Public Act 0416 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3284 Enrolled LRB099 09624 JWD 29833 b

Public Act 099-0416

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 Opportunities for At-Risk Women Act.

Section 5. Task Force. There is created within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity the Task Force on Opportunities for At-Risk Women, composed of the following members:

(1) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(3) one member appointed by the President of the Senate;

(4) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(5) the Secretary of State, or his or her designee;

(6) the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Information Authority, or his or her designee;

(7) the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services, or his or her designee;

(8) the Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee;

(9) the Director of the Department of Employment Security, or his or her designee;

(10) the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or his or her designee;

(11) the Executive Director of the Community College Board, or his or her designee;

(12) the Superintendent of the State Board of Education, or his or her designee; and

(13) such other members as the Governor may appoint, who shall be experts with the following backgrounds: educators, prison officials, 21st Century programmers or other after school tutoring programs that are implemented in other counties throughout Illinois, community organization service providers, local college personnel, healthcare personnel, housing authority personnel, and addiction and recovery personnel.

Members shall serve for 4-year terms and may be reappointed. Vacancies shall be filled by the respective appointing authorities for the remainder of the current term. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.

Members shall elect from their number a chairperson, and such other officers as they may choose, for a 2-year term. The Task Force shall meet at the call of the chair, but not less than twice per year. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide administrative support, technical assistance, meeting space, and funding to the Task Force.

Section 10. Duties of the Task Force.

(a) The Task Force shall strategize and design a plan for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to partner and outsource with State and local governmental agencies, companies, and organizations that aid in helping at-risk women and their families become successful productive citizens.

(b) This partnership will include material distribution of available resources offered in their communities as well as referrals to organizations and companies that provide necessary services to aide in their success. The following are targeted areas of assistance and outsourcing: housing assistance; educational information on enhancement and advancement; parenting and family bonding classes; financial education and literacy, including budgeting; quality afterschool programming, including tutoring; self-esteem and empowerment classes; healthy relationships classes for the entire family, including warning signs and appropriate handling of bullying; integrity classes; social etiquette classes; job preparedness workshops; temperament behavior classes, including anger management; addiction and recovery clinics, including referrals; health education classes; job training opportunities; and the expansion of Redeploy Illinois into Cook County.

(c) For the purposes of this Act, "at-risk women" means women who are at increased risk of incarceration because of poverty, abuse, addiction, financial challenges, illiteracy, or other causes. The term "at-risk women" may include, but shall not be limited to, women who have previously been incarcerated.

Section 15. Annual report. The Task Force shall report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on its activities and shall include any recommendations for legislation or rulemaking to facilitate its work in the targeted areas of assistance and outsourcing.