of a municipality and (ii) an unincorporated area of a county.

(2) Any criteria established by the Department or by law which utilize the rate of unemployment for a particular area shall provide that all persons who are not presently employed and have exhausted all unemployment benefits shall be considered unemployed, whether or not such persons are actively seeking employment.

(3) If an enterprise zone is established prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly and is initially designated as meeting the unemployment-related criteria established by the Department or by law, then, on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly and until December 31, 2012, the enterprise zone may expand its boundaries if (a) the territory into which the zone is expanding had an average unemployment rate in the previous calendar year of more than (i) 10% or (ii) 120% of the State's annual average unemployment rate for that previous calendar year, whichever is less, and (b) the expanded zone area meets the criteria of item (1)(A) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 86-803.)

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