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1 | AN ACT concerning State government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended | ||||||
5 | by adding Section 10-75 as follows: | ||||||
6 | (20 ILCS 1305/10-75 new) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 10-75. Homelessness supports in Illinois. | ||||||
8 | (a) The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (Office) is | ||||||
9 | created within the Department of Human Services to facilitate | ||||||
10 | the implementation of a strategic plan and initiatives aimed | ||||||
11 | at decreasing homelessness and unnecessary | ||||||
12 | institutionalization in Illinois, improving health and human | ||||||
13 | services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and | ||||||
14 | strengthening the safety nets that contribute to housing | ||||||
15 | stability. The Office shall be led by the State Homelessness | ||||||
16 | Chief Officer who shall report to the Secretary of the | ||||||
17 | Department. The Chief Officer shall also chair the Interagency | ||||||
18 | Task Force on Homelessness, co-chair the Community Advisory | ||||||
19 | Council on Homelessness, and lead the State's comprehensive | ||||||
20 | efforts related to homelessness prevention. The Chief Officer | ||||||
21 | shall serve as a policymaker and spokesperson on homelessness | ||||||
22 | prevention, including coordinating the multi-agency effort | ||||||
23 | through legislation, rules, and budgets and communicating with |
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1 | the General Assembly and federal and local leaders on these | ||||||
2 | critical issues. | ||||||
3 | (b) The Interagency Task Force on Homelessness is created | ||||||
4 | within the Department of Human Services to facilitate and | ||||||
5 | implement initiatives related to decreasing homelessness and | ||||||
6 | unnecessary institutionalization in this State, improve health | ||||||
7 | and human services outcomes for people who experience | ||||||
8 | homelessness, and strengthen the safety nets that contribute | ||||||
9 | to housing stability. The Task Force shall: | ||||||
10 | (1) Implement the State Plan which is aimed at | ||||||
11 | addressing homelessness and unnecessary | ||||||
12 | institutionalization with the goals of achieving | ||||||
13 | functional zero homelessness, improving health and human | ||||||
14 | services outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, | ||||||
15 | and strengthening the safety nets that contribute to | ||||||
16 | housing stability. | ||||||
17 | (2) Recommend policy, regulatory, and resource changes | ||||||
18 | necessary to accomplish goals and objectives laid out in | ||||||
19 | the State Plan. | ||||||
20 | (3) Serve within State government and in the State at | ||||||
21 | large as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness. | ||||||
22 | (4) Provide leadership for and collaborate with those | ||||||
23 | developing and implementing local plans to end | ||||||
24 | homelessness in Illinois, including, but not limited to, | ||||||
25 | the Community Advisory Council and its members. | ||||||
26 | (5) Recommend the resources needed for successful |
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1 | implementation and oversee that implementation. | ||||||
2 | (6) Recommend and promote effective interagency | ||||||
3 | collaboration and system integration to converge related | ||||||
4 | efforts, including coordination with the Illinois Youth | ||||||
5 | Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee, the Illinois | ||||||
6 | Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, and the Illinois | ||||||
7 | Commission to End Hunger on drafting policy | ||||||
8 | recommendations related to the intersection of | ||||||
9 | homelessness and poverty. | ||||||
10 | (7) Recommend needed policy, regulatory, and resource | ||||||
11 | distribution changes; make oversight recommendations that | ||||||
12 | will ensure accountability, results, and sustained | ||||||
13 | success; and develop specific proposals and | ||||||
14 | recommendations for action to provide to the Governor and | ||||||
15 | the General Assembly. | ||||||
16 | (d) The Task Force may solicit feedback from stakeholders, | ||||||
17 | customers, and advocates to inform Task Force recommendations | ||||||
18 | as necessary. | ||||||
19 | (e) On or before December 1, 2024, and each year | ||||||
20 | thereafter, the Task Force shall submit a report to the | ||||||
21 | Governor and General Assembly regarding the Task Force's work | ||||||
22 | during the year prior, any new recommendations developed by | ||||||
23 | the Task Force, any recommendations made by the Community | ||||||
24 | Advisory Council on Homelessness, and any key outcomes and | ||||||
25 | measures related to homelessness. | ||||||
26 | (f) The Task Force shall include the following members |
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1 | appointed by the Governor: | ||||||
2 | (1) The Chief Homelessness Officer, who shall serve as | ||||||
3 | Chair. | ||||||
4 | (2) The Secretary of Human Services, or his or her | ||||||
5 | designee. | ||||||
6 | (3) The Executive Director of the Illinois Housing | ||||||
7 | Development Authority, or his or her designee. | ||||||
8 | (4) The Director of Healthcare and Family Services, or | ||||||
9 | his or her designee. | ||||||
10 | (5) The Superintendent of the State Board of | ||||||
11 | Education, or his or her designee. | ||||||
12 | (6) The Executive Director of the Board of Higher | ||||||
13 | Education, or his or her designee. | ||||||
14 | (7) The Executive Director of the Illinois Community | ||||||
15 | College Board, or his or her designee. | ||||||
16 | (8) The Director of Corrections, or his or her | ||||||
17 | designee. | ||||||
18 | (9) The Director of Veterans' Affairs, or his or her | ||||||
19 | designee. | ||||||
20 | (10) The Director of Children and Family Services, or | ||||||
21 | his or her designee. | ||||||
22 | (11) The Director of Public Health, or his or her | ||||||
23 | designee. | ||||||
24 | (12) The Director of Aging, or his or her designee. | ||||||
25 | (13) The Director of Juvenile Justice, or his or her | ||||||
26 | designee. |
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1 | (14) The Director of Commerce and Economic | ||||||
2 | Opportunity, or his or her designee. | ||||||
3 | (15) The Director of Employment Security, or his or | ||||||
