GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
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August 13th, 2021
This Week in Illinois
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Governor Pritzker Unveils Back to Business Grant Program
On Wednesday, Governor Pritzker and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced the $250 million Back to Business (B2B) Grant Program.
Speaking to Crain's Chicago Business, Illinois Chamber President & CEO Todd Maisch said "This is a very positive thing that will help some companies keep their doors open. I credit DECO and the administration for trying to give assistance.”
The Governor's administration said this is the first in a series of recovery programs to help small business deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor's full press release can be read here.
Senate Holds Committee Hearing on Back to Business Program
Yesterday, the Senate Joint Appropriations & Commerce Committee held a subject matter hearing on the Back to Business (B2B) Grant Program.
A presentation was given by DCEO Acting Director Sylvia Garcia as well as other department leaders.
The B2B Program will award $250 million to small businesses that have experienced loss due to the pandemic. This program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Garcia said that DCEO is proud of the work done by the Business interruption Grant Program (the administration’s previous small business relief grant) but tout the improvements made in the new program. Improvements include utilization of 2020 tax returns, a user-friendly online portal, and regular updates to the general assembly. DCEO has also pledged to find the businesses most affected by COVID-19.
Participation in the program is limited to businesses with $20 million or less in annual revenue in 2019 with at least $5,000 losses in 2020 due to the pandemic. Priority is given to businesses with less than $5 million in revenue as well as businesses that have not received any emergency relief. $25 million is set aside for businesses that applied for but did not receive funds from the BIG program.
The Department stressed that community outreach and tech assistance for the program will be greatly expanded from the BIG program.
Witnesses representing the small business community reiterated the plight of businesses that did not receive funding from the BIG program and could possibly be left behind once again. Offering a solution, the witness suggested that more funds be put into the program and promptness be prioritized.
Full Census Data Released
On Thursday, the US Census Bureau released the detailed results of the 2020 decennial census. For Illinois, a few numbers and trends are of note.
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Following the national trend for large cities, Chicago grew by approximately 50,000 residents.
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Cook County as well as the collar counties all saw population growth.
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Rural areas incurred significant population loss. Western Illinois is representative of this trend.
Overall, Illinois lost a little over 18,000 residents in the past 10 years. This has led to the loss of one congressional seat on the federal level. With the release of this data, it is assumed that the redistricting of Illinois congressional seats will soon follow.
On the state level, legislative and appellate court districts are currently being challenged in the courts by the Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin as well as the Mexican American Legal and Defense Educational Fund.
Illinois Chamber COVID-19 Reopening Survey
The Illinois Chamber has compiled a series of questions for members of the Illinois business community. This questionnaire is a consideration of your current COVID-19 policies in the workplace. Please take a moment to share your thoughts. All answers will help shape pro-business policy in Springfield.
Session Update
The House remains adjourned until the call of the Speaker. The Senate also remains adjourned until the call of the Senate President. There are whispers the Senate may return later this month but nothing has been confirmed.
Both Chambers will be in session October 19th-21st and October 26th-28th.
Masks are once again mandated in all secretary of state facilities as well as the Illinois State Capitol Building for both visitors and employees.
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Bills of Interest Signed into Law
HB 12, Education Family Leave was signed into law. This bill provides that an employee of a school district, public university, or community college district who has been employed for at least 12 months and who has worked at least 1,000 hours in the previous 12-month period shall be eligible for family and medical leave under the same terms and conditions as leave provided to eligible employees under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
HB 399, High Speed Rail Commission was signed into law. This bill creates the High-Speed Railway Commission Act. Prescribes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall create a statewide plan for a high-speed rail line and feeder network connecting St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois that includes current existing Amtrak and Metra services, connects the cities of Rockford, Moline, Peoria, and Decatur, and uses inter-city bus service to coordinate with the rail line. Provides that the Commission shall conduct a ridership study and shall make findings and recommendations concerning a governance structure, the frequency of service, and implementation of the plan. Provides that the Commission shall report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than December 31 of each year.
HB 414, Water & Sewer Assistance was signed into law. This bill creates the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is authorized to institute the water and sewer assistance program. Provides that each water or sewer provider shall assess each of its customer accounts a monthly Water and Sewer Assistance Charge to be deposited into the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Creates the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. Provides that specified water or sewer utilities shall be allowed to offer a financial assistance program designed for bill payment assistance for low-income customers in accordance with the Water and Sewer Financial Assistance Act. Provides that the costs of a financial assistance program offered by a water or sewer utility shall be reimbursed from the Water and Sewer Low-Income Assistance Fund. The Chamber supports this bill.
HB 665, Entrepreneur Assistance Center was signed into law. This bill Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and support, subject to appropriation, entrepreneurship assistance centers, including the issuance of grants, at career education agencies and not-for-profit corporations. Provides criteria for the selection and designation of centers. Provides requirements for the establishment and operation of each center. Provides requirements for grant applicants.
