Public Act 100-0541
 
SB1462 EnrolledLRB100 11206 HLH 21517 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
amended by adding Section 605-1020 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 605/605-1020 new)
    Sec. 605-1020. Entrepreneur Learner's Permit pilot
program.
    (a) Subject to appropriation, there is hereby established
an Entrepreneur Learner's Permit pilot program that shall be
administered by the Department beginning on July 1 of the first
fiscal year for which an appropriation of State moneys is made
for that purpose and continuing for the next 2 immediately
succeeding fiscal years; however, the Department is not
required to administer the program in any fiscal year for which
such an appropriation has not been made. The purpose of the
program shall be to encourage and assist beginning
entrepreneurs in starting new information services,
biotechnology, and green technology businesses by providing
reimbursements to those entrepreneurs for any State filing,
permitting, or licensing fees associated with the formation of
such a business in the State.
    (b) Applicants for participation in the Entrepreneur
Learner's Permit pilot program shall apply to the Department,
in a form and manner prescribed by the Department, prior to the
formation of the business for which the entrepreneur seeks
reimbursement of those fees. The Department shall adopt rules
for the review and approval of applications, provided that it
(1) shall give priority to applicants who are female or
minority persons, or both, and (2) shall not approve any
application by a person who will not be a beginning
entrepreneur. Reimbursements under this Section shall be
provided in the manner determined by the Department. In no
event shall an applicant apply for participation in the program
more than 3 times.
    (c) The aggregate amount of all reimbursements provided by
the Department pursuant to this Section shall not exceed
$500,000 in any State fiscal year.
    (d) On or before February 1 of the last calendar year
during which the pilot program is in effect, the Department
shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly
on the cumulative effectiveness of the Entrepreneur Learner's
Permit pilot program. The review shall include, but not be
limited to, the number and type of businesses that were formed
in connection with the pilot program, the current status of
each business formed in connection with the pilot program, the
number of employees employed by each such business, the
economic impact to the State from the pilot program, the
satisfaction of participants in the pilot program, and a
recommendation as to whether the program should be continued.
    (e) As used in this Section:
        "Beginning entrepreneur" means an individual who, at
    the time he or she applies for participation in the
    program, has less than 5 years of experience as a business
    owner and is not a current business owner.
        "Female" and "minority person" have the meanings given
    to those terms in the Business Enterprise for Minorities,
    Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2017.