SB1551 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 30564 SPS 56998 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1551

Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Terri Bryant

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 730/5-5
20 ILCS 730/5-20
20 ILCS 730/5-25

Amends the Energy Transition Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create a network of 15 (rather than 13) Program delivery Hub Sites, including one Hub Site located in or near Nashville and Ina. Provides that the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program and the Clean Jobs Curriculum shall include a focus on digital infrastructure, including broadband and fiber optic infrastructure jobs. Provides that quarterly reports on Program performance metrics shall include demographic data on Program applicants and the acceptance rates across these demographics. Provides that the Clean Jobs Curriculum Provides that the definition of "equity focused populations" includes spouses and significant others of displaced energy workers. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Energy Transition Act is amended by changing Sections 5-5, 5-20, 5-25, and 5-35 as follows:

(20 ILCS 730/5-5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)

Sec. 5-5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Apprentice" means a participant in an apprenticeship program approved by and registered with the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

"Apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship and training program approved by and registered with the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

"Black, indigenous, and people of color" or "BIPOC" means people who are members of the groups described in subparagraphs (a) through (e) of paragraph (A) of subsection (1) of Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act.

"Community-based organizations" means an organization that: (1) provides employment, skill development, or related services to members of the community; (2) includes community colleges, nonprofits, and local governments; (3) has at least one main operating office in the community or region it serves; and (4) demonstrates relationships with local residents and other organizations serving the community.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, unless the text solely specifies a particular Department.

"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Equity eligible contractor" or "eligible contractor" means:

(1) a business that is majority-owned by equity investment eligible individuals or persons who are or have been participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, or Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program;

(2) a nonprofit or cooperative that is majority-governed by equity investment eligible individuals or persons who are or have been participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, or Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program; or

(3) an equity investment eligible person or an individual who is or has been a participant in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, or Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program and who is offering personal services as an independent contractor.

"Equity focused populations" means (i) low-income persons; (ii) persons residing in equity investment eligible communities; (iii) persons who identify as black, indigenous, and people of color; (iv) formerly convicted persons; (v) persons who are or were in the child welfare system; (vi) energy workers; (vii) dependents of displaced energy workers; (viii) women; (ix) LGBTQ+, transgender, or gender nonconforming persons; (x) persons with disabilities; and (xi) members of any of these groups who are also youth; and (xii) spouses and significant others of displaced energy workers.

"Equity investment eligible community" and "eligible community" are synonymous and mean the geographic areas throughout Illinois which would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination and foster sustainable economic growth. Specifically, the eligible community means the following areas:

(1) R3 Areas as established pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, where residents have historically been excluded from economic opportunities, including opportunities in the energy sector; and

(2) Environmental justice communities, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power Agency Act, but excluding racial and ethnic indicators, where residents have historically been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution from the energy sector.

"Equity investment eligible person" and "eligible person" are synonymous and mean the persons who would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination and foster sustainable economic growth. Specifically, eligible persons means the following people:

(1) persons whose primary residence is in an equity investment eligible community;

(2) persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system; or

(3) persons who were formerly incarcerated.

"Climate Works Hub" means a nonprofit organization selected by the Department to act as a workforce intermediary and to participate in the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program. To qualify as a Climate Works Hub, the organization must demonstrate the following:

(1) the ability to effectively serve diverse and underrepresented populations, including by providing employment services to such populations;

(2) experience with the construction and building trades;

(3) the ability to recruit, prescreen, and provide preapprenticeship training to prepare workers for employment in the construction and building trades; and

(4) a plan to provide the following:

(A) preparatory classes;

(B) workplace readiness skills, such as resume preparation and interviewing techniques;

(C) strategies for overcoming barriers to entry and completion of an apprenticeship program; and

(D) any prerequisites for acceptance into an apprenticeship program.

(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)

(20 ILCS 730/5-20)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)

Sec. 5-20. Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program.

