104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1730 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Steve Stadelman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new Creates the Music Incubator Rebate Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a music incubator rebate program under which the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide to the operators of eligible music venues and to eligible music festival promoters a full or partial rebate of the retailers' occupation taxes paid by those operators or eligible music festival promoters on the sale of beer and wine on the premises of the eligible music venue or at the location of the qualified music festival as part of the qualified music festival. Provides that moneys shall be paid from the Music Incubator Fund. Contains provisions creating the Music Incubator Fund. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately. LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1730 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Steve Stadelman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new Creates the Music Incubator Rebate Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a music incubator rebate program under which the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide to the operators of eligible music venues and to eligible music festival promoters a full or partial rebate of the retailers' occupation taxes paid by those operators or eligible music festival promoters on the sale of beer and wine on the premises of the eligible music venue or at the location of the qualified music festival as part of the qualified music festival. Provides that moneys shall be paid from the Music Incubator Fund. Contains provisions creating the Music Incubator Fund. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately. LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1730 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Steve Stadelman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new Creates the Music Incubator Rebate Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a music incubator rebate program under which the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide to the operators of eligible music venues and to eligible music festival promoters a full or partial rebate of the retailers' occupation taxes paid by those operators or eligible music festival promoters on the sale of beer and wine on the premises of the eligible music venue or at the location of the qualified music festival as part of the qualified music festival. Provides that moneys shall be paid from the Music Incubator Fund. Contains provisions creating the Music Incubator Fund. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately. LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b A BILL FOR SB1730LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 AN ACT concerning revenue. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Music 5 Incubator Rebate Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act: 7 "Applicant" means the operator of an eligible music venue 8 who applies for a rebate under this Act or an eligible music 9 festival promoter who applies for a rebate under this Act. 10 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic 11 Opportunity. 12 "Eligible music festival promoter" means a music festival 13 promoter that has held, at least once during the 2-year period 14 immediately preceding the date of the application for a rebate 15 under this Act, a qualified music festival in a county in the 16 State with a population of less than 100,000. 17 "Eligible music venue" means a retail establishment that: 18 (1) has a dedicated audience capacity of not more than 19 3,000 persons; 20 (2) has live performance and audience space; 21 (3) has space for the storage of audio equipment or 22 musical instruments; 23 (4) provides technical sound and lighting support, 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1730 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Steve Stadelman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new Creates the Music Incubator Rebate Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a music incubator rebate program under which the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide to the operators of eligible music venues and to eligible music festival promoters a full or partial rebate of the retailers' occupation taxes paid by those operators or eligible music festival promoters on the sale of beer and wine on the premises of the eligible music venue or at the location of the qualified music festival as part of the qualified music festival. Provides that moneys shall be paid from the Music Incubator Fund. Contains provisions creating the Music Incubator Fund. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately. LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b A BILL FOR New Act 20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new 30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730- 2 -LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 2 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 2 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 either in-house or through a contract with a vendor; 2 (5) hosts live music performances on the premises 5 or 3 more nights per week, on average, whereby the musical 4 artist receives as compensation a specified percentage of 5 ticket sales or other sales that occur incident to the 6 performance or a guaranteed amount in advance of the 7 performance; 8 (6) requires a cover charge to attend one or more of 9 the live music performances, either through ticketing or 10 through the imposition of a front door entrance fee; and 11 (7) maintains hours of operation that coincide with 12 live music performance show times. 13 "Qualified music festival" means an event that: 14 (1) occurs over one or more days at a single location; 15 (2) is marketed in a printed or electronic 16 publication; 17 (3) features performances by one or more musical 18 artists who enter into a written contract with a music 19 festival promoter under which the artist receives as 20 compensation a specified percentage of ticket sales or 21 other sales that occur incident to the performance or a 22 guaranteed amount in advance of the performance; 23 (4) requires a cover charge to attend one or more of 24 the performances, either through ticketing or through the 25 imposition of a front door entrance fee; and 26 (5) results in the employment or contracting of the SB1730 - 2 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730- 3 -LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 3 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 3 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 services of one or more people who are tasked with 2 or 2 more of the following positions or services: 3 (A) sound engineer; 4 (B) booker; 5 (C) promoter; 6 (D) stage manager; or 7 (E) security personnel. 8 "Retailers' occupation tax" means the tax imposed under 9 the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act and any retailers' 10 occupation tax imposed by a unit of local government. 11 Section 10. Program established. 12 (a) For State fiscal years beginning on or after January 13 1, 2025, the Department shall administer a music incubator 14 rebate program under which the Department shall provide to the 15 operators of eligible music venues and to eligible music 16 festival promoters, from moneys appropriated from the Music 17 Incubator Fund, a full or partial rebate of the retailers' 18 occupation taxes paid by those operators and eligible music 19 festival promoters on the sale of beer and wine on the premises 20 of the eligible music venue or at the location of the qualified 21 music festival as part of the qualified music festival. The 22 rebates are to assist eligible music venues and eligible music 23 festival promoters in their efforts to support and continue to 24 bring to local communities in this State live musical 25 performances, including the recruitment of musical performance SB1730 - 3 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730- 4 -LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 4 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 4 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 artists. 2 (b) The Department may not provide a rebate under this 3 Section in any State fiscal year to an eligible music venue or 4 an eligible music festival promoter in an amount that exceeds 5 the lesser of: 6 (1) the amount of retailers' occupation taxes paid by 7 the music venue or music festival promoter in the 8 preceding 12-month period; or 9 (2) $100,000. 10 Section 15. Rebate application. Applicants shall apply to 11 the Department for a rebate under this Act using an online 12 portal on the Department's public Internet website that allows 13 a music venue or music festival promoter to submit the 14 application to the Department for consideration. 15 The application must: 16 (1) state the amount of eligible retailers' occupation 17 tax receipts for which the applicant is seeking a rebate; 18 (2) include sufficient evidence for the Department to 19 determine that the music venue or promoter qualifies for a 20 rebate; and 21 (3) include any other information the Department 22 determines necessary to administer the program under this 23 Act. 24 After reviewing applications for a rebate under this Act, 25 the Department shall grant rebates to eligible music venues SB1730 - 4 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730- 5 -LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 5 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 5 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 and music festival promoters that the Department determines 2 provide or have committed to provide the most economic benefit 3 to the communities in which the music venues are located or the 4 festivals are held, as applicable, and to the Illinois music 5 industry, including live music performers. 6 Section 20. Music Incubator Fund. The Music Incubator Fund 7 is hereby created as a special fund in the State treasury. The 8 Fund may receive gifts, grants, and moneys transferred or 9 deposited from any lawful source. Moneys in the Fund shall be 10 used by the Department to award rebates under this Act. 11 Section 25. Rules. The Department shall adopt rules for 12 the implementation of this Act. 13 Section 900. The Department of Commerce and Economic 14 Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois 15 is amended by adding Section 605-1118 as follows: 16 (20 ILCS 605/605-1118 new) 17 Sec. 605-1118. Music Incubator Rebate Act. The Department 18 shall award rebates as provided in the Music Incubator Rebate 19 Act. 20 Section 905. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 21 Section 5.1030 as follows: SB1730 - 5 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730- 6 -LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 6 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b SB1730 - 6 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b 1 (30 ILCS 105/5.1030 new) 2 Sec. 5.1030. The Music Incubator Fund. SB1730 - 6 - LRB104 05552 HLH 15582 b