99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB0821

 

Introduced 2/5/2015, by Sen. Terry Link

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 1315/15

    Amends the Illinois Youthbuild Act. Directs the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Human Services (instead of only the Secretary of Human Services) to make grants to applicants for the purpose of carrying out Youthbuild programs. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Youthbuild Act is amended by
5changing Section 15 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 1315/15)
7    Sec. 15. Program requirements. The Department of Juvenile
8Justice, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,
9the Department of Corrections, the Department of
10Transportation, and the Department of Human Services Secretary
11shall, subject to appropriation, make grants to applicants for
12the purpose of carrying out Youthbuild programs as approved
13under this Section. All programs funded pursuant to the
14provisions of this Section shall reflect strong youth and
15community involvement. In addition, funding provided under
16this Section shall be used by each Youthbuild program to
17provide, at a minimum, the following services:
18        (a) Acquisition, rehabilitation, acquisition and
19    rehabilitation, or construction of housing and related
20    facilities to be used for the purpose of providing home
21    ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing
22    for homeless individuals, and low-income and very
23    low-income families, or transitional housing for persons

 

 

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1    who are homeless, have disabilities, are ill, are
2    deinstitutionalized, or have special needs, and
3    rehabilitation or construction of community facilities
4    owned by not-for-profit or public agencies.
5        (b) Integrated education and job skills training
6    services and activities which are evenly divided within the
7    program, with 50% of students' time spent in
8    classroom-based instruction, counseling, and leadership
9    development instruction and 50% of their time spent in
10    experiential training on the construction site. The
11    programs shall include, at a minimum, the following
12    elements:
13            (1) An education component which includes basic
14        skills instruction, secondary education services, and
15        other activities designed to lead to the attainment of
16        a high school diploma or its equivalent. The curriculum
17        for this component shall include math, language arts,
18        vocational education, life skills training, social
19        studies related to the cultural and community history
20        of the students, leadership skills, and other topics at
21        the discretion of the programs. Bilingual services
22        shall be available for individuals with
23        limited-English proficiency. The desired minimum
24        teacher to student ratio shall be one teacher for every
25        18 students.
26            (2) A work experience and skills training

 

 

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1        component program that includes the construction and
2        rehabilitation activities described in subsection (a).
3        The process of construction must be coupled with skills
4        training and with close on-site supervision by
5        experienced trainers. The curriculum for this
6        component shall contain a set of locally agreed upon
7        skills and competencies that are systematically
8        taught, with a student's mastery assessed individually
9        on a regular, ongoing basis. Safety skills shall be
10        taught at the outset. The desired trainer to student
11        ratio shall be one trainer for every 7 students. The
12        work experience and skills training component shall be
13        coordinated to the maximum extent feasible with
14        preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
15            (3) Assistance in attaining post secondary
16        education and required financial aid shall be made
17        available to participants prior to graduation.
18        (c) Counseling services designed to assist
19    participants to positively participate in society, which
20    should include all of the following if necessary: outreach,
21    assessment, and orientation; individual and peer
22    counseling; life skills training, drug and alcohol abuse
23    education and prevention; and referral to appropriate drug
24    rehabilitation, medical, mental health, legal, housing,
25    and other services and resources in the community. The
26    desired counselor to participant ratio shall be one

 

 

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1    counselor for every 28 students.
2        (d) Leadership development training that provides
3    participants with meaningful opportunities to develop
4    leadership skills such as decision making, problem
5    solving, and negotiating. The program must also encourage
6    participants to develop strong peer group ties that support
7    their mutual pursuit of skills and values.
8        All programs must establish a youth council in which
9    participants are afforded opportunities to develop public
10    speaking and negotiating skills, and management and policy
11    making participation in specific aspects of the program.
12        (e) Stipends and wages. A training subsidy, living
13    allowance, or stipend that will be no less than minimum
14    wage must be provided to program participants for the time
15    spent at the worksite in construction training. For those
16    participants who receive public assistance, this training
17    subsidy, living allowance, or stipend will not affect their
18    housing benefits, medical benefits, child care benefits or
19    food stamp benefits. Stipends and wages may be distributed
20    in a manner that offers incentives for good performance.
21        (f) Full time participation in a Youthbuild program
22    shall be offered for a period of not less than 6 months and
23    not more than 24 months.
24        (g) A concentrated effort shall be made to find
25    construction, construction-related, and nonconstruction
26    jobs for all graduates of the program who have performed

 

 

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1    well. The skills training curriculum shall provide
2    participants with basic preparation for seeking and
3    maintaining a job. Follow-up counseling and assistance in
4    job-seeking shall also be provided to participants for at
5    least 12 months following graduation from the program.
6        (h) All programs serving 28 trainees or more are
7    required to have a full-time director responsible for the
8    coordination of all aspects of the Youthbuild program.
9(Source: P.A. 95-524, eff. 8-28-07.)
 
10    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
11becoming law.