Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 102-0991
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Public Act 102-0991


 

Public Act 0991 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
Public Act 102-0991
 
SB1693 EnrolledLRB102 10886 RJF 16216 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
Article 1. Industrial Biotech Partnership Act

 
    Section 1-1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Industrial Biotech Partnership Act.
 
    Section 1-5. Purpose. Illinois will actively pursue
expansion of the industrial biotechnology and biorenewables
industry. This growing field closely aligns with several key
industries that the State is pursuing through the 2019 "Plan
to Revitalize the Illinois Economy and Build the Workforce of
the Future", such as agriculture, agriculture technology, life
sciences, healthcare, and manufacturing. Illinois is well
positioned to lead the nation with ample feedstocks, dedicated
research facilities, specialized job training programs, and an
existing manufacturing base required to lead this industry.
Modifications to several existing programs will ensure the
State provides the correct aid and incentives to help attract
this growing industry.
 
    Section 1-10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
    "Industrial biotechnology" means biotechnology focused on
new industrial products, such as industrial materials,
chemicals and solvents, and feed and food, and new industrial
processes. "Industrial biotechnology" does not include health
biotechnology (pharmaceuticals), agricultural biotechnology
(transgenic crops), or environmental biotechnology
(bioremediation).
    "Partnership" means the Industrial Biotechnology
Public-Private Partnership established under this Act.
 
    Section 1-15. Industrial Biotechnology Public-Private
Partnership.
    (a) There is hereby established the Industrial
Biotechnology Public-Private Partnership as a State-sponsored
board consisting of members from State agencies, research
facilities, industry, and agriculture, to promote and market
Illinois as the leading destination for research, development,
and commercialization for industrial biotechnology.
    (b) The Partnership shall consist of the following
members:
        (1) a representative of the Department of Agriculture,
    appointed by the Director of Agriculture;
        (2) a representative of the Department of Commerce and
    Economic Opportunity, appointed by the Director of
    Commerce and Economic Opportunity;
        (3) a representative of the Department of Labor,
    appointed by the Director of Labor;
        (4) a representative of the National Corn to Ethanol
    Research Center, appointed by the Director of Commerce and
    Economic Opportunity;
        (5) a representative of the Integrated Bioprocessing
    Research Laboratory, appointed by the Director of Commerce
    and Economic Opportunity;
        (6) a representative of the National Center for
    Agricultural Utilization Research, who shall participate
    in a non-voting capacity, appointed by the Director of
    Commerce and Economic Opportunity in consultation with the
    Director of the Agricultural Research Service of the
    United States Department of Agriculture;
        (7) a representative of an additional State-sponsored,
    university-affiliated laboratory or research institution
    conducting industrial biotechnology research, other than
    the entities described in paragraphs (4) and (5),
    appointed by the Director of Commerce and Economic
    Opportunity;
        (8) a representative of an Illinois agricultural
    commodity group or farmer organization, appointed by the
    Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;
        (9) a representative of a grain or oilseed processing
    company with current facilities located in Illinois,
    appointed by the Director of Commerce and Economic
    Opportunity;
        (10) a representative of a biotechnology company,
    appointed by the Director of Commerce and Economic
    Opportunity;
        (11) a representative of an environmental group
    committed to biorenewables, appointed by the Director of
    Commerce and Economic Opportunity; and
        (12) a representative of a union of operating
    engineers, appointed by the Director of Commerce and
    Economic Opportunity.
    (c) Members of the Partnership shall be appointed within
90 days after the effective date of this Act. The Partnership
may meet quarterly and may hold its first meeting within 90
days after the appointment of all members. At the first
meeting of the Partnership, a Chairperson shall be chosen from
among the members. Members of the Partnership shall serve
without compensation, but may be reimbursed for any expenses
incurred in performing their duties.
    (d) The Department, or a non-profit organization
designated by the Department, shall provide administrative and
other support to the Partnership.
 
