Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2403
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Full Text of SB2403  103rd General Assembly

SB2403 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  

 


 
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2403

 

Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Domestic Violence Shelters Act. Provides that, no later than 180 days following the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Human Services shall establish the Domestic Violence Transportation Assistance Program. Provides that the Program shall consist of 3 parts: (1) the Department shall coordinate with the Suburban Bus Board established under the Regional Transportation Authority Act to create a transportation card that may be given to a victim of domestic violence and the victim's family or household members at a shelter for free transportation on Suburban Bus Board transportation; (2) the Department of Human Services shall create a system where victims of domestic violence may call the Department of Children and Family Services' Domestic Violence Helpline that will connect the caller with a taxi or a rideshare company to transport victims and the victim's family or household members to a safe residence free of charge to get the victim and the victim's family or household members out of a domestic violence situation or from a shelter; and (3) the Program shall provide for reimbursement for shelter employees or volunteers for travel-related expenses after providing transportation services to a victim of domestic violence or the victim's family or household members. Provides that the implementation of the Program is subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. Contains other provisions about Program funding and rules that may be adopted to implement the provisions. Amends the Regional Transportation Authority Act and the State Finance Act to make conforming changes.


LRB103 28531 AWJ 54912 b

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2403LRB103 28531 AWJ 54912 b

1    AN ACT concerning domestic violence.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Domestic Violence Shelters Act is amended
5by adding Section 2.5 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1310/2.5 new)
7    Sec. 2.5. Domestic Violence Transportation Assistance
8Program; funding.
9    (a) No later than 180 days following the effective date of
10this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the
11Department of Human Services shall establish the Domestic
12Violence Transportation Assistance Program as provided in this
13Section.
14    (b) The Department shall coordinate with the Suburban Bus
15Board established under the Regional Transportation Authority
16Act to create a transportation card that may be given to a
17victim of domestic violence and the victim's family or
18household members at a shelter. The transportation card shall
19be plastic or laminated and wallet-sized, contain no
20information that would reference domestic violence or
21shelters, and have an expiration date. A person in possession
22of a transportation card issued under this subsection is
23entitled to free transportation services as provided in

 

 

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1Section 3A.15 of the Regional Transportation Authority Act.
2    (c) In coordination with the Department of Children and
3Family Services, the Department of Human Services shall create
4a system where a victim of domestic violence, who does not have
5access to public transportation services provided by the
6Suburban Bus Board, may call the Department of Children and
7Family Services' Domestic Violence Helpline and the Helpline
8shall connect the caller with a taxi or a rideshare company to
9transport the victim or the victim's family or household
10members free of charge to a safe residence to get the victim or
11the victim's family or household members out of a domestic
12violence situation or from a shelter.
13    (d) The Program shall provide for reimbursement for
14employees or volunteers of shelters for travel-related
15expenses after providing transportation services to a victim
16of domestic violence or the victim's family or household
17members. In order to receive reimbursement from the Department
18of Human Services, the shelter employee or volunteer must
19request reimbursement for the travel-related expenses from the
20Department on a form and in the manner determined by the
21Department. The Department may create requirements for and
22limitations on reimbursement.
23    (e) The implementation of the Program is subject to
24appropriation by the General Assembly. No transportation cards
25shall be printed under subsection (b) unless the General
26Assembly appropriates to the Suburban Bus Board the amounts

 

 

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1necessary for the fares for the users of the transportation
2cards.
3    (f) All funds appropriated for purposes of the Program
4must be deposited into the Domestic Violence Transportation
5Assistance Fund, a special fund that is created in the State
6treasury, and funds within the Fund may be expended for
7Program purposes described in this Section. Amounts
8appropriated into the Fund for designated purposes under
9subsections (b), (c), or (d) may only be used for the
10designated purposes.
11    The Fund is not subject to sweeps, charge-backs, or any
12other fiscal or budgetary maneuver that would in any way
13transfer any moneys from the Fund into any other fund of the
14State.
15    (g) The Department of Human Services, the Suburban Bus
16Board, and the Department of Children and Family Services may
17adopt rules or joint rules to implement this Section.
 
18    Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
19Section 5.990 as follows:
 
20    (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)
21    Sec. 5.990. The Domestic Violence Transportation
22Assistance Fund.
 
23    Section 15. The Regional Transportation Authority Act is

 

 

SB2403- 4 -LRB103 28531 AWJ 54912 b

1amended by changing Section 3A.15 as follows:
 
2    (70 ILCS 3615/3A.15)
3    Sec. 3A.15. Free services; eligibility.
4    (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no later than
560 days following the effective date of this amendatory Act of
6the 95th General Assembly and until subsection (b) is
7implemented, any fixed route public transportation services
8provided by, or under grant or purchase of service contracts
9of, the Suburban Bus Board shall be provided without charge to
10all senior citizens of the Metropolitan Region aged 65 and
11older, under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the
12Suburban Bus Board.
13    (b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no later than
14180 days following the effective date of this amendatory Act
15of the 96th General Assembly, any fixed route public
16transportation services provided by, or under grant or
17purchase of service contracts of, the Suburban Bus Board shall
18be provided without charge to senior citizens aged 65 and
19older who meet the income eligibility limitation set forth in
20subsection (a-5) of Section 4 of the Senior Citizens and
21Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act, under such
22conditions as shall be prescribed by the Suburban Bus Board.
23The Department on Aging shall furnish all information
24reasonably necessary to determine eligibility, including
25updated lists of individuals who are eligible for services

 

 

SB2403- 5 -LRB103 28531 AWJ 54912 b

1without charge under this Section. Nothing in this Section
2shall relieve the Suburban Bus Board from providing reduced
3fares as may be required by federal law.
4    (c) No later than 180 days following the effective date of
5the amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, any fixed
6route public transportation services provided by or under
7grant or purchase of service by the Suburban Bus Board shall be
8provided without charge to persons who present a Domestic
9Violence Transportation Assistance Program transportation
10card.
11(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

 

 

SB2403- 6 -LRB103 28531 AWJ 54912 b

1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    20 ILCS 1310/2.5 new
4    30 ILCS 105/5.990 new
5    70 ILCS 3615/3A.15