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HB 2875

$DCEO-ROUTE 66

104th Regular Session Introduced by Larry Walsh

The bill would authorize a one-time $5 million state appropriation to support Route 66 centennial activities in Illinois, including grants to bureaus and celebration costs.

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Bill Summary · HB 2875

Summary — HB 2875 ($DCEO — Route 66 Centennial)

Status: Introduced (IL House), re-referred to Rules Committee (Rule 19(b))
Introduced: February 6, 2025 (Rep. Lawrence “Larry” Walsh, Jr.)
Effective date if enacted: July 1, 2025

Purpose

To provide state funding to support tourism, education, preservation, promotion, and celebration activities tied to the 100th anniversary (centennial) of historic U.S. Route 66 in Illinois.

Key provisions

  • Appropriates a total of $5,000,000 from the Illinois General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), allocated as:
    • $4,000,000 to DCEO for grants to certified convention bureaus for development activities related to the Route 66 centennial — specifically tourism, education, preservation, and promotion. Of this $4,000,000, no more than $500,000 may be used for marketing expenses.
    • $1,000,000 to DCEO for expenses associated with the Route 66 Centennial Celebration, to be spent in accordance with the plan developed by the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission.
  • Language includes the standard appropriation flexibility phrase (“or so much thereof as may be necessary”).

Who or what would be affected

  • Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO): receives and administers the appropriations and grants.
  • Certified convention bureaus in Illinois: eligible to receive grants for tourism/preservation/education/promotional projects tied to Route 66.
  • Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission: its plan guides use of the $1,000,000 for celebration expenses.
  • Local governments, historical sites, tourism businesses, cultural organizations, and communities along Route 66: potential recipients/beneficiaries of grants and funded activities.
  • Payers: funding drawn from the state General Revenue Fund.

Fiscal impact

  • Total appropriation: $5,000,000 (one-time from GRF), with a $500,000 cap on marketing from the $4,000,000 grant pool.
  • No recurring appropriation language is included.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced Feb 6, 2025; assigned to Rules/Appropriations committees; read in the House in February–March 2025.
  • If enacted, the bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
  • Implementation and specific expenditures for the $1,000,000 will follow the Centennial Commission’s plan; DCEO will establish grant procedures for the $4,000,000.

Considerations

  • The bill directs state funds to leverage tourism, preservation, and promotional activity tied to a high-profile centennial event; local matching or grant criteria are not specified in the text provided and would be determined by DCEO grant rules or companion guidance.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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