(a) As used in this Section, "Program" means the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall develop and, through Regional Administrators, administer the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program to create a network of 15 13 Program delivery Hub Sites with program elements delivered by community-based organizations and their subcontractors geographically distributed across the State including at least one Hub Site located in or near each of the following areas: Chicago (South Side), Chicago (Southwest and West Sides), Waukegan, Rockford, Aurora, Joliet, Peoria, Champaign, Danville, Decatur, Carbondale, East St. Louis, and Alton, Nashville, and Ina.

(c) In admitting program participants, for each workforce Hub Site, the Regional Administrators shall:

(1) in each Hub Site where the applicant pool allows:

(A) dedicate at least one-third of program placements to applicants who reside in a geographic area that is impacted by economic and environmental challenges, defined as an area that is both (i) an R3 Area, as defined pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, and (ii) an environmental justice community, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used by the agency unless and until the constitutional basis for their inclusion in determining program admissions is established. Among applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants who face barriers to employment, such as low educational attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legal system, and language barriers; and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system; and

(B) dedicate at least two-thirds of program placements to applicants that satisfy the criteria in paragraph (1) or who reside in a geographic area that is impacted by economic or environmental challenges, defined as an area that is either (i) an R3 Area, as defined pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, or (ii) an environmental justice community, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency, excluding any racial or ethnic indicators used by the agency unless and until the constitutional basis for their inclusion in determining program admissions is established. Among applicants that satisfy these criteria, preference shall be given to applicants who face barriers to employment, such as low educational attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legal system, and language barriers; and applicants that are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system; and

(2) prioritize the remaining program placements for: applicants who are displaced energy workers as defined in the Energy Community Reinvestment Act; persons who face barriers to employment, including low educational attainment, prior involvement with the criminal legal system, and language barriers; and applicants who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system, regardless of the applicant's area of residence.

The Department and Regional Administrators shall protect the confidentiality of any personal information provided by program applicants regarding the applicant's status as a formerly incarcerated person or foster care recipient; however, the Department or Regional Administrators may publish aggregated data on the number of participants that were formerly incarcerated or foster care recipients so long as that publication protects the identities of those persons.

Any person who applies to the program may elect not to share with the Department or Regional Administrators whether he or she is a graduate or currently enrolled in the foster care system or was formerly convicted.

(d) Program elements for each Hub Site shall be provided by a community-based organization. The Department shall initially select a community-based organization in each Hub Site and shall subsequently select a community-based organization in each Hub Site every 3 years. Community-based organizations delivering program elements outlined in subsection (e) may provide all elements required or may subcontract to other entities for provision of portions of program elements, including, but not limited to, administrative soft and hard skills for program participants, delivery of specific training in the core curriculum, or provision of other support functions for program delivery compliance.

(e) The Clean Jobs Workforce Hubs Network shall:

(1) coordinate with Energy Transition Navigators: (i) to increase participation in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program and clean energy, broadband and fiber optic infrastructure, and related sector workforce and training opportunities; (ii) coordinate recruitment, communications, and ongoing engagement with potential employers, including, but not limited to, activities such as job matchmaking initiatives, hosting events such as job fairs, and collaborating with other Hub Sites to identify and implement best practices for employer engagement; and (iii) leverage community-based organizations, educational institutions, and community-based and labor-based training providers to ensure program-eligible individuals across the State have dedicated and sustained support to enter and complete the career pipeline for clean energy, broadband and fiber optic infrastructure, and related sector jobs;

(2) develop formal partnerships, including formal sector partnerships between community-based organizations and entities that provide clean energy and broadband and fiber optic infrastructure jobs, including businesses, nonprofit organizations, and worker-owned cooperatives, to ensure that Program participants have priority access to employment training and hiring opportunities; and

(3) implement the Clean Jobs and Digital Infrastructure Curriculum to provide, including, but not limited to, training, certification preparation, job readiness, and skill development, including soft skills, math skills, technical skills, certification test preparation, and other development needed, to Program participants.

