94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2674

 

Introduced 1/20/2006, by Sen. Deanna Demuzio

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the State Services Assurance Act. Establishes required staffing ratios for specified State agencies that provide essential services. Requires the Departments of Children and Family Services and Veterans' Affairs to convene caseload and workload standards task forces, and the Department of Juvenile Justice to convene a staffing ratio standards task force, to develop standards by January 1, 2007. Requires the Legislative Audit Commission, in consultation with the Auditor General, to schedule audits, to be completed by January 1, 2007, of each executive branch agency under the Governor's authority to determine its staffing level trends. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the State
5 Services Assurance Act.
 
6     Section 5. Legislative intent and policy. The General
7 Assembly finds that State government delivers a myriad of
8 services that are necessary for the health, welfare, safety,
9 and quality of life of all Illinois residents.
10     It is the intent of the General Assembly to monitor
11 staffing levels in all executive branch agencies under the
12 authority of the Governor and to develop a system to ensure the
13 effective delivery of vital State services. To that end, this
14 Act establishes minimum staffing standards in State agencies
15 where lives and public safety are at greatest risk: in
16 facilities operated by the Departments of Corrections and Human
17 Services, and in Department of Human Services Family and
18 Community Resource Centers.
 
19     Section 10. Staffing ratios.
20     (a) The collective average staffing ratio of correctional
21 centers operated by the Department of Corrections shall be at
22 or above 0.295 staff per inmate.
23     (b) The collective average staffing ratio of mental health
24 centers operated by the Department of Human Services shall be
25 at or above 2.5 staff per patient.
26     (c) The collective average staffing ratio of developmental
27 centers operated by the Department of Human Services shall be
28 at or above 1.9 staff per resident.
29     (d) The collective average caseload of employees in Family
30 and Community Resource Centers operated by the Department of
31 Human Services shall be at or below 288 cases.
 

 

 

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1     Section 15. Departmental task forces. The Department of
2 Children and Family Services shall convene a Caseload Standards
3 Task Force. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall convene a
4 Workload Standards Task Force. The Department of Juvenile
5 Justice shall convene a Staffing Ratio Standards Task Force.
6 Each Task Force shall include an equal number of
7 representatives of the respective Department, labor unions
8 representing Department employees, and advocates. The
9 Department of Children and Family Services Caseload Standards
10 Task Force shall establish reasonable caseload standards for
11 effective child welfare service delivery. The Department of
12 Veterans' Affairs Workload Standards Task Force shall
13 establish reasonable workload standards at facilities operated
14 by the Department. The Department of Juvenile Justice Staffing
15 Ratio Standards Task Force shall establish reasonable staffing
16 ratios at facilities operated by the Department. The work of
17 each Task Force shall be completed on or before January 1,
18 2007. Each Department shall develop rules implementing the
19 caseload or workload standards.
 
20     Section 20. Staffing audits. The Legislative Audit
21 Commission, in consultation with the Auditor General, shall
22 establish a schedule whereby each executive branch agency under
23 the authority of the Governor shall be audited for trends in
24 staffing levels from FY 2000 through FY 2005. Each audit shall
25 analyze staffing levels by division, program, and facility.
26 Each audit shall identify key outcome indicators for each
27 agency including the amount, variety, and quality of programs
28 and services delivered. The indicators shall be selected to
29 accurately reflect agency performance and shall be measurable
30 consistently over time. Each audit shall determine whether
31 staffing changes have impacted agency performance. Each audit
32 shall include a recommendation as to the need to improve
33 staffing where appropriate. All audits shall be conducted
34 before January 1, 2007.
 

 

 

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1     Section 25. Annual reports. Each executive branch agency
2 under the authority of the Governor shall prepare an annual
3 report on staffing levels for the committees of the House of
4 Representatives and the Senate that conduct hearings on its
5 annual budget appropriation. The report shall include at a
6 minimum 5 years of actual and estimated staffing levels by
7 division, program, and facility, staffing ratios if
8 appropriate, and updated reports on the key outcome measures
9 identified in the audits required in Section 20. The reports
10 shall be conveyed to the appropriate committees no later than 6
11 months after the end of each fiscal year.
 
12     Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
13 severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
14     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15 becoming law.