IL HB5088

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law to prohibit certification of local tourism and convention bureaus that serve geographic areas already represented by another certified tourism bureau, effective July 1, 2024

Removes the Director's authority to waive certification criteria and award grant funds to entities when necessary to prevent loss of critical tourism funding in a designated geographic area

Maintains existing eligibility requirements for local tourism bureaus: units of local government or not-for-profit organizations, minimum 2-year legal existence, paid full-time staff dedicated to tourism promotion, and affiliation with municipalities or counties supporting the bureau with local hotel-motel taxes

Preserves the grant distribution formula allocating 18% of annual appropriations to cities with populations greater than 500,000 and 82% to the remainder of the state based on population served

Takes effect immediately