Rep. André Thapedi

Filed: 5/6/2019

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1621

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1621 as follows:
 
3on page 1, immediately below line 3, by inserting the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 2020
6Census Grant Program Act.
 
7    Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
8finds that:
9        (1) Section 2 of Article 1 of the United States
10    Constitution requires a non-biased and nonpolitical
11    enumeration of the population of the United States every 10
12    years, which is known as the federal decennial census;
13        (2) the federal decennial census is important because
14    census figures affect congressional representation, State
15    redistricting, federal formula grant allocations, State

 

 

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1    funding to local governments, local programs, and planning
2    activities for the next 10 years;
3        (3) the federal decennial census not only counts
4    population, but also: (i) establishes representation
5    decisions for federal, State, and local governments; (ii)
6    is the basis upon which federal funding is allocated for
7    programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the National
8    School Lunch Program; and (iii) guides business decisions
9    regarding labor pools and investment choices;
10        (4) because federal decennial census data are used in
11    political, business, and social welfare contexts, the
12    accuracy of the count is critical;
13        (5) Congress has underfunded the U.S. Commerce
14    Department's budget to conduct the 2020 Census, causing the
15    Census Bureau to cancel certain preparations that would
16    test the Census Bureau's new digital tools;
17        (6) the Census Bureau plans for 80% of the country to
18    receive communications that urge a response to the census
19    via the Internet;
20        (7) the Census Bureau's reliance on the Internet is
21    worrisome because 21% of rural households do not currently
22    have Internet access at home, putting rural residents at
23    risk of being undercounted;
24        (8) in fiscal year 2015, the 50 states and the District
25    of Columbia received $589,700,000,000 from 16 large
26    federal assistance programs that allocate funds on the

 

 

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1    basis of federal decennial census–derived statistics;
2        (9) according to the George Washington University
3    Institute for Public Policy, in fiscal year 2015, Illinois
4    received $19,738,866,367, or approximately $1,535 per
5    capita, for 16 major federal assistance programs that
6    distribute funds based on federal decennial census-derived
7    statistics;
8        (10) a complete and accurate count of all Illinois
9    residents in the 2020 Census is vital to ensure fair
10    political representation and distribution of funding in
11    Illinois;
12        (11) historically, it has been more difficult to reach
13    and enumerate certain groups as part of the federal
14    decennial census, including, but not limited to, racial and
15    ethnic minorities, persons who do not speak English
16    fluently, lower income persons, homeless persons,
17    undocumented immigrants, young mobile persons, children,
18    persons who are distrustful of the government, and LGBTQ
19    persons;
20        (12) a geographic area is considered hard-to-count if
21    the area's self-response rate in the 2010 decennial census
22    was 73% or less;
23        (13) according to the Census 2020 hard-to-count map
24    application developed by the City University of New York
25    Mapping Service, approximately 16% of Illinoisans are
26    hard-to-count and face a high likelihood of being

 

 

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1    undercounted;
2        (14) there are census tracts in jurisdictions
3    throughout the State where achieving an accurate count of
4    the population is challenging, including the counties of
5    Cook, DeKalb, Pulaski, Kankakee, Peoria, Alexander,
6    Jackson, Coles, Champaign, St. Clair, McDonough,
7    Winnebago, and Lake;
8        (15) the U.S. Government Accountability Office added
9    the 2020 Census to the High Risk list because of concerns
10    about funding and effective operations, increasing
11    concerns about an undercount of the population; and
12        (16) adequate funding is necessary to ensure a complete
13    and accurate count of all people in this State, and it is
14    the intent of the General Assembly that existing
15    governmental outreach and education efforts be used to
16    facilitate a complete count for the 2020 Census.
 
17    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
18    "2020 Census" means the decennial census conducted by the
19United States Census Bureau in the year 2020 to determine the
20number of people living in the United States for purposes of
21apportionment of representatives in the House of
22Representatives.
23    "Grant Panel" means the 2020 Census Grant Program Panel.
 
24    Section 15. 2020 Census Grant Program.

 

 

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1    (a) There is created the 2020 Census Grant Program for the
2purpose of issuing grants to units of local government and
3nonprofit organizations to support the accurate counting of the
4population of the State and its local jurisdictions, and the
5collection of basic demographic and housing information of the
6population of this State for the 2020 Census.
7    (b) There is created the 2020 Census Grant Program Panel.
8The Grant Panel shall consist of the following members:
9        (i) one member appointed by the Governor;
10        (ii) one member appointed by the President of the
11    Senate;
12        (iii) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of
13    the Senate;
14        (iv) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House
15    of Representatives; and
16        (v) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
17    House of Representatives.
18    The 5 members of the Grant Panel appointed under this
19subsection (b) shall meet and elect a chair from among their
20number.
21    (c) The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
22shall provide staff and administrative support for the Grant
23Panel. A member of the Grant Panel shall not receive
24compensation for service as a member of the Grant Panel, but is
25entitled to reimbursement for necessary travel expenses
26incurred by the member.

