Bill Text: IL SB3654 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Creates the Emerging Technology Industries Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish and maintain a program to award grants to emerging-technology enterprises in the State. Sets forth eligibility requirements and funding priorities for awarding the grants, and sets forth procedures for awarding the grants. Requires written contracts in which the emerging-technology enterprise guarantees that it will perform the actions expected to be performed. Sets dollar limits on matching funds for federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants and total grant matching funds per year. Limits total income tax credits to $15,000,000 in any one State fiscal year. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Emerging Technology Grant Fund. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for qualified investors who make an investment in an emerging technology enterprise in the State. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity must certify the amount of the credit and sets forth the procedures for the application and certification of the credit. Sets forth provisions for the revocation and recapture of the tax credit. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-04-30 - Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Jehan A. Gordon [SB3654 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB3654-Engrossed.html

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AN ACT concerning revenue.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Emerging Technology Industries Act.
Section 5. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Act to
develop and diversify the economy of the State of Illinois by:
(1) expediting the innovation and commercialization of
research;
(2) attracting, creating, or expanding private-sector
entities that will promote a substantial increase in
high-quality jobs; and
(3) increasing higher education applied technology
research capabilities.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity.
"Emerging technology enterprise" means a business concern
that is primarily engaged in an emerging technology industry.
"Emerging technology industry" includes, without
limitation, any industry related to:
(1) agricultural science;

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(2) computer and software technology;
(3) biotechnology;
(4) medicine;
(5) life sciences;
(6) nanotechnology;
(7) energy;
(8) manufactured energy systems;
(9) aerospace;
(10) petroleum;
(11) micro-electromechanical systems;
(12) defense;
(13) semiconductors; or
(14) any other pursuit that is determined by the
Department to be an emerging technology industry.
"Fund" means the Emerging Technology Grant Fund
established under Section 20 of this Act.
"Investment" means the contribution of property, at a risk
of loss, to a qualified Illinois emerging technology enterprise
in exchange for stock, a partnership interest, or other
ownership interest in the qualified company. For the purposes
of this definition, an investment is at risk of loss if its
repayment depends entirely upon the success of the business
operations of the qualified Illinois emerging technology
enterprise.
"Qualified investor" means an investor who is:
(1) an individual who invests at least $25,000 in a

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qualified Illinois emerging technology enterprise;
(2) an Illinois corporation that invests at least
$250,000 in a qualified Illinois emerging technology
enterprise; or
(3) a qualified Illinois venture capital firm.
"Qualified Illinois emerging technology enterprise" means
a company that has:
(1) its headquarters and base of operations in
Illinois;
(2) fewer than 50 full-time employees;
(3) been in active business no longer than 10 years;
and
(4) been certified in writing as an emerging technology
enterprise by the Department.
"Qualified Illinois venture capital firm" means an entity
that:
(1) is organized for the purpose of investing funds in
privately held companies engaged in the research,
development, or commercialization of innovative and
propriety technology;
(2) has at least 2 principals who each have at least 5
years of venture capital experience;
(3) has at least one year of experience investing in
emerging technology industries; and
(4) has its headquarters and principal place of
operations in Illinois.

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Section 15. Eligibility. An emerging technology enterprise
is eligible to receive a grant under this Act if the activity
to be funded: (i) will result in the creation of new jobs in
this State; and (ii) has the potential to result in the
advancement of medicine or science.
Section 20. The Emerging Technology Grant Fund. The
Emerging Technology Grant Fund is created as a special fund in
the State treasury. From appropriations to the Department from
the Fund, the Department shall make grants to emerging
technology enterprises in the State as set forth under this
Act. Moneys received for the purposes of this Section,
including, without limitation, appropriations, repayments of
grant moneys, and gifts, grants, and awards from any public or
private entity, must be deposited into the Fund. Any interest
earnings that are attributable to moneys in the Fund must be
deposited into the Fund.
Section 25. Grant contracts.
(a) Before awarding a grant under this Act, the Department
shall enter into a written contract with the emerging
technology enterprise to be awarded the grant money. In the
contract, the emerging technology enterprise shall guarantee
that it will perform the actions expected to be performed. The
contract may specify that:

