HJ0008 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0008 LRB095 06664 RLC 26772 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution 107 which established a Legislative Task Force on Employment of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions was adopted unanimously by both houses of the Ninety-Fourth General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, The Legislative Task Force on Employment of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions was directed to: examine the barriers faced by persons with past criminal convictions with respect to obtaining employment; conduct public hearings; evaluate those recommendations made by the Governor's Statewide Community Safety and Reentry Working Group; and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly in a final report which was to be filed on or before January 1, 2007; and

WHEREAS, The Legislative Task Force on Employment of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions did not have sufficient time to carry out its duties before the January 1, 2007 date set for its Report and Recommendations and before the final adjournment of the Ninety-Fourth General Assembly on January 9, 2007; and

WHEREAS, The Ninety-Fifth General Assembly needs to reauthorize the Legislative Task Force on Employment of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions with the same membership and charge as the Task Force authorized by HJR 107 of the Ninety-Fourth General Assembly and set the date for the Report and Recommendations as on or before October 31, 2007; and

WHEREAS, As stated in HJR 107, the barriers to employment and job promotion for persons with criminal convictions remain extremely complex issues, involving, among others, public employers at all levels of government, private employers, labor organizations, education and training institutions, public safety officials, public and private licensing and certification bodies, insurers, employment placement agencies, custodians of and users of arrest and conviction records, drug treatment agencies, and persons with criminal records; and

WHEREAS, As stated in HJR 107, a thorough examination of the barriers to employment for people with criminal conviction records and a thorough study of ways in which such barriers could be lowered or eliminated without exposing employers, individuals, the general public, or property to unreasonable risk is warranted; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is hereby established a Legislative Task Force on Employment of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall have the following members: 12 voting members, as follows: 3 members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, 3 members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, 3 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 3 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House Minority Leader; and be it further

RESOLVED, That any member of the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly who was previously appointed to the Legislative Task Force established by HJR 107 of the Ninety-Fourth General Assembly shall remain as member of the Task Force, unless the individual who holds the position responsible for making the appointment determines otherwise; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all actions of the Task Force require the affirmative vote of at least 7 voting members; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the following persons shall serve without compensation as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Task Force:

(A) The Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, or his or her designee;

(B) The Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, or his or her designee;

(C) The Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services, or his or her designee;

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

(E) The Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, or his or her designee;

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

(G) The Chairman of the Illinois Human Rights Commission, or his or her designee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the departments of State government and the Illinois Human Rights Commission represented on the Task Force shall work cooperatively to provide administrative support for the Task Force, and the Department of Employment Security shall be the primary agency in providing that support; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the voting members of the Task Force shall select a chairperson; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall conduct public hearings and examine the barriers faced by persons with past criminal convictions with respect to obtaining employment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall evaluate those recommendations made by the Governor's Statewide Community Safety and Reentry Working Group; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly in a final report which shall be filed on or before October 31, 2007; the requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report with the Speaker, the Minority Leader and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the President, the Minority Leader and the Secretary of the Senate and the Legislative Research Unit, as required by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and filing additional copies with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly as required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) An assessment of those collateral consequences of a criminal conviction which impede employment of persons with past criminal convictions, and the experiences of other states in addressing this issue;

(2) An assessment of the preparation for gainful employment provided to those incarcerated in Illinois correctional facilities, and the experiences of other states in addressing this issue;

(3) An identification of the barriers which impede those with criminal records from obtaining stable employment; and

(4) Recommendations for legislative changes necessary to facilitate the employment of persons with past criminal convictions which, if implemented, would not expose the employer, an individual, the general public, or property to unreasonable risks; and be it further

RESOLVED, That within 60 days after the filing of the report, the appropriate standing committees of both the House and the Senate shall hold hearings to consider the recommendations made by the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the ex-officio members of the Task Force.