(305 ILCS 5/12-4.33)

Sec. 12-4.33. Welfare reform research and accountability.

(a) The Illinois Department shall collect and report upon all data in connection with federally funded or assisted welfare programs as federal law may require, including, but not limited to, Section 411 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations and any amendments thereto as may from time to time be enacted.

(b) In addition to and on the same schedule as the data collection required by federal law and subsection (a), the Department shall collect and report on further information with respect to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ("TANF") program, as follows:

(1) With respect to denials of applications for benefits, all of the same information about the family required under the federal law, plus the specific reason or reasons for denial of the application.

(2) With respect to all terminations of benefits, all of the same information as required under the federal law, plus the specific reason or reasons for the termination.

(c) The Department shall collect all of the same data as set forth in subsections (a) and (b), and report it on the same schedule, with respect to all cash assistance benefits provided to families that are not funded from the TANF program federal block grant or are not otherwise required to be included in the data collection and reporting in subsections (a) and (b).

(d) Whether or not reports under this Section must be submitted to the federal government, they shall be considered public and they shall be promptly made available to the public at the end of each fiscal year, free of charge upon request. The data underlying the reports shall be made available to academic institutions and public policy organizations involved in the study of welfare issues or programs and redacted to conform with applicable privacy laws. The cost shall be no more than that incurred by the Department in assembling and delivering the data.

(e) (Blank).

(f) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 95-322, eff. 1-1-08.)