103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5599

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Laura Faver Dias

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 625/3  from Ch. 127, par. 2603

    Amends the Illinois Economic Opportunity Act. Provides that a Community Action Board shall consist of no less than 9 members (rather than 15 members) and no more than 51 members. Makes other changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Economic Opportunity Act is
5amended by changing Section 3 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 625/3)  (from Ch. 127, par. 2603)
7    Sec. 3. (a) A community action agency is a political
8subdivision of the State, a combination of political
9subdivisions, a public agency, or a private nonprofit agency
10which has the authority under any applicable charter or laws
11to receive funds pursuant to Section 2 to support community
12action programs of the type described in Section 4 and is
13designated as a community action agency.
14    (b) Each community action agency shall administer its
15community action programs through a Community Action Board
16consisting of no less than 9 members and no more than 15 to 51
17members chosen as follows:
18        (1) One-third of the members of the Board shall be
19    elected public officials, currently holding office, or
20    representatives designated by these officials. These
21    members shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of
22    the chief elected official of the political subdivision
23    served by the community action agency.

 

 

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1        (2) At least one-third of the members shall be persons
2    chosen in accordance with democratic selection procedures
3    adequate to assure that they are representative of
4    low-income individuals and families the poor from within
5    the area served.
6        (3) The other members shall be officials or members of
7    business, industry, labor, religious, welfare, education
8    or other major groups or interests in the community. Each
9    member of the Board selected to represent a specific
10    geographic area within a community shall reside in that
11    area.
12        (4) The community action agency through its bylaws
13    shall determine the board tenure of the members selected
14    under subparagraphs (2) or (3).
15    (c) Each community action agency shall consult
16neighborhood-based organizations composed of residents of the
17area and members of the groups served by that agency for
18assistance in the planning, conduct and evaluation of
19community action programs.
20    (d) A community action agency shall
21        (1) plan and carry out community action programs;
22        (2) address the needs of low-income residents, gather
23    information as to the problems and causes of poverty in
24    the community and, where necessary, establish priorities
25    among projects and activities on the basis of which
26    projects provide the best and most efficient use of

 

 

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1    resources;
2        (3) encourage organizations engaged in activities
3    related to community action programs to plan for, secure
4    and administer financial assistance available either under
5    Section 2 or from other sources on a common or cooperative
6    basis, provide planning and technical assistance to those
7    organizations, and cooperate with such organizations in
8    undertaking actions to improve upon existing efforts to
9    reduce poverty;
10        (4) initiate and sponsor projects which are responsive
11    to needs of the poor not otherwise being met, with
12    particular emphasis on providing central or common
13    services that can be drawn upon by a variety of related
14    programs, and which offer new approaches or new types of
15    services that can be incorporated into other programs; and
16        (5) join with and encourage business, labor and other
17    private groups and organizations to undertake, together
18    with public officials and agencies, activities supporting
19    community action programs which will result in the
20    additional use of private resources and capabilities in an
21    effort to develop new employment opportunities and
22    stimulate investment that will have a measurable impact on
23    reducing poverty among the residents of areas of
24    concentrated poverty, and provide methods by which
25    residents of those areas can work with private groups,
26    firms, and institutions in seeking solutions to problems

 

 

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1    of common concern.
2(Source: P.A. 87-926.)