HR0415 Enrolled

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HOUSE RESOLUTION 415


 

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    WHEREAS, Poverty and welfare dependence are widespread 
3
throughout the State
of Illinois, with almost 1,500,000 of its 
4
citizens being dependent on the
State's public
assistance 
5
programs for their most basic needs, and over 200,000 families,

6
including
500,000 children, relying on cash assistance from the 
7
State for all or part of
their
subsistence needs; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Poverty and unemployment diminish individual 
9
self-esteem, can
undermine family stability, and affect family 
10
formation, community security,
and
cohesion; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Under the new federal welfare law, the Personal 
12
Responsibility and
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
13
1996, cash assistance benefits will be
limited to
60 months, 
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and over 100,000 adult heads of households in the Illinois 
15
welfare
caseload
must have been employed by the year 2002 or 
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they and their children will be
destitute;
and

 

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    WHEREAS, Voluntary efforts by the private sector to employ 
18
welfare recipients
are laudable and to be commended, but the 
19
State must also take direct
responsibility to
ensure that 
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welfare recipients are hired in jobs that will allow them to 
21
leave
the welfare
rolls altogether; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The State spends billions of dollars each year to 
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improve its
economy and infrastructure and to deliver services 
24
to the people of the State,
all of which
also serves to provide 
25
jobs for its citizens; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The State can accomplish the objectives of 
27
relieving welfare
dependency and ensuring economic 
28
self-sufficiency as well as the objectives
related to
carrying 
29
out necessary governmental operations at the same time, and 
30
with
significant
savings in State outlays in cash assistance 
 


 






HR0415 Enrolled
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and supportive service dollars; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Poverty and welfare dependency can be alleviated 
3
by targeting some
of the resources of the State and making jobs 
4
available to the welfare poor,
specifically
by bringing 
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qualified poor persons into the State workforce and into 
6
workforces
that are
generated through State contracts, without 
7
causing the displacement of existing
workers;
and

 

8
    WHEREAS, Some State jobs that are newly created or that are 
9
open through
attrition and some jobs created under State 
10
contracts, can be filled by
qualified welfare
recipients 
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without compromising the integrity of the hiring process, 
12
contractor
profits,
collective bargaining agreements, timely 
13
completion of projects, or the health
and safety
of Illinois 
14
workers; and

 

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    WHEREAS, To the extent that these jobs are filled by 
16
welfare recipients, the
State accomplishes 4 important 
17
governmental objectives simultaneously: (1) the
alleviation of 
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welfare dependency, ensuring of economic self-sufficiency, and

19
lifting of
individuals and families out of poverty, (2) the 
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stabilization of families and
communities
that are hardest hit 
21
by persistent poverty and unemployment, (3) the
accomplishment 
22
of
the essential work of the State which must be performed 
23
through these jobs, and
(4) the
reduction of State outlays for 
24
cash assistance and services for the poor; and

 

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    WHEREAS, The State's immediate, direct, and significant 
26
interest in relieving
welfare dependency and the employment of 
27
the poor in jobs generated through the
expenditure of State 
28
funds are important issues that must be addressed;
therefore be 
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it

 

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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
31
NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

 


 






HR0415 Enrolled
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the Welfare to Work Task Force is created
and shall consist of 
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6 members appointed as follows: 3
members of the House of 
3
Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House
of

4
Representatives, one of whom shall be designated the 
5
chairperson by the Speaker
of the
House of Representatives, and 
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3 members of the House of Representatives
appointed by
the 
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Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, all of whom 
8
shall serve
without
compensation but shall be reimbursed for 
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their reasonable and necessary
expenses from
funds 
10
appropriated for that purpose; and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study various issues 
12
relating to the
placement of qualified welfare recipients in 
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State jobs or jobs contracted out
by the State;
the Task Force 
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shall examine, among any other issues it chooses to 
15
investigate,
the
following issues:  (1) the feasibility of 
16
requiring State agencies to provide
the Department
of Human 
17
Services with a job announcement simultaneously with the 
18
posting of
its
positions, except for those positions subject to 
19
recall by laid-off employees,
or those
otherwise exempt, (2) 
20
the ability of the Department of Human Services to review

21
positions, make eligibility determinations, recruit and screen 
22
potential
employees, and
refer aid recipients to fill those 
23
positions, and (3) the feasibility of
requiring employers to

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employ qualified aid recipients for not less than 5% of the 
25
hours worked on a
State
contract; and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall receive the assistance 
27
of legislative
staff,
may, subject to appropriation, employ 
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skilled experts with the approval of the Speaker of the House 
29
of
Representatives, and shall report its findings to the 
30
General Assembly on or
before January 7, 2005.