HB4456 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 15576 RCE 41575 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB4456

Introduced , by Rep. Greg Harris

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Commission on Children and Youth Act. Provides for appointments, goals, recommendations, and reports. Provides that the Act is repealed on January 1, 2012. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning concerning children.

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 Commission on Children and Youth Act.

Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that positive development opportunities for children and youth are an essential investment in the future well-being of our State. Over the past decade Illinois has invested significant resources in programs and services for children and youth in areas such as education, health care, delinquency prevention, and child welfare. These investments have supported important opportunities for healthy development, yet there continue to be unmet needs, service gaps, and other challenges facing youth across Illinois. Recent initiatives to expand health care and preschool for all children statewide are significant steps toward establishing Illinois as a national leader in providing foundational services to its youngest residents. Changing demographics, shifting federal priorities, and a scarcity of resources threaten to undermine the progress Illinois has achieved and limit its future vision. Illinois is committed to being a model state in forging innovative life development opportunities for all children and youth.

Section 10. Commission on Children and Youth. The Commission on Children and Youth is established. The purpose of the Commission is to create a comprehensive child and youth service system in Illinois. The Commission shall serve as an independent coordinating body of key public and private stakeholders to advise state planning, priority setting, and investment of resources in children and youth throughout Illinois.

Section 15. Commission members; appointments. The Commission shall be composed of a maximum of 40 members, to be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of this Act. The voting members shall be as follows:

(a) Four members of the General Assembly: 2 members of the Illinois Senate, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; 2 members of the Illinois House of Representatives, one member appointed by the Speaker of the House and one member appointed by the House Minority Leader.

(b) A member of the Governor's leadership team appointed by the Governor.

(c) The following public members appointed by the Governor: individuals with a demonstrated interest and expertise in issues impacting children and youth, including at least one representative each from the fields of education, healthcare and wellness, housing and homelessness, workforce development, civic engagement, children's mental health, child welfare, pregnant and parenting youth, and juvenile justice.

(d) Additional public members appointed by the Governor with a demonstrated interest and expertise in issues impacting children and youth as follows: a service provider from an urban area; a service provider from a rural area; a representative of a child advocacy organization; a representative from a human rights organization; a representative of a faith-based service provider; a representative from a prevention advocacy organization; a representative from a philanthropic entity that invests in children and youth; at least 3 parents having children under the age of 16; and at least 3 young people between the ages of 16 and 24.

The following shall serve as ex-officio non-voting members of the Commission: the Director of Children and Family Services or his or her designee; the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee; the Director of Corrections or his or her designee; the Director of Employment Security or his or her designee; the Director of Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee; the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; the Director of Juvenile Justice or his or her designee; the Director of Public Health or his or her designee; and the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee; the Chair of the Illinois African-American Family Commission or his or her designee; and the Chair of the Latino Family Commission or his or her designee.

The Governor's office shall serve as the administrative home for the Commission and shall take responsibility for staffing the Commission, maintaining a record of the activities of the Commission, and reporting on the Commission's actions. Commission staff shall be responsible for facilitating meetings of the Commission as well as public hearings, developing and managing Commission workplans and related activities, and drafting related correspondence and reports on behalf of the Commission. Commission members, Commission staff, or both may confer and collaborate with relevant State and national organizations with expertise in child and youth development.

Section 20. Goals. The goals of the Commission shall include enhancing coordination of existing state programs and services and developing innovative strategies to achieve the following outcomes:

(1) Thriving: preventive health. All children and youth should have access to adequate health care and be educated on healthy lifestyle choices to prevent future illness and disease.

(2) Learning: education completion. All children and youth should have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and should receive appropriate individualized supports when they face challenges in doing so.

(3) Working: workforce development. All children and youth should have an opportunity for education, skill building, and work experience to prepare them for success in the workforce.

(4) Connecting: social and emotional development. All children and youth should have opportunities to develop essential social and emotional skills that allow them to communicate effectively, resolve conflict, and manage stress.

(5) Leading: civic engagement. All children and youth should have opportunities to build relationships with adults and their peers as well as cultivate leadership skills through service learning, mentoring, and other safe activities in their communities.

Section 25. Recommendations; factors. The Commission shall consider all of the following factors in its assessments and recommendations:

(1) Strategies to broaden access to programs and services to youth up through age 24.

(2) Disparities in access and outcomes that may be present along racial, ethnic, geographic, gender, or other variables.

(3) Mechanisms to ensure youth, family, and community input in the Commission process.

(4) Mechanisms for data collection and tracking that integrate data across programs and funding streams when possible.

(5) All other factors the Commission deems important to the positive development of children and youth.

Section 30. Reporting; timelines. The Commission shall issue an interim report to the constitutional officers and to members of the General Assembly on its activities, findings, and recommendations on or before December 31, 2009. A final report shall be issued on or before December 31, 2011.

Section 35. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2012.

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