Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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20 ILCS 3975/4.5

(20 ILCS 3975/4.5)

Sec. 4.5. Duties.

(a) The Board must perform all the functions of a state workforce
innovation
board under
the federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act, any amendments to that Act, and
any
other applicable federal statutes.  The Board must also perform all other
functions that are
not inconsistent with the federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act or this Act
and that
are assumed by the Board under its bylaws or assigned to it by the Governor.

(b) The Board must cooperate with the General Assembly and make
recommendations
to the
Governor and the General Assembly concerning legislation necessary to improve
upon
statewide and local workforce development systems in order to increase
occupational skill
attainment, employment, retention, or earnings of participants and thereby
improve the
quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the
productivity and
competitiveness of the State.  The Board must annually submit a report to the
General
Assembly on the progress of the State in achieving state performance measures
under the
federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act, including information on the levels
of performance achieved by the State with respect to the core indicators of
performance and the customer satisfaction indicator
under that Act.  The report must include any other
items that
the Governor may be required to report to the Secretary of the United States
Department
of Labor.

(b-5) The Board shall implement a method for measuring the progress of the
State's workforce development system by using benchmarks specified in the federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The Board shall identify the most significant early
indicators for each benchmark, establish a mechanism to collect data and
track the benchmarks on an annual basis, and then use the results to set goals
for each benchmark, to inform planning, and to ensure the effective use of
State resources.

(c) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require or
allow the
Board to assume or supersede the statutory authority granted
to, or impose
any duties or requirements on, the State
Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community
College Board, any State agencies created under the Civil Administrative Code
of Illinois, or any local education agencies.

(d) No actions taken by the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council
before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly
and no rights, powers, duties, or obligations from those actions are impaired
solely by this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly.  All actions taken
by the Illinois Human Resource Investment Council before the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly are ratified and validated.

(e) Upon the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Board shall conduct a feasibility study regarding the consolidation of all workforce development programs funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and conducted by the State of Illinois into one solitary agency to create greater access to job training for underserved populations. The Board shall utilize resources currently made available to them, including, but not limited to, partnering with institutions of higher education and those agencies currently charged with overseeing or administering workforce programs. The feasibility study shall:

(1) assess the impact of consolidation on access for

participants, including minority persons as defined in Section 2 of the  Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, persons with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, and youth, and how consolidation would increase equitable access to workforce resources;

(2) assess the cost of consolidation and estimate any

long-term savings anticipated from the action;

(3) assess the impact of consolidation on agencies in

which the programs currently reside, including, but not limited to, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Human Services, the Community College Board, the Board of Higher Education, the Department of Corrections, the Department on Aging, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the Department of Children and Family Services;

(4) assess the impact of consolidation on State

government employees and union contracts;

(5) consider if the consolidation will provide

avenues to maximize federal funding;

(6) provide recommendations for the future structure

of workforce development programs, including a proposed timeline for implementation;

(7) provide direction for implementation by July 1,

2022 with regard to recommendations that do not require legislative change;

(8) if legislative change is necessary, include

legislative language for consideration by the 102nd General Assembly.

The Board shall submit its recommendations the Governor and the General Assembly by May 1, 2021.
(Source: P.A. 100-477, eff. 9-8-17; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)