Full Text of HB1526 103rd General Assembly
HB1526ham001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | Rep. Sonya M. Harper Filed: 3/21/2023
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1526
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1526 by replacing | 3 | | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
| 4 | | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 5 | | Outdoor Rx Program Act. | 6 | | Section 5. Intent. Studies have shown that time outdoors | 7 | | can be a valuable adjunct therapy in addition to more | 8 | | traditional health care, while also reducing reliance on | 9 | | prescription medication. The therapeutic benefits of time | 10 | | spent outdoors is clinically proven and known to help reduce | 11 | | stress, improve concentration, and promote overall well-being, | 12 | | both physical and mental. Natural resource-based and | 13 | | outdoor-based therapy programs, including adventure therapy, | 14 | | wilderness therapy, horticultural therapy, walk-and-talk | 15 | | therapy, and other nature-oriented programs, are currently | 16 | | being used by mental health professionals and are shown to |
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| 1 | | have benefits, including, but not limited to, reduction of | 2 | | stress, restoration of attention, and an improved sense of | 3 | | well-being. Such outdoor programs aim to connect people with | 4 | | nature, thereby proving to be particularly beneficial to | 5 | | individuals undergoing a recovery process. Recognizing the | 6 | | healing benefits of natural resource-based or outdoor-based | 7 | | therapy programs to residents of the State, particularly | 8 | | veterans and individuals recovering from substance abuse or a | 9 | | physical or mental trauma, the General Assembly supports the | 10 | | establishment of an Outdoor Rx Program. | 11 | | Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: | 12 | | "Department" means the Department of Human Services. | 13 | | "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources. | 14 | | "Fund" means the Outdoor Rx Program Fund. | 15 | | "Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services. | 16 | | Section 15. Outdoor Rx Program; Department rules. | 17 | | (a) Subject to appropriation, the Outdoor Rx Program is | 18 | | created to provide grants for outdoor environmental, | 19 | | ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based or | 20 | | outdoor-based therapy programs serving the citizens of the | 21 | | State of Illinois. The Department shall establish, implement, | 22 | | and administer the Outdoor Rx Program to provide grants for | 23 | | natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs. | 24 | | (b) The Department shall adopt any rules necessary for the |
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| 1 | | implementation and administration of this Act. | 2 | | Section 20. Advisory committee. | 3 | | (a) The Department of Natural Resources shall establish an | 4 | | advisory committee to assist and advise the Department in the | 5 | | development and administration of the Outdoor Rx Program. The | 6 | | advisory committee shall consist of at least 7 members, | 7 | | appointed as follows: | 8 | | (1) at least one member, appointed by the Director; | 9 | | (2) at least one member, appointed by the Director of | 10 | | Public Health; | 11 | | (3) at least one member, appointed by the Director of | 12 | | Veterans' Affairs; | 13 | | (4) at least one member, appointed by the Director of | 14 | | the Environmental Protection Agency; | 15 | | (5) at least one member of the business community, | 16 | | appointed by the Director; | 17 | | (6) at least 2 members of an outdoor organization, | 18 | | appointed by the Director; and | 19 | | (7) any other members the Director deems necessary to | 20 | | ensure a representative cross section of participants. | 21 | | (b) The advisory committee shall develop an application | 22 | | form that eligible applicants shall complete and submit to be | 23 | | considered for a grant under the Outdoor Rx Program. | 24 | | Section 25. Outdoor Rx Program Fund. |
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| 1 | | (a) The Outdoor Rx Program Fund is created as a special | 2 | | fund in the State treasury. Moneys deposited into the Fund | 3 | | shall be used solely for the administration of the Outdoor Rx | 4 | | Program. The Department may accept gifts, grants, donations, | 5 | | or moneys from any source for deposit into the Fund. Any public | 6 | | agency in this State may use moneys in the Fund, subject to | 7 | | approval by the Director under subsection (c) of Section 35, | 8 | | to develop and implement natural resource-based or | 9 | | outdoor-based therapy programs. The Department may award | 10 | | grants to public agencies and contract with any public or | 11 | | private agency or person to develop and implement natural | 12 | | resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs under the | 13 | | Outdoor Rx Program. | 14 | | (b) The Department shall establish limitations on the | 15 | | availability and use of Outdoor Rx Program moneys. However, | 16 | | any limitations shall be defined in the application package, | 17 | | and the Department shall establish the limitations only after | 18 | | considering the following: | 19 | | (1) consistency with the purpose of the Outdoor Rx | 20 | | Program, as stated in subsection (a) of Section 15; and | 21 | | (2) availability of moneys. | 22 | | (c) The Department may require applicants to make a | 23 | | matching contribution to be eligible for a grant under the | 24 | | Act. | 25 | | (d) The Department may limit the amount of funding | 26 | | available for any element of natural resource-based or |
