98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB5654

 

Introduced , by Rep. William Davis

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
525 ILCS 50/2  from Ch. 48, par. 2552
525 ILCS 50/4  from Ch. 48, par. 2554
525 ILCS 50/6  from Ch. 48, par. 2556
525 ILCS 50/8.5 new
525 ILCS 50/9

    Amends the Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act. Creates the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in conservation or recreational programs. Provides that local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation or recreational activities within the community may apply to the Department of Natural Resources for a grant under the Act for the purpose of hiring managing supervisors and eligible young adults for conservation or recreational programs. Provides that the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or recreational program. Provides that the Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps. Extends the maximum period of employment with the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps from 6 months to 12 months. Effective immediately.


LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5654LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1    AN ACT concerning conservation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Veteran, Youth, and Young Adult
5Conservation Jobs Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 4, 6,
6and 9 and by adding Section 8.5 as follows:
 
7    (525 ILCS 50/2)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2552)
8    Sec. 2. Declaration of Intent. The General Assembly finds
9that the level of unemployment among veterans, the youths of
10this State, particularly those age 14 through 18, and young
11adults, age 18 through 25, is unsatisfactory. This situation is
12not conducive to the development of veterans and the youth and
13young adults of Illinois as the future of the State. The
14General Assembly further finds that the availability of
15conservation and recreational programs for veterans, youth,
16and young adults in parks and recreational facilities and other
17lands operated by the State, by units of local government, and
18by local not-for-profit entities is severely limited. The
19General Assembly therefore creates the Illinois Veteran,
20Youth, and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act to establish (a)
21the Illinois Veteran Conservation Corps and the Illinois Young
22Adult Conservation Corps to provide year-round employment for
23veterans and young adults of this State for the purpose of

 

 

HB5654- 2 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1conservation, rehabilitation, protection and enhancement of
2the State's public land and (b) the Illinois Veteran Recreation
3Corps, and the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps, and the
4Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps to provide employment for
5the veterans, and youth, and young adults of this State for the
6purpose of administering and operating conservation or
7recreational programs operated by units of local government or
8local not-for-profit entities at conservation and open spaces,
9parks, or recreational facilities or other similar facilities
10or locations.
11(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)
 
12    (525 ILCS 50/4)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2554)
13    Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. For the purposes of this Act:
14    (a) "Department" means the Department of Natural
15Resources.
16    (b) "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
17    (c) "Local sponsor" means any unit of local government or
18not-for-profit entity that can make available for a summer
19conservation or recreation program park lands, conservation or
20recreational lands or facilities, equipment, materials,
21administration, supervisory personnel, etc.
22    (d) "Managing supervisor" means an enrollee in the Illinois
23Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation
24Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps who is
25selected by the local sponsor to supervise the activities of

 

 

HB5654- 3 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1the veterans, or youth, or young adults employee enrollees
2working on the conservation or recreation project. A managing
3supervisor in the Illinois Youth Recreation Corps may be 19
4years of age or older.
5    (e) "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served or
6is currently serving as a member of the United States Armed
7Forces, a member of the Illinois National Guard, or a member of
8a Reserve Component of the United States Armed Forces.
9(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
10    (525 ILCS 50/6)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2556)
11    Sec. 6. Funding. Funding for the Illinois Veteran, Youth,
12and Young Adult Conservation Jobs Act shall be from any State
13or federal funds or grants or other funding so received by the
14Department and any matching funds required by the Department
15from local sponsors that choose to participate in the Illinois
16Veteran Recreation Corps, or the Illinois Youth Recreation
17Corps, or the Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps programs.
18(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12.)
 
19    (525 ILCS 50/8.5 new)
20    Sec. 8.5. Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps.
21    (a) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps is
22established for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors
23to provide wages to young adults operating and instructing in
24conservation or recreational programs. The programs shall

 

 

HB5654- 4 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1provide conservation or recreational opportunities and shall
2include, but are not limited to, the coordination and teaching
3of natural resource conservation and management, physical
4activities, or learning activities directly related to natural
5resource conservation management or recreation. The programs
6may charge user fees, but the fees shall be designed to promote
7as much community involvement as possible, as determined by the
8Department.
9    (b) Local sponsors who can provide necessary facilities,
10materials, and management for summer conservation or
11recreational activities within the community may apply to the
12Department for a grant under this Act for the purpose of hiring
13managing supervisors, as necessary, and eligible young adults
14for conservation or recreational programs. Applications shall
15be evaluated on the basis of program content, location, need,
16local commitment of resources, and consistency with the
17purposes of this Act.
18    (c) The Illinois Young Adult Recreation Corps shall be
19limited to citizens of this State who, at the time of
20enrollment, are unemployed, are 18 through 25 years of age, and
21who have skills that can be used in the summer conservation or
22recreational program.
23    The ratio of young adult employee enrollees to managing
24supervisors shall not be less than 10 to 1 for any local
25sponsor with a total number of young adult employee enrollees
26of 10 or more. Any local sponsor program with a total number of

