SB0020 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 03753 JLK 23766 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB0020

Introduced 1/15/2015, by Sen. William R. Haine

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
20 ILCS 605/605-415

Creates the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act. Creates the Defense Infrastructure Grant Program to support local infrastructure projects deemed to have a positive impact on the military value of installations within the State. Creates the Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program to respond to the need for this State to work in conjunction with defense-dependent communities in developing and implementing strategies and approaches to help communities support the missions of military installations, and in developing and implementing alternative economic diversification strategies to transition from a defense economy to a nondefense economy. Defines a required term. Contains legislative findings. Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department shall coordinate grants and grant-based activities under the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act as part of its Job Training and Economic Development Grant Program.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act.

Section 5. Findings and purpose. It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide the necessary means to assist communities with military installations in supporting and sustaining those installations. It is further the intent to encourage communities to initiate a coordinated program of response and plan of action in advance of future actions of the federal government relating to realignments and closures. It is critical that communities develop and implement strategies to preserve and protect military installations. The General Assembly hereby recognizes that the State must coordinate all efforts that can support military installations throughout the State. The General Assembly, therefore, declares that providing such assistance to support the defense-related initiatives within this Act is a public purpose for which public money may be used.

Section 10. The Defense Infrastructure Grant Program. From funds appropriated for that purpose, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in coordination with the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall administer a Defense Infrastructure Grant Program to support local infrastructure projects deemed to have a positive impact on the military value of installations within the State. Funds are to be used for projects that benefit both the local community and the military installation. Infrastructure projects to be funded under this program include, but are not limited to, those related to encroachment, transportation and access, utilities, communications, housing, environment, and security. Grant requests will be accepted only from economic development applicants serving in the official capacity of a governing board of a county, municipality, special district, or State agency that has the authority to maintain the project upon completion. An applicant must represent a community or county in which a military installation is located. There is no limit as to the amount of any grant awarded to an applicant. A match by the county or local community may be required. The program may not be used to fund on-base military construction projects. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish guidelines to implement the purpose of this Section.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award nonfederal matching funds specifically appropriated for construction, maintenance, and analysis of an Illinois defense workforce database. Such funds will be used to create a registry of worker skills that can be used to match the worker needs of companies that are relocating to this state or to assist workers in relocating to other areas within this state where similar or related employment is available.

Payment of administrative expenses shall be limited to no more than 10% of any grants issued under this Act.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall adopt rules and establish guidelines to implement and carry out the purpose and intent of this Act.

Section 15. The Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program. From funds appropriated for that purpose, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in coordination with the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall administer an Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program to respond to the need for this State to work in conjunction with defense-dependent communities in developing and implementing strategies and approaches that will help communities support the missions of military installations, and in developing and implementing alternative economic diversification strategies to transition from a defense economy to a nondefense economy. Eligible applicants include defense-dependent counties and cities, and local economic development councils located within such communities. The program shall be administered by the department and grant awards may be provided to support community-based activities that:

(1) protect existing military installations;

(2) diversify the economy of a defense-dependent community; or

(3) develop plans for the reuse of closed or realigned military installations, including any plans necessary for infrastructure improvements needed to facilitate reuse and related marketing activities.

Applications for grants under this Section must include a coordinated program of work or plan of action delineating how the eligible project will be administered and accomplished, which must include a plan for ensuring close cooperation between civilian and military authorities in the conduct of the funded activities and a plan for public involvement.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award nonfederal matching funds specifically appropriated for construction, maintenance, and analysis of an Illinois defense workforce database. Such funds will be used to create a registry of worker skills that can be used to match the worker needs of companies that are relocating to this state or to assist workers in relocating to other areas within this state where similar or related employment is available.

Payment of administrative expenses shall be limited to no more than 10% of any grants issued under this Act.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall adopt rules and establish guidelines to implement and carry out the purpose and intent of this Act.

Section 20. Award of grants.

(a) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is authorized to award grants on a competitive basis from any funds available to it to support activities related to the Illinois Defense Reinvestment Grant Program and the Illinois Defense Infrastructure Grant Program.