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| 1 | | outdoor-based therapy programs. | 2 | | (e) The following conditions are placed on the use of | 3 | | moneys from the Fund: | 4 | | (1) For every funded program, a contract shall be | 5 | | executed on behalf of the Department and by the grant | 6 | | recipient. The grant recipient shall not be reimbursed for | 7 | | costs incurred prior to the execution of the contract by | 8 | | both parties. | 9 | | (2) The grant recipient shall ensure that all natural | 10 | | resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs are in | 11 | | accordance with any technical standards established by the | 12 | | Department. | 13 | | (3) The grant recipient shall submit any reports | 14 | | required by the Department as directed in the funding | 15 | | contract. | 16 | | (4) The grant recipient shall agree to and certify | 17 | | compliance with all applicable federal and State laws, | 18 | | rules, regulations, and policies. | 19 | | (5) The grant recipient shall maintain accurate | 20 | | accounting records on the expenditure of program moneys, | 21 | | provide the Department with such records consistent with | 22 | | the agreement or upon request, whichever is applicable, | 23 | | and permit the Department to audit the use of moneys in | 24 | | accordance with generally accepted audit practices and | 25 | | standards. The Department shall reserve the right to | 26 | | terminate its participation in any program that fails to |
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| 1 | | perform according to the requirements of this Act. | 2 | | (f) The Department may assess fees to grant recipients or | 3 | | Outdoor Rx Program participants for Outdoor Rx Program | 4 | | services. | 5 | | (g) Moneys in the Fund shall be expended only for natural | 6 | | resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs approved by | 7 | | the Director. To the extent practicable, the Director shall | 8 | | ensure that all moneys received during a fiscal year are | 9 | | expended prior to the end of that fiscal year. | 10 | | Section 30. Eligibility criteria; applications; | 11 | | evaluation. | 12 | | (a) The Secretary shall set priorities and develop | 13 | | criteria for the award of grants to outdoor environmental, | 14 | | ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based or | 15 | | outdoor-based therapy programs considering, at a minimum, | 16 | | programs that: | 17 | | (1) use veterans for at least 50% of the program's | 18 | | implementation or administration; | 19 | | (2) contribute to healthy lifestyles through outdoor | 20 | | recreation; | 21 | | (3) will commit matching and in-kind resources; | 22 | | (4) create partnerships with public and private | 23 | | entities; | 24 | | (5) maximize the number of participants who can be | 25 | | served, particularly participants who are veterans or who |
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| 1 | | are recovering from substance abuse or physical or mental | 2 | | trauma; | 3 | | (6) use a State park, other natural venue, or | 4 | | Department personnel as a resource; | 5 | | (7) use research-based and effective environmental, | 6 | | ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based | 7 | | or outdoor-based therapy; | 8 | | (8) provide citizens of the State of Illinois with | 9 | | opportunities to directly experience and understand nature | 10 | | and the natural world; and | 11 | | (9) include ongoing program evaluation and assessment | 12 | | and reporting of program effectiveness. | 13 | | (b) The Secretary shall select activities eligible for | 14 | | the awarding of grants. The activities may include, but need | 15 | | not be limited to, the following: | 16 | | (1) outdoor recreation; | 17 | | (2) outdoor environmental studies; | 18 | | (3) agricultural activities; | 19 | | (4) natural resource-based activities; | 20 | | (5) conservation; | 21 | | (6) ecological activities; and | 22 | | (7) stewardship or restoration. | 23 | | (c) The following activities are ineligible for the | 24 | | awarding of grants from the Outdoor Rx Program: | 25 | | (1) activities that may be perceived to lobby or | 26 | | advocate for political purposes; |
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| 1 | | (2) activities that are not in compliance with local, | 2 | | State, or federal laws; and | 3 | | (3) organized youth sports, such as a community league | 4 | | or school team.