 

 

HB5654- 5 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1young adult employee enrollees of less than 10 shall be limited
2to one managing supervisor.
3    The local sponsors shall make public notification of the
4availability of jobs for eligible young adults in the Illinois
5Young Adult Recreation Corps by the means of newspapers,
6electronic media, educational facilities, units of local
7government, and Department of Employment Security offices.
8Application for employment shall be made directly to the local
9sponsor.
10    The Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to
11the administration of the Illinois Young Adult Recreation
12Corps.
13    (d) The enrollment period for any successful applicant of
14the program shall not be longer than 12 months. Once enrolled
15in the program, each enrollee shall receive a reasonable wage
16as set by the Department and shall work hours as required by
17the conservation or recreation program as determined by the
18Department, except that an enrollee working as a managing
19supervisor shall receive a higher wage than an enrollee working
20in any other capacity on the conservation or recreation
21program. Enrollees shall be employees of the local sponsor and
22not contractual hires for the purpose of employment taxes,
23except that enrollees shall not be classified as employees of
24this State or the local sponsor for purposes of contributions
25to the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois or any
26other public employee retirement system.
 

 

 

HB5654- 6 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1    (525 ILCS 50/9)
2    Sec. 9. Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps. With respect to
3the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps:
4    (a) Purpose. The Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps is
5established for the purpose of making grants to local sponsors
6to provide wages to veterans of any age operating and
7instructing in conservation or recreational programs. Such
8programs shall provide conservation or recreational
9opportunities and shall include, but are not limited to, the
10coordination and teaching of natural resource conservation and
11management, physical activities, or learning activities
12directly related to natural resource conservation management
13or recreation. Such programs may charge user fees, but such
14fees shall be designed to promote as much community involvement
15as possible, as determined by the Department.
16    (b) Application. Local sponsors who can provide necessary
17facilities, materials, and management for summer conservation
18or recreational activities within the community and who desire
19a grant under this Act for the purpose of hiring managing
20supervisors as necessary and eligible veterans for such
21conservation or recreational programs may make application to
22the Department. Applications shall be evaluated on the basis of
23program content, location, need, local commitment of
24resources, and consistency with the purposes of this Act.
25    (c) Enrollment. The Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps

 

 

HB5654- 7 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1shall be limited to citizens of this State who at the time of
2enrollment are veterans of any age and are unemployed and who
3have skills that can be utilized in the summer conservation or
4recreational program. Preference may be given to veterans with
5a disability.
6    The ratio of veterans employee enrollees to a managing
7supervisor must not be less than 10 to 1 for any local sponsor
8with a total number of veterans employee enrollees of 10 or
9more. Any local sponsor program with a total number of veteran
10employee enrollees of less than 10 must be limited to one
11managing supervisor. Veterans who are unemployed shall be given
12preference for employment as managing supervisors.
13    The local sponsors shall make public notification of the
14availability of jobs for eligible veterans in the Illinois
15Veteran Recreation Corps by the means of newspapers, electronic
16media, educational facilities, units of local government, and
17Department of Employment Security offices. Application for
18employment shall be made directly to the local sponsor.
19    The Department shall adopt reasonable rules pertaining to
20the administration of the Illinois Veteran Recreation Corps.
21    (d) Terms of employment. The enrollment period for any
22successful applicant of the program shall not be longer than 12
236 total months. Once enrolled in the program, each enrollee
24shall receive a reasonable wage as set by the Department and
25shall work hours as required by the conservation or recreation
26program but not in excess of a maximum number of hours as

 

 

HB5654- 8 -LRB098 20177 MGM 55499 b

1determined by the Department, except that an enrollee working
2as a managing supervisor shall receive a higher wage than an
3enrollee working in any other capacity on the conservation or
4recreation program. Enrollees shall be employees of the local
5sponsor and not contractual hires for the purpose of employment
6taxes, except that enrollees shall not be classified as
7employees of the State or the local sponsor for purposes of
8contributions to the State Employees' Retirement System of
9Illinois or any other public employee retirement system.
10(Source: P.A. 97-738, eff. 7-5-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.