101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2534

 

Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield

 

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, the Illinois State Board of Education, 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

 

HB2534LRB101 10455 KTG 55561 b

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, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the
11Department of Human Services Secretary shall, subject to
12appropriation, make grants to applicants for the purpose of
13carrying out Youthbuild programs as approved under this
14Section. All programs funded pursuant to the provisions of this
15Section shall reflect strong youth and community involvement.
16In addition, funding provided under this Section shall be used
17by each Youthbuild program to provide, at a minimum, the
18following services:
19        (a) Acquisition, rehabilitation, acquisition and
20    rehabilitation, or construction of housing and related
21    facilities to be used for the purpose of providing home
22    ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing
23    for homeless individuals, and low-income and very

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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