| 5 | | (d) The following criteria shall be used to evaluate | 6 | | applications:
| 7 | | (1) proposals that provide for public or private | 8 | | partnerships; | 9 | | (2) proposals that provide for innovative ways to | 10 | | increase the availability and use of outdoor recreation | 11 | | facilities; | 12 | | (3) proposals that show consideration for the | 13 | | economics of installation or implementation to provide the | 14 | | greatest cost-to-benefit ratio, for example, where private | 15 | | parties contribute more than the minimum amount; | 16 | | (4) proposals that commit matching and in-kind | 17 | | resources; | 18 | | (5) proposals that use a State park, other natural | 19 | | venue, or Department personnel as a resource; | 20 | | (6) proposals that contribute to healthy lifestyles | 21 | | through outdoor recreation and sound nutrition; | 22 | | (7) proposals that contribute to the statewide network | 23 | | of facilities or programs; | 24 | | (8) proposals that encourage community involvement; | 25 | | (9) proposals that encourage sound environmental | 26 | | practices; |
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| 1 | | (10) proposals that maximize the number of | 2 | | participants who can be served; | 3 | | (11) proposals that provide an opportunity to | 4 | | experience the outdoors directly and understand nature and | 5 | | the natural world; | 6 | | (12) proposals that include ongoing program evaluation | 7 | | and assessment and reporting of program effectiveness; | 8 | | (13) proposals that make use of research-based and | 9 | | effective environmental, ecological, agricultural, or | 10 | | other natural resource-based therapy; and | 11 | | (14) proposals that demonstrate innovative approaches | 12 | | to outdoor-based therapy.
| 13 | | Section 35. Program selection. | 14 | | (a) Completed applications shall be reviewed by the | 15 | | Department to determine eligibility and shall be evaluated in | 16 | | accordance with the purposes, eligibility requirements, | 17 | | limitations, and evaluation criteria in this Act. | 18 | | (b) The Department shall consult with and consider the | 19 | | recommendations of the advisory committee and present final | 20 | | recommendations to the Secretary. | 21 | | (c) The Secretary shall make the final decision on funding | 22 | | a natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy program. | 23 | | Section 40. Report. On or before February 1 of each year, | 24 | | the Department shall issue a report to the General Assembly. |
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| 1 | | The report shall state how moneys from the Fund were used | 2 | | during the preceding calendar year and shall include: | 3 | | (1) the amount of money deposited into the Fund during | 4 | | the preceding calendar year as the result of revenue | 5 | | derived under this Act; | 6 | | (2) the amount of money disbursed from the Fund and | 7 | | the process used for such disbursements; | 8 | | (3) recipients of grants from the Fund; | 9 | | (4) the amount awarded to each grant recipient; | 10 | | (5) the purposes for which grants were awarded; and | 11 | | (6) a summary financial plan for Fund moneys, which | 12 | | shall include estimates of all receipts and all | 13 | | disbursements for the current and succeeding fiscal years, | 14 | | along with the actual results from the prior fiscal year.
| 15 | | Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | 16 | | Section 5.990 as follows: | 17 | | (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new) | 18 | | Sec. 5.990. The Outdoor Rx Program Fund. ".
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