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(1) If all or any portion of the amount of the grant is
used to build a capital improvement:
(A) the State retains a lien or other interest in
the capital improvement in proportion to the
percentage of the grant amount used to pay for the
capital improvement; and
(B) the recipient of the grant shall, if the
capital improvement is sold, (i) repay to the State the
grant money used to pay for the capital improvement,
with interest at the rate and according to the other
terms provided by the agreement, and (ii) share with
the State a proportionate amount of any profit realized
from the sale; and
(2) If, as of the date certain provided in the
contract, the grant recipient has not used grant money
awarded under this Act for the purposes for which the grant
was intended, then the recipient shall repay that amount
and any related interest applicable under the agreement to
the State at the agreed rate and on the agreed terms.
(b) If an emerging technology enterprise fails to perform
an action guaranteed by contract before a time specified by
contract, then the enterprise shall return all moneys received
from the Fund.
(c) The provisions of this Section take precedence over any
conflicting requirements of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery
Act.

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Section 30. Funding priority. In awarding money from the
Fund under this Act, priority shall be given to proposals that:
(1) involve emerging scientific or technology fields
that have a reasonable probability of enhancing the State's
national and global economic competitiveness;
(2) may result in a medical or scientific advancement;
(3) are collaborative between any combination of
private or nonprofit entities and public or private
agencies or institutions in the State;
(4) are matched with other available funds, including
funds from the private or nonprofit entity or institution
of higher education collaborating on the project; or
(5) have an economic development benefit to the State.
Section 35. Research grant matching. Amounts allocated
from the Fund for use as provided by this Act must be reserved
to match funding from research sponsors other than this State,
including federal research sponsors. The Department shall
determine proposals eligible for funding under this Act. If
amounts allocated from the Fund are used to match a federal
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant, then the State
matching funds from the Fund for all phases of that SBIR grant
shall not exceed $600,000. Not more than $10,000,000 of moneys
from the Fund shall be used by the Department in any one fiscal
year as grant matching funds under this Act.

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Section 40. Documentation of benefits.
(a) An emerging technology enterprise that receives a grant
under this Act must document specific benefits that the State
may expect to gain as a result of the grant award. This
documentation must be completed and provided to the Department
before the emerging technology enterprise may enter into a
contract to receive funding under Section 25.
(b) The Department may terminate funding to an emerging
technology enterprise if the enterprise fails to realize a
benefit specified in the contract, as determined by a periodic
review conducted by the Department.
Section 45. Income tax credit. A qualified investor may
claim a credit against the tax imposed under subsections (a)
and (b) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act, as
provided in this Act and Section 219 of the Illinois Income Tax
Act. The amount of the credit is an amount equal to the final
credit certificate approved by the Department for an investment
in a qualified emerging technology enterprise, as provided
under Sections 50 and 55 of this Act.
This credit is exempt from the provisions of Section 250 of
the Illinois Income Tax Act.
Section 50. Tax credit application; certification.
(a) In order to receive the tax credit under this Act, the

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qualified investor must submit an application to the Department
on forms provided by the Department at least 30 days prior to
making an investment in a qualified Illinois emerging
technology enterprise for which the qualified investor is
eligible for an initial tax credit certificate.
(b) The Department shall approve all applications that
qualify for credits under this Act on a first-come first-served
basis. Within 30 days after its receipt of an application, the
Department must certify the amount of any approved tax credits
to a qualified investor.
(c) The qualified investor must make an investment in a
qualified Illinois emerging technology enterprise within 30
days after the Department has issued a tax credit certificate
under subsection (b). Within 10 days after making the
investment, the qualified investor must provide written notice
to the Department. If the qualified investor fails to provide
this written notice within 40 days after the issuance of the
tax credit certificate, then the Department shall rescind the
certificate.
Section 55. Amount of the tax credit. The tax credit
allowed in a tax credit certificate issued under this Act is
25% of the investment in a qualified Illinois emerging
technology enterprise, but not to exceed:
(1) $50,000 for a qualified investor that is an
individual; or

