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| [ Engrossed ] | [ Enrolled ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
90_HB0496
20 ILCS 625/4.1 new
Amends the Illinois Economic Opportunity Act. Provides
that DCCA shall administer a family and community development
demonstration grant program to make grants to organizations
for demonstration projects to reduce economic dependency.
Creates a Community Services Advisory Council within DCCA to
perform advisory functions relating to the program. Sets
forth the powers and duties of DCCA and the Council in
relation to selecting grantees, requirements for the program,
and other matters. Effective immediately.
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1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Economic Opportunity Act by
2 adding Section 4.1.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Illinois Economic Opportunity Act is
6 amended by adding Section 4.1 as follows:
7 (20 ILCS 625/4.1 new)
8 Sec. 4.1. Family and Community Development Demonstration
9 Grant Program.
10 (a) A family and community development demonstration
11 grant program shall be administered, under contractual
12 agreement, by the Department of Commerce and Community
13 Affairs. The program is designed to make services available
14 to families who are at risk of long-term economic dependency
15 and to work with communities to provide economic
16 opportunities. The purpose of the program is to fund,
17 evaluate, and provide recommendations on not less than 8 nor
18 more than 10 projects to provide services to families at risk
19 of long-term economic dependency.
20 (b) As used in this Section only:
21 "Applicant" means a public or private organization which
22 makes application for a demonstration grant through the
23 request for proposals process.
24 "Council" means the Community Services Advisory Council.
25 "Grant" means an award to fund a demonstration project
26 approved by the Council.
27 "Grantee" means the recipient of a grant approved by the
28 Council.
29 (c) The Community Services Advisory Council is
30 established within the Department of Commerce and Community
31 Affairs. The Council's powers and duties are advisory with
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1 respect to the family and community development demonstration
2 grants administered, under agreement, by the Department of
3 Commerce and Community Affairs.
4 The Council shall consist of the following
5 representatives:
6 (1) The Director of Commerce and Community Affairs
7 or the Director's designee.
8 (2) The Director of Public Aid or the Director's
9 designee.
10 (3) The Director of Children and Family Services or
11 the Director's designee.
12 (4) The Director of the Illinois Community Action
13 Association or the Director's designee.
14 (5) A representative of the Human Resource
15 Investment Council.
16 (6) Two low-income persons, at least one of whom is
17 a recipient or former recipient of Aid to Families with
18 Dependent Children (AFDC).
19 A quorum shall consist of 5 of the representatives. When
20 a quorum is present in person or by telephone, a position is
21 carried by a majority of the representatives, or
22 representatives' designees, eligible to vote.
23 Copies of the minutes shall be kept on file in the office
24 of the administrator of the Division of Economic Opportunity
25 of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.
26 At each meeting the Council shall determine the date and
27 location of the next meeting. Special meetings may be called
28 by the chair or upon the written request of a majority of
29 Council members.
30 Council members shall be entitled to reimbursement for
31 expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
32 (d) The Council shall:
33 (1) Identify the factors and conditions that place
34 Illinois families at risk of long-term dependency upon
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1 the AFDC program. The Council shall seek to use relevant
2 research findings and national and Illinois-specific data
3 on the AFDC program.
4 (2) Identify the factors and conditions that place
5 Illinois families at risk of family instability,
6 long-term economic dependency, and foster care placement.
7 The Council shall seek to use relevant research findings
8 and national and Illinois-specific data on the foster
9 care system.
10 (3) Award demonstration grants to public or private
11 organizations to provide family and community development
12 services to families at risk of long-term economic
13 dependency.
14 (4) In cooperation with the Illinois Community
15 Action Association, develop outcome measures to
16 independently evaluate the effectiveness of demonstration
17 projects, including measurement of a project's
18 effectiveness in meeting its goals through the reduction
19 of length of stay on welfare or a reduced need for other
20 State child and family welfare services.
21 (5) Seek the support of an accredited university to
22 carry out research and evaluation responsibilities.
23 During the program's first year, program research and
24 evaluation shall be carried out by Southern Illinois
25 University at Carbondale.
26 (6) Seek additional support for the funding of
27 demonstration grants.
28 (7) Make recommendations to the Governor and the
29 General Assembly on the effectiveness of intervention
30 programs in Illinois and throughout the country that
31 provide family and community development services to
32 families at risk of long-term economic dependency.
33 (8) Evaluate and make recommendations regarding the
34 cost and benefits to the expansion of the services
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1 provided under the AFDC program to include tuition for
2 parenting skills programs, family support and counseling
3 services, child development services, job readiness and
4 job skill training, and transportation and child care
5 expenses associated with the programs and services.
6 (e) In any year during which funds are available for the
7 expansion of the family and community development grant
8 program, the Council shall award 3-year grants, subject to
9 annual renewal, to selected applicants. The amount of money
10 granted shall be contingent upon the amount of funds
11 available and shall be determined on an annual basis.
12 (f) Upon the Council's determination that a grantee's
13 demonstration project funding shall not be renewed for the
14 second or third year, the balance of funds to that grantee
15 shall be awarded by the Council to other previously approved
16 grantees for which funding is renewed in the second or third
17 year of their grant projects. These funds shall be awarded
18 on the basis of how well the grantees exhibit the ability to
19 effectively utilize additional funds.
20 (g) The allocation of funds shall be contingent upon the
21 availability of funds. The Council shall endeavor to
22 allocate funds in a manner which allows participation of a
23 variety of projects across Illinois. Federal funds generated
24 through grantee match shall be used for program expansion.
25 (h) Grantees may generate funds to be used by the
26 Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to access
27 federal matching funds.
28 (i) In cooperation with the Illinois Community Action
29 Association, the local community action agency shall identify
30 families that receive AFDC and meet the following conditions
31 and criteria which may place families at risk of long-term
32 economic dependency:
33 (1) A head of household with less than a high
34 school education.
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1 (2) A head of household who is unemployed while on
2 assistance.
3 (3) Family composition:
4 (A) Female head of household.
5 (B) Multigenerational family.
6 (C) Three or more children.
7 (D) A parent who continues to have children
8 while on assistance.
9 (E) At least one child of preschool age.
10 (4) A head of household who was a teenager at the
11 time the head of household's first child was born.
12 (5) Physical disability or chronic illness.
13 (6) Welfare history:
14 (A) Multiple periods during which assistance
15 was received.
16 (B) Family on AFDC for 3 or more years.
17 (7) Family located in an urban area.
18 (j) Each grantee shall designate, in the application for
19 funds, the families that meet the criteria for funding.
20 Grantees shall serve families meeting one or more criteria
21 established by the Council. A grantee may further delineate
22 the criteria identified by the Council.
23 (k) The Department shall adopt rules for the operation
24 of this program.
25 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26 becoming law.