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Public Act 096-0368 |
HB0655 Enrolled |
LRB096 08292 JDS 18400 b |
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with |
Disabilities Task Force Act. |
Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds as follows: |
(1) That there are many qualified persons with |
disabilities in Illinois who are unable to obtain |
competitive employment. |
(2) That the unemployment rate for persons with |
disabilities far exceeds the unemployment rate for persons |
without disabilities. |
(3) That millions of federal and State dollars are |
invested each year in education, training, supported |
employment, vocational training and other services related |
to the employment and training of persons with disabilities |
in Illinois without any significant gains in the rate of |
competitive employment for persons with disabilities. |
(4) That there has been a history of barriers to equal |
employment opportunity for persons with disabilities in |
Illinois, and those barriers continue to exist in the |
public and the private sectors. |
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(5) That it is in the best social and economic |
interests of the State of Illinois to expand competitive |
employment and economic opportunity for persons with |
disabilities in Illinois. |
(6) That competitive employment and other economic |
opportunity for persons with disabilities will facilitate |
self-sufficiency and independent living for more persons |
with disabilities in Illinois. |
Section 10. Employment and Economic Opportunity for |
Persons with Disabilities Task Force. |
(a) The Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons |
with Disabilities Task Force is created. |
(b) The Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons |
with Disabilities Task Force shall be appointed and hold its |
first meeting within 90 days after the effective date of this |
Act, be convened by the Governor, and operate under the |
auspices of the Governor's office. |
(c) The Task Force shall be comprised of the following |
representatives of State Government: a high-ranking member of |
the Governor's management team, designated by the Governor; |
representatives of each division of the Department of Human |
Services, designated by the Secretary of Human Services; the |
Director of Healthcare and Family Services, or his or her |
designee; the Director of Veterans' Affairs or his or her |
designee; the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or |
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his or her designee; the Director of Employment Security or his |
or her designee; the Executive Director of the Illinois Council |
on Developmental Disabilities or his or her designee; and the |
State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee. |
(d) The Task Force shall also consist of no more than 15 |
public members who shall be appointed by the Governor and who |
represent the following constituencies: statewide |
organizations that advocate for persons with physical, |
developmental and psychiatric disabilities, entities with |
expertise in assistive technology devices and services for |
persons with disabilities, advocates for veterans with |
disabilities, centers for independent living, disability |
services providers, organized labor, higher education, the |
private sector business community, entities that provide |
employment and training services to persons with disabilities, |
and at least 5 persons who have a disability. |
(e) The Task Force shall be co-chaired by the |
representative of the Governor and a public member who shall be |
chosen by the other public members of the Task Force. |
(f) The Task Force members shall serve voluntarily and |
without compensation. Persons with disabilities serving on the |
Task Force shall be accommodated to enable them to fully |
participate in Task Force activities. |
(g) The co-chairs of the Task Force shall extend an |
invitation to chairs and minority spokespersons of appropriate |
legislative committees to attend all meetings of the Task |
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Force, and may invite other individuals who are not members of |
the Task Force to participate in subcommittees of the Task |
Force or to take part in discussions of topics for which those |
individuals have particular expertise. |
(h) The Task Force shall coordinate its work with existing |
State advisory bodies whose work may include employment and |
economic opportunity for persons with disabilities. |
Section 15. Task Force Responsibilities. The Task Force |
shall analyze programs and policies of the State to determine |
what changes, modifications, and innovations may be necessary |
to remove barriers to competitive employment and economic |
opportunity for persons with disabilities, including barriers |
such as transportation, housing, program accessibility, and |
benefit structure. The Task Force shall also analyze State |
disability systems, including the mental health, developmental |
disabilities, veterans' assistance, workforce investment, and |
rehabilitation services systems, and their effect on |
employment of persons with disabilities. The Task Force shall |
review and analyze applicable research and policy studies, |
innovations used in other states, and any federal policy |
initiatives such as customized employment, and federal funding |
opportunities that would increase competitive employment and |
economic opportunity for persons with disabilities in |
Illinois. |
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Section 20. Reporting. The Task Force shall make |
recommendations to the General Assembly and to the Governor, |
including legislative proposals, regulatory changes, systems |
changes, and budget initiatives, that would advance employment |
and economic opportunity for persons with disabilities in |
Illinois. The Task Force shall produce an annual report of its |
activities and recommendations that shall be issued no later |
than May 1st of each year, the first report being due no later |
than May 1, 2010.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
becoming law.
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