(b) As used in this Section, the term "activities" means studies, presentations, analyses, plans, and modeling. For the purposes of the Illinois Defense Infrastructure Grant Program in Section 10 of this Act, the term "activities" also includes, but is not limited to, local roads and streets, access roads, bridges, and sidewalks; waste disposal systems, water and sewer line extensions, water distribution and purification facilities, and sewage treatment facilities; rail or air or water port improvements; gas and electric utility facilities; transit capital facilities; development and improvement of publicly owned industrial and commercial sites; or other public capital improvements construction, land purchases, and easements. Staff salaries are not considered an "activity" for which grant funds may be awarded. Travel costs and costs incidental thereto incurred by a grant recipient shall be considered an "activity" for which grant funds may be awarded.

(c) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall require that an applicant:

(1) represent a local government with a military installation or military installations that could be adversely affected by federal actions;

(2) agree to match at least 30% of any grant awarded;

(3) prepare a coordinated program or plan of action delineating how the eligible project will be administered and accomplished; and

(4) provide documentation describing the potential for changes to the mission of a military installation located in the applicant's community and the potential impacts such changes will have on the applicant's community.

(d) In making grant awards the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall, at a minimum, consider:

(1) the relative value of the particular military installation in terms of its importance to the local and state economy relative to other military installations;

(2) the potential job displacement within the local community should the mission of the military installation be changed; and

(3) the potential impact on industries and technologies which service the military installation.

Section 25. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 605-415 as follows:

(20 ILCS 605/605-415)

Sec. 605-415. Job Training and Economic Development Grant Program.

(a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Despite the large number of unemployed job seekers, many employers are having difficulty matching the skills they require with the skills of workers; a similar problem exists in industries where overall employment may not be expanding but there is an acute need for skilled workers in particular occupations.

(2) The State of Illinois should foster local economic development by linking the job training of unemployed disadvantaged citizens with the workforce needs of local business and industry.

(3) Employers often need assistance in developing training resources that will provide work opportunities for disadvantaged populations.

(b) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Community based provider" means a not-for-profit organization, with local boards of directors, that directly provides job training services.

"Disadvantaged persons" has the same meaning as in Titles II-A and II-C of the federal Job Training Partnership Act.

"Training partners" means a community-based provider and one or more employers who have established training and placement linkages.

(c) From funds appropriated for that purpose, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall administer a Job Training and Economic Development Grant Program. The Director shall make grants to community-based providers. The grants shall be made to support the following:

(1) Partnerships between community-based providers and employers for the customized training of existing low-skilled, low-wage employees and newly hired disadvantaged persons.

(2) Partnerships between community-based providers and employers to develop and operate training programs that link the work force needs of local industry with the job training of disadvantaged persons.

(3) Coordination of grants and grant-based activities among the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Military Affairs, and the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Defense Infrastructure Improvement and Community Reinvestment Act.

(d) For projects created under paragraph (1) of subsection (c):

(1) The Department shall give a priority to projects that include an in-kind match by an employer in partnership with a community-based provider and projects that use instructional materials and training instructors directly used in the specific industry sector of the partnership employer.

(2) The partnership employer must be an active participant in the curriculum development and train primarily disadvantaged populations.

(e) For projects created under paragraph (2) of subsection (c):

(1) Community based organizations shall assess the employment barriers and needs of local residents and work in partnership with local economic development organizations to identify the priority workforce needs of the local industry.

(2) Training partners (that is, community-based organizations and employers) shall work together to design programs with maximum benefits to local disadvantaged persons and local employers.

(3) Employers must be involved in identifying specific skill-training needs, planning curriculum, assisting in training activities, providing job opportunities, and coordinating job retention for people hired after training through this program and follow-up support.

(4) The community-based organizations shall serve disadvantaged persons, including welfare recipients.

(f) The Department shall adopt rules for the grant program and shall create a competitive application procedure for those grants to be awarded beginning in fiscal year 1998. Grants shall be based on a performance based contracting system. Each grant shall be based on the cost of providing the training services and the goals negotiated and made a part of the contract between the Department and the training partners. The goals shall include the number of people to be trained, the number who stay in the program, the number who complete the program, the number who enter employment, their wages, and the number who retain employment. The level of success in achieving employment, wage, and retention goals shall be a primary consideration for determining contract renewals and subsequent funding levels. In setting the goals, due consideration shall be given to the education, work experience, and job readiness of the trainees; their barriers to employment; and the local job market. Periodic payments under the contracts shall be based on the degree to which the relevant negotiated goals have been met during the payment period.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)