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| 1 | AN ACT concerning public aid.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by | ||||||
| 5 | adding Section 12-4.13b as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (305 ILCS 5/12-4.13b new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 12-4.13b. College student eligibility for | ||||||
| 8 | supplemental nutrition assistance benefits. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) For the purposes of Section 273.5(b)(11)(ii) of Title 7 | ||||||
| 10 | of the Code of Federal Regulations, an educational program | ||||||
| 11 | offered at a community college under the Carl D. Perkins Career | ||||||
| 12 | and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Public Law | ||||||
| 13 | 109-270) that could be a component of a SNAP Employment and | ||||||
| 14 | Training (E&T) program, as identified by the Department of | ||||||
| 15 | Human Services, shall be considered an employment and training | ||||||
| 16 | program under Section 273.7 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal | ||||||
| 17 | Regulations, unless prohibited by federal law. | ||||||
| 18 | (b) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with | ||||||
| 19 | representatives of the Illinois Community College Board, ISAC, | ||||||
| 20 | the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, and advocates for | ||||||
| 21 | students and SNAP recipients, shall establish a protocol to | ||||||
| 22 | identify and verify all potential exemptions to the eligibility | ||||||
| 23 | rule described in Section 273.5(a) of Title 7 of the Code of | ||||||
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| 1 | Federal Regulations, and to identify and verify a student's | ||||||
| 2 | participation in educational programs, including, but not | ||||||
| 3 | limited to, self-initiated placements, that would exempt a | ||||||
| 4 | student from the eligibility rule described in Section 273.5(a) | ||||||
| 5 | of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations. To the extent | ||||||
| 6 | possible, this consultation shall take place through existing | ||||||
| 7 | workgroups convened by the Department of Human Services. | ||||||
| 8 | (c) If the United States Department of Agriculture requires | ||||||
| 9 | federal approval of the exemption designation established | ||||||
| 10 | pursuant to subsection (a) and the protocol established | ||||||
| 11 | pursuant to subsection (b), the Department of Human Services | ||||||
| 12 | shall seek and obtain that approval before publishing the | ||||||
| 13 | guidance or regulation required by subsection (e). | ||||||
| 14 | (d)(1) This Section does not require the Department of | ||||||
| 15 | Human Services to offer a particular component, support | ||||||
| 16 | services, or workers' compensation to a college student found | ||||||
| 17 | eligible for an exemption pursuant to this Section. | ||||||
| 18 | (2) This Section does not restrict or require the use of | ||||||
| 19 | federal funds for the financing of SNAP E&T programs. | ||||||
| 20 | (3) This Section does not require an institution of higher | ||||||
| 21 | education to verify eligibility for SNAP. | ||||||
| 22 | (e) The Department of Human Services shall adopt any rules | ||||||
| 23 | necessary to implement the provisions of subsections (a), (b), | ||||||
| 24 | (c), and (d).
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| 25 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 26 | becoming law. | ||||||