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(2) $250,000 for a qualified investor that is a
corporation or a qualified Illinois venture capital firm.
Section 57. Limit on total tax credits. Total tax credits
allowed under this Act shall not exceed $15,000,000 in any one
State fiscal year.
Section 60. Recapture of the tax credit.
(a) If, within 2 taxable years after the close of the
taxable year in which a credit under Section 45 of this Act is
approved, the qualified investor sells, transfers, or
otherwise disposes of the ownership interest in the qualified
Illinois emerging technology enterprise that gave rise to the
credit, then the credit must be recaptured.
(b) The amount required to be recaptured under this Section
is:
(1) 100% of the amount of the credit if the disposition
occurs during the taxable year in which the tax credit is
approved;
(2) 67% of the amount of the credit if the disposition
occurs during the first taxable year after the close of the
taxable year for which the tax is approved; or
(3) 33% of the amount of the credit if the disposition
occurs more than one taxable year but not more than 2
taxable years after the close of the taxable year for which
the tax credit is approved.

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(c) The qualified investor who claimed the credit shall pay
the recaptured amount as taxes payable to the State for the
taxable year in which the disposition occurred.
Section 65. Revocation of the credit.
(a) The Department may revoke its certification of an
approved credit under this Act if any representation in
connection with the application for the certification proves to
have been false when made.
(b) The revocation may be in full or in part as the
Department determines and, subject to subsection (c), must be
communicated in writing to the qualified investor and the
Department of Revenue.
(c) The Department of Revenue may make an assessment
against the qualified investor to recapture any amount of the
tax credit that the qualified investor has already claimed.
Section 70. Annual report.
(a) On or before January 10 of each year, the Department
shall report to the Governor and to the General Assembly on the
tax credit certificates awarded under this Act for the prior
calendar year.
(b) This report must include, for each tax credit
certificate awarded:
(1) the name of the qualified investor and the amount
of credit awarded or allocated to that investor;

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(2) the name and address of the qualified Illinois
emerging technology enterprise that received the
investment giving rise to the credit and the county in
which the qualified Illinois emerging technology
enterprise is located; and
(3) the dates of receipt and approval by the Department
of the applications for the tax credit certificate.
(c) The report must summarize for each category of
qualified investors:
(1) the total number of applicants for initial tax
credit certificates under this Act in the prior calendar
year;
(2) the total number of applications for which initial
tax credit certificates were issued in the prior calendar
year; and
(3) the total tax credit certificates authorized under
this Act for all calendar years.
Section 75. Rules. The Department shall adopt any rule
necessary for the administration of this Act, except that the
Department of Revenue shall prescribe rules in accordance with
subsection (d) of Section 219 of the Illinois Income Tax Act.
Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.755 as follows:

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(30 ILCS 105/5.755 new)
Sec. 5.755. The Emerging Technology Grant Fund.
Section 95. The Illinois Income Tax Act is amended by
adding Section 219 as follows:
(35 ILCS 5/219 new)
Sec. 219. Emerging Technology Investment Tax Credit.
(a) For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, a
taxpayer who has been awarded a tax credit under the Emerging
Technology Industries Act is entitled to a credit against the
taxes imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 201 of
this Act in an amount determined by the Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity under the Emerging Technology
Industries Act.
(b) If the taxpayer is a partnership or Subchapter S
corporation, the credit is allowed to the partners or
shareholders in accordance with the determination of income and
distributive share of income under Sections 702 and 704 and
Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.
(c) The credit may not be carried forward or back.
(d) The Department, in cooperation with the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, may prescribe rules to
enforce and administer the provisions of this Section.
(e) The credit established under this Section and Sections
45 through 65 of the Emerging Technology Industries Act is

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exempt from the provisions of Section 250 of this Act.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.