(f) Funding for the Program is subject to appropriation from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund.

(g) The Department shall require submission of quarterly reports, including program performance metrics by each Hub Site to the Regional Administrator of their Program Delivery Area. Program performance metrics include, but are not limited to:

(1) demographic data, including racial, gender, residency in eligible communities, and geographic distribution data, on Program trainees entering and graduating the Program;

(2) demographic data, including racial, gender, residency in eligible communities, and geographic distribution data, on Program trainees who are placed in employment, including the percentages of trainees by race, gender, and geographic categories in each individual job type or category and whether employment is union, nonunion, or nonunion via temporary agency;

(3) trainee job acquisition and retention statistics, including the duration of employment (start and end dates of hires) by race, gender, and geography;

(4) hourly wages, including hourly overtime pay rate, and benefits of trainees placed into employment by race, gender, and geography;

(5) percentage of jobs by race, gender, and geography held by Program trainees or graduates that are full-time equivalent positions, meaning that the position held is full-time, direct, and permanent based on 2,080 hours worked per year (paid directly by the employer, whose activities, schedule, and manner of work the employer controls, and receives pay and benefits in the same manner as permanent employees); and

(6) qualitative data consisting of open-ended reporting on pertinent issues, including, but not limited to, qualitative descriptions accompanying metrics or identifying key successes and challenges; and .

(7) demographic data on Program applicants and the acceptance rates across these demographics.

(h) Within 3 years after the effective date of this Act, the Department shall select an independent evaluator to review and prepare a report on the performance of the Program and Regional Administrators.

(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)

(20 ILCS 730/5-25)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on September 15, 2045)

Sec. 5-25. Clean Jobs and Digital Infrastructure Curriculum.

(a) As used in this Section, "clean energy and digital infrastructure jobs", subject to administrative rules, means jobs in the solar energy, wind energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, solar thermal, green hydrogen, geothermal, electric vehicle industries, other renewable energy industries, industries achieving emission reductions, broadband and fiber optics industries, and other related sectors including related industries that manufacture, develop, build, maintain, or provide ancillary services to renewable energy resources or energy efficiency products or services, including the manufacture and installation of healthier building materials that contain fewer hazardous chemicals. "Clean energy and digital infrastructure jobs" includes administrative, sales, other support functions within these industries and other related sector industries.

(b) The Department shall convene a comprehensive stakeholder process that includes representatives from the State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Department of Labor, community-based organizations, workforce development providers, labor unions, building trades, educational institutions, residents of BIPOC and low-income communities, residents of environmental justice communities, clean energy businesses, nonprofit organizations, worker-owned cooperatives, representatives of Connect Illinois other groups that provide clean energy and digital infrastructure jobs opportunities, groups that provide construction and building trades job opportunities, and other participants to identify the career pathways and training curriculum needed for participants to be skilled, work ready, and able to enter clean and digital infrastructure energy jobs. The curriculum shall:

(1) identify the core training curricular competency areas needed to prepare workers to enter clean energy and related sector jobs;

(2) identify a set of required core cross-training competencies provided in each training area for clean energy and digital infrastructure jobs with the goal of enabling any trainee to receive a standard set of skills common to multiple training areas that would provide a foundation for pursuing a career composed of multiple clean energy job types;

(3) include approaches to integrate broad occupational training to provide career entry into the general construction and building trades sector and any remedial education and work readiness support necessary to achieve educational and professional eligibility thresholds; and

(4) identify on-the-job training formats, where relevant, and identify suggested trainer certification standards, where relevant.

(c) The Department shall publish a report that includes the findings, recommendations, and core curriculum identified by the stakeholder group and shall post a copy of the report on its public website. The Department shall convene the process described to update and modify the recommended curriculum every 3 years to ensure the curriculum contents are current to the evolving clean energy industries, practices, and technologies.

(d) Organizations that receive funding to provide training under the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, including, but not limited to, community-based and labor-based training providers, and educational institutions must use the core curriculum that is developed under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.