95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB0979

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Rep. Gary Hannig

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 105/4.14 new

    Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Requires the Department on Aging to gather information about the special needs of older rural residents and to evaluate the adequacy and accessibility of existing programs for older rural residents. Creates the Older Rural Adults Task Force to gather information and make recommendations. Sets forth the membership of the Task Force. Provides that the Task Force may hold regional hearings and shall submit a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2009. Provides that the Task Force shall be dissolved upon the submission of the report. Effective immediately.


LRB095 07155 HLH 27283 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0979 LRB095 07155 HLH 27283 b

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 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by
5 adding Section 4.14 as follows:
 
6     (20 ILCS 105/4.14 new)
7     Sec. 4.14. Rural Senior Citizen Program.
8     (a) The General Assembly finds that it is in the best
9 interest of the citizens of Illinois to identify and address
10 the special challenges and needs faced by older rural
11 residents. The General Assembly further finds that rural areas
12 are often under-served and unserved to the detriment of older
13 residents and their families, which may require the allocation
14 of additional resources.
15     (b) The Department shall identify the special needs and
16 problems of older rural residents and evaluate the adequacy and
17 accessibility of existing programs and information for older
18 rural residents. The scope of the Department's work shall
19 encompass both Older American Act services, Community Care
20 services, and all other services targeted in whole or in part
21 at residents 60 years of age and older.
22     (c) The Older Rural Adults Task Force is established to
23 gather information and make recommendations in collaboration

 

 

HB0979 - 2 - LRB095 07155 HLH 27283 b

1 with the Department on Aging and the Older Adult Services
2 Committee. The Task Force shall be comprised of 12 voting
3 members and 6 non-voting members. The President and Minority
4 Leader of the Illinois Senate and the Speaker and Minority
5 Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives shall each
6 appoint 2 members of the General Assembly and one citizen
7 member to the Task Force. Citizen members may seek
8 reimbursement for actual travel expenses. Representatives of
9 the Department on Aging and the Departments of Healthcare and
10 Family Services, Human Services, Public Health, and Commerce
11 and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Housing Development
12 Authority shall serve as non-voting members.
13     Co-chairs shall be selected by Task Force at its first
14 meeting. Both shall be appointed voting members of the Task
15 Force. One co-chair shall be a member of the General Assembly
16 and one shall be a citizen member. A simple majority of those
17 appointed shall constitute a quorum. The Task Force may hold
18 regional hearings and fact finding meetings and shall submit a
19 report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2009.
20 The Task Force is dissolved upon submission of the report.
 
21     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22 becoming law.