HB3700 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 08640 RLC 18693 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB3700

Introduced 2/18/2025, by Rep. Maura Hirschauer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Act. Provides that the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Department of Human Services shall establish the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup. Provides that the members of the Workgroup, other than the General Assembly members, shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention, or the Assistant Secretary's designee. Provides that the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall convene a group of experts in the field of community violence intervention and conduct meetings and analysis as the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup. Provides that the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup shall complete the following tasks before December 31, 2026: (1) estimate the number of highest risk individuals currently being served with community violence intervention services and the number of high risk individuals that likely need these services; (2) determine the current and future workforce needs of the community violence intervention field in Illinois based on a goal of serving 75% of those with chronic exposure to gun violence in the next 5 years; (3) identify the critical job function and categories required by community violence intervention services; (4) develop estimates of the available workforce by job function and category to its best ability; (5) develop job descriptions and merit assessment tools by job function and category; (6) identify changes to grant and other State funding that can enable stronger recruitment, training, and evaluation of community violence intervention workers and services; and (7) make recommendations to the General Assembly by job function and category for changes to State law that will allow for the development and implementation of career paths and quality recruitment and retention of a community violence intervention workforce. Provides that the Workgroup is dissolved on January 1, 2027 and the Act is repealed on that date. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning violence prevention.

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 Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Act.

Section 5. Intent.

(a) Community violence intervention services provide comprehensive outreach, mental health, and employment training and placement services to individuals at highest risk of being shot or shooting someone in communities with high concentrations of gunshot victims.

(b) Initial data and evaluation indicates comprehensive community violence intervention services show promise in contributing to the reduction in gun violence victims in Illinois.

(c) Community violence intervention services require a variety of skilled professionals with lived experience and cultural competency to maximize the effectiveness of outreach, mental health, and employment and training services.

(d) The need for those with lived experience and cultural competency to be the primary workforce for community violence intervention restricts the available workforce for community violence intervention professionals.

(e) Individuals with lived experience in chronic exposure to gun violence frequently require specialized supports to professionalize their approach and maintain their traumatic recovery from exposure to gun violence while working in the gun violence prevention field.

(f) Illinois has a shortage of qualified community violence intervention professionals at all job functions while less than 20% of those with chronic exposure to gun violence are currently being served with community violence intervention services.

Section 10. Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup; duties. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Department of Human Services shall establish the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup. The Office of Firearm Violence Prevention shall convene a group of experts in the field of community violence intervention and conduct meetings and analysis as the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup. The Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup shall complete the following tasks before December 31, 2026.

(1) estimate the number of highest risk individuals currently being served with community violence intervention services and the number of high risk individuals that likely need these services;

(2) determine the current and future workforce needs of the community violence intervention field in Illinois based on a goal of serving 75% of those with chronic exposure to gun violence in the next 5 years;

(3) identify the critical job function and categories required by community violence intervention services;

(4) develop estimates of the available workforce by job function and category to its best ability;

(5) develop job descriptions and merit assessment tools by job function and category;

(6) identify changes to grant and other State funding that can enable stronger recruitment, training, and evaluation of community violence intervention workers and services; and

(7) make recommendations to the General Assembly by job function and category for changes to State law that will allow for the development and implementation of career paths and quality recruitment and retention of a community violence intervention workforce.

Section 15. Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup; membership.

(a) The Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) one representative from Metropolitan Peace Academy;

(2) one representative from READI Chicago;

(3) one representative from a Chicago-based violence prevention organization that is not part of the Communities partnering for Peace or READI Chicago networks;

(4) one representative from Community Based Violence Prevention Agency-Peoria;

(5) one representative from Community Based Violence Prevention Agency-East St. Louis;

(6) one representative from Community Based Violence Prevention Agency-Rockford;

(7) one representative from Community Based Violence Prevention Agency-Aurora/Elgin;

(8) one representative from an organization that operates community violence intervention services itself and funds the development of other network services with private funds;

(9) one representative from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority;

(10) one representative from a university-based research institution that evaluates violence prevention programs;

(11) one representative from the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention;

(12) a representative from the behavioral health community;

(13) one representative from the foundation community that both funds violence intervention services itself and participates in a private funding collaborative that funds violence prevention services;

(14) a representative of a community college;

(15) a representative of the City of Chicago; and

(16) 4 members of the General Assembly, one each appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(b) The members of the Workgroup listed in paragraphs (1) through (15) of subsection (a) shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention, or the Assistant Secretary's designee.

(c) The Assistant Secretary of Firearm Violence Prevention, or his or her designee, shall convene the Community Violence Intervention Workforce Development Workgroup, and work in collaboration with members to submit a final report to the General Assembly.

Section 20. Dissolution. The Workgroup is dissolved on January 1, 2027.

Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2027.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.