 

 

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1    (d) On or before July 1, 2019, a unit of local government
2or nonprofit organization may apply to the Grant Panel for
3funds to support the accurate counting of the population of its
4jurisdiction or the State and the collection of basic
5demographic and housing information of the population of the
6State for the 2020 Census.
7    (e) On or before August 1, 2019, the Grant Panel shall
8award funds, in an amount determined by the Grant Panel, to
9units of local government and nonprofit organizations for
10approved applications.
11    (f) The Grant Panel shall notify units of local government
12of the 2020 Census Grant Program. Units of local government
13receiving notice from the Grant Panel under this subsection (f)
14shall notify nonprofit organizations within the jurisdiction
15of the unit of local government of the 2020 Census Grant
16Program.
17    (g) For fiscal year 2020, the Governor shall include in the
18annual State budget for the 2020 Census Grant Program an
19appropriation of $33,000,000.
 
20    Section 20. Program application.
21    (a) Applicants for these grants shall use the grant
22application format prepared and made available by the Grant
23Panel for this purpose. The applications will be available on
24the website of the Department of Commerce and Economic
25Opportunity. Public agencies and private sector entities shall

 

 

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1be eligible to apply for these grants. Each applicant shall
2describe itself, whether it is a public agency or private
3sector entity. Each private sector entity shall describe
4itself, including its legal status (corporation, joint
5venture, partnership, or not-for-profit) and its mission. All
6private sector entities must be authorized to do business in
7the State of Illinois or, if a not-for-profit entity,
8authorized to conduct affairs in Illinois. Applicants shall
9designate that they are applying for a grant to encourage
10census participation in hard to count communities and of hard
11to count persons, and shall designate the amount of grant funds
12being requested. Each application shall include a detailed,
13narrative statement describing the proposed use of the grant
14funds. Each applicant also shall provide:
15        (1) project director name, with contact information;
16        (2) description of ability to administer the Grant;
17        (3) project title;
18        (4) project description;
19        (5) target audience and need;
20        (6) project schedule;
21        (7) methods for evaluating outcome; and
22        (8) proposed budget, details, and explanation of
23    expenses.
24    (b) Grant applicants must demonstrate in their grant
25applications that they have satisfactorily met all
26requirements set forth in this Section, and they possess the

 

 

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1administrative capacity to perform the program, fiscal and
2reporting functions stipulated in this Section.
3    (c) The Grant Panel may deny a grant application if the
4requirements in this Section are not met, or are inadequately
5met. The Grant Panel shall not discriminate on the basis of
6race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin,
7disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military
8status in the awarding of grants.
9    (d) Grant applications not submitted in the required format
10by the deadline date set forth in subsection (d) of Section 15,
11or not completed, shall not be considered for funding by the
12Grant Panel.
13    (e) This shall be a competitive grant application process.
14A grant review committee shall review all grant applications
15and make recommendations to the Grant Panel rewarding grant
16awards. The following requirements shall apply to the grant
17review committee:
18        (1) The grant review committee shall consist of
19    personnel of the Department of Commerce and Economic
20    Opportunity, designated members of the Complete Count
21    Commission, and, at the discretion of the Grant Panel,
22    additional qualified reviewers.
23        (2) Any additional reviewers shall be selected based on
24    their academic qualifications and their vocational and
25    volunteer experience related to the subject matter of the
26    grant.

