Public Act 0771 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0852 Enrolled LRB096 03161 RCE 13178 b

Public Act 096-0771

AN ACT concerning State government.

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 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Act.

Section 5. The 21st Century Workforce Development Fund. The 21st Century Workforce Development Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury. The Fund shall be administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity ("the Department"), in consultation with other appropriate State agencies, and overseen by the 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Advisory Committee ("the Advisory Committee"). There shall be credited to the Fund any moneys specifically designated for deposit into the Fund, including State appropriations, set asides from public expenditures on capital projects, federal funds, gifts, grants, and private contributions. Earnings attributable to moneys in the fund shall be deposited into the fund.

Section 10. Purpose. The purpose of the 21st Century Workforce Development Fund is to promote the State's interest in the creation and maintenance of a diverse and skilled workforce for the economic development of the State. The Fund is intended to support integrated, innovative, and emergency workforce development strategies that promote local economic development and a continuum of workforce and education strategies, including workforce development activities to prepare individuals for occupations in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, as well as other occupations that are created or transformed by the implementation of policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to prevent and remediate pollution, and to promote energy-efficient, healthy, and lead-safe homes in Illinois.

Section 15. Use of Fund.

(a) Role of Fund. Resources from the Fund are intended to be used flexibly to support innovative and locally-driven strategies, to leverage other funding sources, and to fill gaps in existing workforce development resources in Illinois. They are not intended to supplant existing workforce development resources.

(b) Distribution of funds. Funds shall be distributed through competitive grantmaking processes administered by the Department and overseen by the Advisory Committee. No more than 6% of funds used for grants may be retained by the Department for administrative costs or for program evaluation or technical assistance activities.

(c) Grantmaking. The Department must administer funds through competitive grantmaking in accordance with the priorities described in this Act. Grantmaking must be used to support workforce development strategies consistent with the priorities outlined in this Act. Strategies may include, but are not limited to the following:

(i) Expanded grantmaking for existing State workforce development strategies, including the Job Training and Economic Development Program and programs designed to increase the number of persons traditionally underrepresented in the building trades, specifically minorities and women.

(ii) Workforce development initiatives that help the least skilled adults access employment and education opportunities, including transitional jobs programs and educational bridge programming that integrate basic education and occupational skills training.

(iii) Sectoral strategies that develop industry-specific workforce education and training services that lead to existing or expected jobs with identified employers and that include services to ensure that low-income, low-skilled adults can be served.

(iv) Support for the development and implementation of workforce education and training programs in the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and pollution control cleanup and prevention industries.

(v) Support for planning activities that: ensure that workforce development and education needs of low-skilled adults are integrated into industry-specific career pathways; analyze labor market data to track workforce trends in the State's energy-related initiatives; or increase the capacity of communities to provide workforce services to low-income, low-skilled adults.

(d) Allowable expenditures. Grant funds are limited to expenditures for the following:

(i) Basic skills training, adult education, occupational training, job readiness training, and soft-skills training for which financial aid is otherwise not available.

(ii) Workforce development-related services including mentoring, job development, support services, transportation assistance, and wage subsidies, that are tied to participation in training and employment.

(iii) Capacity building, program development, and technical assistance activities necessary for the development and implementation of new workforce education and training strategies.

No more than 5% of any grant may be used for administrative costs.

(e) Eligible applicants. For grants under this Section, eligible applicants include the following:

(i) Any private, public, and non-profit entities that provide education, training, and workforce development services to low-income individuals.

(ii) Educational institutions.

(iii) Labor and business associations.

Section 20. Priorities. The Department shall implement grantmaking using the following priorities, and the Advisory Committee shall monitor the application of these priorities to grantmaking:

(a) Priority populations. Priority shall be given to workforce education and training strategies that target individuals with barriers to employment including, but not limited to, criminal backgrounds, low incomes, residents of public or subsidized housing, and individuals with limited literacy, math skills, or English proficiency. Priority may also be given to workers with jobs that are affected by the implementation of State energy and environmental policy.

(b) Priority industries. Priority shall be given to workforce education and training strategies for the following:

(i) Industries that will reduce carbon emissions, promote recycling/reuse, prevent and remediate pollution, and support local food production, including but not limited to the following:

(A) Energy efficient building construction, retrofit, and assessment industries.

(B) Renewable electric power generation and transmission industries.

(C) Deconstruction and materials use industries.

(D) Manufacturers that produce sustainable products using environmentally sustainable processes and materials.

(E) Local food systems.

(ii) Industries identified by the Department to be facing a critical shortage of skilled workers.

(c) Other priority factors. The Department must implement grantmaking by giving priority to grant applications that demonstrate collaboration amongst local workforce, education, and economic development stakeholders in their community; demonstrate collaboration with outreach programs designed to connect community residents with training opportunities; integrate lead-safe work practices into their training; or serve communities with high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and poverty.

Section 25. 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Advisory Committee. The 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Advisory Committee shall review, advise, and recommend for approval or denial all grant requests from the Fund. The Department is responsible for the administration and staffing of the Advisory Committee.

(a) Membership. The Committee shall consist of 21 persons. Co-chairs shall be appointed by the Governor with the requirement that one come from the public and one from the private sector.

(b) Eleven members shall be appointed by the Governor, and any of the 11 members appointed by the Governor may fill more than one of the following required categories:

(i) Four must be from communities outside of the City of Chicago.

(ii) At least one must be a member of a local workforce investment board (LWIB) in his or her community.

(iii) At least one must represent organized labor.

(iv) At least one must represent business or industry.

(v) At least one must represent a non-profit organization that provides workforce development or job training services.

(vi) At least one must represent a non-profit organization involved in workforce development policy, analysis, or research.

(vii) At least one must represent a non-profit organization involved in environmental policy, advocacy, or research.

(viii) At least one must represent a group that advocates for individuals with barriers to employment, including at-risk youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and individuals living in poverty.

(c) The other 10 members shall be the following:

(i) The Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee who oversees workforce development services.

(ii) The Secretary of Human Services, or his or her designee who oversees human capital services.

(iii) The Director of Corrections, or his or her designee who oversees prisoner re-entry services.

(iv) The Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, or his or her designee who oversees contractor compliance.

(v) The Chairman of the Illinois Community College Board, or his or her designee who oversees technical and career education.

(vi) A representative of the Illinois Community College Board involved in energy education and sustainable practices, designated by the Board.

(vii) Four State legislators, one designated by the President of the Senate, one designated by the Speaker of the House, one designated by the Senate Minority Leader, and one designated by the House Minority Leader.

(d) Appointees under subsection (b) shall serve a 2-year term and are eligible to be re-appointed one time. Members under subsection (c) shall serve ex officio or at the pleasure of the designating official, as applicable.

Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 5.719 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.719 new)

Sec. 5.719. The 21st Century Workforce Development Fund.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2009.