ENTERPRISE ZONE CERTIFICATION

Amends the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. Adds requirements concerning enterprise zone applications and provisional certification and decertification of enterprise zones. Modifies the criteria for determining Enterprise Zones and underserved areas under the Act. Modifies reporting requirements under the Act. Makes conforming and other changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 20 ILCS 655/3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with additions. Modifies requirements concerning qualifications for enterprise zones. Allows the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to award partial points on a pro rata basis for the purpose of enterprise zone qualification if an applicant demonstrates specified job creation and investment criteria. Makes further changes concerning the awarding of points. Makes changes concerning the certification of enterprise zones. Provides that beginning in calendar year 2021 and for any year in which there are at least 4 Zones available for designation, at least 25% of zones available for designation in a given calendar year must be awarded to zones located in counties with populations of less than 300,000 unless there are no applicants from such locations for that calendar year. Provides that for enterprise zones that are scheduled to expire on or after January 1, 2017 and prior to January 1, 2024, an application process shall begin 2 years prior to the year in which the zone expires. Provides that with respect to job creation or retention, employers and High Impact Businesses shall use best efforts to submit diversity information related to the gender and ethnicity of such employees. Makes conforming and other changes.