 

 

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1        (3) No person shall serve on a grant review committee
2    if that person is an applicant for the grant, is employed
3    by an applicant for the grant, has an ownership interest in
4    or receives income from an applicant for the grant, or is
5    related more closely than the fifth degree of consanguinity
6    (second cousins) to an owner or employee of an applicant
7    for the grant.
8        (4) Members of the grant review committee shall
9    independently consider the following criteria, and assign
10    weighted scores up to the total amount of points indicated:
11            (A) Abstract. Does the project overview
12        appropriately communicate the proposed project? (25
13        points)
14            (B) Administrative capacity. Does the applicant
15        have adequate experience and qualifications to
16        accomplish the proposed project? Is the applicant a
17        known and trusted voice in the community to be served?
18        (100 points)
19            (C) Project description. Has the applicant
20        provided a comprehensive description of the project,
21        including details about methods, activities, and
22        services to be provided in light of the legislative
23        findings of Section 5? If the applicant is partnering
24        with any other entity, is that partnership fully
25        explained, and are those entities known and trusted
26        voices in the communities to be served? (200 points)

 

 

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1            (D) Target audience and need. Has the applicant
2        identified the intended audience and its need for
3        services proposed? With regard to grant applications
4        to encourage participation in the census, and noting
5        that based on the latest census estimates
6        approximately 16% of Illinois' current population
7        lives in hard-to-count neighborhoods, has the
8        applicant set forth a plan for identifying and working
9        in these hard-to-count neighborhoods? (500 points)
10            (E) Project schedule. Does the applicant's
11        timeline clearly illustrate appropriate scheduling of
12        proposed actions and activities? (50 points)
13            (F) Evaluation. Is the methodology and strategy
14        that the applicant will use to evaluate the success of
15        the project reasonable? (25 points)
16            (G) Budget. Is the proposed budget reasonable,
17        necessary, appropriate, and adequate to perform the
18        proposed services? (100 points)
19        For purposes of this grant application and review
20    process:
21        "Community provider" means an entity that has the
22    capability to provide services or goods to designated
23    communities as necessary to complete the requirements of
24    the grant.
25        "Census participation" means the act of responding to
26    the census questionnaire by mail, phone, or online.

 

 

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1    (f) The total sum appropriated for a particular purpose may
2be awarded to a single applicant, or that sum may be divided
3into awards to multiple applicants. If grants are awarded to
4multiple applicants, each selected application shall be funded
5according to the amount of funding available based on the
6comparative demonstrated need, experience executing the
7proposed program or plan, and projected outcomes.
8    (g) All grant applicants shall be notified whether or not
9their application has been approved. The decision of the Grant
10Panel regarding the award of grants under this Section is
11final.
12    (h) The Grant Panel shall notify the submitting entity when
13an application is approved. All approved applicants shall enter
14into a grant agreement provided by the Grant Panel before any
15grant funds will be distributed.
 
16    Section 25. Grant reporting requirements.
17    (a) As stipulated by the grant agreement, the following
18reports shall be completed and transmitted to the Department of
19Commerce and Economic Opportunity by each grant recipient:
20        (1) monthly narrative and financial reports showing
21    expenditures made from grant funds by line item;
22        (2) a final financial report showing all expenditures
23    of grant funds and the return of any non-expended grant
24    funds; and
25        (3) a final narrative report evaluating the degree to

 

 

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1    which the grantee achieved the goals and objectives of the
2    project.
3    (b) The Grant Panel may request additional information and
4data from any grant applicant.
5    (c) Grants awarded under this Section are subject to the
6Grant Accountability and Transparency Act, and the Grant Panel
7shall not consider grant applications submitted by entities
8included in the Illinois Debarred and Suspended List maintained
9by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget.
10    (d) Grant recipients shall maintain books and records
11relating to the expenditure of grant funds. Books and records,
12including information stored in computer systems, shall be
13maintained by the grant recipient for a period of 3 years from
14the later of the date of the final grant payment or the
15completion of the projects for which the grant was issued.
16Books and records required to be maintained under this Section
17shall be available for review or audit by the Department of
18Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Attorney General, or the
19Auditor General. Failure to maintain books and records required
20by this Section shall establish a presumption in favor of the
21Grant Panel for the recovery of any grant funds, attorney's
22fees, and costs paid by the Grant Panel or its designee.
23    (e) Grants made under this Section are subject to the
24provisions of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. Actions
25brought under that Act may include, but are not limited to, a
26grant recipient's failure to spend funds in accordance with the

 

 

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1application or approved amendment or the failure to comply with
2reporting procedures stipulated in this Section. If a provision
3of this Section conflicts with a provision of the Illinois
4Grant Funds Recovery Act, then the provision of the Illinois
5Grant Funds Recovery Act controls.
6    (f) Obligations of the Grant Panel to fund this Grant
7Program will cease immediately without penalty or further
8payment being required if the funds for the grants are not
9available to the Grant Panel.
 
10    Section 30. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1,
112022."; and
 
12on page 1, line 4, by replacing "Section 5." with "Section
13100."; and
 
14on page 6, line 26, by replacing "Section 99." with "Section
15999.".