Rep. Harry Benton

Filed: 3/22/2024

 

 


 

 


 
10300HB5256ham001LRB103 39469 SPS 71108 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5256

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5256 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Department of Central Management Services
5Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by
6adding Section 405-122.1 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 405/405-122.1 new)
8    Sec. 405-122.1. Fellowship program for persons with a
9disability. The Department shall, by rule, establish a
10fellowship program through which persons with a disability may
11attain employment with a State agency. A participant in the
12fellowship program shall be employed by a State agency for a
136-month period in a position determined by the State agency in
14collaboration with the program participant. The program
15participant shall be considered an at-will employee of the
16State agency and may be terminated by the State agency at any

 

 

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1time for cause. After the 6-month period, the State agency
2shall consider the program participant for permanent
3employment. Unless otherwise required by law, a State agency
4considering a program participant for permanent employment
5shall evaluate the program participant based on work performed
6during the fellowship and shall not require the program
7participant to perform any additional pre-employment
8interviews or examinations.
 
9    Section 10. The Personnel Code is amended by changing
10Section 17b as follows:
 
11    (20 ILCS 415/17b)
12    Sec. 17b. Trainee program for persons with a disability.
13    (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and
14after July 1, 2020, each State agency with 1,500 employees or
15more shall, and each executive branch constitutional officer
16may, offer at least one position per year to be filled by a
17person with a disability, as defined by the federal Americans
18with Disabilities Act, through an established trainee program.
19Agencies with fewer than 1,500 employees may also elect to
20participate in the program. The trainee position shall last
21for a period of at least 6 months and shall require the trainee
22to participate in the trainee program for at least 20 hours per
23week. The program shall be administered by the Department of
24Central Management Services. The Department of Central

 

 

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1Management Services shall conduct an initial assessment of
2potential candidates, and the hiring agency or officer shall
3conduct a final assessment. Upon successful completion of the
4trainee program, the respective agency or officer shall
5certify completion of the trainee program, with final approval
6provided by the Department of Central Management Services.
7Individuals who successfully complete a trainee appointment
8under this Section are eligible for promotion to the target
9title without further examination. The Department of Central
10Management Services, in cooperation with the Employment and
11Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force,
12may adopt rules to implement and administer the trainee
13program for persons with disabilities, including, but not
14limited to, establishing non-political selection criteria,
15implementing an assessment and interview process, if
16necessary, that accommodates persons with a disability, and
17linking trainee programs to targeted full-time position
18titles.
19    (b) The Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons
20with Disabilities Task Force shall prepare an annual report to
21be submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly that
22includes: (1) best practices for helping persons with a
23disability gain employment; (2) proposed rules for adoption by
24the Department of Central Management Services for the
25administration and implementation of the trainee program under
26this Section; (3) the number of agencies that participated in

 

 

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1the trainee program under this Section in the previous
2calendar year; and (4) the number of individuals who
3participated in the trainee program who became full-time
4employees of the State at the conclusion of the trainee
5program.
6    (c) For the purposes of this Section, "disability" has the
7meaning ascribed to that term in the federal Americans with
8Disabilities Act. "Disability" includes a diagnosis of Autism
9Spectrum Disorder by a medical professional.
10(Source: P.A. 103-108, eff. 6-27-23.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.".