    Section 1-20. Duties. The Partnership shall have the
following duties:
        (1) Subject to appropriation and matching private
    funds as provided in Section 1-25, the Partnership shall
    develop and direct efforts to attract companies to use
    existing Illinois facilities for research, development,
    and pre-commercialization activities. Those efforts may
    include, without limitation: (i) representing Illinois at
    biotechnology conferences; (ii) developing promotional and
    marketing materials in coordination with existing research
    facilities to encourage the use of Illinois facilities;
    and (iii) facilitating meetings for companies that are
    prospective candidates for establishing a presence in this
    State.
        (2) Subject to appropriation and matching private
    funds as provided in Section 1-25, the Partnership may
    develop programs to encourage emerging research,
    development, and commercializing biotechnology companies
    to locate production facilities in Illinois, including,
    but not limited to: (i) acting as an information
    clearinghouse for new companies on all State programs and
    investment incentives; and (ii) working with local and
    regional economic development groups.
        (3) The Partnership may provide advice and
    recommendations to State agencies on the administration of
    grant programs directed at industrial biotechnology.
        (4) On or before January 31 of the next calendar year
    to occur after the last day of any State fiscal year in
    which the Partnership receives State funding, the
    Partnership shall submit a report to the Department
    describing the use of appropriated funds by the
    Partnership in the State fiscal year for which the funds
    were allocated. The report shall include, but not be
    limited to, marketing materials produced by the
    Partnership, meetings attended by members of the
    Partnership related to Partnership business, and the
    hosting of companies visiting this State.
 
    Section 1-25. Funding. The Partnership may receive funding
through specific appropriations available for its purposes
made to the Department. Moneys appropriated to the Department
for the use of the Partnership as provided in this Act shall
not be disbursed to the Partnership until the Partnership
certifies to the Department that it has received at least $3 in
private matching funds for every $1 so disbursed.
 
    Section 1-30. Reports. On or before January 31 of the next
calendar year to occur after the last day of any State fiscal
year in which the Partnership receives State funding, the
Department shall submit to the General Assembly and the
Governor a report describing the use of appropriated funds by
the Partnership in the State fiscal year for which the funds
were allocated.
 
    Section 1-35. Rules. The Department shall adopt all rules
necessary for the implementation of this Act.
 
    Section 1-40. Partnership dissolved. The Partnership is
dissolved on December 31, 2025.
 
    Section 1-45. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
2027.
 
Article 90. Amendatory Provisions

 
    Section 90-5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
is amended by adding Section 605-1095 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 605/605-1095 new)
    Sec. 605-1095. Industrial Biotechnology Workforce
Development Grant Program.
    (a) The Industrial Biotechnology Workforce Development
Grant Program is hereby established as a program to be
implemented and administered by the Department. The Program
shall provide grants for the purpose of fostering a
well-trained and well-skilled industrial biotechnology
workforce.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, grants under the Program may
be awarded on an annual basis for one or more of the following:
        (1) industrial biotechnology apprenticeships or
    apprenticeship programs;
        (2) industrial biotechnology talent pipeline
    management programs that emphasize business-oriented
    strategies to increase workforce competitiveness, improve
    workforce diversity, and expand a regional talent pool
    around high-growth industries;
        (3) industrial biotechnology industry-aligned
    credential (digital badging) expansion programs to
    increase the number of workers with in-demand skills
    needed to obtain a job or advance within the workplace and
    for merging competency-based education with responsive
    workforce training strategies; and
        (4) high school and community college industrial
    biotechnology career pathway and pre-apprenticeship
    program development.
    (c) To be eligible for grants provided under the Program,
an entity must be either: (i) a State-sponsored,
university-affiliated laboratory or research institution
conducting collaboratives or for-hire research in the
development of biorenewable chemicals, bio-based polymers,
materials, novel feeds, or additional value-added
biorenewables; or (ii) a State-accredited university or
community college. An eligible entity must establish that it
plans to use grant funds for a purpose specifically provided
under subsection (b).
    (d) On or before January 31 of the next calendar year to
occur after the last day of any State fiscal year in which the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity receives State
funding for the Program under this Section, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit an annual
report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the use of
grant funds under the Program. The report shall include, but
not be limited to: (i) the disbursement of grant funds,
categorized by eligible entity; (ii) the number of persons
enrolled in or taking advantage of a program established or
maintained using grant funds; (iii) the number of persons
completing a program established or maintained using grant
funds; and (iv) the number of person gaining employment in the
industrial biotechnology industry following completion of a
program established or maintained using grant funds.
    (e) The Department shall adopt all rules necessary for the
implementation and administration of the Program under this
Section.
 
