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Public Act 101-0098 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning homeless youth.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Youth | ||||
Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Act. | ||||
Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly | ||||
finds that 1 in 10 young people ages 18-25 experience a form of | ||||
homelessness over a 12-month period. Also 1 in 30 youths ages | ||||
13-17 experience a form of homelessness over a 12-month period. | ||||
Homelessness disproportionately impacts African-American youth | ||||
and mirrors the racial disparities in school suspensions, | ||||
incarceration rates, and foster care placement. Youth who have | ||||
interacted with State systems of care, such as the Department | ||||
of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile | ||||
Justice, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental | ||||
Health, and the Department of Corrections, and youth who have | ||||
been hospitalized for mental health problems are | ||||
disproportionately overrepresented in the population of people | ||||
experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Education | ||||
classifies youth living "doubled up" as homeless. "Doubled up" | ||||
is a term that refers to a situation where individuals are | ||||
unable to maintain their own housing situation and are forced | ||||
to stay with a series of friends or extended family members. |
The individual has no right or authority over the housing. The | ||
"homes" of such individuals are often unstable, not permanent, | ||
and can be as dangerous as living on the streets. As a result, | ||
doubled up housing situations are potentially detrimental to | ||
the health and well-being of these homeless youth. A study | ||
conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found that | ||
12% of prisoners were homeless at the time of their arrest. | ||
Similarly, a national survey of jail inmates concluded that | ||
more than 15% of the jail population had been homeless at some | ||
point in the preceding year, a rate 8 to 11 times the national | ||
average. Illinois needs a cohesive strategy across our child | ||
welfare, mental health, corrections, and human services | ||
agencies that is designed to reduce the rates of homelessness | ||
among youth and to lessen the likelihood of youth experiencing | ||
chronic homelessness into adulthood. | ||
Section 10. Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee. In | ||
2016 the Governor, by Executive Order, created a Governor's | ||
Cabinet on Children and Youth to ensure that all children and | ||
youth in Illinois are healthy, safe, well-educated, and | ||
successfully launched into self-sufficiency. To better serve | ||
youth leaving State systems of care and to bring Illinois in | ||
line with the national goal of ending youth homelessness by | ||
2020, the Cabinet on Children and Youth shall create a | ||
subcommittee to drive the State's strategic vision for | ||
preventing homelessness among youth leaving State systems of |
care. The subcommittee shall be known as the Youth Homelessness | ||
Prevention Subcommittee. | ||
Section 15. Duties. The Youth Homelessness Prevention | ||
Subcommittee shall: | ||
(1) Review the discharge planning, service plans, and | ||
discharge procedures for youth leaving the custody or | ||
guardianship of the Department of Children and Family | ||
Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the | ||
Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, | ||
and the Department of Corrections to determine whether such | ||
discharge planning and procedures ensure housing stability | ||
for youth leaving State systems of care.
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(2) Collect data on the housing stability of youth for | ||
one year after they are released from the custody or | ||
guardianship of the Department of Children and Family | ||
Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the | ||
Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, or | ||
the Department of Corrections.
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(3) Based on data collected under paragraph (2) | ||
regarding youth experiencing homelessness after leaving | ||
State systems of care, create a plan to improve discharge | ||
policies and procedures to ensure housing stability for | ||
youth leaving State systems of care.
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(4) Provide recommendations on community plans for | ||
sustainable housing; create education and employment plans |
for homeless youth; and create strategic collaborations | ||
between the Department of Children and Family Services, the | ||
Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Human | ||
Services' Division of Mental Health, and the Department of | ||
Corrections with respect to youth leaving State systems of | ||
care. | ||
Section 20. Membership. The Youth Homelessness Prevention | ||
Subcommittee shall include the following members: | ||
(1) One representative from the Governor's office. | ||
(2)
The Director of the Department of Children and | ||
Family Services. | ||
(3)
The Director of the Department of Healthcare and | ||
Family Services. | ||
(4)
The Secretary of the Department of Human Services. | ||
(5)
The Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice. | ||
(6)
The Director of the Department of Corrections. | ||
(7)
The Director of the Department of Public Health. | ||
(8)
The Director of the Guardianship and Advocacy | ||
Commission. | ||
(9)
Four representatives from agencies serving | ||
homeless youth. | ||
(10)
One representative from a homeless advocacy | ||
organization. | ||
(11)
One representative from a juvenile justice | ||
advocacy organization. |
(12)
Four youth who have a lived experience with | ||
homelessness. | ||
Section 25. Quorum. A majority of the members of the | ||
Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum, and all | ||
recommendations of the Subcommittee shall require approval of a | ||
majority of the total members of the Subcommittee. | ||
Section 30. Administrative support. The Governor's Office | ||
shall provide administrative support to the Youth Homelessness | ||
Prevention Subcommittee as needed, including with respect to | ||
compliance with State ethics laws, the Open Meetings Act, and | ||
the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
Section 35. Meetings. The Youth Homelessness Prevention | ||
Subcommittee shall hold at least 6 meetings each year, but | ||
otherwise shall meet at the call of the chair.
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Section 40. Reports. The Youth Homelessness Prevention | ||
Subcommittee shall submit an interim report to the Governor | ||
every 6 months and an annual report to the Governor and the | ||
General Assembly.
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