4 | her designee. | ||||||
5 | (16) The Director of the Illinois State Police, or his | ||||||
6 | or her designee. | ||||||
7 | (17) The Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal | ||||||
8 | Justice Authority, or his or her designee. | ||||||
9 | (18) The Director of the Office of Management and | ||||||
10 | Budget, or his or her designee. | ||||||
11 | (g) The Task Force shall also include the following | ||||||
12 | members: | ||||||
13 | (1) One member appointed by the President of the | ||||||
14 | Senate. | ||||||
15 | (2) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the | ||||||
16 | Senate. | ||||||
17 | (3) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House | ||||||
18 | of Representatives. | ||||||
19 | (4) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the | ||||||
20 | House of Representatives. | ||||||
21 | (h) The Chair of the Task Force may appoint additional | ||||||
22 | representatives from State agencies as needed. | ||||||
23 | (i)
The Task Force shall meet at the call of the chair, at | ||||||
24 | least 4 times per year. Members shall serve without | ||||||
25 | compensation. | ||||||
26 | (j) The Task Force may establish subcommittees to address |
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1 | specific issues or populations and may collaborate with | ||||||
2 | individuals with relevant expertise who are not members of the | ||||||
3 | Task Force to assist the subcommittee in carrying out its | ||||||
4 | duties. | ||||||
5 | (k) The Department of Human Services shall provide | ||||||
6 | administrative support to the Task Force. | ||||||
7 | (l) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to contravene | ||||||
8 | any federal or State law or regulation. Unless specifically | ||||||
9 | referenced in this Act, nothing in this Act shall affect or | ||||||
10 | alter the existing statutory powers of any State agency or be | ||||||
11 | construed as a reassignment or reorganization of any State | ||||||
12 | agency. | ||||||
13 | (m) Community Advisory Council. The Community Advisory | ||||||
14 | Council on Homelessness is created within the Department of | ||||||
15 | Human Services to make recommendations to the Interagency Task | ||||||
16 | Force on Homelessness regarding homelessness and unnecessary | ||||||
17 | institutionalization with the goals of achieving functional | ||||||
18 | zero homelessness, improving health and human services | ||||||
19 | outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and | ||||||
20 | strengthening the safety nets that contribute to housing | ||||||
21 | stability. | ||||||
22 | (1) The Advisory Council shall be co-chaired by the | ||||||
23 | Chief Homelessness Officer and a member of the Advisory | ||||||
24 | Council designated by the Governor. The Advisory Council | ||||||
25 | shall consist of all of the following members appointed by | ||||||
26 | the Governor. Members appointed to the Advisory Council |
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1 | must reflect the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity | ||||||
2 | of this State. The Chief may include any State agency | ||||||
3 | staff that they deem necessary as ex officio, nonvoting | ||||||
4 | members of the Community Advisory Council. | ||||||
5 | (A) Three members with lived experience of | ||||||
6 | homelessness or housing insecurity, which may include, | ||||||
7 | but are not limited to, formerly incarcerated persons, | ||||||
8 | veterans, and youth (16 to 25 years old). | ||||||
9 | (B) One member representing individuals with | ||||||
10 | disabilities. | ||||||
11 | (C) Two members representing the philanthropic | ||||||
12 | private funding sector. | ||||||
13 | (D) One member representing a statewide behavioral | ||||||
14 | health advocacy organization. | ||||||
15 | (E) One member representing a statewide housing | ||||||
16 | advocacy organization. | ||||||
17 | (F) At least 2 members representing local | ||||||
18 | Continuums of Care. | ||||||
19 | (G) At least 3 members representing local units of | ||||||
20 | government (municipal, county, or township). | ||||||
21 | (H) One member representing an organization that | ||||||
22 | supports victims of domestic violence. | ||||||
23 | (I) A minimum of 4 members representing providers | ||||||
24 | of the homeless response system inclusive of, but not | ||||||
25 | limited to, emergency supportive housing, rapid | ||||||
26 | rehousing, permanent supportive housing, homeless |
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1 | youth programs, and homeless prevention. | ||||||
2 | (J) Two members, who may or may not meet the | ||||||
3 | qualification requirements for the other appointees. | ||||||
4 | The Advisory Council shall meet at least 4 times per year. | ||||||
5 | (2) Members shall serve without compensation, but | ||||||
6 | public members may be reimbursed for reasonable and | ||||||
7 | necessary travel expenses connected to Task Force | ||||||
8 | business. Persons with lived experience of homelessness | ||||||
9 | and housing insecurity, who are not otherwise compensated | ||||||
10 | by employers to attend the Community Advisory Council, | ||||||
11 | shall receive compensation for each quarterly Council | ||||||
12 | meeting attended. | ||||||
13 | (3) The meetings of the Advisory Council shall be | ||||||
14 | conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 | ||||||
15 | of the Open Meetings Act. The Department of Human Services | ||||||
16 | shall provide staff and administrative support to assist | ||||||
17 | the Advisory Council in carrying out its duties. | ||||||
18 | (4) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to | ||||||
19 | contravene any federal or State law or regulation. Unless | ||||||
20 | specifically referenced in this Act, nothing in this Act | ||||||
21 | shall affect or alter the existing statutory powers of any | ||||||
22 | State agency or be construed as a reassignment or | ||||||
23 | reorganization of any State agency. | ||||||
24 | (5) On or before November 15, 2023, and each year | ||||||
25 | thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit | ||||||
26 | recommendations to the Interagency Task Force on |
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1 | Homelessness.
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2 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
3 | becoming law. |