|
|
||||
| Public Act 095-0833 |
||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning people living in poverty.
| ||||
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 | ||||
Commission on the Elimination of Poverty Act. | ||||
Section 5. Legislative Findings. It is the goal of the | ||||
State of Illinois that all people be free from poverty. | ||||
The preamble to the Constitution of the State of Illinois | ||||
states that the elimination of poverty and inequality are among | ||||
the core goals of our State government. The Illinois Human | ||||
Rights Act states that the public policy of the State of | ||||
Illinois is "to promote the public health, welfare and safety | ||||
by protecting the interest of all people in Illinois in | ||||
maintaining personal dignity, in realizing their full | ||||
productive capacities, and in furthering their interests, | ||||
rights and privileges as citizens of this State". The State of | ||||
Illinois is a party to all international human rights treaties | ||||
signed and ratified by the United States. | ||||
Illinois is one of the wealthiest states in the United | ||||
States, yet it has one of the highest rates of poverty and | ||||
extreme poverty in the Midwest. The poverty level in 2007 was | ||||
$20,620 or less per year for a family of 4 and $10,310 or less | ||||
per year for a family of 4 in extreme poverty. In 2006 just | ||||
under 1,400,000 people residing in Illinois were living in | ||
poverty and over 687,000 people residing in Illinois were | ||
living in extreme poverty. There are people living in extreme | ||
poverty in every Illinois county. | ||
Full participation in civic life cannot be achieved without | ||
those things that protect and preserve human dignity and make | ||
for a healthy life, including adequate nutrition and housing, | ||
meaningful work, safe communities, health care, and education. | ||
Illinois has no comprehensive plan for the elimination of | ||
poverty. | ||
Section 10. Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. The | ||
Commission on the Elimination of Poverty is created. The | ||
purpose of the Commission is to comprehensively address poverty | ||
in Illinois consistent with international human rights | ||
standards. The initial goal of the Commission is to develop a | ||
poverty elimination strategic plan to reduce extreme poverty in | ||
Illinois by 50% or more by 2015. In developing the overall | ||
strategic plan, and in working toward the goal of reducing | ||
extreme poverty in Illinois by at least 50% by 2015, the | ||
Commission shall address, at a minimum, all of the following: | ||
(1) Access to safe, decent and affordable housing. | ||
(2) Access to adequate food and nutrition. | ||
(3) Access to affordable and quality health care. | ||
(4) Equal access to quality education and training. | ||
(5) Dependable and affordable transportation. | ||
(6) Access to quality and affordable child care. | ||
(7) Opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable | ||
work that pays a living wage. | ||
(8) The availability of adequate income supports. | ||
The strategic plan shall include specific policy and fiscal | ||
recommendations and a timeline for each stage of implementation | ||
for each recommendation. For each recommendation, the | ||
Commission shall identify in measurable terms the actual or | ||
potential impact. The Commission may review and may make | ||
comments and recommendations on existing or proposed programs, | ||
policies, administrative rules, and statutes that have an | ||
impact on poverty in Illinois and, in particular, people living | ||
in extreme poverty. | ||
Section 15. Members. The Commission on the Elimination of | ||
Poverty shall be composed of no more than 26 voting members | ||
including 2 members of the Illinois House of Representatives, | ||
one appointed by the Speaker of the House and one appointed by | ||
the House Minority Leader; 2 members of the Illinois Senate, | ||
one appointed by the Senate President and one appointed by the | ||
Senate Minority Leader; one representative of the Office of the | ||
Governor appointed by the Governor; one representative of the | ||
Office of the Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Lieutenant | ||
Governor; and 20 public members, 4 of whom shall be appointed | ||
by the Governor, 4 of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of | ||
the House, 4 of whom shall be appointed by the House Minority | ||
Leader, 4 of whom shall be appointed by the Senate President, | ||
and 4 of whom shall be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. | ||
It shall be determined by lot who will appoint which public | ||
members of the Commission. The public members shall include a | ||
representative of a service-based human rights organization; 2 | ||
representatives from anti-poverty organizations, including one | ||
that focuses on rural poverty; 2 individuals who have | ||
experienced extreme poverty; a representative of an | ||
organization that advocates for health care access, | ||
affordability and availability; a representative of an | ||
organization that advocates for persons with mental illness; a | ||
representative of an organization that advocates for children | ||
and youth; a representative of an organization that advocates | ||
for quality and equality in education; a representative of an | ||
organization that advocates for people who are homeless; a | ||
representative of a statewide anti-hunger organization; a | ||
person with a disability; a representative of an organization | ||
that advocates for persons with disabilities; a representative | ||
of an organization that advocates for immigrants; a | ||
representative of a statewide faith-based organization that | ||
provides direct social services in Illinois; a representative | ||
of an organization that advocates for economic security for | ||
women; a representative of an organization that advocates for | ||
older adults; a representative of a labor organization that | ||
represents primarily low and middle-income wage earners; a | ||
representative of a municipal or county government; and a | ||
representative of township government. The appointed members | ||
shall reflect the racial, gender, and geographic diversity of | ||
the State and shall include representation from regions of the | ||
State experiencing the highest rates of extreme poverty. | ||
The following officials shall serve as ex-officio members: | ||
the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; the | ||
Director of Corrections or his or her designee; the Director of | ||
Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee; the | ||
Director of Human Rights or his or her designee; the Director | ||
of Children and Family Services or his or her designee; the | ||
Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her | ||
designee; the State Superintendent of Education or his or her | ||
designee; the Director of Aging or his or her designee; the | ||
Director of Public Health or his or her designee; and the | ||
Director of Employment Security or his or her designee. The | ||
State Workforce Investment Board, the African-American Family | ||
Commission, and the Latino Family Commission shall each | ||
designate a liaison to serve ex-officio on the Commission.
| ||
Members shall serve without compensation, but, subject to | ||
the availability of funds, public members may be reimbursed for | ||
reasonable and necessary travel expenses connected to | ||
Commission business. | ||
Commission members shall be appointed within 60 days after | ||
the effective date of this Act. The Commission shall hold its | ||
initial meeting within 30 days after at least 50% of the | ||
members have been appointed. | ||
The representative of the Office of the Governor and the | ||
representative of a service-based human rights organization | ||
shall serve as co-chairs of the Commission. | ||
At the first meeting of the Commission, the members shall | ||
select a 7-person Steering Committee that includes the | ||
co-chairs. | ||
The Commission may establish committees that address | ||
specific issues or populations and may appoint individuals with | ||
relevant expertise who are not appointed members of the | ||
Commission to serve on committees as needed. | ||
Under the leadership of the Office of the Governor, subject | ||
to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall | ||
provide administrative support to the Commission. | ||
Section 20. Meetings; reports. The full Commission shall | ||
meet at least annually. The Steering Committee shall meet at | ||
least quarterly. In addition, it may hold up to 4 public | ||
hearings to assist in the development of the strategic plan. | ||
The Commission shall also consider written comments for the | ||
purpose of developing the strategic plan. | ||
The Commission shall issue an interim report on its | ||
activities and recommendations to the constitutional officers | ||
and to the General Assembly on or before March 1, 2009. The | ||
strategic plan shall be adopted by the Commission not later | ||
than January 1, 2010 and sent to the constitutional officers | ||
and to the General Assembly. Following the adoption of the | ||
strategic plan, the Commission shall continue to meet and issue | ||
annual reports by March 1st of each year on the implementation | ||
of the strategic plan. | ||
The Commission shall hold at least one public hearing prior | ||
to the issuance of each annual report.
| ||
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
| ||