SB2931 Engrossed LRB094 17140 BDD 54434 b

1     AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
5 Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
6 amended by adding Section 605-430 as follows:
 
7     (20 ILCS 605/605-430 new)
8     Sec. 605-430. Lifelong learning accounts; pilot program.
9     (a) The Department may establish and maintain a pilot
10 program to provide for and test the use of lifelong learning
11 accounts for workers in the State's healthcare sector. For the
12 purposes of this Section, "lifelong learning account" means an
13 individual asset account held by a trustee, custodian, or
14 fiduciary approved by the Department on behalf of a healthcare
15 employee, the moneys in which may be used only to pay education
16 expenses incurred by or on behalf of the account owner.
17     (b) The Department, if administering a program under this
18 Section:
19         (1) may serve up to 500 healthcare workers;
20         (2) must encourage the participation, in the program,
21     of lower-income and lower-skilled healthcare workers;
22         (3) must implement the program in diverse geographic
23     and economic areas and include healthcare workers in urban,
24     suburban, and rural areas of the State;
25         (4) must include, in the program, healthcare employers
26     of different sizes;
27         (5) must provide matching grants in an amount, not to
28     exceed $500 annually for each grant, equal to 50% of the
29     annual aggregate contribution made by an employer and
30     employee to the employee's lifelong learning account;
31         (6) must make technical assistance available to
32     companies and educational and career advising available to

 

 

SB2931 Engrossed - 2 - LRB094 17140 BDD 54434 b

1     individual participants.
2     (c) The establishment of program under this Section is
3 discretionary on the part of the Department and is subject to
4 appropriation.
5     (d) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to
6 administer the provisions of this Section.
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.