[ Search ] [ Legislation ] [ Bill Summary ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
| [ Introduced ] |
90_HB0957ham003
LRB9002976DJcdam
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 957
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 957 by replacing
3 the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code by adding
5 Sections 12-4.5a, 12-4.5b, 12-4.5c, and 12-4.5d, which
6 amendatory Act may be referred to as the Lifesaver
7 Amendment."; and
8 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
9 following:
10 "Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
11 adding Sections 12-4.5a, 12-4.5b, 12-4.5c, and 12-4.5d as
12 follows:
13 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.5a new)
14 Sec. 12-4.5a. Lifesaver program.
15 (a) In this Section through Section 12-4.5d:
16 "Homeless" refers to a person who lacks a fixed, regular,
17 and adequate nighttime place of abode, or who stays in an
18 emergency shelter or lodgings used primarily by transients,
19 or who sleeps in a public or private place not designed as a
20 place to sleep.
21 (b) The purpose of this Section through Section 12-4.5d
-2- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 is to prevent the perpetuation of homelessness of persons
2 currently homeless.
3 (c) In implementing Public Act 89-6 and the federal
4 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
5 Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193; hereinafter, "the federal Act"),
6 and notwithstanding any provision of either of those Acts,
7 the Illinois Department shall not terminate the public aid
8 received by any family who is homeless. Except as provided in
9 Section 12-4.5d, the period of exemption from termination of
10 public aid under this Section shall not exceed the longer of
11 (i) 180 days of financial aid or (ii) a period sufficient to
12 enable the homeless family to overcome the obstacles
13 preventing attainment of self-sufficiency, as determined by
14 the Illinois Department by rule.
15 (d) Families eligible for continued receipt of public
16 aid under this Section shall be entitled to aid as follows,
17 according to their need:
18 (1) A person who is unemployed but employable (i)
19 shall continue to be paid the financial aid to which he
20 or she would be entitled but for the application of
21 Public Act 89-6 or the federal Act, (ii) shall
22 immediately be provided with a job under the Lifesaver
23 Jobs Project established under Section 12-4.5b, and (iii)
24 shall be provided affordable child care and other
25 work-related support services provided for under Articles
26 IX and IXA of this Code.
27 (2) A person who is unemployed and who is not
28 currently employable but could become employable after
29 receiving job training (i) shall continue to be paid the
30 financial aid to which he or she would be entitled but
31 for the application of Public Act 89-6 or the federal Act
32 and (ii) shall immediately undergo a job skills
33 evaluation and thereafter be enrolled in a job training
34 program. The job training may be provided through a
-3- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 vocational training program or through a program operated
2 by a community college. Upon completion of the job
3 training, the person shall immediately be provided with a
4 job under the Lifesaver Jobs Project established under
5 Section 12-4.5b and shall be provided affordable child
6 care and other work-related support services provided for
7 under Articles IX and IXA of this Code.
8 (3) A person who is unemployed and who is
9 temporarily disabled and thereby unable to work (i) shall
10 continue to be paid the financial aid to which he or she
11 would be entitled but for the application of Public Act
12 89-6 or the federal Act and (ii) shall be enrolled in
13 appropriate support services, such as rehabilitation
14 services, mental health services, or services for victims
15 of domestic violence, to manage the disability. Upon the
16 person's completion of a rehabilitation program or upon
17 the written statement of a licensed provider of such
18 support services that the person's disability is being
19 properly managed, the person shall immediately undergo a
20 job skills evaluation and thereafter be enrolled in a job
21 training program. Upon completion of the job training,
22 the person shall immediately be provided with a job under
23 the Lifesaver Jobs Project established under Section
24 12-4.5b and shall be provided affordable child care and
25 other work-related support services provided for under
26 Articles IX and IXA of this Code.
27 (4) A person who is unemployed and who is
28 permanently disabled and thereby unable to work (i) shall
29 continue to be paid the financial aid to which he or she
30 would be entitled but for the application of Public Act
31 89-6 or the federal Act and (ii) shall be provided
32 advocacy services to enable the person to establish
33 eligibility for Supplemental Security Income or to become
34 enrolled in one or more programs to help the person
-4- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 manage his or her disability.
2 (e) To accomplish the purposes of this Section through
3 Section 12-4.5d, the Directors of Public Aid and Commerce and
4 Community Affairs and the Secretary of Human Services may do
5 the following:
6 (1) Enter into agreements with other departments of
7 State government, other public or private agencies, and
8 units of local government.
9 (2) Enter into assistance agreements with
10 individuals, groups, institutions, and business or
11 nonprofit organizations.
12 (3) Purchase services required or appropriate under
13 this Section through Section 12-4.5d from individuals,
14 groups, institutions, and business or nonprofit
15 organizations.
16 (4) Allocate and spend resources available for the
17 purposes of this Section through Section 12-4.5d.
18 (5) All other things necessary or appropriate to
19 accomplish the purposes of this Section through Section
20 12-4.5d.
