§ 605-1105

Local chambers of commerce recovery grants and business program. (a) Subject to appropriation of funds for the purposes described in this Section, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish a program to award grants to local chambers of commerce. (a-5) This subsection applies to grants under this Section that are funded by State or federal funds that are allocated to the State under the authority of legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department shall award an aggregate amount of up to $5,000,000 in grants under this subsection to eligible chambers of commerce. Each eligible chamber of commerce that applies to the Department for a grant under this subsection shall certify to the Department the difference between the chamber of commerce's total annual revenue in calendar year 2019 and the chamber of commerce's total annual revenue in calendar year 2020. The maximum amount that may be awarded to any eligible chamber of commerce during the first round of grants under this subsection is one-sixth of the certified amount. In determining grant amounts awarded under this subsection, the Department may consider any awards that the chamber of commerce has received from the Back to Business Grant Program or the Business Interruption Grant Program. If the entire amount of moneys appropriated for the purposes of this subsection has not been allocated after a first round of grants is made, the Department may award additional funds to eligible chambers of commerce from the remaining funds. (a-10) This subsection applies to grants awarded under this Section from sources other than State or federal funds that are allocated to the State under the authority or legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants under this subsection may be used to market and develop the service area of the chamber of commerce for the purposes of generating local, county, and State business taxes and providing small businesses with professional development, business guidance, and best practices for sustainability. No single chamber of commerce shall receive grant awards under this subsection in excess of $50,000 in any State fiscal year. (a-15) Grants awarded under subsection (a-5) or (a-10) of this Section shall not be used to make any direct lobbying expenditure, as defined in subsection (c) of Section 4911 of the Internal Revenue Code, or to engage in any political campaign activity described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (b) For grants awarded under subsection (a-5), the Department may use State funds and federal funds that are allocated to the State under the authority of legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide grants under this Section. Those federal funds include, but are not limited to, funds allocated to the State under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Any federal moneys used for this purpose shall be used in accordance with the federal legislation authorizing the use of those funds and related federal guidance as well as any other applicable State and federal laws. For grants awarded under subsection (a-10), the Department may use general revenue funds or any other funds that may lawfully be used for the purposes of this Section. (c) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the grant program created by this Section. The emergency rulemaking process may be used to promulgate the initial rules of the program following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. (d) As used in this Section, "eligible chamber of commerce" means an organization of business and professional persons dedicated to improving the economic climate and business development of the community, area, or region in which the organization is located and that: (1) operates as an approved not-for-profit corporation; (2) is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; (3) has an annual revenue of $1,000,000 or less; (4) files a 990 federal tax form with the Internal Revenue Service; (5) has or will have each of the following at the time of award determination: (A) governance bylaws; (B) financial policies and procedures; and (C) a mission and vision statement; and (6) for grants awarded under subsection (a-5), has experienced an identifiable negative economic impact resulting from or exacerbated by the public health emergency or served a community disproportionately impacted by a public health emergency.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-1115, eff. 1-9-23; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)