SB 116, Business Corporation Act Changes was signed into law. This bill amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Authorizes shareholder meetings to be held by means of remote communication. Provides for the combination of corporations and limited liability entities rather than limited liability companies and partnerships. Provides for reports of interim changes of corporations. Accelerates the repeal of provisions relating to franchise taxes from 2025 to 2024. Delays repeal of the corporate franchise tax refund fund from 2022 to 2024. Amends the Benefit Corporation Act to provide that a benefit corporation may be organized under the laws of another state. Amends the Limited Liability Company Act. Provides that a limited liability company may revoke its termination within 90 days after the effective date of the termination, or longer if the limited liability company pays a penalty, if it has not begun to distribute its assets. Requires the limited liability company to file articles of revocation of termination. Sets forth the contents of the articles of termination. Provides that after filing the articles of revocation, the limited liability company may resume business as if the termination had never occurred. Provides that a limited liability company may be reinstated following its termination. Requires the filing of an application for reinstatement, the payment of fees, and the filing of reports. Provides that upon reinstatement the existence of the limited liability company shall be deemed to have continued without interruption.
SB 561, PFAS Reduction was signed into law. This bill creates the PFAS Reduction Act. Beginning January 1, 2022, a person, local government, fire department, or State agency may not use for training or testing purposes a Class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS. However, the testing of Class B firefighting foam to which PFAS has been intentionally added may occur if the person, local government, fire department, or State agency has performed all of the following: Evaluate the testing facility for containment, treatment, and disposal measures to prevent uncontrolled release of Class B firefighting foam to the environment. Appropriate containment, treatment, and disposal or storage measures may not include flushing, draining, or otherwise discharging the foam into a storm drain or sanitary sewer. Comply with the notification requirements provided. Provides that any person who operates a refinery or chemical or ethanol plant, a storage and distribution facility, or a tank farm or terminal for flammable liquids, or who has a fixed foam system in use at a manufacturing facility or warehouse, may extend the date of compliance under specified provisions to January 1, 2027 if, prior to January 1, 2025, the person determines that additional time for compliance is needed and sends notice of the determination to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
SB 1089, Construction Debris was signed into law. This bill provides that an owner or operator of a general construction or demolition debris recovery facility shall ensure that no less than 40% of the total general construction or demolition debris is received at the facility (rather than shall, at a minimum, recycle 40% of the total general construction or demolition debris) on a rolling 12-month average basis. Provides an exemption from causing or allowing the deposit of any general construction or demolition debris that is received at a general construction or demolition debris recovery facility if the clean construction or demolition debris is used as fill or road construction material at the clean construction or demolition debris fill operation if the clean construction or demolition debris is separated and managed separately from other general construction or demolition debris and otherwise meets the requirements applicable to clean construction or demolition debris at a clean construction or demolition debris fill operation(rather than if the general construction or demolition debris (i) meets the definition of clean construction or demolition debris in specified provisions and (ii) has been returned to the economic mainstream in the form of a raw material or product). Provides that an exemption from a subtitle D management fee shall not apply to general construction or demolition debris recovery facilities.
SB 1232, Aeronautics was signed into law. This bill provides that the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation shall not render financial assistance in connection with the planning, construction, reconstruction, extension, development, or improvement of hangars or other airport buildings, or in connection with the subsequent operation or maintenance of such air navigation facilities unless such facilities are publicly used, publicly owned, and of public benefit. Provides that "of public benefit" includes aircraft hangars, fixed-based operator buildings, and aircraft maintenance buildings at nonprimary airports included within the State Airport Plan. Includes construction costs as costs eligible for financial assistance by the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation. Provides that the prohibition on a municipality or political subdivision from directly accepting, receiving, or disbursing any funds granted by the United States under the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 shall not prohibit any municipality or any political subdivision owning a primary commercial service airport serving at least 10,000 annual enplanements from accepting, receiving, or disbursing funds directly from the federal government. Provides that any federal money awarded to airports in the State under specified federal laws that includes project applications approved by the Department where the Department is designated the as agent to accept, receive, and disburse such funds shall also include a State match to the local share of the application for all costs eligible.
SB 1767, Prevailing Wage Public Search was signed into law. This bill provides that beginning January 1, 2022, the Department of Labor shall make accessible to the public on its website by the 16th day of each month following the month the work was performed the following information from certified payrolls submitted under this Act: each worker's classification or classifications, skill level, such as apprentice or journeyman, gross wages paid in each pay period, number of hours worked each day, starting and ending times of work each day, hourly wage rate, hourly overtime wage rate, and hourly fringe benefit rate. Provides that the database shall be searchable by contractor name, project name, county in which the work is performed, and contracting public body.
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Illinois Chamber's Tax Institute To Host Quarterly Meeting
On Wednesday, September 8th the Illinois Chamber Tax Institute will host its quarterly meeting. The meeting will feature a discussion of unclaimed property issues with Allen Mayer, Chief of Staff for the Illinois Treasurer, Jennifer Waryjas of Jones Day and Troy Wangen of True Partners. The Illinois Chamber's Tax Institute Quarterly meeting is available to registrants to either attend in person or virtually.
Registration information can be found here.
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Save the Date: Illinois Chamber to Host Annual Meeting
On Thursday, September 30th the Illinois Chamber will host its Annual Meeting at the Palmer House in Chicago. The event will take place between 11am-1:30 pm and feature keynote speaker Holly Sullivan, Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development for Amazon. The theme for this year's event is Global Growth Opportunities. Register today!
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If you have questions about the Government Affairs Report, contact Clark Kaericher at ckaericher@ilchamber.org. Do not reply to this email.
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