SB3521eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3521 Engrossed LRB098 20270 MGM 55677 b

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, 6, and 9 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. Persons employed through the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall not perform work in State parks. 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 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 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.

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. These rules shall prohibit the use of Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps employees in a manner that displaces or replaces regular employees and shall prohibit any activity that impairs or is inconsistent with an existing collective bargaining agreement or with the collective bargaining rights of employees. Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps employees shall not be assigned work within the scope of bargaining unit work without the written consent of the exclusive bargaining representative.

(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.

(525 ILCS 50/9)

Sec. 9. Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps. With respect to the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps:

(a) Purpose. The Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps is established for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors to provide wages to veterans of any age operating and instructing in conservation or recreational programs. Such 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. Such programs may charge user fees, but such fees shall be designed to promote as much community involvement as possible, as determined by the Department.

(b) Application. Local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation or recreational activities within the community and who desire a grant under this Act for the purpose of hiring managing supervisors as necessary and eligible veterans for such conservation or recreational programs may make application to the Department. 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) Enrollment. The Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the time of enrollment are veterans of any age and are unemployed and who have skills that can be utilized in the summer conservation or recreational program. Preference may be given to veterans with a disability.

The ratio of veterans employee enrollees to a managing supervisor must not be less than 10 to 1 for any local sponsor with a total number of veterans employee enrollees of 10 or more. Any local sponsor program with a total number of veteran employee enrollees of less than 10 must be limited to one managing supervisor. Veterans 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 veterans in the Illinois Veteran 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 Veteran Recreation Corps.

(d) Terms of employment. The enrollment period for any successful applicant of the program shall not be longer than 12 6 total 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 but not in excess of a maximum number of hours 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 the State or the local sponsor for purposes of contributions to the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any other public employee retirement system.

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

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