    Section 90-10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Sections 6z-130 and 6z-131 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/6z-130 new)
    Sec. 6z-130. Industrial Biotechnology Human Capital Fund.
    (a) The Industrial Biotechnology Human Capital Fund is
created as a special fund in the State treasury and may receive
funds from any source, public or private, including moneys
appropriated for use by the Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity and laboratories and institutions
conducting industrial biotechnology research. Subject to
appropriation, the Industrial Biotechnology Human Capital Fund
shall receive moneys from the General Revenue Fund until June
30, 2025. Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this
Section shall, as a condition of receiving the grant,
contribute moneys to the Fund as part of a cost-sharing
agreement between the grantee and the Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity in accordance with rules adopted by
the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Grants
issued under the Section may be for a period of 2 years. An
eligible entity issued a grant under this Sections shall be
eligible for more than one such grant, but no more than one
grant annually, for the purpose of hiring and retaining
Experts in Residence; however, such entity may maintain more
than one grant at any given time.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Fund shall be
used for providing grants to laboratories and research
institutions for the purpose of hiring and retaining in-house
specialists, to be known as experts in residence, with the
knowledge and experience in moving industrial biotechnology
products through the development phase.
    (c) To be eligible for grants provided from the Fund, an
entity must be a State-sponsored, university-affiliated
laboratory or research institution conducting collaboratives
or for-hire research in the development of biorenewable
chemicals, bio-based polymers, materials, novel feeds, or
additional value added biorenewables. Eligible entities must
also establish that the Expert-In-Residence they seek to hire
or retain using the grant funds possesses expertise in
fermentation engineering, process engineering, catalytic
engineering, analytical chemistry, or is a scale-up
specialist.
    (d) On or before January 31 of the next calendar year to
occur after the last day of any State fiscal year in which the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity receives State
funding for the Program under this Section, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit an annual
report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the use of
moneys in the Fund. The report shall include, but not be
limited to: (i) the number of laboratories or institutions
utilizing moneys in the Fund, including the name of such
entities; (ii) the number of experts in residence hired by
each laboratory or institution; (iii) the expertise or
specialty area of each expert in residence hired or retained;
and (iv) a summary of the benefit to the economy of the State
of Illinois economy in providing the grants.
    (e) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
shall adopt all rules necessary for the implementation of this
Section.
 
    (30 ILCS 105/6z-131 new)
    Sec. 6z-131. Industrial Biotechnology Capital Maintenance
Fund.
    (a) The Industrial Biotechnology Capital Maintenance Fund
is created as a special fund in the State treasury and may
receive funds from any source, public or private, including
from moneys appropriated for use by the Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity and laboratories and institutions
conducting industrial biotechnology research.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Fund shall be
used for providing grants to laboratories and research
institutions for the purpose of maintenance and repair of
capital assets. Such maintenance and repairs of capital assets
shall be designed to extend the serviceable life of equipment
and buildings and expand the capacity of equipment and
buildings by at least 10%. For the purposes of this Section,
"capital assets" means equipment or buildings that have a
value greater than $250,000.
    (c) To be eligible for grants provided from the Fund, an
entity must be a State-sponsored, university-affiliated
laboratory or research institution conducting collaboratives
or for-hire research in the development of biorenewable
chemicals, bio-based polymers, materials, novel feeds, or
additional value added biorenewables. The Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall determine the
disbursement of moneys for the purposes of this Section. Each
eligible entity, as a condition of receiving a grant under
this Section, shall match up to at least 50% of the moneys to
be granted to the entity.
    (d) On or before January 31 of the next calendar year to
occur after the last day of any State fiscal year in which the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity receives State
funding for the Program under this Section, the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit an annual
report to the General Assembly and the Governor on the use of
moneys in the Fund. The report shall include, but not be
limited to: (i) the name of the institution or laboratory
receiving funds; (ii) the capital assets that were maintained
or repaired at each institution or laboratory; (iii) the
expected usable life extension of each maintained or repaired
asset; and (iv) the capacity increase of each maintained or
repaired asset.
    (e) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
shall adopt all rules necessary for the implementation of this
Section.

Effective Date: 1/1/2023