State Government Administration Committee
Filed: 3/12/2008
 
 

 




 

 		












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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4369




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    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4369 by replacing 
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everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 
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    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
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Commission on the Elimination of Poverty Act.
 
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    Section 5. Legislative Findings. It is the goal of the 
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State of Illinois that all people be free from poverty. 
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    Freedom from poverty is a human right.  The preamble to the 
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Constitution of the State of Illinois states that the 
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elimination of poverty and inequality are among  the core  goals 
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of our State government.   The Illinois Human Rights Act states 
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that the public policy of the State of Illinois is "to promote 
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the public health, welfare and safety by protecting the 
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interest of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal 
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dignity, in realizing their full productive capacities, and in 
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furthering their interests, rights and privileges as citizens 
 


 






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of this State".  The State of Illinois is a party to all 
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international human rights treaties signed and ratified by the 
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United States.
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    Illinois is one of the wealthiest states in the United 
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States, yet it has one of the highest rates of poverty and 
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extreme poverty in the Midwest.   The poverty level in 2007 was 
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$20,620 or less per year for a family of 4 and $10,310 or less 
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per year for a family of 4 in extreme poverty.  In 2006 just 
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under 1,400,000 people residing in Illinois were living in 
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poverty and over 687,000 people residing  in Illinois were 
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living in extreme poverty.  There are people living in extreme 
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poverty in every Illinois county.
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    Full participation in civic life cannot be achieved without 
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those things that protect and preserve human dignity and make 
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for a healthy life, including adequate nutrition and housing, 
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meaningful work, safe communities, health care, and education.  
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    Illinois has no comprehensive plan for the elimination of 
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extreme poverty.
 
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    Section 10. Commission on the Elimination of Poverty.   The  
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Commission on the Elimination of Poverty is created.  The 
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purpose of the Commission is to comprehensively address poverty 
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in Illinois consistent with international human rights 
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standards.  The initial goal of the Commission is to develop a 
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poverty elimination strategic plan to reduce extreme poverty in 
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Illinois by 50% or more by 2015.  In developing the overall 
 


 






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strategic plan, and in working toward the goal of reducing 
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extreme poverty in Illinois by at least 50% by 2015, the 
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Commission shall address, at a minimum, all of the following:
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    (1) Access to safe, decent and affordable housing.
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    (2) Access to adequate food and nutrition.
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    (3) Access to affordable and quality health care.
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    (4) Equal access to quality education and training.
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    (5) Dependable and affordable transportation.
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    (6) Access to quality and affordable child care.
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    (7) Opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable 
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work that pays a living wage.
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    (8) The availability of adequate income supports.
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    The strategic plan shall include specific policy and fiscal 
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recommendations and a timeline for each stage of implementation 
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for each recommendation.  For each recommendation, the 
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Commission shall identify in measurable terms the actual or 
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potential impact.  The Commission may review and may make 
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comments and recommendations on existing or proposed programs, 
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policies, administrative rules, and statutes that have an 
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impact on poverty in Illinois and, in particular, people living 
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in extreme poverty.
 
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    Section 15. Members; terms.  The Commission on the 
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Elimination of Poverty shall be composed of no more than  26 
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voting members including 2 members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives, one appointed by the Speaker of the House and 
 


 






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one appointed by the House Minority Leader; 2 members of the 
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Illinois Senate, one appointed by the Senate President and one 
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appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;  one representative of 
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the Office of the Governor appointed by the Governor; one 
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representative of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor 
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appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and 20 public members, 4 
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of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, 4 of whom shall be 
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appointed by the Speaker of the House, 4 of whom shall be 
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appointed by the House Minority Leader, 4 of whom shall be 
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appointed by the Senate President, and 4 of whom shall be 
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appointed by the Senate Minority Leader.  It shall be determined 
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by lot who will appoint which public members of the Commission.  
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The public members shall include a representative of a 
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service-based human rights organization; 2 representatives 
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from anti-poverty organizations, including one that focuses on 
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rural poverty; 2 individuals who have experienced extreme 
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poverty;  a representative of an organization that advocates for 
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health care access, affordability and availability;  a 
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representative of an organization that advocates for persons 
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with mental illness; a representative of an organization that  
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advocates for children and youth;  a representative of an 
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organization that advocates for quality and equality in 
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education;  a representative of an organization that advocates 
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for people who are homeless; a representative of a statewide 
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anti-hunger organization; a person with a disability;  a 
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representative of an organization that advocates for persons 
 


 






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with disabilities; a representative of an organization that 
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advocates for immigrants; a representative of a statewide 
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faith-based organization that provides direct social services 
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in Illinois; a representative of an organization that advocates 
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for economic security for women;  a representative of an 
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organization that advocates for older adults;  a representative 
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of a labor organization that represents primarily low and 
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middle-income wage earners; a representative of a municipal or 
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county government; and a representative of township 
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government.  The appointed members shall reflect the racial, 
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gender, and geographic diversity of the State and shall include 
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representation from regions of the State experiencing the 
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highest rates of extreme poverty. 
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    The following officials shall serve as ex-officio members:  
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the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; the 
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Director of Corrections or his or her designee; the Director of 
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Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee;  the 
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Director of Human Rights or his or her designee; the Director 
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of Children and Family Services or his or her designee; the 
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Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her 
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designee; the State Superintendent of Education or his or her 
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designee;  the Director of Aging or his or her designee;  the 
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Director of Public Health or his or her designee; and the 
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Director of Employment Security or his or her designee.   The 
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State Workforce Investment Board, the African-American Family 
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Commission, and the Latino Family Commission shall each 
 


 






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designate a liaison to serve ex-officio on the Commission.


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    Members shall serve without compensation, but, subject to 
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the availability of funds, public members may be reimbursed for 
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reasonable and necessary travel expenses connected to 
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Commission business.
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    Commission members shall be appointed within 60 days after 
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the effective date of this Act.  The Commission shall hold its 
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initial meeting within 30 days after at least 50% of the voting 
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members have been appointed.
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    The representative of the Office of the Governor and the 
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representative of a service-based human rights organization 
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shall serve as co-chairs of the Commission.
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    At the first meeting of the Commission, the members shall 
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select a 7-person Steering Committee that includes the 
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co-chairs.
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    The Commission may establish committees that address 
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specific issues or populations and may appoint individuals with 
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relevant expertise who are not appointed members of the 
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Commission to serve on committees as needed.
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    Under the leadership of the Office of the Governor, the 
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Department of Human Services shall provide administrative 
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support to the Commission.
 
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    Section 20. Meetings; reports. The full Commission shall 
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meet at least annually. The Steering Committee shall meet  at 
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least quarterly.  In addition, it may hold up to 4 public 
 


 






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hearings to assist in the development of the strategic plan.   
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The Commission shall also consider written comments for the 
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purpose of developing the strategic plan.
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    The Commission shall issue an interim report on its 
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activities and recommendations to the constitutional officers 
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and to  the General Assembly on or before March 1, 2009.  The 
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strategic plan shall be adopted by the Commission not later 
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than January 1, 2010 and sent to the constitutional officers 
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and to the General Assembly.   Following the adoption of the 
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strategic plan, the Commission shall continue to meet and issue 
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annual reports by March 1st of each year on the implementation 
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of the strategic plan.
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    The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing prior 
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to the issuance of each annual report.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
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becoming law.".