21 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.5b new)
22 Sec. 12-4.5b. Lifesaver Jobs Project.
23 (a) The Lifesaver Jobs Project shall be established and
24 operated jointly by the Department of Human Services and the
25 Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to create a pool
26 of jobs for persons determined to be employable under Section
27 12-4.5a. The jobs shall be entry-level unskilled or
28 low-skilled jobs in the public and private sectors. The
29 Departments of Human Services and Commerce and Community
30 Affairs, in cooperation with the Lifesaver Advisory Council
31 established under Section 12-4.5c, shall establish goals,
32 with incentives, to expedite job placement of persons
33 eligible for placement under Section 12-4.5a.
-5- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 (b) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of
2 1997, the State of Illinois shall offer not less than 10% of
3 all openings in entry-level unskilled or low-skilled State
4 jobs to persons eligible for placement under Section 12-4.5a.
5 After the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, the
6 State of Illinois shall require that contractors with the
7 State offer not less than 10% of all openings in entry-level
8 unskilled or low-skilled jobs performing work for the State
9 to persons eligible for placement under Section 12-4.5a.
10 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.5c new)
11 Sec. 12-4.5c. Lifesaver Advisory Council.
12 (a) The Lifesaver Advisory Council is created. The
13 Council shall be composed of 15 members appointed as follows:
14 8 members shall be appointed 2 each by the Speaker of the
15 House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of
16 Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the
17 Minority Leader of the Senate, and 7 members shall be
18 appointed by the Governor. Of the members appointed by the
19 Governor, at least 5 shall be persons who are involved in
20 providing services to homeless families, are homeless or
21 formerly homeless persons, or are advocates for homeless
22 families. The Directors of Public Aid and Commerce and
23 Community Affairs and the Secretary of Human Services or
24 their designees shall be ex officio members of the Council.
25 (b) After appointment of the initial Council members,
26 the terms of those initial members shall be determined by lot
27 as follows: 4 of those members shall serve for a term of 1
28 year, 4 of those members shall serve for a term of 2 years, 4
29 of those members shall serve for a term of 3 years, and 3 of
30 those members shall serve for a term of 4 years. Thereafter,
31 all members shall be appointed for a term of 4 years.
32 (c) The Council members shall select a chair from among
33 their number.
-6- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 (d) The Council shall meet as often as necessary for the
2 purpose of planning the development and implementation of the
3 Lifesaver program under Sections 12-4.5a through 12-4.5d.
4 The Council shall advise the Directors of Public Aid and
5 Commerce and Community Affairs and the Secretary of Human
6 Services concerning the development and implementation of the
7 Lifesaver program under those Sections.
8 (305 ILCS 5/12-4.5d new)
9 Sec. 12-4.5d. Lifesaver Advocate General.
10 (a) The Office of Lifesaver Advocate General is
11 established within the Department of Human Services. The
12 Lifesaver Advocate General shall maintain an office in each
13 Department of Human Services regional office in the State.
14 (b) The Lifesaver Advocate General may receive requests
15 from individuals or service providers for assistance in
16 establishing a homeless family's eligibility for public aid
17 or other benefits or services under Section 12-4.5a or
18 12-4.5b. In response to those requests and for the purpose
19 of accomplishing the purposes of Sections 12-4.5a and
20 12-4.5b, the Lifesaver Advocate General may do the following:
21 (1) Expedite the processing of claims for public
22 aid or other benefits or services under Section 12-4.5a
23 or 12-4.5b.
24 (2) Enjoin the imposition of administrative
25 sanctions by the Illinois Department that have resulted
26 or may result in the termination of public aid to a
27 person eligible for that aid under Section 12-4.5a.
28 (3) Make other determinations concerning the
29 imposition of administrative sanctions.
30 (4) Extend for a total of not more than 6 months
31 the period of exemption from termination of public aid
32 under Section 12-4.5a.
33 (c) The Lifesaver Advocate General shall submit an
-7- LRB9002976DJcdam
1 annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor by
2 February 1 of 1998 and each year thereafter. The annual
3 report shall include at least the following for the preceding
4 calendar year: (i) the number of families served by the
5 Lifesaver program and the Lifesaver Jobs Project under
6 Sections 12-4.5a and 12-4.5b, (ii) the number of families
7 receiving public aid under Section 12-4.5a, by aid category,
8 (iii) the number of persons placed in jobs under Sections
9 12-4.5a and 12-4.5b, and (iv) the number of families served
10 by the Lifesaver program and the Lifesaver Jobs Project who
11 were determined to have achieved self-sufficiency.
12 (d) The Lifesaver Advocate General shall submit a report
13 to each member of the General Assembly by the fifteenth day
14 of October 1997 and by the fifteenth day of April and the
15 fifteenth day of October of each year thereafter. The report
16 shall state the following for the 6 months preceding the
17 month in which the report is submitted: (i) the number of
18 families in this State who are homeless, (ii) the location of
19 those homeless families, by Representative District, and
20 (iii) the number of those homeless persons who are eligible
21 for public aid and other benefits or services under Sections
22 12-4.5a and 12-4.5b.
23 (e) No report of the Lifesaver Advocate General shall
24 directly or indirectly identify any homeless person.
25 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26 becoming law.".