Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment
20 ILCS 605/605-1032
in effect(20 ILCS 605/605-1032) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-765) Sec. 605-1032. Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment. (a) As used in this Section: "Eligible not-for-profit corporation" means a not-for-profit corporation, as defined in Section 101.80 of the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, that primarily serves minorities, women, veterans, or persons with a disability. "Employment social enterprise" means a nonprofit or for-profit organization that: (1) demonstrates a mission to provide employment and social supports with on-the-job and life skills training to individuals with a barrier to employment; and (2) provides services or produces or assembles goods, or a combination of both. "Office" means the Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment. (b) The Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment is hereby created within the Department. The Office shall assist minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies through targeted programs, resources, and outreach and promotional activities. The Office may engage in or conduct the following activities: (1) promoting and conducting outreach efforts to ensure access to State and federal funding opportunities, and assisting minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies in applying for and receiving loan funds in the State; (2) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts for minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, and other underserved communities and constituencies to encourage participation in programs under the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, and assisting those businesses in becoming designated under that Act and under similar certification programs; (3) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts that assist and educate minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies on the process of applying for and becoming certified to apply for State grant funds under the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act; (4) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts that assist and educate aspiring and existing minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies with understanding concepts including, but not limited to, business formation and not-for-profit incorporation, business planning, capital access, and marketing a business or not-for-profit corporation; (5) administering programs established by the Department or the General Assembly to provide grants to minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies; (6) coordinating assistance for minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, employment social enterprises, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies with other State agencies; (7) providing staff, administration, and related support required to administer this Section; and (8) establishing applications, notifications, contracts, and other forms and procedures, and adopting rules deemed necessary and appropriate. (c) The Office may use vendors or enter into contracts to carry out the purposes of this Section, including, but not limited to, engaging employment social enterprises as service providers for workforce development, business training, and economic empowerment programs. (Source: P.A. 103-889, eff. 1-1-25; 104-765, eff. 1-1-27.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-799) Sec. 605-1032. Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment. (a) As used in this Section: "Eligible not-for-profit corporation" means a not-for-profit corporation, as defined in Section 101.80 of the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, that primarily serves minorities, women, veterans, or persons with a disability. "Office" means the Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment. (b) The Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment is hereby created within the Department. The Office shall assist minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies through targeted programs, resources, and outreach and promotional activities. The Office may engage in or conduct the following activities: (1) promoting and conducting outreach efforts to ensure access to State and federal funding opportunities, and assisting minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies in applying for and receiving loan funds in the State; (2) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts for minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and other underserved communities and constituencies to encourage participation in programs under the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, and assisting those businesses in becoming designated under that Act and under similar certification programs; (3) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts that assist and educate minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies on the process of applying for and becoming certified to apply for State grant funds under the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act; (4) providing and hosting workshops and public forums and engaging in outreach efforts that assist and educate aspiring and existing minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies with understanding concepts including, but not limited to, business formation and not-for-profit incorporation, business planning, capital access, and marketing a business or not-for-profit corporation; (5) administering programs established by the Department or the General Assembly to provide grants to minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies; (6) coordinating assistance for minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, eligible not-for-profit corporations, and other underserved communities and constituencies with other State agencies; (7) providing staff, administration, and related support required to administer this Section; and (8) establishing applications, notifications, contracts, and other forms and procedures, and adopting rules deemed necessary and appropriate. (b-5) Subject to appropriation, the Office may administer assistance that is focused on the revitalization and economic stabilization of urban areas in the State. This assistance may include programming, communication, and cross-coordination of existing State programs designed to stimulate the economic growth of under-resourced and underserved urban areas of the State. Among other duties assigned by the Department, subject to appropriation, the Office is authorized to do the following: (1) To the extent possible, to assist in the coordination and communication of the activities of the following units and programs of the Department and all other present and future units and programs of the Department that impact under-resourced or underserved urban areas to the extent that they may assist urban areas and urban economics: (A) the Enterprise Zone Program; (B) the Small Business Development Center Program; (C) the Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and related energy assistance programs; (D) programs funded through Community Services Block Grant funds; (E) programs funded through Community Development Block Grant funds; (F) programs under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or related workforce programs; (G) programming related to the deployment of and access to broadband and related technology and skills; (H) programs that assist in the development of businesses owned by individuals that are socially and economically disadvantaged; and (I) programs that assist in the development of community infrastructure. (2) To gather information concerning any State or federal program that is designed to revitalize or assist under-resourced or underserved urban areas in the State and to provide this information to public and private entities upon request. (3) To use existing programs of the Department to collaborate with regional economic development professionals hired by the Department to promote and assist in developing urban industrial parks and related economic development. (4) To promote economic parity throughout the State and the autonomy of residents of the State by promoting and assisting the development of the following as it relates to services to and for under-resourced or underserved urban areas of the State: (A) small business development centers; (B) youth employment; (C) small business incubators; (D) family resource centers; (E) urban development banks; (F) self-managed urban businesses; and (G) plans for urban infrastructure projects. (5) To, at its discretion and to the extent practicable, seek guidance from urban public officials, municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations, nonprofits, and other entities to develop recommendations to the Department on economic policies for urban areas and planning models that will result in the revitalization of the economy of under-resourced or underserved urban areas, especially those urban areas where economically and socially disadvantaged people live. These recommendations may include, but are not limited to, recommendations in the areas of: (A) housing; (B) scientific research; (C) urban youth unemployment; (D) business incubators and family resource centers in urban areas; and (E) alternative energy resource development in urban areas as part of the Department's 5-year plan for economic development. (6) To encourage new enterprises to locate in urban areas through educational promotions that emphasize the opportunities in areas identified in the Department's 5-year economic development plan and by connecting those enterprises to employees of the Department that specialize in the solicitation of businesses in urban areas, and to do other acts that, in the judgment of the Department, are necessary and proper to foster and promote the economic development and welfare of any urban area. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the Department shall have no power to require reports from or to regulate any business. (7) To accept grants, loans, or appropriations from the federal government or the State, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, to be used for any expenses necessary to serve under-resourced or underserved urban areas of the State, including, but not limited to, scientific research, urban youth employment projects, business incubators, urban infrastructure development, alternative energy resource development, food deserts and community food plots, community facilities needed in urban areas, and any other purpose related to the revitalization of and support for urban areas. (c) The Office may use vendors or enter into contracts to carry out the purposes of this Section. (Source: P.A. 103-889, eff. 1-1-25; 104-799, eff. 8-7-26.)
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.aspFetched: 10/17/2026