SB3521 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB3521

Introduced 2/14/2014, by Sen. Mattie Hunter

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

525 ILCS 50/2	from Ch. 48, par. 2552
525 ILCS 50/4	from Ch. 48, par. 2554
525 ILCS 50/6	from Ch. 48, par. 2556
525 ILCS 50/8.5 new

Amends the Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act. Creates the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in conservation or recreational programs. Provides that local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation or recreational activities within the community may apply to the Department of Natural Resources for a grant under the Act for the purpose of hiring managing supervisors and eligible young adults for conservation or recreational programs. Provides that the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or recreational program. Provides that the Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning conservation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 4, and 6 and by adding Section 8.5 as follows:

(525 ILCS 50/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 2552)

Sec. 2. Declaration of Intent. The General Assembly finds that the level of unemployment among veterans, the youths of this State, particularly those age 14 through 18, and young adults, age 18 through 25, is unsatisfactory. This situation is not conducive to the development of veterans and the youth and young adults of Illinois as the future of the State. The General Assembly further finds that the availability of conservation and recreational programs for veterans, youth, and young adults in parks and recreational facilities and other lands operated by the State, by units of local government, and by local not-for-profit entities is severely limited. The General Assembly therefore creates the Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act to establish (a) the Illinois Veteran Conservation Corps and the Illinois Young Adult Conservation Corps to provide year-round employment for veterans and young adults of this State for the purpose of conservation, rehabilitation, protection and enhancement of the State's public land and (b) the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps, and the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps, and the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps to provide employment for the veterans, and youth, and young adults of this State for the purpose of administering and operating conservation or recreational programs operated by units of local government or local not-for-profit entities at conservation and open spaces, parks, or recreational facilities or other similar facilities or locations.

(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)

(525 ILCS 50/4) (from Ch. 48, par. 2554)

Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. For the purposes of this Act:

(a) "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.

(b) "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.

(c) "Local sponsor" means any unit of local government or not-for-profit entity that can make available for a summer conservation or recreation program park lands, conservation or recreational lands or facilities, equipment, materials, administration, supervisory personnel, etc.

(d) "Managing supervisor" means an enrollee in the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps who is selected by the local sponsor to supervise the activities of the veterans, or youth, or young adults employee enrollees working on the conservation or recreation project. A managing supervisor in the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps may be 19 years of age or older.

(e) "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served or is currently serving as a member of the United States Armed Forces, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of a Reserve Component of the United States Armed Forces.

(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)

(525 ILCS 50/6) (from Ch. 48, par. 2556)

Sec. 6. Funding. Funding for the Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act shall be from any State or federal funds or grants or other funding so received by the Department and any matching funds required by the Department from local sponsors that choose to participate in the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps programs.

(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)

(525 ILCS 50/8.5 new)

Sec. 8.5. Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps.

(a) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps is established for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in conservation or recreational programs. The programs shall provide conservation or recreational opportunities and shall include, but are not limited to, the coordination and teaching of natural resource conservation and management, physical activities, or learning activities directly related to natural resource conservation management or recreation. The programs may charge user fees, but the fees shall be designed to promote as much community involvement as possible, as determined by the Department.

(b) Local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation or recreational activities within the community may apply to the Department for a grant under this Act for the purpose of hiring managing supervisors, as necessary, and eligible young adults for conservation or recreational programs. Applications shall be evaluated on the basis of program content, location, need, local commitment of resources, and consistency with the purposes of this Act.

(c) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or recreational program.

The ratio of young adult employee enrollees to managing supervisors shall not be less than 10 to 1 for any local sponsor with a total number of young adult employee enrollees of 10 or more. Any local sponsor program with a total number of young adult employee enrollees of less than 10 shall be limited to one managing supervisor. Young adults who are unemployed shall be given preference for employment as managing supervisors.

The local sponsors shall make public notification of the availability of jobs for eligible young adults in the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps by the means of newspapers, electronic media, educational facilities, units of local government, and Department of Employment Security offices. Application for employment shall be made directly to the local sponsor.

The Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps.

(d) The enrollment period for any successful applicant of the program shall not be longer than 12 months. Once enrolled in the program, each enrollee shall receive a reasonable wage as set by the Department and shall work hours as required by the conservation or recreation program as determined by the Department, except that an enrollee working as a managing supervisor shall receive a higher wage than an enrollee working in any other capacity on the conservation or recreation program. Enrollees shall be employees of the local sponsor and not contractual hires for the purpose of employment taxes, except that enrollees shall not be classified as employees of this State or the local sponsor for purposes of contributions to the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any other public employee retirement system.

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