Illinois2026Active
HB0048
Allowing Tourism and Convention Boards to Use Video Conferences
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 10:00 AM
In one sentence
This bill updates state rules so that tourism boards, convention center boards, and civic center boards can use video calls for meetings under the same conditions already allowed for local workforce investment areas.
What it does
- Adds tourism boards, convention center boards, and civic center boards to the list of groups allowed to count members in different locations toward a meeting quorum using interactive video conferences.
- Allows these new types of boards to hold closed meetings where some members join by audio or video conference instead of being physically present.
- Permits individual board members on tourism, convention, and civic center boards to attend meetings remotely if they have illness, emergencies, employment duties, or childcare obligations approved by the group.
- Updates legal text to replace references to 'local workforce innovation areas' with 'local workforce investment areas'.
- Requires that any video conference meeting must happen in public buildings owned or leased by a government body.
Who it affects
- Tourism boards operating under the Open Meetings Act.
- Convention center boards operating under the Open Meetings Act.
- Civic center boards operating under the Open Meetings Act.
- Local workforce investment areas, which already had these rules.
Limits and unknowns
- The bill only applies if the board's jurisdiction covers an area larger than 4,500 square miles.
- Remote attendance rules depend on specific conditions and must follow any additional rules adopted by each individual public body.
- The text provided does not state when this law will officially take effect.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Quorum
- The minimum number of members that must be present to hold a valid meeting and make official decisions.
- Interactive video conference
- A live video call where people in different locations can see, hear, and speak with each other at the same time.
- Open meeting
- A public gathering of a government group that anyone is allowed to attend.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
OMA-TOURISM/CONVENTION BDS