HB3815eng 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3815 Engrossed LRB104 12266 HLH 22378 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Personnel Code is amended by changing Section 17b as follows:

(20 ILCS 415/17b)

Sec. 17b. Trainee program for persons with a disability.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after July 1, 2020, each State agency with 1,500 employees or more shall, and each executive branch constitutional officer may, offer at least one position per year to be filled by a person with a disability through an established trainee program. Agencies with fewer than 1,500 employees may also elect to participate in the program. The trainee position shall last for a period of at least 6 months and shall require the trainee to participate in the trainee program for at least 20 hours per week. The program shall be administered by the Department of Central Management Services. The Department of Central Management Services shall conduct an initial assessment of potential candidates, and the hiring agency or officer shall conduct a final assessment. Upon successful completion of the trainee program, the respective agency or officer shall certify completion of the trainee program, with final approval provided by the Department of Central Management Services. Individuals who successfully complete a trainee appointment under this Section are eligible for promotion to the target title without further examination. The Department of Central Management Services, in cooperation with the Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force, may adopt rules to implement and administer the trainee program for persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to, establishing non-political selection criteria, implementing an assessment and interview process, if necessary, that accommodates persons with a disability, and linking trainee programs to targeted full-time position titles.

(b) (Blank). The Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force shall prepare an annual report to be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly that includes: (1) best practices for helping persons with a disability gain employment; (2) proposed rules for adoption by the Department of Central Management Services for the administration and implementation of the trainee program under this Section; (3) the number of agencies that participated in the trainee program under this Section in the previous calendar year; and (4) the number of individuals who participated in the trainee program who became full-time employees of the State at the conclusion of the trainee program.

(c) For the purposes of this Section, "disability" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. "Disability" includes a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by a medical professional.

(Source: P.A. 103-108, eff. 6-27-23; 103-699, eff. 7-19-24.)

Section 10. The Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force Act is amended by adding Section 17 as follows:

(20 ILCS 4095/17 new)

Sec. 17. Multi-year plan toward increasing hiring of people with disabilities in State government.

(a) By no later than January 1, 2028, the Employment and Economic Opportunity for People with Disabilities Task Force, in cooperation with the Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities, shall create a 5-year plan of recommended actions, outcomes, and benchmarks to help the State increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in State government. The multi-year plan shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) identification, gathering, and analytics of data from the Successful Disability Opportunities Program to inform the work of the Task Force, including, but not limited to:

(A) the total number of participants who have been employed with the State for longer than one year;

(B) the total number of participants who have been employed with the State for one year or less;

(C) the total number of participants who have applied and interviewed, unsuccessfully, for employment with the State;

(D) the total number of participants who have applied for, but not received an interview for, employment with the State;

(E) the demographics of participants, including, but not limited to, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, and disability type, as described in Section 4a of the Illinois Identification Card Act;

(2) identification, gathering, and analytics of data from the Disabled Workers Trainee Program to inform the work of the Task Force, including, but not limited to:

(A) the total number of participants hired through the program since its inception on July 1, 2020;

(B) the total number of participants who successfully completed the program and transitioned to the target title of the trainee position;

(C) the total number of participants who completed the program but did not transition to the target title of the trainee position;

(D) the total number of participants who successfully completed the program and remained employed with the State for over one year;

(E) the total number of participants who did not complete the program;

(F) the demographics of participants, including, but not limited to, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, and disability type, as described in Section 4a of the Illinois Identification Card Act;

(3) identification, gathering, and analytics of existing hiring procedures of the State that create barriers for people with disabilities seeking employment with the State;

(4) a recommendation for actions, including additional statutory, regulatory, or policy measures, that will improve and modernize hiring procedures and outcomes for applicants with and without disabilities seeking employment with the State; and

(5) recommended benchmarks for each year of the plan.

(b) In developing the multi-year plan, the Task Force shall consider:

(1) the total number of vacant positions with the State and the geographic location of those positions;

(2) a review of hiring procedures to ensure timely hiring of job seekers with and without disabilities;

(3) the ongoing transition away from subminimum wage employment in the State under subsection (c) of Section 14 of the Fair Labor Standards Act;

(4) existing State employment programs designed to support workers with disabilities;

(5) the use of existing and emerging technologies that could assist persons with disabilities in achieving employment goals; and

(6) continuing education for supervisors and hiring managers with the State on best practices to support job seekers with disabilities.

(c) In developing the multi-year plan, the Task Force shall consult with people with disabilities, employment service providers, disability trade associations, and disability advocacy organizations.

(d) The Task Force shall submit the multi-year plan to the Governor and the General Assembly by no later than January 1, 2028. Annual reports on implementation shall be required by no later than January 1 of each subsequent year through January 1, 2032.

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